A First Time For Everything.

So they say.
But I never thought that I would do this:
I met up with a fellow Capernwray-er -had a tiny reunion- without a digital camera. Amazing. Sad. Discomforting. So, unfortunately, I have no pictures to show that Austin has long-ish hair and facial hair. Now you all will have to just sit there and wonder what he looks like. (Or harass him to post something on his blog.) But dij or no, it was great to hang out with Austin and see his family/friends. It was even worth the ridiculous drive home! (I never thought it possible to drive five miles in an hour.)
So there it is - sunday christened summer with the first trip to the beach, first afternoon of Cwray reminiscing, and first date with my sister (the long drive was salvaged by the clean, warm smell of the woods, our loud, energetic singing of Ben Folds and the fact that DQ's drive thru is open late).

Raspberry Rigor Mortis

It's one hundred degrees in the shade in Portland this June afternoon. And I'm not exaggerating.
See?

Not too long ago, I was sorting raspberries. (Yesterday's heat nearly did them all in, so the pickings were slim.) Oddly, rather than going mushy, many of them had gone all hard and tasteless. I guessed them dead, and blamed the stiffness on rigor mortis.
To avoid the continuance of looking like a dirty hippy, and to avoid the heat, I gave Sister Maria a thorough bath this morning. I was amazed to find that it was necessary to wash not only one section at a time, but one half of a section at one time to keep the soap from drying on. Goodness sakes. This is my reaction to the heat:

It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.

I feel inclined to post as it is the first time in a few days that I have been near a computer, much less having time to post something. Not that I have been what one would actually classify as busy, but I have been occupied and "working".
How about a "Good Things" list - those are fantastic.

-Courtnay and her prayer day idea. Wonderful way to wake up.
-Rosie and her super fun graduation party!
-How funny my voice sounds since it is almost completely gone.
-The hot weather that has finally arrived in P-town.
-That school is not in session.
-The BBC homepage and its English language quizzes, using phrases such as: A: Do you fancy going out for a drink? B: Actually, I'd __________, if you don't mind.
-Joshy buying a ticket to Portland!
-Seeing Pamela yesterday morning.
-Having Greek food with my Parents.
-Spending lots of time with people younger than myself. (Uni gets a little old with everyone being your age or just a little older or younger sometimes.)
-The prospects of possibly rock climbing next week.
-Seeing Mike and Lisa last night (I've been going through withdrawal)
-Not working till noonish today.

[This list is not comprehensive of the good things in my life in anyway. It is only representative of my current joys.]

Yaaaaaaay!

With all the turmoil and trials in the world, one must cling to the small things, the simple pleasures of hard work and the benefits therein.

Aka - I got my Spring 2006 grades back and they are as follows:

ARH 493 MODERN ART A
ENG 305U TOP: CHINESE FILM A
FR 203 SECOND YEAR FRENCH B+
LING 390 INTRO TO LINGUISTICS A

Something New Every Day.

Today I tried loose-leaf Tazo. My teabag broke. I have never experienced a tea bag breaking. It looked like a jellyfish in my mug. With nasty little flakies, like soggy shredded wheat swimming with my jellyfish.

Today I decoupaged my switchplate and had fun with conte crayons on black paper.

Today is Father's Day - Happy Father's Day, Dad! - we celebrated by watching movies and eating yummy food.

I Like That.

Somehow never before has it come to my attention a very curious thing that Blogger prompts the already over addicted internet users of the blogworld to do: Choose an identity. This interesting command presupposes that we all have more than one identity. It also served as a reminder of the amazing (possibly terrible?) power of the internet to provide masks and barriers for all sorts of people. But conversely, it rather made my day. I now feel like a superhero.

This morning, Emilina and I discovered the Boulangerie et Patisserie Francais dans le District Pearl. The very place Pamela and I searched for exactly one week ago with no avail. And, oddly enough, St Honore was not what we were looking for this morning.
Perhaps they are magical places which can only be found by not looking for them while simultaneously desiring them. (St Honore etait tres delicieux.)

In the same way as last saturday was German Day (for Pamela and me), yesterday was Euro Day. Fabulous! And the weekend is swiftly becoming French Weekend.

Bye Bye.

To Spring Quarter 2006
and...
to my hair.
:D
(I needed a change.)

And hello to my way cute new hat from my Mommy!

Happy Anniversary To Me.

Today on my run, I saw grass as green as England.

Boo.

I would have titled this "Tears." but we didn't cry.
Because we'll see eachother next week.
But still - the trend my life has taken for the last two years is changing. Dear Pamela just left my house a mere 45 minutes ago, but I am deeply feeling the tragedy of loss. Though I know for sure of at least two times (minimum) that I will be seeing her in the next few months, it is still not the same. No more roommate Pamela. I will most likely continue to call her that, since she has been my roommate as long as I have had such things. Now isn't that just crazy. It is as if God created us to be roommies - oooh... Yay. Lucky me because she is the bestest. (Yes, dear, I'm aware that "bestest" is incorrect.)
I am glad that I take up Pamela's whole heart with love, though it be one of many hearts stacked one on top of the other (or something like that?). Mmmm - it has been a good year.
Pammy, I love you. This is for you: mmmmuah! (Hahahaaa - evidence of the fact that we have somehow managed to girly-fy eachother this year. Who would have thought.)

This Weekend

...Was so much fun. With the papers and projects out of the way I felt no obligation to have anything to do with school (even with finals coming up this week).

Friday was my dear friend Rose's vocal recital. Sheeee's amazing.

Saturday we had Pamela and Allison time - went out for breakfast and spent a few hours at the art museum.
(Pamela, Me and Brushstrokes by Roy Lichtenstien)

Sunday afternoon, Mom, Dad, Tracy and I went down to the Waterfront where we looked at ships, watched dragon boat races, ate Ben and Jerry's and people watched.
(Mom, Dad and a really big Marine)

And then, sunday night, I finally got to see Mr Potter! A year to date after the last time I saw him.

I found out that Pamela likes to spin. I think spinning is pukey.

For All the Complaining I Do

I may sound like I hate school, but moments like these remind me how important education is.


Overheard at Cafe Ono:

Girl 1 (to the barista): You want Lebanese food?

Girl 2 (to the barista): Don't worry - I've never heard of it, either.

Barista: No no... I'm just not hungry. Ironic thing, though - my mom's on a missions trip in Lebanon.

Girl 1: I don't even know where it is.

Barista: It's in the Middle East, by Jordan.

Girl 2: By where?

Barista: Jordan... by Israel...

Girl 1: Whatever. I don't know what it is so I don't want any.

Eeeeee

Can I just say right now that I have the best boyfriend in the whole wide world? Yeah, that's right. I arrived home from school today to find a Finals Survival Kit, complete with sumatra coffee, orange mandarin spice tea, mug, toblerone minis, sigur ros "takk", and a teddy.

He's pretty much everything any girl could want, really.

:D

The Middle Stretch

If this were the first stretch, I'd be okay. I'd have my energy, my motivation, my ideas, my eloquence flowing like the Tigris and the Euphrates... okay... it's not quite that great, but I would at least have my vain hope that accomplishment and success were in sight.
If this were the final stretch, I'd be even better. With the end in sight I can convince myself to fight the urge to go make more tea or wander off to another project. Or I can allow myself to hope to finish the paper before midnight.
But, here, in the middle... I check the word count every 50 or 75 words and go eat some more raisins.

One Who Understands.

“I do believe in reincarnation, but I do not believe there is life before noon.”
~Florence King

There are those who wake up every day without benefit of an alarm clock, who get out of bed as soon as they open their eyes and are instantly alert, cheerful and full of energy.

And we hate them.

For those of us who prefer to get up at the crack of noon, the world seems to conspire against us. Ever since Benjamin Franklin admonished those who burn the midnight oil with his fatuous prescription for health, wealth and wisdom, we stand tacitly accused of indiscipline and sloth. The typical working day favors the lark who arrives early and dives in while we owls valiantly just try to not be 20 minutes late again.

...

For better or worse, it's a lark's world. We're just living in it. Still, if it's any consolation, James Joyce, Winston Churchill, Dorothy Parker and Elvis Presley were all night owls and somehow they managed to cope. And, of course, there's always the hope that someday our nocturnal fraternity will change the world when everyone else is asleep.

(an excerpt from, "Rise and Shine: Coping Tips for Night Owls" by Peyton Mays, Senior Editor, MSN Shopping)

Drip Drip Drip Sploosh.

That is what it sounds like outside my window. With the occational car driving by, making that particular wet tires on wet asphalt sound. It's not particularly cold to go along with the rain, but I still don't want to leave my house. Or my bed.
I don't know what shoes to wear.