beating down

something happened to me today that hasn't happened in a long time: i received warmth and not just light from the sun.

i have often thought, and said, that winter is only worth anything because of its symbolism. with this mentality i somehow make it through each winter. (well, that and chanting death cab's "i don't mind the weather; i've got scarves and caps and sweaters. i've got long-johns under slacks for blustery days." like a mantra.)

so today as i stepped out of my house completely bundled i didn't notice the minor dripping from the roof, until i realized that it wasn't dripping into a (truly lovely, even to me) ice sculpture in the grass, but into a puddle. my heart quickened and i looked over my shoulder at the sun as he slowly made his way west and said hello. then i looked back and saw in the grass the familiar green color that my eyes have missed for so long. it's a peculiar green, a different green than just grass green that i can't describe to you except to say that it only happens when the sun is happy. i made my way to the parking lot and realized that i was slipping in slush and not on ice.
then in the car (thank goodness for my over-eager magnifying glass-like windshield) i was honestly hot and spiritually revived by what i can only imagine was a much needed dose of vitamin d ("the sunshine vitamin").

"how i love all of the very simple things of life..."
thank goodness for sunshine in january.

instead of a cigarette lighter it has a lipstick

so, did you know that the umfa is my birthday?

(in case you missed it, allow me to enlighten you:

=
)

not that i have any particular affinity for the umfa above other museums, but still, any museum is "cultured" and besides, it's much better than having like, say...an office max for your birthday, right?

i mean, that would be like being told you're a brown crayon.

9months old. lookie at me!

it's a good thing i like all colors

brown?
brown?!

brown would seem to be the color of my life.
chocolate
brown carpet at home (hides dirt, says mom)
brown eyes
brown hair
("if you think having brown hair and wearing glasses makes you invisible,
well you are
...
...right.")
brown socks, brown sweater, brown gloves, brown hat
and now this:

What Color Crayon Are You

You're a Brown Crayon. You are down-to-earth crayon. You like this that are natural and wholesome. You, like Orange, can also stimulate appetite. You are a friendly color. All the other crayons can depend on you for anything.
Take this quiz!

comfort ye

can i just tell you two things that i love?
jalapeno chips
my mom (she buys the expensive chips so i won't)
sawadee
that big beautiful moon peeking over the mountains to say hi to me
jenny, julia, joey, jana, erica and lindsey
totoro
clean clothes
saturdays with nothing to do
school (at least until it starts, eh?)

i heard a record and it opened my eyes

do you know what today is?
today is the winter solstice. it is also a new moon. now, you might be saying, "what in the hoo-ha is happy about so much darkness and coldness?" and you'd be absolutely right. it is difficult to be happy at times like these, and that is why we have Christmas in the winter: to make us happy.
but children, you must look at the bigger picture.
today is happy because it is the shortest day of the year. that means from now until june the days just get longer and more sunny and eventually warmer. the moon is now waxing instead of waning and all hope returns.

plus. i got to go to lunch AND shopping with rennie and we made the totally awesomest EVER rhinestone rat.
(ask, but not now.)

and ice cream. chocolate ice cream is always a happy thing. mmmmm. i'm happy just remembering the ice cream.

goodnight!!!

she sticks up for you when you get aggravation from the snobs

that's right, i have frequent conversations with fashion.

this is not a love song

today might be the best day ever. (and by today i mean the 24 hour period from 3pm yesterday to 3pm today)

it didn't start out great, it never does. i was about to go to work. i was talking to scott and being mad at myself for not having used the day productively to write my final paper due the next day. i told him that all i really wanted in my life was some warm, baked, tasty treats.

(no lie. look:


ichat says it looked like this: )

but it was almost time to go to work.
i picked up shannon at her house. and guess what shannon was carrying! a tray FULL of baked goods. she had cream cheese bars, and delicious pumpkin bread and brownies (even though she's off chocolate til christmas) AND she had a christmas mug of holiday funness just for me!!

so teaching ended up not being so bad.

i came home, and i still had to write that paper. so i sat down in front of my computer. and did nothing. finally i started re-reading my books. i wasn't feeling great, and i decided i needed to be pulled out of my funk.
i didn't really sleep all night. i finally took out my contacts, but i was reading intermittently until my alarm went off at 6:30. you can't argue with that so i got up and started writing my paper. by 11:15 i had 5/7 pages done and more to say.
rennie is like the best ever and even though i was supposed to take her out to eat she brought me veggie pizza from the pie. we ate and chatted and she read my paper and then i got back to work. i finished before 3. i took it up to straley's office, (linds' was on the top of the pile. i love roommate/classmates!!!!), waved to katie register, and got back to my car before i got a ticket. i was home and ready to go before shannon called.
when she did call it was to say she was running late and would that be ok? ok? it was great. i got to finish snacking and bask in my completedness for like a whole 'nother 10 minutes. AND i found this little piece of awesomeness. (wait a minute... no. it can't be! wait... it is!! rednama flowers is singing christmas carols!)
then we went to work and here i am.

why was this the best day ever? not a clue. but that's how i feel. plus, even if the paper ain't that great, at least it's done, long enough and moderately coherent. not bad for no sleep and one day.

3 down, 2 to go.

yes. i suppose i do keep track of my life based on my random chats with whomever i can sucker into listening to me. do you have a problem with that?