pi's the limit

front page!

2011-10-25T20:48:00.003-04:00

One of my photographs made it to the front page of Etsy earlier today! It's a print called Psyche and Cupid. I photographed Antonio Canova's famous sculpture when I was at the Louve.

click on that picture to see the listing in question! I was very surprised and very happy. I got about 800 views on it today- which was an enormous amount of people looking at a photograph that I took and I am very much shocked.

jokes from a 5 year old

2011-10-22T15:29:00.005-04:00

knock knock
who's there?
banana!
banana who?
lamp!

knock knock
who's there?
pepperoni!
pepperoni who?
shallow water!

my cousin really likes knock knock jokes. try them on your friends!

edit: he can also quote star wars!

fear leads to anger. anger leads to hate. hate leads to suffering. suffering leads to tangerines.

excuses

2011-10-01T22:25:00.004-04:00

becoming busy as school starts again. you will probably not see a lot of me here in the next couple of weeks or months, as I get entangled with school work and applications and deadlines.

as per usual, I've been occupying my time with running and with art. both have been difficult as of late, but rewarding. running feels much more tangible lately, as I can measure my success in more exact ways. still, I'm spending a few hours per week in my studio class trying to do observed drawing and figuring out what my aesthetic actually is.

I took the SAT earlier today (for the final time?) and I am working on applying to colleges. this is my final year of high school and it makes me feel many different things all at once.

that is all for now. I am tired and a little sore.

I hope to be seeing you all soon.

binders: decorated.

2011-08-24T12:05:00.001-04:00

used my cannibalized frankenstein, and two vintage basic readers.
school is almost upon us.

this is my way of doing some back to school preparation. this, and emptying out my backpack from last year. goodbye 13.5 pounds of recycling, goodbye!

summery things

2011-08-09T08:19:00.002-04:00

a collage made with reproduced vintage photograph and images from national geographic books. hope that you're enjoying the beach weather!

reasons why you should see the deathly hallows part 2

2011-07-29T00:19:00.004-04:00

also alternatively titled "reasons why I went to the midnight premier in full costume" and "reasons why I am probably going to be seeing this movie for the third time this weekend".

1. This is it.

This might officially mark the end of your childhood. After a decade of Harry, Ron, and Hermione, it's coming to an end. You've aged with them, grown with them, and now you're reaching a point where there isn't any more. Harry has the horcruxes that he needs to defeat. You've just got to try to make it through this last half of the last movie without bawling.

2. You didn't go to the midnight release of the book for nothing.

Four years ago, the summer after you turned 13, you pulled your first all nighter. Curled up in your living room, you read for six straight hours, still wearing the radish earrings that you made for your Luna Lovegood costume. If you don't watch this movie, this thirteen year old will bite you and then post some sub par angst poetry on deviantart.

3. Severus Snape. Alan Rickman. Really voluminous hair.

need I say more?

4. Remember that crush that you secretly had on Neville Longbottom?

Oh yeah, bet you didn't know that I knew about that one. (or was it really just me? because I had a huge crush on Neville Longbottom.) He takes the DA over, protects some first years, and then becomes a total babe. Bet you didn't see that one coming when he was lifted onto that chandelier in second year Defense Against the Dark Arts class by cornish pixies, did you?

5. You're in good company.

A group of twenty carolers came into my theater singing the mysterious ticking noise and songs from A Very Potter Musical. A girl twelve rows behind me was wearing the same pair of spectrospecs as I was. Harry Potter pick-up lines were being dropped like there was no tomorrow. (is that a wand in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?) Best of all, this is a group that knows you. They're the socially awkward masses, and they won't judge you if you leave the theater just a little bit teary eyed.

So go ahead. go hide in a movie theater for a little while. watch harry potter. if you get hungry, just turn around. I'll be the one in the row behind you with a bag of red vines.

new places to find me!

2011-07-21T15:15:00.005-04:00

oh my, would you look at that? what in the world could that be?

http://www.etsy.com/shop/pisthelimit

looks like a link to a bunch of pictures taken by some geeky kid. wonder who that is?

wire wontons

2011-07-17T12:32:00.004-04:00

It's summer. The temperature isn't uncomfortable, but any movement provokes the humidity to crawl around you and cling to you with a ferocious and one-sided love. There's nothing much to do, and the idle warm days turn into idle warm nights until the passage of time is barely noticed at all. The sun has set, but the diffused glow shines down my driveway and casts lazy half shadows on the ground. I'm standing outside the back door of the house, watching the moths and the other indistinguishable insects fluttering around the timed light above my neighbor's door.

I've got a roll of wire screening in my hands along with a pair of scissors, and a sheet of twist ties between my lips. Standing in front of the tree, I look upwards and take count. This is the fifth summer after we have planted the Asian pear tree, and the pears have never ripened. Although it produces more than a hundred gumball sized fruit every year, squirrels tend to eat all of them once they exceed the size of a golf ball.

It's an easy enough job, I try to imagine. Outwitting a squirrel shouldn't be difficult. I cut a square from the netting and hold it around one of the dozen remaining fruits, trying to think of ways to secure it. A couple of bars run through my head of an anonymous song, and I hum it again and again and again. Folding and refolding the screen square, I do my best to cover the fruit. I settle for a familiar shape, bringing the corners of the square together to form a wonton. I secure it with twist ties and pinch the edges together.

As I begin working on the third wire screen cover, I let my mind wander. Although it's summer, I'm thinking about school, and about college. This is it, I think. There is an award winning college essay written in this moment, and I just have to figure it out. Here I am, standing in my driveway in the light from my kitchen window, and I am composing topic sentences and paragraph transitions that I will never actually use. I prick my fingers a couple of times on the loose wires, but I keep threading the twist ties and folding the screen.

Another metal dumpling down. Here's an analogy for my biracial identity. I bend down to the next fruit and get to work. As I'm folding the next square, I feel the bite of a mosquito on the back of my leg. If I swat at it now, I'd drop the little makeshift cage that I've spent the last five minutes forming, and I'd have to start over. I ignore the growing itch, and fold the wire into shape. Here's an example of my determination to finish the tasks that I've set. I stand back to look over the tree, and to admire my work. Tidy looking wontons hang at the edges of branches. It's a peculiar sight, but it'll do the job. If a squirrel can get through this, it deserves the fruit. Here's an example of my out of the box thinking.

It has been gradually growing darker, and soon it's too dark to see the top branches of the tree that I've been working on. I light up my wristwatch, and across the yard a firefly echoes my false bioluminescence. It's late, so I gather my things and go inside. I put the things back, the twine and the twist ties into the drawer, the scissors in the jar by the phone, and the spare wire screen back into the closet with the gardening gloves and gardening supplies. Whatever great admissions essay hides in this moment that has just passed, I will let it stay mostly hidden. After all, it's summer.

basically, I'm a hobbit

2011-06-23T19:35:00.006-04:00

getting a summer job has been much more difficult than I imagined it would be. (what do you mean, you don't want to hire a teenager with no work experience for a month and a half?) no job means no money for food, so I've been forced to forage.

if you need me, you can probably find me in the shire. I'll be the one stealing carrots from farmer maggot, or finding mushrooms in the front yard.

what kind of magic spell to use?

2011-05-30T00:17:00.007-04:00

it's midnight and my attempts at studying for my biology final has degenerated to a point where I am singing along to the Labyrinth soundtrack and making vague punnet squares to predict what the offspring produced by my future time-traveling escapades will look like.

save me from myself.

edit: there is a 50% chance that my child with david bowie would have blue eyes.

a good thing

2011-05-09T22:04:00.000-04:00

I like fabric stores because they smell beautiful like possibility.

things that make you feel nostalgic

2011-05-07T16:25:00.003-04:00

Photographs in unexpected places- between the pages of inherited books, in lockets, hiding under a mattress. Sliding into a dress that was once worn for a very important occasion. Hand-painted tiles. The slow moving air of uninhabited places. Seeing the smile of someone that you have cared about immensely. Replacing the laces on an old pair of shoes. Discovering a letter that you never got around to sending. Sandalwood soap.

birthday

2011-04-16T08:08:00.002-04:00

I'm seventeen today.

Like most birthdays, it feels like I should be doing something wildly profound, or mildly profane. Instead, I think that I will go to the post office and then I will eat some cake.

Japanese Relief

2011-04-02T14:24:00.007-04:00

You've undoubtedly heard about the current situation unfolding Japan following the 9.0 earthquake and subsequent tsunami on March 11th, 2011. Thousands of people have been declared dead, while thousands more are missing and unaccounted for. Homes have been destroyed and people are being evacuated. The nuclear crisis developing from the Fukushima Daiichi plant will undoubtedly have long lasting and tragic effects on Japan and on the world.

Amidst this tragedy, there are inspiring stories of heroism. Hideaki Akaiwa faced the 10 foot water wall armed with scuba gear to save his wife and mother, and has since returned to the flooded streets of his city every day to rescue survivors. The workers of the Fukushima Daiichi plant have willingly exposed themselves to extreme levels of radiation while they work to stabilize the reactors.

There might not be a lot that you can do or a lot that you can give, but that's no reason not to do anything. Do what you can.

Be wary of organizations, and do research before giving anything. In a situation like this there are people who will try to take advantage of compassion, so it is best to give money to organizations that have proven their effectiveness in previous cases. The Huffington Post has compiled a list of legitimate organizations that you can donate to, including but not limited to Doctors Without Borders, Red Cross, and Save the Children.

If you're interested in getting something for your donations, you can find goods on Etsy that are designated for Japanese relief. Large percentages of the profits for these items are being sent to charities.

When you're unable to make significant monetary donations to any organizations, consider alternatives to money. Students Rebuild has partnered with DoSomething, and has a donation goal of 100,000 paper cranes. For each crane that they receive, they will donate $2 to Architecture for Humanity, until they reach $200,000.

They're very helpful in answering any queries that you might have about the project, and they have a crane count on their website that they upload daily. I've emailed them a few times, and they've mentioned that they suggest that cranes be made in a 4x4 paper size, although they are very lax about these dimensions. If you've got a stack of origami paper sitting on a shelf somewhere, it's time to dust if off. If you are unsure about how to make a paper crane, search online for a tutorial, or find me sometime and ask me. Don't be afraid to send in more than one crane- if you have fifty cranes or more you can request a free UPS mailing label via email. Or, give it to me, and I'll include it in the next box that I send in.

Know of any organizations that you think that I should mention, or have any ideas for fundraisers for Japanese relief? Leave them in the comments, I'd love to hear them. Keep me posted about what you're doing and I'll be sure to do the same.

Black birds

2011-03-19T19:11:00.002-04:00

In Chinese, PoPo means maternal grandmother.

PoPo was the first Chinese word that I learned to say, followed by Gung Gung, the word for maternal grandfather. My Gung Gung passed away two years before I was born. My third Chinese word was likely learned off of a menu.

My PoPo raised five children and adored nine grandchildren. She called us Precious Heart. It was a term of endearment that melt into a single world, preciousheart, three syllables that I've never heard used by anyone else.

Every time my brother or I had a major school event, my PoPo would take the train and visit. We'd pick her up from the train station for our graduations from elementary school and middle school, and my brother's high school graduation last June. She visited for the various theme days that my school held, Grandparent's day in the first grade, Greek styled Olympics in the fourth.

She was most proud of our academic achievements, and would reward our positive report cards with small amounts of money that she'd send to us in hong bao, lucky red envelopes. More often than bills, we would receive coin money, a silver Susan B. Anthony clinking against a golden Sacagawea, or several half dollars. For Christmas of 1999 the present from her that I was allowed to open (my parents dealt with envelopes- they were (rightly) afraid that I would tear enclosed checks apart in my wrapping paper frenzy) was a thin green state quarter book. After that, whenever I visited her, she would give freshly minted quarters to me so that I could fill the book.

In these last few months, she spoke less and less. We'd talk every couple of days, but never for very long because it would tire her out. Most vividly, I remember a conversation that we had in January while I was in New York. I had finished my day of work in Brooklyn, and called her as I often did while I was walking to the subway. Because our conversations were short, if I dialed her number when I was passing the Vietnamese restaurant, I would be puckering my lips in my loud and childish way to kiss her goodbye by the time I got to the entrance to the subway. We talked for longer that day, and I walked up and down the street next to the subway a couple of times while I told her about my job. It was a pleasant type of cold, and the snow was beginning to melt and dampen the sidewalk with the fresh concrete type of smell. I made some mentions about college visiting, and she told me how she knew that I was a smart girl, and that I would be happy wherever I went. Then she said how she was proud of me. Proud of all of us.

And I think that's when I knew. My PoPo had lived a long and happy life. And she was ready for whatever came next.

That was one of the last conversations that I had with my PoPo. I saw her two times after that and I got to hold her hand and say my goodbyes. I kissed her on both cheeks and told her that I loved her. I wish that there was more that I could say, more that I could have said, but I doubt that there are ever words to make saying goodbye any easier.

She's been telling my aunts about seeing a black bird outside of her window for the past couple of days. It's friendly, she told them, a nice type of bird. She said that it was coming to take her to heaven.

My PoPo passed away yesterday afternoon. Tell me if you see any black birds.

frankenstein had angst.

2011-03-12T15:12:00.004-05:00

I just spoiled 90% of Frankenstein for you.

found

2011-03-06T17:51:00.002-05:00

Red Red.
because sometimes, Red just won't cut it.

stress fracture

2011-02-27T16:39:00.000-05:00

because it's still there.

stress fracture: medial aspect. work in progress, water colors.

contemplating the orientation of this piece. thinking about turning it 180 degrees, or 90 degrees clockwise. work still to be done in the background.

Got a bone scan two weeks ago, and had the results analyzed this past monday. stress fracture is still not gone yet. The red spot is where it is. I'm in a boot now for the next 4-6 weeks. It makes me more mobile than the crutches, but that's not saying too much.

artificial worlds

2011-02-26T13:25:00.005-05:00

"For Daisy was young and her artificial world was redolent of orchids and pleasant, cheerful snobbery and orchestras which set the rhythm of the year, summing up the sadness and suggestiveness of life in new tunes."
-F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

hb and ebony pencils, pastels. three hours?

oh.

2011-02-23T23:11:00.001-05:00

its been a while. so it goes.

hello there!

2011-01-12T11:50:00.002-05:00

so, I'm sure you're on the edge of your seats wondering how I've been. the wait is over! I'm at my home away from home right now, and not going to work because of the snow.

I've been working with a photographer monday/wednesday/friday. after bouncing around with several potential portfolio subjects, I settled last friday on a project that I'll be sure to share once it's complete. My work days are spent getting pictures, getting cold, and eating applesauce. I also occupy some of my time compiling a list of reasons of how and why the photographer is very possibly Santa Claus.

two days a week, tuesday/thursday, I am working with the lovely illustrator Sophie Blackall. I spend most of my time engaged in an ongoing death cage match with the printer, although occasionally we form a truce and it coughs out a couple of prints suitable for shipping. I've also done some preliminary image research for an upcoming picture book, and accompanied Sophie to a meeting about the cover for her book of Missed Connections at a publishing house. When not doing any of those activities, we drink hot beverages (Sophie takes coffee, I take tea) and sit at her dining room table.

various other things about the month thus far...

I still can't distinguish between Uptown and Downtown. Most of the time I get it right. Some of the time I inadvertently travel to Brooklyn or the Bronx.

I've met Boba Fett, and he plays the accordion.

Lovely looking strangers sometimes smile at you. in response, awkward (but hopefully occasionally lovely) girls sometimes fall a little bit in love.

No social life? No problem! I've got yarn and needles and even a small library of science fiction and Shakespeare and probably don't really need human interaction anyway.

New York

2011-01-02T22:18:00.002-05:00

in the month of january, I'm interning with two different artists in New York. but don't worry about missing me too much, I'll still be here for you to talk to.

my packing list was divided into four subcategories: don't be naked, you smell, sweet kicks bro, and stuffy stuff.

each subcategory was organized by a hierarchy of importance. more important than pants, apparently, is socks, and mo socks. because I need to stress the importance of having many socks. also, the category of stuffy stuff (which was all of the things that didn't neatly fall into the other categories) shows that I favor yarn and tea above cell phones and all of my various chargers.

my priorities are peculiar.

happy 2011!

more like advanced calculus

2010-12-28T21:59:00.000-05:00

"We've become a nation of wusses. The Chinese are kicking our butt in everything. If this was in China, do you think the Chinese would have called off the game? People would have been marching down to the stadium, they would have walked and they would have been doing calculus on the way down."

Thanks Ed Rendell for the enlightening comment. I really appreciate how you managed to turn an interview about the delay of an American football game into Yellow Fever. It's also really considerate how you included a math related stereotype. Keep it classy, Governor Rendell.

merry christmas!

2010-12-25T17:27:00.007-05:00

from me and the gang. I've spent my Christmas eating great food, receiving and giving gifts, and watching Love Actually with my mom. More Christmas movies to follow, currently The Muppets Christmas Carol, later the Doctor Who Christmas Special. And I can justify all of this television, because after all, Christmas is all around.

hope that your Christmas is warm and lovely. tell me all about it!

none the wiser

2010-12-20T21:01:00.003-05:00

I went to the doctor's today and they said that I can stop using crutches. My excitement was short lived, as I had to get my wisdom teeth removed two hours later.

I was assured by the nurse that I would not be awake during the procedure- but that might have been a laughing gas induced figment. Figment or not, I was awake while my teeth were being pulled out. But I was traveling around in a state of partial consciousness, where my mind was independent from my quickly exhausting body. Sometimes I fought to keep my eyes open to show the dentist that I was capable. Of what, I'm not certain. I just thought that by staring at the dentist, he'd understand that I was a very intelligent person.

that's laughing gas logic for you.

Also going through my head during the entire ordeal was Hamlet's soliloquy- one of the most destinct memories that I have is of getting the laughing gas mask put over my nose and being told to sleep, to which I responded "to sleep perchance to dream". Some people get nervous. I go thespian.

I attempted to acknowledge the removal of my teeth once during the procedure by asking a level headed question- which would, no doubt, prove to be highly eloquent and be told to all dentists in the tristate area. My story, the story of the most eloquent wisdom teeth removal patient ever. I would be hailed as a poster child for oral surgery everywhere.

What I meant to say was "Are you done with the upper and lower wisdom teeth on the left side?" What came out was entirely different, and consisted of "Arrrrruuudun teeefffflef?" and then maybe followed by some profuse bleeding from my mouth.

And this is how I can explain and justify why my kitchen now has large amounts of pudding, jello mixes, apple sauce, and pain killers in it. If you see a tiny manila envelope at the end of the island, open with care. It contains four wisdom teeth that are likely still covered in dried blood.

don't judge,

2010-12-12T13:50:00.004-05:00

http://highexpectationsasianfather.tumblr.com/

This is just how my life is sometimes. And when it isn't like this, I make it this way, because I don't know how to respond otherwise.

The coolest poem

2010-12-08T20:08:00.002-05:00

was written for me in history class.

Candy,
Oodles
Of
Latkes,
Eggs,
Sushi,
Time.

acrostic poems are the way to go. the more nonsensical, the better.

one week

2010-12-05T10:43:00.004-05:00

since you looked at me, threw your arms in the air and said you're crazy.

just kidding. it's been one week (and some change) since I got my stress fracture confirmed.

in the first two days I knit three scarves, and watched more tv than could possibly be helpful.
after four days, the school week started and I went to school on crutches, which is more humiliating and exhausting than it should be.

dear school,
you are not handicapped accessible. I have a stress fracture. It's not even a real handicap and you're still making this difficult for me. I'm late for most of my classes now, and I feel terrible because I make the people helping me late for classes. sure, teachers aren't exactly mad at me for coming in late, but considering each class period is 45 minutes, I'm missing a considerable part of the overall learning experience. please invest in hoverboards like back to the future.
with love,
pi.

I am physically capable of walking, which is the worst part. I can do it, I'm just not allowed to for fear of worsening the fracture. So, when I get to the point where I've made two people ten minutes late for their class because they're too kind to tell me to hurry up while trying to get up a flight of steps, I put my foot down (literally. oh gosh wow I'm funny.) and walk.

I hop up and down stairs because I don't really know how to use crutches properly. I can't open doors, and the immense weight of my backpack is getting cumbersome.

my coach doesn't think I'm really injured.

here's a secret: although I'm sure that I sound confident and capable of communication here, I am not actually this suave in real life. (I'll give you a moment to collect yourself. this must be a huge shock, and will likely cause some form of mental breakdown.) I can't very adequately communicate with authoritative figures. I stumble over my speech, and I'm really no good at that at all. I like my coach, I really do. But, I don't think that he understands my awkwardness or the fact that I'm positively incapable of doing really supposedly simple things, like using crutches in the rain or getting up and down steps. no, I am not acting about this injury, and yes, I really am so incompetent that I can't maneuver around on them when there is any sort of precipitation or incline. sorry.

here's another secret: it feels so much better. I'm curious how much longer I'm going to need crutches, because I'm not limping when I walk (half the time) and my other foot is starting to hurt from all the hopping.

I wish that I had something more interesting to say, but let's be serious: I'm pretty average.

blink

2010-11-27T16:43:00.005-05:00

or rather, don't blink.

"The angels have the phonebox," that's my favorite, I've got that on a T-shirt."

I used the fob watch pattern from the bbc website (the fob watch from human nature/family of blood episodes in series three that was used with the chameleon arch, but I'm sure that you knew that) and a quote from blink (the episode in series three that first introduced the weeping angels, but I'm equally sure that you already knew that.)

it's a plain white v-neck shirt that I took a sharpie to last night. I think that I like the results. (and now I have something to wear for the christmas special!)

and on the back of the shirt, there's this. I'm fairly certain this will be rather unsettling for anyone sitting behind me that doesn't watch doctor who.

x-rays, bad news, and (not so) humerus puns.

2010-11-24T13:21:00.007-05:00

so, that pain that I was mentioning last month? well, it never really went away. and as of today, it has officially been declared as a stress fracture.

I've suspected that for a while, but wanted to believe otherwise. If wishful thinking worked, I suppose we'd all be a lot happier. I'm trying to stay positive about this, but I went all wibbly in the office this morning and started crying as soon as the doctor left.

The prognosis? No running for six weeks, and crutches.

It's really only the beginning of the winter track season, and I'm frustrated that I'm missing out on it. I'm embarrassed that I'm going to be the kid blundering around on crutches for the next month, and I'm disheartened by the number of stairs that there are in my house and at my school. I can't really move with the crutches very well at all, and the stairs in my house are considerably more difficult to maneuver up and down than those at the physical therapy office where I got crutches 101.

I'm allowed to do no-impact exercise, and while I'm glad that I can stay in relative shape for the spring track season, it means that I'm going to be spending my time in the weight room, and not at the track with the rest of the team.

Maybe I'll start stress knitting again. who knows, maybe crutch cosies will become tres chic. (after all, once people see that someone so cool and fashionable has stress fractures, they'll all want them.) Stress knitting will take on a whole new meaning. (geddit? stress fractures? stress knitting? my leg and sense of humor are both suffering.)

please do your best to bear with me while I deal with this, I'm liable to go wibbly on you and I hope that you don't judge me to harshly if I do.

found

2010-11-21T15:38:00.007-05:00

improve your stamp collection for only 2.95! It's the world's most rewarding hobby.

found tucked in between page 160 and 161 of my new old copy of Much Ado About Nothing.
(I am constantly expanding my collection of used Shakespeare plays)

he's space gandalf

2010-11-18T20:09:00.004-05:00

But really, SPACE GANDALF. Matt Smith, you are one GLORIOUS Doctor.

mix tapes

2010-11-08T21:27:00.004-05:00

music of the moment. I'd call it the monday mix.

Cold Girl Fever- The National
Tangled Up in Plaid-Queens of the Stone Age
Are You Ten Years Ago- Tegan and Sarah
Within You- David Bowie
One Hit Wonderful- Reel Big Fish
Kid Gloves- Voxtrot
Tu Seras- Emma Daumas
Pink Bullets- The Shins
You Are A Runner And I Am My Father's Son- Wolf Parade
Derniere Danse- Kyo

what are you listening to?

oh for piet's sake

2010-10-31T13:46:00.008-04:00

Happy Halloween!

the fact is, this costume is terrifying. It shows that someday I will be destined/doomed to be a starving art major.

I went to the art museum on one of the last days before school started (has it really been that long?) and picked up some post cards to decorate with. One of them was a piece by Piet Mondrian, and I guess that might be where this whole thing started.

The dress is the product of a Sunday afternoon, and a couple of days of work during the week after cross country practice and homework.

I bought 2 yards of white, and half a yard each of blue, red, and a goldenrod that I want to pretend is yellow. I used less than half of each of those amounts, but it's always best to buy more than you need because I will inevitably mess up with something. I also used 12 yards of black bias tape and methods that might make a better seamstress weep.

the neckline fit rather poorly when I finished it, so I fixed it the only way I know how... with a pleat.

total for the project- $15.00. I hope people won't judge me if I wear this forever.

ouchies.

2010-10-24T12:20:00.004-04:00

our aversion to the most minor pains is perplexing. popping little white asprin and blue drug store pain relievers at the exact times that are laid out by the bottle- two pills every eight hours, or some variation thereon, so that we don't have to feel anything at all.

sometimes I subscribe to it. I won't lie- I don't like feeling discomfort any more than the average person and I have an unbelievably low tolerance for pain. and sometimes it's necessary- I'm in no means trying to argue that relief from pain is bad.

but sometimes I think that feeling the hurt might be good. because I'm too young to hurt in any real way, and sometimes the dull throbbing helps to anchor me. feeling the aches and the strains and hearing the hollow echos of cracking joints is a constant reminder of something. I don't know what- but it's something and isn't that enough? It's like always being aware of a dedication to something: I hurt because I run, and I run because I love it.

I thought that this would become more eloquent as I wrote it, but it ended into an incoherent mess. (as per usual). I've got shin splints in my right leg and I'm acutely aware of that fact every time I try to move, but I've also got the fastest times that I've ever run. I've never run myself this hard before, and I'm happy with how things are going.

here are some haiku

2010-10-18T19:23:00.001-04:00

I wrote them today
aren't I just so so clever?
please don't judge me now.

-

uninteresting.
absolutely adequate.
today I ate soup.

not smarter than her.
I'm doomed to be second best.
at least I'm pretty.

I am awkward, but
it could always be much worse
like Michael Cera.

frankenstein was a pirate

2010-10-17T18:29:00.004-04:00

I found treasures
never-ending
sunk deep

lately I've been trying my hand at black out poetry. Mary Shelley would probably be ashamed.

sweater weather

2010-10-08T20:01:00.002-04:00

its only just starting to actually feel like fall (because the October date stamp failed to alert nature that it's officially autumnal weather)and to kick it off I celebrated with a week full of sweaters.

Mostly thrift store sweaters, but I did mention to my Mom how excited I was about sweater weather and she found an old sweater that my Grandma knit for her. It was in a cedar chest for a long time and I think that I smelled like a type of cologne that would be marketed under the name "lumberjack in a can". It was absolutely lovely.

seriously, comfy stuff. sweaters really are the way to go. Maybe it's time to go thrifting again so that I can stock up for winter? I am so looking forward to sweaters and scarves and being cozy all of the time.

maybe we could snuggle up together? (I'll bring the snuggie.)

guess what I'm watching?

2010-09-29T21:33:00.006-04:00

marcel the shell with shoes on.
he is really rather adorable I think.

he hang glides on a dorito for adventure.

librarian chic

2010-09-20T22:44:00.003-04:00

R.E.A. (check out that cleverly disguised name!) started laughing today when he saw me, and he told me that it was because my outfit was very 'me'. he continued to add that I looked like a librarian. I'm taking it as a compliment. (I think that it was? maybe?)

I'm glad that my sense of style can be equated to that of a librarian. LEVEL UP! my dreams of being a childrens librarian are that much closer to being achieved.

I'll be recommending my favorite books to kids and having story time and doing craft projects and playing peek-a-boo between the shelves before you know it. as soon as I learn my alphabet I'm going to be totally ready for the rest of my life.

QUESTION

2010-09-09T06:42:00.002-04:00

does my enjoyment of running (especially hard workouts and long runs) make me a strong and dedicated runner, or a masochist?

just a question for all of you. it has been bouncing around in my head for the past few days and I want to hear your answers.

is it worth more than 1000 words?

2010-09-05T19:48:00.008-04:00

oh no not again. I'm so indecisive and so I think that I'll wish on spare change and fountains. started a couple of weeks into summer vacation, and have been folding them while I watch tv. at least I got it done before the school year started? (t minus two days now)

they're really rather small- 1/16th of a regularly sized piece of origami paper. (because I don't want to have to deal with the storage of 1000 full sized paper cranes. you understand- don't you?)

this is my second time making 1000 paper cranes with this paper- it's all left over from the origami page-a-day calendar that my parents gave me in 2006. I'll use it up eventually. (I hope.)

best wishes to all of you for the academic year- and for cross country season- and for autumn- and for the year- and for life. :)

Darleen

2010-08-27T14:14:00.005-04:00

went out thrift shopping two days ago- summer is drawing to an end and I felt the need to go back to school shopping.

I went a little crazy and ended up buying five sweaters and four button down shirts and one blanket. (for the impressive price of $9.50) I fell in love with the cool floral pattern on one dress, and being inspired by New Dress A Day, decided to throw it into my (rather tall) pile of purchases.

so, here it is in all of its pre altering glory. complete with some monstrously large shoulder pads. (I have such good tastes in clothing.)
I took a pair of scissors to the dress and went wild. First went the protective football gear attached to the shoulders, then the lace from the neckline, then seven inches from the bottom, then half the sleeves, then the other half of the sleeves when I decided to go the sleeveless route. I took a scoop out of the back, removing the top button, and making it ever so slightly more possible to breathe. altered the front neckline as well and sewed my first button hole. (write it in the baby book- this is a big accomplishment.)

and, ta-da! no more of that three quarter length sleeve nonsense or six inches below the kneecap skirt shenanigans. just a new dress to spend the last few days of summer lounging about in.

While I was pinning up the arm holes, my home phone started ringing and somebody started asking for Darleen- a wrong number, but a good name. I wouldn't be a very good crazy person if I didn't try to name this project with clever alliteration. so, I give you the Darleen dress. (I'm just so clever!) started as a prairie dress, ended like a prairie mess. can't deny or pretend like I don't love it.

winning and losing

2010-08-11T00:22:00.000-04:00

you win some and you lose some.

won:
a delicious lemon pie
14 new (used) books for $3.50
a new running companion (and somebody to watch a very potter sequel with)
an ebay auction for series 1-4 of Doctor Who + the complete specials
a delicious milkshake made from the remains of failed meringue batter

lost:
battle with a garden hose
$5 in my pocket in New York
3 egg whites in an attempt to make meringue
15 minutes spent listening to an irritated man trying to buy an old copy of Les Mis

on the topic of winning and losing, I suppose I should mention that I also lost my evening to ants. in my pantry. which was unnerving and more creepy crawly than I would have liked. but, like my dad said, it could have always been worse. The ants could have been spiders. or crickets. or roaches. or tiny raptors.

while my dad and I tend to agree on a lot of things, I disagree with his opinions on having a raptor infestation in our pantry. I've always wanted a pet that could fit into my pencil case. I'd name it Nellie. we would have been the best of friends.

Missed Connections

2010-08-10T08:03:00.000-04:00

dear frankie valli-
you told me that you were geeking out over my mighty morphing power rangers t-shirt. I don't know if I thanked you for making my day, so here it goes: thanks. also, you were really rather wonderful and I can't remember if I told you that, but I sincerely hope I did.
-girl with the power rangers t-shirt

on the subject of Doctor Who

2010-07-25T22:45:00.000-04:00

well, we weren't really on the subject, but I just finished a mini-marathon with myself and felt inclined to talk about it.

(it's sunday night in the middle of summer vacation, and I have nothing to do besides sit in front of my computer and watch five hours of doctor who. let's make a deal: you don't judge me for doing this (I'm certainly not embarrassed) and I don't judge you for reading this blog.)

a marathon of last five episodes of the first series (the empty child, the doctor dances, boom town, bad wolf, the parting of ways) was tonight. I'm onto classic who from here on out.

My parents judge me (I think) for my love of the show, and I don't blame them because the first time that they saw Doctor Who had been in pieces of Love & Monsters.

Me trying to explain Doctor Who to my parents: "well, you see, Mom, this here is Moaning Myrtle, and she's been absorbed by this monster, but really that's okay because The Doctor comes and he saved her and then she got turned into a paving stone."

I could talk about Doctor Who for excessively long amounts of time, but I think that I'll refrain from doing that (now) and leave you with this: watch it. really really watch it. I don't think that you can really go wrong with watching it. (unless, of course, Fear Her or Love & Monsters is your first episode.) start anytime, anywhere. Series Five is beautiful. Really is. Series Three was my first series, and a good series that it was. Having just finished Series One, I can tell you that it was really rather good for a beginning, and having also watched Series Two and Four I'm pleased to inform you that they're both winners. You don't really need to begin at the beginning, just begin.

After you've done that, come back and talk to me. I'm always up for a rousing discussion about the cool factor of a good bow-tie.

found

2010-07-11T15:04:00.000-04:00

inside an old nancy drew book.

rather precious, innit?

"created for
the children's book council, inc.
by
Hardie Gramatry"

anyways, the Nancy Drew books have been living in a cardboard box on a shelf in my basement for a couple of years, and I thought that it was time for them to come back to my bookshelf. (I went through a Nancy Drew craze in the fifth (give or take a little) grade. they were packed up and put downstairs a couple of years after that to make room on my shelves, but now I've seen the errors of my ways.)

the books are the originals, and belonged to my mom and her sisters. A large number of them have bookplates in them that my aunt (the oldest of the sisters) wrote her name on.

not really sure when this bookmark was printed, and because my memory is like a pasta strainer, so I don't know if this bookmark was mine or if it belonged to one of my cousins or to one of my aunts.

dancing in the rain.

2010-07-10T12:11:00.000-04:00

two days of solid rain are following my last post. no big deal or anything, but apparently I'm Storm from x men in disguise. I guess I'm okay with this.

I'll be figuring out what else I can do with my newly discovered superpowers, but feel free to leave a comment or shine a giant flashlight into the sky or something if you have a cat stuck in a tree or a baby in a burning building. or a baby cat in a burning tree. It's all in a days work for a superhero like me.

ps suggestions for a superhero name?

melting on the sidewalk.

2010-07-08T13:06:00.000-04:00

oh dear it is too hot to be living in a house without air conditioning. what do I do what do I do?

I'm surviving but only just barely and I don't know if I can keep at it.

seriously, who decided that it could be this hot? I'd like to find out so that I could write them a politely worded but nonetheless opinionated letter. if you find out before I do, here's a draft of the one that I'm writing. Please feel free to send it for me.

Dear ___________,

I am sending you this letter as it has recently come to my attention that you are the reason for this horrendous heat. Please refrain from doing this, as my feet are melting into the sidewalk which (rather unsurprisingly) is an acutely painful experience. Your recent rise in temperature has likely brought more business to the frozen dessert industry, and although strawberry lemonade water ice is delicious, I cannot afford to continue to spend such an inordinate percentage of my income on frozen water and flavoring.

Please stop. I cannot take this anymore. I have no containers in my house that hold enough water and I don't like moving back and forth between my couch and freezer to get more ice/stick my head into the frozen peas. It's too hot.

Regrettably without love,
Pi

found

2010-06-09T13:56:00.000-04:00

found on June 8th inside of a book being sold at my library.

Love is friendship that has caught fire. It is quiet understanding, mutual confidence, sharing + forgiving. It is loyalty through good and bad times. It settles for less than perfection and makes allowances for human weakness.

Love is content w. the present, it hopes for the future, and it doesn't brood over the past. It's the day-in and day-out chronicle of irritations, problems, compromises, small disappointments, big victories and working toward common goals.

If you have love in your life, it can make up for a great may things that are missing. If you don't have love in your life, no matter what else there is, it's not enough.

-Attributed to many, originally (perhaps) by Ann Landers

something to consider, maybe.

Day 4

2010-05-09T14:58:00.000-04:00

[Day 1][Day 2][Day 3]

Day 4: April Fools! Poisson d'Avril (the French equivalent, translating to Fish of April) was celebrated with a sad start to the morning: getting locked out of our apartment. After going to Moulin de Rosa for breakfast (a chausson aux pommes) we got to the door of the apartment to find that we had left our keys inside.

I was charged with the ever difficult task of waiting on the staircase up to our apartment, in hopes that somebody would have a spare key, or that the woman who was in charge of the apartment would arrive (as we had asked her to come due to some difficulties with the washing machine). I sat on the stairs eating my chausson aux pommes, which was delicious and flaky and caused me to cover the steps in pastry crumbs.

Meanwhile, my aunt and cousin went back to the Moulin de Rosa to talk to the cashier and see if he knew of any internet cafes in the area that they could go to so that they could access their emails so that they could get the number of the woman who had an extra key. Regrettably, he informed them that there were no cafes nearby. Yet, despite knowing us for only a few minutes, he handed his iPhone across the counter and offered to let them use it. My aunt (with the help of my slightly more technologically adept cousin) was able to navigate to her email so that she could retrieve the phone number. The man then let my aunt use his phone to call her, and she arranged to have her come by the apartment in the next hour.

We had an hour to spare, and we were locked out, and it was cold, so we walked to the Maison du Victor Hugo where admission was free and the insides were warm. We didn't have enough time to see the temporary exhibit on the first floor, but we did see his apartments and a lot of correspondence between him and his favorite daughter Leopoldine. Last year in French class I had to memorize the poem Demain, des l'aube, which was written by Hugo in response to her untimely death. It was strange having the lines of a poem that he wrote because of her death running through my head while I looked at the words that the two had exchanged during her life.

After an hour we exited the museum, and while me and my cousin walked directly to the apartment, my aunt stopped for a third time at the Moulin de Rosa to buy a package of macaroons as a thank you for the woman with the key. She arrived, opened our door, and all was well.

After we got into our apartment, we drank our hot drinks (a cup of tea for me, and two cups of coffee for my aunt and cousin) and headed out the door again to see more of Paris. On our way to the Bastille, I saw something that was most fantastical.

Invader #1

Lets take a look at the image that you see above you. Do you see that beautiful wonderful fantastical tiled piece of art that is hovering over the graffiti? Meet Invader! I had learned about Invader a couple of weeks before I left for Paris, and was thrilled by the idea of finding some of his work. He puts up mosaics around Paris and France and the entire big blue world with pictures from Space Invaders and other 1970s video games.

This beauty was spotted, as I said before, on the way to the Bastille. The cross streets were "Boulevard Beaumarchais" and "Rue Jean Beausire". After I took a couple of pictures, we jumped onto our train heading toward Cite, where we got off.

We walked past Notre Dame and then went to Sainte Chapelle where we waited in line for a little while before gaining entrance.

here's a picture of the lower chapel... also known as the gift shop.

Going upstairs lead to the Upper Chapel, famed for its beautiful stained glass windows. However, the church was undergoing some renovations, and the windows were being cleaned, so it didn't appear as insanely beautiful as it really is. (To give you a mental image: scaffolding covered somewhere between three to five of the windows, and the scaffolding was covered in a white tarp branded by the company that had donated the money to provide for the cleaning.) This isn't to say that I wasn't thrilled to be there (because I was thrilled to be anywhere during my trip. I was in Paris! I was thrilled to be almost everywhere!) but it was a little disappointing. The windows that I did see were really fantastic looking:

detail from stained glass window

rose window of Sainte Chapelle

I think that I might have paid more attention to the patterns on the floor than the stained glass that was throwing them. whoops.

After Sainte Chapelle we went back to Notre Dame.

My aunt waited in the line to get to the tower while my cousin and I went to buy crepes. We took our places back in line, and my aunt went into a nearby cafe to wait because she didn't want to climb the stairs due to ankle problems. The line moved (albeit somewhat slowly) and we eventually found ourselves walking up the steps to the tower. We were (ever so briefly) locked into the gift shop, while the group before us left, because the steps were too narrow to have two groups going up and down them (or something like that.) Strange marketing ploys are strange.

After ten minutes or so, we were allowed to continue up the steps, which lead to the first level. I acquainted myself with some of the Chimeras (you know, the things that people think are Gargoyles but don't actually spew water out of their mouths?) and found that there is an elephant on the top of Notre Dame. Things I never knew.

My cousin and I went inside of one of the bell towers, where I got to meed Emmanuel, the largest bell in Notre Dame. (I geeked out.)

After this, we were allowed to go to the uppermost level of the tower, which gave us a spectacular view of Paris. (I'd suggest full view for those two- you'll miss the details if you don't.)

in the first picture you can see the Eiffel Tower on the far left, and the arch de la defense in the center. in the second picture you can see Sacre Coeur in the center atop the hill of Montmartre.

Due to a time limit, we were only allowed to stay on the upper level for five minutes, so after we got our pictures we headed back down the staircase. I lost count after two hundred steps.

We found my aunt in the cafe that she had been in, and then bought some souvenirs. (A couple of generic posters, postcards, and a silly grey beret- because every tourist needs one.) From Cite, we took the train to Place de la Concorde and saw the Obelisque. It was shiny. (and I mean that in both the literal and Firefly slang sense.)

We strolled through the Tuileries Gardens for a tiny bit, pausing sometimes to people watch. The Musee de l'Orangerie, home to Waterlilies by Monet, was within the gardens, so we stopped there ever so briefly. We got there forty minutes before closing, but because of our Museum Passes we didn't have to worry about paying admission fee. The paintings were more immense than I had anticipated, and I really liked them. We had enough time to run through and see most of the other artwork before closing, and after leaving we finished walking through the Tuileries Gardens. From the Tuileries Gardens we made a quick trip to the Gardins du Palais Royal, and then took the metro back to the Bastille.

We walked to the apartment, and (surprise!) I found another Invader!

Invader #2
located near the intersection of Rue du Pas de la Mule and Rue des Tournelles

We got back to our apartment where I tried to get in touch with a cousin of mine who is staying in Paris for her junior year.

We went out to dinner at Chez Janou to meet with the woman that we had met in a cafe on our second day. The dinner was good, but the dessert was to die for. We ordered the chocolate mousse, and it was served with a ladle. Yes, you read that right. It was served with a ladle. It was the most delicious dessert that I think I ate all trip. Chocolate upon chocolate upon chocolate. If you ever go, you have to try it.

While talking to the granddaughter, we found that we had more in common: we were both planning on visiting Versailles the next day! We invited her to come with us, which she accepted. We agreed to meet at 9 the next morning at the corner across from the restaurant that we were eating at, and left to go back to our respective apartments.

Things to know:

always make sure that you have a key on your person before locking the door. always.

be prepared to be locked in the gift shop when you're climbing up to the towers of Notre Dame. It's perfect (I hope) normal. also, be prepared to climb up to the towers of Notre Dame. There were quite a few people who weren't all that pleasantly surprised when they saw the number of steps.

also, some cool information about a cool guy:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invader_%28artist%29
http://space.invaders.paris.free.fr/
http://www.space-invaders.com/som.html

in the event that you're in paris and you're hungry:

Chez Janou: 2, rue Roger Verlomme - 75003 Paris. Phone number: 01 42 72 28 41

Apparently it's been a year.

2010-05-09T14:44:00.000-04:00

Apparently I've had a blog for an entire year. That's a surprise.
And I didn't even make a blog post about it on the right day! That's a little sad.

So, happy (ever so slightly belated) birthday blog! I wrote you some haiku:

I have had this blog
for over a single year
but I'm still not cool.

it's not your birthday.
I'm sorry that I forgot
here, have a cupcake.

this is not witty
though I yearn for it to be
I'll try hard next time.

keys click-clack and I
would like to apologize
for forgetting you.

blog blog blog blog blog
you are a very good blog
blog blog blog blog blog

here's to hoping that my haiku skills and blogging ability will improve over time.

With lurve,

Pi.

Day 3

2010-04-29T22:03:00.000-04:00

[Day 1][Day 2][Day 3]

Day 3: I woke up at 9 in the morning, and (as would become our morning routine) went to Moulin de Rosa to get breakfast. We bought a single baguette, which I held as we walked back to the apartment. It made me feel ever so Parisian. We broke our bread at the apartment and ate it with the fruit and jam that we had picked up at Monoprix, as well as the butter and Nutella that we found in our apartment.

After breakfast we jumped onto the bus and went to the Louvre.

I'm really astounded by I.M. Pei's glass pyramid. The space beneath it was all illuminated by the natural light let in by the pyramid- making it infinitely more open and airy. I'm starting to think that I really like architecture a lot.

We entered in the Denon wing, where we flashed our fancy museum passes and went right in to seeing the art. We walked up a staircase and through a room filled with Roman antiquities until we were faced with another staircase, which we knew to hold the Winged Victory at the top. (My Grandpa still talks about the angel at the top of the big staircase sometimes, so I knew where it was.) We walked up and found ourselves face to face (I suppose that I shouldn't say face, as she doesn't really have one) with the Winged Victory of Samonthrace.

The Victory stands on the prow of a ship. The angle from which you see the statue in the picture above is the direction that you're supposed to look at it- not head on. The other half of the body lacks the fine details present in this side, leading many people (including the author of the guide book that I read) to believe that the Victory was intended to be seen at an angle. After seeing the Winged Victory we walked through some of the Greek, Etruscan, and Roman Antiquities section.

The Venus de Milo was crowded. Impressive, but very, very, very, crowded. Trying to take pictures normally ended up with a group of people in the corners. Still, really impressive.

Walked back through some of the Roman Antiquities and into the Italian Sculpture room in the Sculpture section. I think that I might have gone to heaven. Really, truly, it might have happened.

Psyche Revived by Cupid's Kiss - Antonio Canova

Dying Slaves - Michelangelo

Le Cardinal de Richelieu - Bernini
( I LOVE YOU BERNINI AS;KLFASFD LETS BE FRIENDS.)

mystery statue!

We made a loop somewhere and found ourselves in the Apollo Gallery- home to some of the Crown Jewels. After this time, we left the Louvre and walked to Ile-St.-Louis. We passed through the Marche aux fleurs again. (Can I just take a moment to say that it was beautiful? it was beautiful. Not large- but perfect nonetheless.)

The wind started to pick up as we walked from Ile-de-la-Cite to Ile-St.-Louis, and it was drizzling by the time we reached a place to eat. We ate lunch at a place called Cafe Med, where the waitress sung along with classic American pop/rock on the radio and smiled at me when we made eye contact. After lunch we walked to Berthillon to enjoy a delicious ice cream cone.

After eating ice cream and walking around Ile-St.-Louis, we walked back to Ile-de-la-Cite. The wind and the rain were picking up, so we went inside of Notre Dame. It wasn't crowded when we entered, but it seemed to be that there were many people doing the same as us: seeking shelter. (from the rain, and from other things.) I'm not religious- and the fact that there were people around me feeling the warmth of some divine light made me shiver with cold and a strange type of loneliness.

We walked through the cathedral for a while, taking in all of the spectacular stained glass and arches and columns. The back half of the cathedral was closed in preparation for evening mass, so we didn't get a good view of the rose windows. When the rain had let up we walked over to the Cite metro stop where we boarded a train and went back to the Louvre.

Again we entered through the Denon wing, but this time we went straight to the first floor, largely resuming where we had left off. We walked though the Italian paintings of the 13th-15th centuries, and I must say that I apologize for having been entirely too thrilled by my surroundings. But, again, can you really blame me? I'm me, and I'm an art nerd. Had the museum guards been watching me with a more critical eye, I may have been told off for salivating too much. Art is cool! (please don't judge me too harshly.)

Leonardo di Vinci
Baccus/Saint Jean-Baptiste, La Vierge aux Rochers, Saint Jean-Baptiste

Of course, we saw the Mona Lisa.
Through a swarm. And a six foot protective bubble. And five inches of glass.

Still, I saw her, and I smiled back at her, but I don't think that she really noticed because she was too busy concerning herself with the fact that she was absolutely adored.

After exiting the room that the Mona Lisa was kept in, I found myself facing La Belle Jardiniere by Raphael. I think that my gasp might have been audible. (that's a little bit embarrassing, so I'm trusting that's going to stay between you and me.) (Because the internet is a great place to keep secrets.)

After getting my fill of Italian paintings (that's a laugh. Like that would ever happen at all. Let's try that again:) After I realized how limited my time was, I decided that I would have to save the rest of the hall for my next trip to Paris, and continued to the Large Format French paintings.

Oedipe explique l'enigme du sphinx, La Grande Odalisque
Ingres

Pygmalion et Galatee (detail)
Anne-Louis Girodet-Trioson

One of my favorite paintings. :D My mom loves the movie My Fair Lady, so I'm no stranger to the story of Pygmalion. Still, this picture is absolutely wonderful and fantastic. Don't look at her. Please don't look at her. Ignore the fact that she is naked, and just look at Pygmalion. He's positively perfect. See that look of awe? The way that he is tentatively reaching out to confirm her reality(or possibly grope her)? Love is good. This picture is good.

I'm not really sure how much I like or dislike David. I'm leaning (at the moment) to strongly adore him, but that might only be due to the fact that I watched the Simon Schama's Power of Art episode about him. Other paintings that I saw the Coronation of Napoleon, the Oath of the Horatii, the Intervention of the Sabine Women, and The Lictors Bring to Brutus the Bodies of His Sons, all of which were immense and fantastic.

Remember this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erbd9cZpxps ?

At 1:15 starts the piece Death of Marat, by Jacques-Louis David. That's another reason why I'm liking David at this moment. And when Marat opens his eyes three seconds later? I swoon.

Raft of the Medusa
Gericault

1:05 in 70 million, if you were curious.

Liberty Leading the People
Delacroix

2:05 in 70 million.

(I hope that you understand that the video for 70 million is my second favorite music video of all time. I am an art geek and it thrills me. I'mma let you finish, but Bob Dylan had my favorite music video of all time with Subterranean Homesick Blues.)

After seeing much of the Large format paintings, we went to the ground floor and entered the Richelieu wing, where Hammurabi's Code was. (An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.) We also walked into the Palace of Sargon II.

This smile will never stop being hilarious to me.

From the Palace we went up to the second floor into the German, Flemish, and Dutch Painting section. There were a large number of vanitas, and I felt ever so clever for knowing why there were soap bubbles and wilting flowers and other symbolic things like that adorning the tabletops. We walked through the Reubens room rather quickly, I think, and went to see The Lacemaker by Vermeer. After seeing The Lacemaker, I walked up to one of the guards and clumsily asked them in French for directions. They were really nice, and I think that they might have felt bad for me because I was so apologetic, and gave me good directions to get to our last destination for the night: Poussin.

My camera had died at this point, so I don't have anything to show you, but I will tell you that Et In Arcadia Ego (Even in Arcadia I Exist) is just as great as it looked in Art History class.

Left the Louvre as it was getting late, and took the train back to the Monoprix where we bought eggs for dinner. (I also picked up two packages of Kinder Eggs because they are really wonderful and I don't eat them enough.) We picked up a bottle of wine for my aunt and cousin and I picked up a bottle of Orangina. (The advertisements for which that I saw in the metro seem to always include scantily clad animals. Don't ask, because I don't know how to answer.)

At the apartment we scrambled our eggs and ate them and fell asleep.

Things to Know:

Allow yourself plenty of time to see things if you're going to the Louvre. If your trip is going to be long enough, try to make several visits. Know what you're going to do before you get there, and don't waste time looking at things that you don't absolutely adore.

in the event that you're ever in Paris and you're hungry:

Cafe Med: 77 rue Saint Louis-en-l'ile, 75004 Paris. Phone number: 01 43 29 73 17

Berthillon: 29-31 rue saint Louis-en-l'ile, 75004 Paris. Phone number: 01 43 54 31 61

[Day 1][Day 2][Day 3]

and now for something completely different

2010-04-28T22:11:00.001-04:00

I interrupt what I would have regularly posted here to bring you this:

A question from the latest in math review packets. Math teachers must have very unique palates.

That is all. Carry on.

Day 2

2010-04-18T17:13:00.000-04:00

[Day 1][Day 2][Day 3]

Day 2:

I woke up at half past 8, and walked down the street to the boulangerie-patisserie "Moulin de Rosa". I bought a pain chocolat and returned to the apartment. My aunt and cousin made some coffee while I boiled water and brewed a cup of Tick-Tock rooibos tea (the package for which was left in the apartment by whoever had rented it last.)

(see what I did there? I added two photos together that were taken at different angles, resulting in the bizarre little image that you see above.)

After breakfast we left to go on a Paris Greeter tour that my cousin had arranged. The tour guides are all Parisians who volunteer to lead groups of six (or less) around the city for several hours, giving history lessons and recommendations all the while.We met our guide at the exit to the station Cite on Ile de la Cite. His name was Christian, and he was kind enough to speak French very slowly so that my cousin and I could understand what he was saying. A very nice Parisian woman named Danielle also joined us on the tour.

The tour took us first through the Marche aux Fleurs, which was absolutely beautiful and wonderful. (I really like flowers, what can I say?) We walked around the area of Ile de la Cite, and our guide took us to see the touristy places. We didn't go inside, as waiting in line would have limited the amount that we could have seen on the tour. We stopped at Notre Dame, passing Sainte-Chappelle while getting there. At the left entrance to Notre Dame the guide pointed out some interesting statues.

The picture on the left is the left side of the left portal, known as the Portal of the Virgin. The headless man is Saint Denis, who was beheaded for his beliefs on the hill of Montmartre in 250 A.D. After his head was cut off, he picked it up, dusted it off, and went on his merry way. He walked for six miles, and then died. His burial place was turned into a church, in which most kings from the 10th to 18th centuries are buried.

The center picture shows Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, as Eve takes the fateful first bite of the apple. But wait! What's that? Or rather, who is that? You know, that half snake half woman curling up the apple tree? That, my dear friends, is Lilith. The guide explained that she was the first woman created alongside Adam. Eve was created from the rib of Adam, yet woman had already been created in an earlier passage of Genesis. That woman, supposedly, was Lilith.
Don't really know how much of what he said was true (and how much was lost in translation). I don't really know all that much about Genesis save for what we learned in school during freshman English class. My cousin took an art history class sometime during college and she mentioned that she had also heard the story of Lilith. She's not very uncommon sight in art, apparently. Just look for the animagus stuck in the middle of her transformation.

The picture to the right shows the right side of the Portal of the Virgin. Our guide had very little to say about this side, so, I have very little to say to you.

The statues over the entrancesrepresent the Kings of Israel, and during the revolution the statues were beheaded. The ones currently adorning Notre Dame are replicas, and the ones that were beheaded are sitting in the Musee de Cluny.

I was thrilled that Disney did such a good job of creating Notre Dame in their movie 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame'. I have (very regrettably) yet to read Notre-Dame de Paris by Victor Hugo, which is the novel that the movie is adapted from.

Check out that statue that Esmeralda is talking to at the beginning of the song. Now look at the picture. Above the Kings of Israel, sandwiched between those two angels. Oh yes. Who was giddy with excitement when I saw that? That's right. Me.

After Notre Dame we walked across a bridge and into the Latin Quarter. We walked around and received buckets of information about the architecture of Paris. (Architecture is fascinating, and Parisian architecture is beautiful. What more could one ask for?) We walked down Haussmann boulevards and the tiny winding side streets that he had left untouched.

(French house numbers, a lamp in a courtyard, and an adorable shop that we passed that went by the name of Terre de Sienne.)

Nearly three hours later, we collapsed into a cafe where we concluded our tour. Our guide and the other woman with us joined us for a drink, and I (being the crazy wild teenager that I am) ordered a large cup of hot chocolate.

My aunt pulled out a box of macaroons that she had bought earlier and we ate them with much gusto. We got some more restaurant recommendations, and when the last drops of coffee and, in my case, hot chocolate, had been drained, our guide and the other woman on our tour left to go their separate ways.

At this point, the woman who had been sitting at the table next to ours leaned over and began talking to us in New York accented English, mentioning that she had heard us talking about the Marais (the area where our apartment was), and commenting that she owned an apartment in that area. Surprised, we started to talk some more, and we discovered that our apartments were around the corner from each other.

(What strange coincidences!)

Because my cousin and I were close in age to her granddaughter (a high school senior who she had brought with her as an early graduation gift) she suggested that we meet up during our stay. We planned to get together that Thursday for dinner at the restaurant down the street from our apartments, which she raved about. She also suggested another restaurant that belonged to the owners of the restaurant that we had agreed to meet at, as it was also within a block of our apartment. We exchanged some contact information, and left to continue with our plans for the rest of the day.

From that cafe, we walked several blocks until we reached Saint Germain des Pres. I bought my first crepe from a sidewalk vendor and ate in the small park next to Saint Germain. In the center of the square a bust of Apollinaire served as a cozy roosting spot for pigeons.

After lunch we took the metro to Pere Lachaise Cemetery, getting off at the stop Gambetta. By getting off at Gambetta instead of Pere Lachaise, one is able to walk down through the Cemetery. This is easier. I like easy.

We bought a map of the cemetery for two euros from a florist near the entrance, and started in. Had I known at the time, I'd have saved my money and printed off a map from the internet. The one that we bought didn't have many of the names or locations on it that I had hoped to find, which resulted in us pulling out several guidebooks and gathering information that way. We looked very touristy and lost. I don't really like to do that. A light rain started as we walked to the grave of Oscar Wilde, and en route to that grave we saw the grave of the man for whom the street we were living on was named. Oscar Wilde's grave was covered in lipstick kisses and names grouped with plus signs within arrow impaled hearts.

The rain quickened and the raindrops fattened, so we fled the graveyard under the cover of flimsy collapsible umbrellas. We found refuge in a restaurant where my aunt and cousin shared an adult beverage, and I examined our map, putting boxes around names that I wanted to see and penning in the names that were inexplicably absent.

When we looked outside again, the rain had only become heavier. We took the metro to the BHV (the Bazar de l'Hotel de Ville) where we bought a plug adapter for the electrical converter for the laptop that my cousin brought. (The various plugs extended about six inches out of the wall.)

That night for dinner we went to Petit Marchee, the restaurant that was recommended to us by the woman we met in the cafe. The place was quiet when we arrived, but not empty, and couples and friends sat at tables carrying on soft conversations. The waitress that we had was very polite, and spoke English flawlessly (with a British accent!) and was kind enough to talk to the cooks (and even made a telephone call) when my Aunt inquired about a certain dish. Because the waitress wasn't sure what cut of meat it had been, she talked to the cooks, who also hadn't know, so they called up the person who they had bought it from, and she came back to the table that we were sitting at and told us all about it. She also recommended us a great dessert, and brought us many bottles of water. (I get thirsty.)

The food was delicious, and the dessert was delightful. (again, another chocolate cake, and a fruit tart.) A long while after entering the restaurant, we stumbled out, making sure to smile and wave to our waitress as we left. We walked the half block to our apartment, and I took a shower and went to bed.

Things to know:
Make sure that your umbrella is strong. Dollar store umbrellas are cheap and easy to get, but will fail to open properly when they are needed. This will result in you being wet and a little bit grumpy. Never be grumpy in Paris if you can avoid it.

Paris Greeter (Parisian d'un Jour): http://www.parisiendunjour.fr/

in the event that you're in Paris and you're hungry:

Le Moulin de Rosa: 32, Rue de Turenne - 75003 Paris. Phone number: 01 42 78 07 31

Le petit Marchee: 9, rue de Bearn - 75003 Paris. Phone number: 01 42 72 06 67

[Day 1][Day 2][Day 3]

Take-off, and day one in Paris

2010-04-12T21:22:00.000-04:00

[Day 1][Day 2][Day 3]

*remember what I said about the numbering of the days in my last post? yeah, that was a lie. Day one means day one.

Leaving home:
Sunday morning, I woke up and tried to eat a bagel for breakfast... only to end up cutting myself on the butter knife. (typical.) Scrambled around the house trying to collect addresses, then loaded baggage into the car and drove to the house of my Aunt and Uncle. I read Charlotte's Web while in the car, and my heart broke just a little bit when Charlotte dies. (my love of children's literature knows no bounds.)

I ate lunch at my cousin's house, and then we watched Amelie. I think that my Aunt was very impressed by my French when I explained what was going on at different parts of the movie (we were watching without subtitles). I wasn't sure how to tell her that I had watched the movie so many times that I had practically memorized the script. We left for the airport in the late afternoon, and got our bags checked very quickly and moved to the little sitting area to wait.

On the plane:
When we boarded the plane, we accidentally sat four rows ahead of our seats. (oops.) The plane was delayed an hour by a light drizzle, and I sat on the runway reading Hamlet. Takeoff! I love the feeling of leaving the ground. That swooping sensation in your stomach is how I imagine being in love feels like. Or maybe motion sickness. (is there really a difference between the two?) The plane passed quickly through the low hanging clouds, so that everything that I saw of the world beneath me was obstructed by the giant billowing gray shapes.

There were two half-Asian boys in the seats behind me that looked to be about my age, and I wanted to talk to them because the plane ride was going to be long and I was going to get bored and I shouldn't lie to myself, I really just wanted to talk to them because they were really rather attractive. I realized very quickly that the plane was not a model of my school, and that I couldn't expect instantaneous friendships to form because of shared/similar ethnic backgrounds. (LOL because this is how things work at school.)

Dinner was served at around nine o'clock, after which it began to grow dark. The change was quick, and nighttime was without stars. I managed to fall asleep leaning against the tray table three times, until I had the sense to lean against the window. Slept for an hour or so, until midnight US time, when I woke up for good. Was served breakfast in the next hour, during which I received something that was almost, but not entirely, completely unlike tea. (Dear airline: your tea tastes like hot leaf water. this is not what tea is supposed to taste like.) Got served breakfast, and watched the sunrise. The plane descended through candyfloss pink clouds at 2 AM US time, which was around 8AM Paris time.

In Paris:
Bought a 4-day museum pass for my cousin and aunt (I didn't require one, on account of being under the age of 18.) in the airport. Hailed a taxi, and went to the apartment. Spent some time in the apartment unpacking, and then left to explore! (I love exploring and adventuring. we did a little bit of both.) We bought our lunch at a bistro in the neighborhood that went by the name of "le Rempart", where I ate my first croque-madame. My aunt, having recently watched Amelie, likened our waiter to Nino Quincampoix. (He did share a slight resemblance if you were to squint and turn your head and maybe close your eyes.) She mentioned this to him, but, because she couldn't remember the name (I was too embarrassed to tell her) she only told him that he resembled the actor in Amelie. "Je suis Amelie Poulain!" (I am Amelie Poulain!) he joyously exclaimed.

From the bistro we went to the post office and bought a couple of stamps for my cousin to use on some postcards. We walked another block to the nearest train station, which was the Bastille, where we saw the July Column.

At the train station we inquired about the pros and cons of the Navigo pass and buying a carnet. For those who are curious, a Navigo pass is a metro pass, that allows unlimited access to public transportation during the week that you purchase it for. A carnet is a strip of ten tickets, considerably cheaper than a Navigo, and each ticket is good for one trip. (regardless of the number of connections that you make on the single trip, so long as you do not exit the metro.) We decided to buy a Navigo, which was one of the best things that we bought during our stay (perhaps passed only by the Museum Pass. That thing was ballin'. And you know it's good when I use the word ballin' to describe it.) Because the Navigo requires a photo, I got to climb into a photobooth and have my picture taken. (I felt like Amelie. Just, you know, without the gnome, the short haircut, or the enchantingly quirky love story.) I thus spent my first five euros.

We returned to the apartment so that my aunt and cousin could get their pictures (they both had spare passport pictures) and then went back to the station and bought the passes. We quickly made use of them, because we jumped onto the 69 bus. For whatever reason, that particular bus stopped at the Hotel de Ville stop, and we had to switch buses to another 69. The new bus drove past quite a few major sights, such as the Louvre, the Musee d'Orsay, and the Eiffel Tower. There was probably more things that it passed, but I fell asleep rather quickly. (WHOOPS.) I woke up (read: was woken) at the end of the line, which was right next to the Eiffel Tower.

If you're ever near the 69 line, I'd suggest taking it. You do get a quick view of lots of pretty things, and it doesn't cost the obscene amount that guided tours do. After walking under the Eiffel Tower, we walked to the nearest metro stop and went to the Arc de Triomphe. We looked at it for a short while from across the roundabout, and then started walking down the Champs-Elysees.

My cousin and I posed for a picture in front of the Haagen-Daaz store for my Grandpa (he always keeps several pints in his freezer... more if there is a sale at the store.), and took shelter in a cafe (L'Alsace Champs Elysees) when it started to rain. I ordered my first chocolat chaud, and was positively delighted by it.

When the rain let up a little bit, we walked to the nearest metro stop and navigated our way to a Monoprix, where we bought some fruit, wine, and jam. We hopped on another train back to Bastille and accidentally exited the station at Rue Fauborgue St. Antoine instead of Rue St. Antoine, which left us somewhat far from our apartment. We got stuck in a torrential downpour (complete with thunder and lightning!) for several minutes, and we ran to the apartment when it lessened. Changed into dry clothing at the apartment and walked around the neighborhood to find a place to eat dinner. Ate at "Bistrot de l'Oulette", where I had a delicious chocolate cake. (I like chocolate.)

The waiter was very nice (I'm starting to see a trend?) and he didn't charge us for a bottle of wine that we had bought. After paying we went back to the apartment. Because calling was free to any landline, I gave my mom a call at work. After that, I took a shower and collapsed into my bed and slept like a rock.

Things to know:
If you intend to go around Paris at all, I'd suggest a Navigo. It's entirely likely that you didn't read anything above, but if you had you may (or may not) notice that I took the train a lot. It helped to have a Navigo, because while they were three times more expensive than a carnet, they did function for a week. I would likely have gone through an entire carnet a day, so it really was a smart investment. It was also good to have because you could climb onto any train or bus at any time, even if you were only going a couple of blocks. If we had been using tickets, I'm sure that we would have felt pressured to walk the several blocks so to conserve tickets, but because of the constantly changing weather it was comforting to know that we had the option of taking the train.

If you've never been to Paris before, I'd suggest getting a museum pass. (again, if you're under 18, or if you're a member of the European Union and under the age of 25, you get in for free.) The passes begin working on the first day that you use them, so you can (like we did) decide not to activate them on the first day that you're there. While it may seem expensive (the price for the four day pass was almost 50 euros) it is definitely worth it. The pass gives you access to 60 museums and monuments, and you're allowed to skip lines at most of them. (Being able to skip the lines was flippin' sweet. I felt really cool.) You weren't pressured to stay at any museum for very long, because re-admittance was free. Being able to leave the museum, buy a decent lunch, and return to finish looking at all of the art is a great thing. Museum sandwiches are nasty. Even in Paris.

in the event that you're in Paris and you're hungry:
le Rempart: 15, rue Saint-Antoine - 75004 Paris. Phone number: 01 42 72 17 06

L'Alsace Champs Elysees: 39, av. des Champs Elysees - 75008 Paris - Phone number: 01 53 93 97 00

Bistrot de l'Oulette: 38, rue des Tournelles - 75004 Paris. Phone number: 01 42 71 43 33

[Day 1][Day 2][Day 3]

So I went to this wonderful little city called Paris...

2010-04-12T21:14:00.000-04:00

I thought that I'd tell you about the MOST WONDERFUL VACATION EVER OH MY HOLY A;SKJFD;ASKLJFD IT WAS FANTASTIC in convenient one post per day I was there. And some pictures. Who am I trying to kid, I took 1423 pictures while I was there, and I intend to share some of them with you. Picture obese posts are ahead. Also look forward to considerably more information than you wanted.

The time change left me feeling rather wonky, so I'm not sure how to number days. (whoops!) I'm not really counting the first day (except for the fact that I am) so the post labeled "Day 1" is actually going to detail my second day.

I'm going to be writing and organizing these posts for the next couple of days, but know that they are looming on the horizon! :)

A bientot!

2010-03-27T23:37:00.000-04:00

(The title should have a couple of fancy accents, but it doesn't. I hope that you find it in your heart to forgive me.)

It's the night before I leave, and I am so excited!
(And I'm packed! c'est un miracle!)
And still, despite my claims of being prepared, I'm going to inevitably find myself scrambling around the house tomorrow morning in attempt to find that one thing that I really really really need. (only to later realize that it was in the bottom of my suitcase the entire time.)

And, here is that brief point in this post where I completely veer off topic and tell you something else that you didn't really want to know.

Some mornings, you wake up and everything in the world is shiny and good and the birds sing to you as you stretch your arms to the ceiling and get dressed in something comfy. This morning, I woke up and it was cold. It was cold and dark. I got myself into my clothing for the day, but trust me when I say that it was not particularly comfortable. I ate a quick breakfast and went to the school fields with a sense of dread growing in my stomach. Close to an hour later, we arrived at the meet. I was scheduled to run in the first event of the day, the JV mile. The next hour passed slowly. Two warm up runs and dynamic stretching and changing into spikes occupied the time. my other teammate and I got to the starting line at the second call. We waited for a couple of minutes until we were given the signal to take off our warm ups. The cold was bitter and biting and I struggled to remove my sweatpants. (I struggle with a lot of things.) Too soon, we were on the line and ready and going. Six minutes and ten seconds later, it was over. Six minutes, ten seconds, and two places after the first finisher. Some mornings, you wake up and it is dark and cold. Two hours and a mile later, you realize that it's perfect running weather. I guess my first meet of the season didn't go so poorly after all.

... and now back to the topic of PARIS!

I've got a huge list of places and things that I want to see, but I'll wait until I get back to tell you about that. (how anti-climactic would the posts about what I did be if I had already told you what I was planning on doing?)

In the event that you feel overcome with sadness due to your inability to communicate with me, here is a little something to remind you of my wonderfully likable personality and girlish charm and the fact that I actually don't have either of the previously mentioned traits.

So, here is my au revoir! But have no fear, we'll see each other again soon. But for now, a bientot! Time for me to spend le printemps en Paris! :)

exploring spring

2010-03-19T23:57:00.000-04:00

this afternoon I found a tiny little boat going on an adventure through my closet. it used the faint breeze coming through the open windows to sail around. it glided across my scarves and my shoes, but it lost some of its wind in front of one of my blue button down shirts so I took this picture.

I don't know where it's going, but I hope that the rest of its adventure is positively delightful.

Wednesday Wisdom

2010-03-17T23:53:00.000-04:00

"How poor are they that have not patience!
What wound did ever heal but by degrees?
Thou know'st we work by wit, and not by witchcraft;
And wit depends on dilatory time."
Shakespeare
(Othello)

Teatime Tuesday

2010-03-16T18:50:00.000-04:00

Oh the alliteration!
I felt that it was appropriate, considering the amount of tea that I drank today.
(For those curious folks, that was half of a gallon.)

I'm sick. And drinking tea is the only thing that I know how to do sometimes. (I may not be very good at a lot of things, but I'm excellant at what I'm good at.) Here's the cup that I'm using.

Most of the time, when you read about me drinking tea, I'm drinking it from this mug. It holds three cups of water, making it absolutely ideal for me because of the copious amounts of tea that I always seem to find myself drinking. It was made by my very talented aunt, who has her own pottery studio. Most of the various mugs and platters around my house were made at her studio. mmmmm talent in the family.

I spent the first half of my day (okay, first two thirds... maybe three fourths.) in pajamas. I did homework, took various cold medications, and did some more homework. Spent about two hours this afternoon sitting on my front porch doing my math homework. Birds were chirping and my nose was honking like a french horn. We could have made a band. It would have been the next big thing, I promise you.

I invested an hour in researching some of the places that I want to visit... and proceeded to use google streetview to walk from my apartment to various destinations. Don't worry, I know that I'm really cool.

Here's to hoping that your day was as pleasant as mine... just without the hacking and coughing and whatnot.

Happy Pi Day!

2010-03-14T15:04:00.000-04:00

(And here you were, thinking that I forgot.)

like I could ever forget about PI day.

I've been too busy celebrating.
(and you know, drinking too much tea, watching the Goonies, packing for Paris, doing homework, cleaning my room, and everything else that I always seem to be doing.)

Have a slice of pie on me.
:)

flower show

2010-03-06T21:35:00.001-05:00

Oh how I love the Philadelphia Flower Show.
I live for it.
or, if not for it, at least I live because of it.

(you might think I'm joking, but I'm not.)
my parents met for the first time when my mom was leaving the flower show.
I suppose this makes me something of a flower child. (insert laugh track here?)

My mom and I attended the flower show on Friday this year, but my mom had already been there on opening night with my dad.

so, here are my thoughts on the 2010 Passport to the World Philadelphia Flower Show. I'm sure that you're positively dying to know my opinions, so I won't spend any more time introducing this post.

the shipping containers were really wonderful. one was mirrored on the walls and ceiling, and when you walked through it you could see yourself looking back at you from all directions. On the side of another container there were three small arrangements that used construction lighting and various flowers. (ranunculus were included. and you should know that I'm a sucker for anything/everything with ranunculus.)

The Antarctica section was absolutely amazing. big icicles were made out of flowers and fabric, and the lighting was nice too. A really beautiful part of it was that there were calla lilies in slowly melting blocks of ice, being held above a pool of water by ice tongs. probably my favorite section of the entire show. (It didn't hurt that the cruise ship themed display was positioned right next to it. Can you say RMS Titanic? I laughed.)

the African themed section was astounding. an entire lion was made out of plant materials and stood at the entrance. The giraffe was equally impressive, and was made out of a metal base and suspended containers of orange orchids.

ikebana, la tour eiffel, and a kiwi.
just some various other things that I really enjoyed.

The ikebana was more interesting than what I can remember from previous years, as was some of the smaller displays.

I geeked out a lot at the 'window shopping' section, especially when it came to the rain gear themed shop. Umbrellas made from pussy willow branches? Colorful boots filled with flowers? Yes please. The chocolate/Parisian themed 'shop' was nice too. (just three more weeks until I'm up off and away!)

the smaller scaled arrangements were nice too, and as they shared a common theme it was pretty unique. The ways that people varied a single theme were wonderful. The theme was kiwi... and while most people themed it after the kiwifruit there were a couple that used the lovable and flightless kiwi bird.

And that's about it. I spent a little time meandering around the various shops, and (as per usual) questioned the amount of cat themed wall hangings.

Allons-y Alonso!

2010-02-21T10:00:00.000-05:00

It's official.

The apartment is rented and the plane tickets are purchased and I'm excited beyond belief.

I'm going to Paris.

Je vais allais a Paris dans le vacance du printemps pendant une semaine.
(or something like that)

Rather unfortunately, my french is completely horrendous.
but hey, if this isn't a learning experience I don't know what is.

Valentines

2010-02-13T17:16:00.001-05:00

Well, rather late then never, right?
Here are some printable valentines for all of you last minute lovers.
I took some pictures of vintage valentines on display at my local library, and then played with them a little bit in Photoshop. These valentines date from between the late 1800s and the early 1900s. Hope you like them!

"To my Valentine"
two cherubs playing badminton with a heart. Sweet. (painful.)

"Valentine Greeting"
"Dear Valentine, this is no joke, I'd rather look at you than smoke."

"To One I Love"
"Accept this loving heart of mine, and be my own true Valentine."
The gold band on his hat has the words Heart & Arrow on it.

"This for remembrance."
"I pray that your heart's garden
May be get with sweetest flowers,
That your life be like the dial -
Telling none but sunny hou'rs.
-G. Clifton Bingham"

Not entirely certain if the apostrophe in hours is an apostrophe or a smudge. whoops.

Well, this one might be the most difficult to read out of the lot. (sorry!)
"Love's Tribute"
"My heart's affections clings
As faithfully to you,
As ever ivy tendrils twined
With loving grasp & true.
J.L.W."

"Feb 14th"
No cute poem on this one I'm afraid, however, the back contained the following message:
"Mabel tells me it is my turn to go see you, but you know the trolleys are so uncertain this winter, I was afraid to venture out there..."
I suppose you can't really expect every message to be as sweet as the card it was written on.

There was a seventh card that I took a picture of, but I was not really willing to go through the messy business of cleaning it up. Too many loops and swirls and whatnot. The poem on that card was:
"Tulips, dear, how sweet they are!
But your two lips are sweeter far."

I'd love it if you used these, but if you do, please remember to credit back here!
Have a lovely valentines day! <3

hello again.

2010-02-09T16:51:00.000-05:00

oh you know how it is.

when you get to exam month and you devote all of your time to studying and absolutely nothing else, and then you just start to be a mess in general, and then you forget to do really important things like doing the dishes or wearing socks or putting the correct amount of sugar into your tea or take a shower every night or posting on your blog?

don't even pretend like this doesn't happen to you.
---
Exams are back. I passed. (cue applause!)

it's been snowing. there is about a foot on the ground right now. there was more three days ago. I've been sledding twice this week. it has been absolutely delightful. (there are bruises in places I didn't even think I injured.)

I want to frolic in the snow and go sledding. I want slide across the icy patch on my driveway and pretend that I am a champion skater. I want to wear formless snow pants and I want to roll around in the snow and stare up into the sky and get dizzy from doing so.

and guess what? I have done everything that I want to do, and it has been absolutely delightful.

The year in review

2010-01-10T20:15:00.001-05:00

(picture heavy!)

So, I am doing one of these things after all.

I suppose that I will start at the beginning, continue through the middle, and stop at the end. (Sometimes I can be just so predictable.)

It's in as much of a chronological order as I can remember it.
---

1. Went to the flower show.

2. Befriended a giant balloon tower.

3. Obamaaaaa!

(wall of mars mercantile. Berkeley, CA.)

and that leads us to...
4. Went to California.

(painted ladies. coit tower. cheery cherry blossoms in the japanese gardens.)

5. Ran track.

6. Saw some bookish art.

7. Picked 13 pounds of blueberries.

8. Chased hot air balloons across the sky.

10. Became a librarian.
Geeked out a lot. Alphabetized.

11. Found very convincing evidence supporting the existence of fairy magic.

12. Took a ride on a ferris wheel.

12. Had (mis)adventures in gardening.

13. Bought my very first typewriter.

14. ran cross country.
(and made varsity!)

15. Frolicked after the rain.

16. Read many good books.
and expanded my collection of second-hand literature.
organized my bookshelves, and cleared out one to make room for more books.

17. Took silly family photographs.
(Some of you know the picture I'm talking about.)

18. Celebrated!
new years was spent with friends,
and japanese food and harry potter.

---
And that's it! 18 things that I did in 365 days. I feel that more things should have happened, but I can't remember. Happy happy happy new year!

p.s. somewhere between numbers 4 and 6 was where I started blogging. (just in case you were wondering)

happy new year!

2010-01-02T16:07:00.000-05:00

I can still remember going to my first new years party in 2000. It was hosted by the after school program. We celebrated in the school cafeteria. I wore a velvet dress. Likely white tights and black shoes, but I can't be sure. There were pigs in a blanket.

it has been an entire decade since then. this is a strange thing to grasp.

2010. wow.

I hope everyone had a good one. :)
(I know that I did)

*this was where I attempted to start a to-do list for 2010, but then I realized that there were a million things that I wanted to do and I had no idea where to start.*

*this was where I was going to attempt a ta-da list for 2009, but then I realized that there was a lot of things that I did and no way to organize it all.*

So, I guess that is it. Welcome to 2010, goodbye to 2009.
Lets hope that 2010 is happy, healthy, and wonderful beyond belief.

not a creature was stirring...

2009-12-25T11:01:00.000-05:00

except for David, the mouse. because he jumped out of his bucket last night and is now probably scurrying around under the floor somewhere.

Lets back up, shall we?

two days ago, a sad little squeaking was heard. a tiny little mouse (maybe it was average sized for a mouse, but I really wouldn't know.) got stuck on a glue trap. I guess the glue trap was doing its job, because that mouse was really stuck on there. :(

thank goodness for the internet. vegetable oil and a little bit of gentle pulling got the mouse of the glue trap, and then I put the mouse in a bucket with a dish towel and some bread and some cheerios and a hot water bottle. Couldn't let the poor little mouse out into the wild while he was covered in vegetable oil, now could I?

Well, that was my reasoning anyway. Keep him (as it was decidedly a he.) until he was dry, then put him into the garage. He was a smart mouse, and would be able to find his way in and out of there as he pleased. So a day passed. and he was still a little bit oily looking. and then it was Christmas Eve, and I couldn't really leave a tiny little mouse outside on Christmas Eve, right? So I kept him another night.

And so, this morning when I went to change his water bottle, he was gone. If he is strong enough to manage to find a way out of a bucket, I suppose that he has recovered well from his adventure with the glue trap. Hopefully he will scamper away and tell all of his friends that they really should avoid those things, because they are a terrible hassle. And then once you get stuck on one, you have a terrible encounter with a giant who will put you in a big plastic prison.

If you love something, you have to learn to let it go. But if it doesn't love you, it will crawl out of the bucket you put it into and run away as soon as it has strength enough to do so.

Merry Christmas!

oh kurt vonnegut, how i love thee.

2009-12-16T23:01:00.000-05:00

Laughter and tears are both responses to frustration and exhaustion. I myself prefer to laugh, since there is less cleaning up to do afterward.

Kurt Vonnegut

Pretty happy things

2009-12-11T16:17:00.000-05:00

The above is hanging on my front door. The above is also handmade. The directions for the above are listed below.

1. Get a wreath form.
2. Tie greens to wreath form.
3. Tie ornaments onto wreath.
4. Tie pine cones onto wreath.
5. Spraypaint an artichoke gold and tie that on too.
6. Get a big bow and put it on top.
7. Hang it, enjoy it, blog about it.

Get it? Got it? Good.
(Don't get it? I wouldn't have gotten that either.)

1.
Wreath forms are all over the place. Find one at a hardware store or craft store.

2.
Get greens! If you live near a park, go for a walk. (the fresh air will do you well.) take a pair of clippers. take pretty branches. (on second thought, you might want to check to see if you can do that. I don't want to be advocating deforestation.)
Wire the branches to the wreath form. (Thin green wire works best, as it blends into the leaves like a ninja.) make sure that there are plenty of branches, or the wreath will look wimpy.
The back of my wreath looks like this. Yours doesn't have to be neat, so long as it gets the job done.

Alternately, you could buy an undecorated wreath. (But that is not nearly as exciting.)

3.
Get ornaments!
Want to showcase a special ornament? Wire it on and the mail person and your neighbors will appreciate it every single day! Otherwise, just find some cheap ornaments. The ones used on this wreath came glittered, but you could glitter them yourself.

If you want to do this, I'd get a piece of floral foam, a skewer, an ornament, and a lot of glitter. (don't forget to put newspaper down first!) Shove your skewer into the floral foam, put the ornament onto the skewer, drown the ornament in glue, cover the ornament in glitter, wait for it to dry, and cover it in sealant.

But before going through all that trouble, I'd go the the dollar store and see what they have there. It will save you a lot of time.
Wire the ornaments to the wreath.

Try to vary the sizes of the ornaments that you use, and remember to use ornaments that will not break! :)

4.
Get some pine cones.

You can pick them up while you are on your deforestation walk, or you could pick them up at a craft store.
Paint them if you want. Brushing on a little bit of white paint will make them look like they are snow covered! (If you want to go all out with the snow covered idea, try sprinkling the wet paint with sugar crystals or glitter. When it dries, it should have a little bit of texture.)
Wire them to the wreath.

5.
Get a dried artichoke. Get gold paint. (or spray paint)
use gold paint on dried artichoke.
wire it to your wreath.

6.
Get a long piece of thick ribbon and tie a fancy bow. If you don't know how to tie a bow, look on the internet. If you can't find a tutorial on the internet, you are not looking hard enough.

You could also just buy a premade bow.

Wire it to the wreath. If you have a spot on your wreath that doesn't have as much greenery as the others, I'd suggest this as a place for the bow to go.

7.
Make a loop out of sturdy wire and attach that to your wreath form.

Hang it. Enjoy it. :)

Phew! thats a lot of writing! Hope it all made sense, if you have any questions please post them in the comments section.

some days are like that.

2009-12-02T17:03:00.000-05:00

You know the type of day

When you get out of school only to find out that it is raining

and you get onto the bus alone because all of your friends have already gone home

and you get sandwiched between two people that know each other
and they start a conversation
and glare at you occasionally because you are listening in (but its not like you can do anything about that, because they are talking right in front of you)

and cold tea spills on you

and you walk home in the cold rain without an umbrella or a hood

and you feel miserable and sorry for yourself.

(Some days are like that.)

sometimes you walk up your driveway after walking home in the rain

and you take a look at your house

and you realize that your dad put rainbow twinkle lights on the tree in your front yard while you were at school.

and your day suddenly doesn't seem so bad.

(Some days are like that too.)

5 days

2009-11-29T18:01:00.000-05:00

of break.
and now I am on my last one.

Its been a little too long. But not in a bad way. Just in the way that I have had absolutely nothing to do for the past three days. :-|

---

My mom spent a lot of time in the kitchen, cooking and listening to the De-Lovely soundtrack.
My dad spent a lot of time reading, napping, and going on walks.
My brother came home from college, but spent most of his time home hanging out with his friends.
And as for me: I spent a lot of time doing a lot of things.

---

I cleaned my room. I let my room get messy. I cleaned my room. I let it get messy. I cleaned it again.

I bought some new movies (The Princess Bride, Across the Universe, and The Patriot) some used books, and a very comfy flannel shirt.

I was trusted with electric hedge clippers and I managed to not cause grievous bodily harm to anybody. I took the opportunity to wear my flannel shirt, and I whistled the lumberjack song while I worked.

I watched the same couple of television stations and listened to the same sort of music as I always do. (National Geographic, Disney, Cartoon Network, etc., and Bob Dylan, Ludo, and more Bob Dylan.)

I tried to organize and alphabetize my Dad's CD collection. Then I remembered that I don't know my alphabet and I gave up.

I finally organized my camera. and loaded everything onto my computer. and deleted everything off of my camera.

I made some jewelry. And then I wore some of it.

In short, I just sat around the house and did nothing of great significance.

but I did remember to be thankful. and I hope that you did too.

today is sunday.

2009-11-22T18:39:00.000-05:00

AND WHAT A BEAUTIFUL AND SUNNY DAY IT IS! (and why yes, I'm even thinking in caps right now.)

I went for a walk with my dad. :)

There was an awful lot of people in the park today, on account of the wonderful weather.

Sweet: a toothless baby smiling at me.
Awfully nice: spending time outdoors.
Random: seeing a couple being pulled in a horse drawn buggy.
Ridiculously delightful: hearing somebody scream "FOR NARNIA" at the top of their lungs atop a giant rock. (and here I was thinking things like that only happen on the internet.)

I love people so much sometimes.

gosh I love math.

2009-11-19T17:19:00.000-05:00

I sent my math teacher an email the other day.

I needed help with matrices, and as a post script I added "if it helps, I think my problem is that I am spending too much time trying to bend the spoon, and not enough time realizing that there is no spoon to bend."

He responded & signed the email as Neo.

THANKS.

i am a taco

2009-11-07T11:41:00.001-05:00

i am a taco looking for his hotdog! if you read this you have some pictures i'd like to see.

-

I was doing homework on Thursday night when I got bored and drew a picture of a taco and a hot-dog falling in love.

Missed connections are: ridiculously random.

dinosaurs, cocoa krispies, and stoichiometry (oh my!)

2009-10-29T19:56:00.000-04:00

Today I finished a stoichiometry review sheet in chemistry before the class was over.

So, I went to the cafeteria, bought some food, and went to the lobby of the main building.

I spent the next thirty minutes eating cocoa krispies in chocolate milk and reading Jurassic Park.

Sometimes I wonder how/when I got this dorky.

I'm going to be an awesome adult someday.

2009-10-21T06:54:00.000-04:00

"Would you hit a woman with a baby?—No, I'd hit her with a brick."
-e.e. cummings

"Speak roughly to your little boy and beat him when he sneezes,
He only does it to annoy because he knows it teases."
-Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

I intend to follow the advice of my favorite authors. I think that it will turn out well.

missing.

2009-10-16T21:54:00.000-04:00

Weekend = jam packed. (There's only one man who would dare give me the raspberry!)

Tonight I did not go and see Where the Wild Things Are. Woe.

Also, was not able to go see Ludo in concert.

A note about Ludo: they are fantastic. Heard their song Hum Along about two years ago... and I was hooked.

"Maybe you'd be kidnapped by pirates
and they would take you to their hideout
as pirates often do
but I'd find the secret map
and I would vigilante-bushwhack
through the jungles of Peru..."

Really, how could I not love them? Anyway, they would have played Broken Bride (in its entirety!) tonight, and I am very sad that I missed it. Broken Bride is a rock opera about a time traveler and his time machine and some dinosaurs and a zombie invasion and then a happy ever after. (The most delicious CD ever. Well worth the $5 on itunes.)

But, I had other things to do. Like making beef sticks with Asian Club. My hands still smell like secret beef stick sauce. 80 some pounds of beef went into making these. I think we bought an entire cow. I should be disgusted, but I'm too busy being amazed.

we're selling them tomorrow. they will be delicious. (I'm a vegetarian and I'm saying that so you know it must be true.) buy some.

And now, for something completely different:

another reason why I love everything: CHEMISTRY HOMEWORK!
Mole day is coming up! The mole, 6.02*10^23 is a basic measuring unit in chemistry. it is also a cylindrical shaped mammal that burrows into the ground.

Homework for Chemistry? MAKE A MOLE. I just got assigned to make a stuffed animal for school. Bonus points if I put silly clothes on it. ASL;KJDFAKSJF K SO EXCITED I CANNOT EVEN BEGIN TO DESCRIBE SA;SLKFALKSJFD!!!!1!!!MOLES!!! I think it is safe to assume that I will be getting an A on this assignment.

trains and moths and other things.

2009-10-14T20:31:00.000-04:00

there was a brown moth on the floor of the train today. I poked it lightly with my sneaker. It started flying frantically. I was surprised, to say the least.

I picked it up before I got off the train and released it when I got to my stop.

it was dreadfully cold today. I hope the little moth is all right.

--

in other news, I'm way too excited about where the wild things are.

(from http://thetorchonline.com)

I hope you can see why.

today:

2009-10-07T18:41:00.000-04:00

there was a kid walking around in a banana costume. he stood next to me when we were at the crosswalk this morning. somebody asked him why he was a banana.

His reply?
"It's Wednesday."*

I love my school.
--

One of my friends asked me to send her creative writing for the literary magazine that our school publishes. I sent her this:

CREATIVE:

there once was a frog

who lived in a bog

and hopped onto a log.

he soon met a dog.

and the frog

and the dog

on the log

in the bog

were attacked by a hog

who ate them all.

the end.

I really hope she likes it.
--

Sprained my ankle in cross country today. I was only a block or two from school.
The boys team ran past where I was sitting. it was embarrassing.

Limping around makes me feel pathetic, so I try to walk normally. It hurts, and then I feel more pathetic.

feeling pathetic is pathetic.

-----------
*consider this the quote of the week. I'll put it in a nicer format:

"It's Wednesday."
-Freshman dressed like a banana

Dear delicious looking apple:

2009-10-06T22:13:00.000-04:00

you were not delicious.

in addition to not being delicious, you were bruised. I am rather upset at my poor choice in fruit.

I guess you weren't that disgusting after I cut you..
but you were still more trouble then you were worth.

next time, I'm going to eat a pear, and there's nothing you can do about it. take that, only semi-delicious apple.

with love,
somebody who is no longer in danger of getting scurvy.

sick days

2009-09-28T12:59:00.000-04:00

I can't remember the last time I took a sick day.

The last one that I remember was in the 5th grade when I got poison ivy all over my body. (On my face, my hands, between my fingers, and up and down my arms. Twas awful.)

I'm sure that there have been a couple since then, but they haven't been all that memorable.

Yet, I have taken a day off of school. I'm coughing and sleepy and not hungry and cold despite it being a beautiful day. As a bonus, I also sound like a man.

I was all ready and set to do what I do when I do get sick; sit on my couch, watch my old VHS's, drink tea. Then I remembered that the VHS player in my DVD/VHS player was never connected to my television when we bought a new TV last year, and that trying to connect it would be far too difficult. (In all likelihood, it's far too simple, and I'm just far too lazy.)

So, instead, I decided to do just about anything and everything.

I'll keep you posted as to how this turns out.

I love to run.

2009-09-19T17:23:00.000-04:00

And never believe me if I tell you otherwise.

Ran my first meet at my home course today. 23:57 for a 5k, not bad, but not my best.

I complain about running way too much. I don't really know why. I dread practices, and I hate workouts. But I don't hate running. I love it more then any other sport I've ever done.

I love getting a good kick 100 or 200 meters before the finish. It feels like flying. I love the endorphin high you get after races, when everything is dizzy in just the right way. I love the way that spikes feel, because it makes your feet feel light and wonderful. I love running barefoot cool-downs, and I love it when the grass is cold.

I say that I hate to run, but I'm lying. I love to run. It's the most natural sport you could ever do. Its just you and the earth.

Go find yourself a grassy field and run barefoot in it. (I dare you.)

nap time

2009-09-18T18:18:00.000-04:00

Today I took a nap during my free period.

I was outside, insects were chirping and sirens were screaming. The leaves were rustling, the sky was blue, and the clouds were moving across the sky. The grass was green, the ground was lumpy, and the weather was warm.

It was delightful.

oh, why hullllllllo there.

2009-09-08T20:40:00.000-04:00

why, what is this?

a blog?

what merriment!

-

oh, hey, wait, this blog is mine.
But hey, at least it hasn't been a month since the last time I updated this. oh, nevermind.

-

But on the plus side, I have been productive in my absence!

I'm done my typeset tray (pictures on the way) and I also made something that is fantastic and mildly useful.

Later, I made a pencil case. I don't know if I will even use it, but it looks pretty.

My brother left for college (woe.) but left behind all of his music (joy!).

I went to cross country camp for a week. the food was mediocre (at best) the cabin that I stayed in had a rodent problem (chipmunks lived in the bathroom closet) and it rained constantly. It was fantastic.

Cross country season started, and it hurt to run. Many ice baths and heat pads and several days without running later I have recovered. Huzzah!

I had a strong desire to eat macaroni today. When I got home after cross country practice, I made macaroni. It was flavored with delicious accomplishment.

I am also planning a tie dye party. If it happens, pictures will be taken and uploaded here. I love tie dye. and apparently, so does everyone else that I've talked to! :D Now I need to find a place to buy RIT dye, and maybe some buckets or something. This is so exciting.

oh, and school started today. That is probably worth mentioning too.

Wednesday Wisdom

2009-08-12T22:10:00.000-04:00

“Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.”
Dalai Lama

---

Originally, I was going to try to find a quote about aspirations because I was thinking about all of the things that I aspire to be. This will be another post for another time.

Instead, I found this quote. It's nice. It's true. It's my plan for tomorrow.

I have too much free time during the summer. I am going to try to do something with my day. Tomorrow, I will be kind. I will smile at strangers on the street. I will open doors for people. I will save kittens in trees, cure sickness, and solve global warming.

secrets. (shhhhh.)

2009-08-07T13:38:00.000-04:00

I like to brush my teeth.
(I do so at least four times a day.
I think that it is fun.)

I wear a retainer.
(and I secretly love it.)

I love second hand shops.
(for books, clothing, anything really.)

I love bad music.
(Currently listening to: Magic Dance. David Bowie.
Labyrinth Soundtrack. I am so cool.)

I used to have a crush on Double D from Ed, Edd, and Eddy.
(I'm not joking. Shhhhhhhh.)

I can't dance.
(watching me dance is like watching a whale try to use a typewriter.
... I don't think that makes any sense. But I'll keep it there for lack of a better comparison.)

Wednesday Wisdom

2009-08-05T23:52:00.000-04:00

"Nobody can be uncheered with a balloon."
Winnie the Pooh

True facts:

2009-08-02T20:05:00.001-04:00

It has been raining a lot recently.

I am pet sitting for a dog.

It started raining yesterday. I tried to put the dog inside. It didn't want to go inside. I pulled a treat from my pocket and asked it: "Would you do it for a scooby snack?" It still didn't go inside.

I felt betrayed.

Jinkies! My childhood has lied to me.
(I have watched every single episode of the Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! series at least ten times. No exaggeration.)

in the past 3 days

2009-07-26T14:00:00.000-04:00

The past three days have been great. :)

I love having things to do. (the greatest problem that I find myself faced with during the summer months is the complete lack of activities. with nothing to do, I find myself sitting on my couch and watching the same re-runs for days at a time. While I do enjoy the ability to recite entire episodes of Avatar the last airbender (I am cool), having plans makes things more interesting.)

Thursday and Friday were spent (where else?) at the library. A special science program for children was taking place on oceanography, and I helped kids use microscopes, used a pile of solargraphic paper, and watched an old movie about undersea life. I think it was an educational disney movie, and it had classical music involved.

As a thank you for being fantastic, I got a pair of awesome safety glasses. I'm a very happy (and very geeky) kid.

Saturday was spent visiting my Grandpa. :)

We drove to his house, and spent some time together. I picked green beans from the garden in his yard. I like green beans. Being the cool guy that he is, my Grandpa had a previous engagement (visiting a neighbor for dinner) so we left at six.

Driving home, we saw these:we pulled over by the side of the road and took pictures. It was fantastic. The balloons passed directly overhead, and were low enough that you could see the features of the people inside of the baskets. The people in the baskets were waving down at us, and we were waving up at them. We took pictures of their balloons, and they took pictures of us. I thought that was a little strange, but who am I to judge?

I hope that everyone else has had as wonderful of a week (or past three days) as I have.

With love,
Pi

(P.S. those four pictures are mine. I'd kinda like them to stay that way. if you want to use them for anything, just ask me, and I'll happily give you permission. just please ask first!)

Wednesday Wisdom

2009-07-22T10:52:00.000-04:00

My library
Was dukedom large enough.
Shakespeare
(The Tempest)

---

Reason for choosing this quote? I'm volunteering at the local library this summer. (I am so cool.) I help kids pick out books, I shelve things, and I help them with craft projects every Wednesday.

Wednesday crafts are too much fun. Made pinwheels last week, and having a roomful of children playing with handmade pinwheels is adorable. The project took about two hours, considering that every kid cut and decorated their own wheels, and because there were only enough scissors for half of them to use at one time.

Another bonus about working with children: I don't have to pretend to be mature in the least. I make masks, play with stickers, color pinwheels, and read children's books. Is it even possible to not enjoy the library?

Blueberries for me.

2009-07-12T21:04:00.000-04:00

There are things are so entirely habitual, that one forgets that there was ever a time when this was not in existence. For me, one of these things is blueberry picking.

By the time I was old enough to remember, and possibly even before that, I was old enough to go blueberry picking. No summer has ever been complete without a trip to the farm. It is always the same farm, and it is always the same bushes.

The changes are always small, but never insignificant. As time goes on, the wagon grows lower to the ground, and the bushes no longer loom like trees. You don't fear times when you are separated from your mother, or feel the need to stop everything you are doing in order to make an urgent trip to the bathroom. The ride to the berries halves with every trip, and the amount of berries collected doubles with every inch grown.

You always seem to think the same thoughts. Despite the fact that your bucket fills quickly, you are certain that Robert McCloskey's Sal from Blueberries for Sal and you would have gotten along very well. The largest and ripest berries are picked and eaten instantly. With age, you have become better at blueberry picking, if only so that you can eat them faster.

Messy fingers bringing ripe berries to smiling lips, and you take another berry from the bush. The most perfect taste that invades your mouth reminds you of childhood, of summer, and of your love for tradition.

Wednesday Wisdom

2009-07-07T10:34:00.000-04:00

“I like boring things.”
Andy Warhol

---

I like simple things.

Like bubbles, and air, and laughter,

and sand, and sailing,

and the smell of books, and learning new things,

and being alive.

In the past week:

2009-07-04T08:29:00.000-04:00

I've walked a dog, went for a run, watched unnatural amounts of the Disney Channel, babysat, ate more cookies, made double layer jello, read some books, forgot to blog, attempted to clean my room, ate a box of popsicles, forgot to blog, bought things to put into fantastical care packages, slept.

So, why haven't I been blogging?
Answer: I forgot entirely. When I remembered, I felt bad about forgetting, and promptly forgot again.

Here's to hoping that I don't forget again.

What I'm up to now: preparing for the fourth of July party, blogging, feeling content, not really doing much of anything.

---

What I've done since I created this blog post, saved it as a draft, and went to explore the greater world around me: Went to Hoboken, did not see an emergency relating to an oversized chicken, bought lemonade from an adorable boy on the sidewalk, saw family, felt tall, saw more family, felt short, played with five year olds, watched the Disney Channel, ate some food, walked around Hoboken, saw the house my Grandpa was raised in, saw some fireworks, rode in a car, and multi-tasked and watched fireworks while riding in a car.

I've driven through Hoboken before, but I don't think I've ever actually been there. I was excited about expanding my horizons. Sometimes, I like to think about what life would be like for me if some details were changed. Today, I explored the idea of being raised in Hoboken. I can't say that I disliked the idea. But, I can (and will!) say, that I am entirely content with being raised where I was raised, and I wouldn't trade it for the world. :)

My fathers family always gets together for the Fourth. My Aunt and Uncle own a lakeside house, and we alway go to it. This year, we went to Hoboken instead. Half of my family is shortish. There are several outliers. These outliers could step on me.

The good thing about driving on the fourth of July is that you get to watch tiny pieces of firework shows. You get to see the smallest explosions, and the biggest explosions, and every color of the spectrum. At night, as you lie in bed, thinking about your day, you get to take the memories of fireworks, and mend them together. You get to create an entirely unique light show. You get personal fireworks.

Today was my Grandma's birthday. Because it fell on the fourth of July, we always had big parties. It has always been, and will always be, one of the high points of my summer. ♥

Back.

2009-06-30T00:20:00.000-04:00

I'm home.

Things that happened:
rain, sun, heat, cold, grilled cheese, sailing, survival craft, dance 'till you drop, glow sticks, grilled cheese, shortage of shorts, excess of socks, zombie game, deathball, s'mores, learned about the many uses of sassafrases trees, etc.

Things that have happened since I got home:
Gave the woman who delivered my mail a hydrangea flower (blue), started a job as a dog walker, watered my plants, called my grandpa, hung out with friends, ate cookies, etc.

Things that will happen now that I am home:
My best friends will be leaving me to go internationally.

A blessing about having some of your closest friends living near you is that you always have someone to hang out with. Except when they all decide to leave the country for the next month(+)! If that happens, you are all alone. Sigh.

My friend E. is going out of the country for (correct me if I'm wrong!) seven weeks. Not a cool situation. I am, however, going to creating the best care package known man. And I will send it to her. And it will be EPIC.

Life is going to be lonely without her here, and I am probably going to take a turn for the weirder. When she is around, our peculiarities (such as thinking that everything is going to taste as it smells, and thinking that nobody dies in Canada) seem pretty regular. Without her, I'm going to be some type of freak.

More detail on almost everything I have a list for will appear soon, in a different post. I wanted to give each of these a post, but E. wanted me to give her a blog post before she left.

So here it is. Sorry if it's lame. and sorry if it barely talks about you at all. It's close to one in the morning and I want sleep.

two weeks.

2009-06-13T15:16:00.001-04:00

of away.
of not blogging.
of thinking.
of sailing.
of cabins.
of pottery.
of friends.
of grilled-cheese.
of strangers.
of sleepless nights.
of sunsets.
of stars.
of campfires.
of camping.

two weeks without semi-daily updates on my life. I'm sure you will be able to handle it.

with love,
3.14

Wednesday Wisdom: Graduation edition!

2009-06-10T23:09:00.000-04:00

At commencement you wear your square-shaped mortarboards. My hope is that from time to time you will let your minds be bold, and wear sombreros.
Paul Freund

The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet.
Aristotle

---
TO MY BROTHER:

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself in any direction you choose.
You're on your own.
And you know what you know.
You are the guy who'll decide where to go.
Dr. Seuss

sometimes, I need a break.

2009-06-09T20:40:00.000-04:00

And that is where camp comes in. Sun, sailing, and sleeping in a room with people you don't know.

Relaxing, isn't it? I'm excited. I can't wait. I'm in the process of packing.

I can't seem to focus on anything at the moment. I've already started writing a list of things I'm going to need to buy for the coming school year. (This year hasn't even officially finished yet.) I've gotten halfway through my camp packing, and I'm worrying about what is going to happen three months from now.

Ho hum.

On the note of having school let out, my brother is graduating. Strange. Sad. Not that emotional, considering he is going to college in the city. I live close to a train station. He will live close to a train station. We really won't be too far apart.

A conversation that I had about my brother going to college:

Pi: So, he's not going to be that far away. I mean, if I wanted to, I could jump on a train with a plate of pancakes, get off ten stops later, and give him the plate of pancakes. They'd still be hot.
E: You know, you could just get onto a train, put the pancakes on a seat, and have him get the pancakes at his stop.
P: ... I guess.
E: Yeah, it would work out really well! He could put the empty plate back on the seat, and then you could get it when the train came back around. You could even put more pancakes on the plate!

Conversations between friends are strange. Friends are strange. People are strange. I hope they never change.

Wednesday Wisdom

2009-06-03T14:04:00.000-04:00

"Take rest; a field that has rested gives a bountiful crop. "
Ovid