You know what I did last night? I played South Park Pinball for like, an hour at NickleMania. And I don't think I feel bad about this. I've never played pinball before. And if you get the ball in the hole next to Kenny four times, he will fall over dead, and that's way cool.

Also ate Este for Justin's birthday. I had this morning off so I slept in. I'm saying farewell to free time forever so I am just not doing ANYTHING today.

My first week of college is great so far. I gave up on the bus ever coming though, so I took my car all the way downtown and then TRAXed up and ran into Ten, Ben, and Niels. And when I ran into Ben he said he had a class down in the anthropology building, and I said, "Oh I love that building, it's cute like an old old old elementary school!" And then I wondered how I knew that, and remembered that I had a thing for a while that I was trying to go to the bathroom in every department/building on campus. I have accomplished a lot of these bathrooms by now, I hope you know.

My first teacher of the day sounds like McDreamy if you close your eyes, and also has a big nose which I like. And two of the books for his class have naked ladies on them, so you know it'll be good. I read a poem called Don Juan in Hell and I like to say this to myself now and then because it slips off the tongue.

My second teacher spits a lot.

And then after that I found Emily on a grassy knoll, and we went and bought our books together. We are making a friendship that really works.

I then drove past Shannon's Starbucks and did a U-turn when I saw her car, and ended up hanging out with Scrib, Soper, and the D'Amicos all night by accident, which was really wonderful.

I guess I don't mind being a student forever.

I'm starting my 5th year of college tomorrow.
And no I'm not a grad student.

I'm going to recreate my own Salad Days, I'm too young for all of this to be over. Maybe you held my hand in the future. It's what I hope for, it's what I see in the pictures people will take of us--to come.And I know we'll learn a lot. We'll forget our older sins. We'll erase memories of other lovers and rivers and text messages. We'll get down on our hands and knees; we'll write checks to poor people, we'll stop eating all the marshmallows out of the boxes of Lucky Charms. We'll love so deeply that we'll actually look out for each other, when the other is not around. Won't gossip, won't belittle. This is a new thing I'm saying.

I think I realized at the Dave Matthews concert that I could commit to one person for the rest of my life. And I still felt it all the mornings of 5 a.m. afterward.

I miss you now, I guess like I should have missed you then

One thing I really love is the Cardio Cinema at Gold's. I love to watch a movie and walk for an hour by accident. You don't even notice the time go by. I left the cinema to lift weights in the girl's room, and I could still hear Transformers through the wall, and I wanted to tell the other girls, "When I was in there, it was a really nice time, and I miss it."

"Well, if all you wanted was a hug from a black person, maybe you should have just hosted The Price Is Right."
-Tracy Jordan/Morgan

"I LOVED being pregnant. Everything about it."
"Why? Did you feel special?"
-Shannon, then Ashlie

I woke up one morning, and after looking at the calendar, I realized I had been asleep for possibly 4 months, and that someone has changed my hair blond. Someone also left documents all over my desk, and put a lot of miles on my car.
This impostor, she bought several bottles of perfume on my credit card.
She left me notes on what she'd been doing the last few months.

And you know what, I have no memory of the years before this last one. The men are wiped away. The automobile accidents and the softer, fonder memories are gone. My heart is in one piece as if it hadn't been broken a few times, and for all I know, it never was broken.

I snapped out of it at the Hobby Lobby.
"These fake roses feel so realistic." Emma said.
"Yes, even the thorns are hurtful." Noah replied. I took a long sip of espresso, and I had to laugh.

"Your German-ness is....it makes coffee. That's too black."
-The minister in Sweetland which is a cute movie

"Well, they have to work in the morning, so they can't stay up late."
"Everyone has to work in the morning," I said.
"Not me." He said.
"Yeah me either," I admitted.
"I don't have to do a single thing." He told me. "No one will know if I do anything at all," he said.
I collapsed on the couch. "Yeah, me too," I admitted to him again. Didn't know if he could hear me or not, with the sound of automatic guns scrambling around his skull. And in that moment, I realized he was the only one I wanted to spend that moment with.
We turned on the DVD player.

"Lionsgate." He murmered. "That's who puts out all the horror movies!" He says.
"Seriously?" I ask him. And I think, "It is me who will be cherishing this moment in 10 years. And me who will still be laying here in this house, afraid to move on.

I once had a conversation with Zach that was something to the extent of, when girls look in the mirror, they think, "Oh my gosh, look at that blemish, look at how tired I look before putting on mascara, So-n-So is going to think my hair looks greasy," and for boys, they wake up and look in the mirror and think, "Man, I look good today. Every babe is gonna want me."

And I forgot about it til I was looking in the mirror just now, replaying something I read from a plastic surgeon who said he could tell you what side you usually sleep on by how your face looks. All of the sudden (while remember what side I do sleep on) my face looked smashed in on one side. Completely unsymmetrical and gory. And then I took a deep breath.

I think you can see whatever you want to when you look in the mirror.

After working out, I usually swear I can see where inches are melting away. This is positive reinforcement. Its hard to remember, but when I'm looking at someone I love, I can't see anything wrong--a single hair out of place-- and I hope the same thing of those who love me.

I've been having a lot of nightmares. Usually one or two every night, and wake up with my heart racing.
But in general, I am very happy. I think this year will definitely be better than the last, and I am looking forward to winter.
I can't wait for snow and warm coffee, and freezing night with heavy covers, but most of all, I can't wait for fall fashion. Hoodies, jeans, gorgeous jackets, and boots. I think about it every time I put on a pair of shorts. I am counting down the days.

The only thing I know how to make sense of what just happened me at the library is this: A Chinese man thought I was his cousin? As I walked up the sidewalk, he kept staring back at me, and while this is rude, it is not unheard of. I even have "one of those faces" and figured that was it. Finally as we walk into the library and I remove my sunglasses, he takes a final glance, at me, and turns around smiling.
"You see, I though you were my aldskjfalskdjf," he says
"Your what?"
"My crasdfin." It sort of sounded like cousin, but I finally had to just nod and smile, because it is rude to not understand someone with an accent after they have repeated their sentence.
"Ahhhh," I said, wanting to return my books, thinking he'd walk away now that he explained why he was staring.
But he just kept talking. It took me probably half a paragraph to even understand any of the words he was saying, so I just kept nodding and smiling, thinking he'd walk away, because he was distractedly looking around the library. But no chance. Finally I understood a sentence.
"You are a student?" He asked.
"Yes, at the university."
"And how you study?"
"I study English."
"Ahhhhhhh." This was a huge joke to him. "You become teacher?"
"Oh maybe. Maybe not."
And this launched a discourse on the fall of America, and how while once the English language prevailed, it won't for very much longer. And he even threw in the Soviet Union at one point. After very little prompt from me (where I'm from, where I work) he went on and on about Starbucks and John Denver, and I tried to keep taking steps back from him, as he was being loud, and we were in a library. And finally, just as quickly as it started, he eventually just walked away from me, saying, "Have fun with English," and I yelled, "Have a nice day," while running away. I lost interest in scoping out new books over the fear of him trapping me for hours in conversation in what is supposed to be a very lonely building.

I feel that strangers who love to talk too much to strangers seek me out. This is just another fault of me smiling too much...

Quotes

"He just barely started doing that."
"Its cute but I don't know how you live with that."
-two housewives talking in the Target Grocery about a noise the kid in the cart was making

"Let's bake a moment together."
"I know, in our original U-boats."
-Me, reading a cake box, and Kelsea talking about those tubes that fishers sit in out in the lake

"Don Quixote wouldn't stand a chance against one of those."
-Paul Porter, observing the wind turbines of Wyoming (from Ashleigh)

"This is ruining my quality of life."
-Uncle Roger pointing to a television playing Judge Judy above his head, at the Dairy Queen

oh, hi
I went shopping at Target for a wedding gift today, and I ended up getting them a breadbox. I thought hey I could put some other cute stuff in there, and it will be easy to wrap. So I get to the check out and the girl is trying to scan it and she says, "What is this thing," and I said, oh it is a bread box. And then she said:
"What is a bread box?" WHAT? Is that really a thing that people don't have bread boxes at their house? Has she never played 20 questions? Bigger than a breadbox? A blond white girl who has never heard of a bread box?
"You don't have one of these at your house?" I asked.
"No," she said, and just kept smiling. "Where do you open it?"
I showed her. "See, and you put your loaf there, and some bagels over here in this part."
"I have never heard of this," she says.
"Your friends don't have one either?" I asked. She shook her head, still grinning at me like I must be making the whole thing up.
"Well, I guess you don't need one," I said, walking away because I was starting to hold up the line, "But they are convenient, sort of." I guess all they really do is keep your bread hidden.

Funny.

It is strange to think I have only been back for a week. A good week though. Last Sunday I went to see Brandi Carlile with the ladies, and that show was just as amazing as the Tegan and Sara concert. And similarly, also made me want to cut off my hair, get tattoos, and be a lesbian rock star.

I worked a million hours, watched the 1st season of Dead Like Me, starting working out again, and one of the nights Celisse and Ten and I had a girls night and watched
a) The Bounty Hunter and
b) The Departed

Which I think is pretty hilarious considering the first is a chick flick, and the second is a bloody mafia movie with too many f-words to count.

I am trying to figure out what comes next, and the answers don't come to me no matter how many times I clean my room and turn on the Scentsy and make a night cap. My pillow is breaking my neck while I sleep.

But in general, things are going to turn out just fine.

Originally uploaded by maneeacc

Everytime I sit down to try and write something about this last visit to the midwest, I just start weeping. So instead I will just say what I've been learning.

I am learning to suck the love out of everywhere. To say out loud, "I am so happy I could die." To be more alert. To realize the happiest moments in my life, and acknowledge them silently to myself, and appreciate my loved ones.
Salt Lake City may be one of the loneliest places in the world, but there is still a lot of love.

I'll give you anything, but I'll give you problems

I used to get really worried at the end of dentist visits because they always would tell you not to eat or drink for 30 minutes after the fluoride. I would think, "Now what am I going to do?" And suddenly get really thirsty because I couldn't have water.
Now I wake up everyday and take a pill and can't eat for 30 minutes, and my inner child is saying, "This just isn't working for me." But its either that or serious pain, which is I suppose the only reason people take pills. Besides Sudaphed, which is candy coated.

Where have I been.

I spent 2 weeks in a vacuum of love and sunshine and heartbreak in the midwest. There aren't words to say what I think there. Its something about how I would give anything to smell the scent of my grandfather's cellar, or walk in itchy cornfields every summer for my life. I end up spending every moment trying to suck all the joy out of it. To try to memorize it.

We chase what is left
of her alive
from room to room.
The scent, the handwriting, and her
reflections in the mirrors.

QUOTES

"It's like, you could be a bum, and as long as you had intuitiveness and some fish, you would be the richest person in the world." -Nick, on living in Hawaii
(Thanks Ashleigh)

"We could leave them a comment like, "I've notice our waiter's hair is getting longer."" -Bryan, on comments/concern cards at SLPP a long time ago

"Ha ok, awesome! You'll notice after talking to my mom for 2 minutes she will need to know every single detail. Who where why what for who's that what's that smell is that guy dead gifts money slayer how much reservations DNA left handed ice cream oil change soap cake naps directions time zone what's that smell again can I bring a blanket what color shoes ect..." -also Bryan, via Text the week before their wedding

"I'm really disappointed in Paige Davis lately, her hair keeps getting shorter and shorter." -Philip, absentmindedly after an RC Willey commercial

Philip and I both realized we have this LOVE moment with Kelsey G. of when we tell her stories. You can always expect this moment when her eyes turn very wide and her mouth opens crazy, and she starts laughing really hard. It is ALWAYS rewarding to tell her a good story. I save them up to tell her.
She sort of understands the person I am, when I am a lunatic burnout, and she does crazy things with me.
I will miss her.
There are certain selfish parts of me that hope that Phoenix, AZ is a horrible place, and that she moves back and wants to hang out with me when she is older.

I am a very selfish person.

"Kelsey, how did you get that hat to stay on your head?"
"That is exactly what I am wondering!"
-a brief encounter, 11 months ago

When we were younger, there was a good 6 to 8 months that we ate these soybean patties for many meals a week. I don't know why we had so many of them.
We were poor.
We tried to come up with new ways to use the patties. Cutting them up and tried to disguise them in other foods, to add protein and stuff.

It's not like we're rich these days. But there are a lot of things I'm realizing now that I wish I could have told 14, 15, 16, 17 year old Rachel were going to happen, and the lessons I would learn. But I don't think it would have been worth it, if I didn't learn them for myself. What I'm saying is, I couldn't have foreseen the trips to California, and Mexico. The rich people I've spent time with, the sushi and cocktails, the dresses I've worn, the handsome men who've tried to convince me of...anything they wanted to convince me of. A lot of worthless worldly things, that are still good for experience-sake, but looked more glamorous during adolescence.

I wish I could tell my 21 year old self the values I will know by 25. But I think that is why I have awesome friends with good advice.

"Nick, what put that into your brain to put basil leaves in your beer?"
"I don't know."
"Did it fall into your beer?"
"Hey peanut butter wasn't invented on purpose."
-Stesha and Nick

"I'll try to be more romantic
I want to believe in everything you believe.
I was less than amazing,
Do not know what all the troubles are for.
Fall asleep in your branches:
You're the only thing I ever want anymore"
-Conversation 16, The National

High Violet reminds me so much of the old way I loved the National, and the way they use the choir in this song kills me. The choir always kills me.
"The Wanting Comes in Waves/Repaid" by The Decemberists
and "Downfall" by Matchbox 20. When I think of choirs of angels, I try to think more of these songs and spending eternity in that part of the song where the choir comes in and gives you chills.
I spent a lot of nights, weeping, on my way home from the comfortable arms of loved ones. Arms as in, sitting next to them and listening to the soft tone of their voices for hours, hearing what they're dreaming about. What I mean is weeping to Matt Berninger's voice, which I could never get tired of. To also screaming "Mr. November" from Alligator. Spent a lot of dark hours driving I-80 across the country under very few street lamps thinking about who I'll finally meet when I turn 29.

Tonight there was a man walking down my street, and I realized, tonight it is my turn not to be the pitied one, not to be the tragic one left to his thoughts and walking down a road. Some nights are not so hard, but the choir still haunts you anyway because you are hoping about heaven. You love all the bad men who have scarred you, because skin heals pretty decently and is a learning process; your biography. You love all the people who took you for granted. You even crack open a beer and toast to them, because we've all got a tragic flaw.

These Days

Well, I spent Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday basically in bed from allergies killing me. Besides that I went to work every time that I was supposed to, and church. And I moved to the couch one time to watch the LOST finale, which, hello. Super sad. But it's not like I didn't cry a lot through Alias.

I made some amazing waffles last night. They're called Liege waffles.

And man are they delicious. Celisse got me the pearl sugar to make them. They are a gut bomb, but worth it.

So in conclusion, every thing is pretty alright. The show will go on.

Thank you to the following sponsors:
NBC, Benedryl, NPR, Butter, Jo Malone Cologne, Netflix, Prevacid, Healthy Choice Cafe Steamers, and last but not least: Vitamin Water (Connect; cherry lime w/ caffeine) you are so good, it is my fault I overdosed.

"Oh my gosh!"
"What?"
"Oh...well you didn't watch American Idol last year."
"Oh yeah. That one girl's dead, huh?"
"WHAT?!"
"You know, Japanese...what...nevermind."
-Izzy, on a usual basis

There are people that are involved in my daily life, that I don't even ever really talk about. I am there for them everyday and I want to start profiling them so that I remember them when I leave Starbucks and never come back.

Handsome and Sweetie
He comes in and pays for her drink every morning before she wakes up. He works in construction, and is fun to joke around with. He drinks coffee even though he is LDS, which is something I like to see in a person.

Grumpy Old Guy
I don't know his name because he always pays very quickly, with cash, and always tips us almost as much as his drink costs. He is very pessimistic and grumpy which I really appreciate when it's early morning. He likes us, he likes talking to us, but always acts like he doesn't. I love him. I want him to be a third grandpa. I would sit around and smoke with him, even though he probably doesn't do that, and neither do I.

Chocolate Shavings Lady
Likes sprinkles on top of her mocha, even though they don't make a difference in the taste, and claims that she needs the coffee and chocolate because of medicine that she is on. Usually comes through 3 times during my shift, for a total of close to 1200 calories, probably, but never seems to put on weight. I think some people live off of Starbucks nutritionally.

Brian and Indy
Literally my favorite. Brian comes in with his dog Indy through the drive thru (also probably 3 times a day) and we probably are technically his third home. He's unmarried and has no kids, and we are always as happy to see him as he is to see us. He is always happy, and Indy always tries to jump through the window.

Okay. Now I need to go to bed.

You got tired, working on too many lives at once.
Working long days and longer nights on bad dreams.
You got to hold yourself together all the hours.
You got to admit that God this is it.
That you got to take a knee. Take a few hard hits where you aren't expecting it.
Shoulder, gut, hip, temple.
Put off the Tylenol til the last minute you can stand it.
Stop choking on hard everything.
Smoke.
Glamour.
Sir Jack Daniel.

Lay down the guns and know, God you said this would be hard.
And God, I will fight a good fight.

I will fight the good fight.

"I might have one drink tonight."
"Okay, but watch out. One drink turns into another, which turns into another, which turns into another. Pretty soon you're the drunk girl playing Ticket to Ride."
-Shannon, on mixing alcohol with board games

Sometimes Postsecret makes me happy.

I met someone.

She seems crazy, so I think there is a good spot for her in my life. She's a regular at Starbucks, and she matches my loud volume and excitement. We finally got the courage to say that we should start hanging out, and when I wrote my number on her passion tea, I got butterflies, which is really funny. Platonic butterflies, if that makes any sense.

It goes back to Kayleigh. I've been trying to replace the spot she had for a really long time. She was at the very least crazy; maybe even a maniac. She made me laugh so hard that it was really hard not to pee my pants. We took a lot of espresso in those days.
I tried to replace her with Emily, who is not all the way crazy, but really wonderful. She manages a pretty legit cover.
Kelsey G. was where my real hope came because she is young and something about growing up makes you stop laughing like a maniac. She makes me pretty happy.
And now there is new girl, and I will have to see how it pans out with her.

But basically Kayleigh, this is my last letter to you.

It has taken me a lot of people to equal your exuberance at 5:30 in the morning. I still don't know if I've found it yet, but I realize that we are now two ships in the night, and I have to get over you somehow.
So here's to the memories: I think of you fondly, but the picture is fading. You might even be settling into a semi-normal existence now, and I don't hold that against you.
Love,
Rache

Quotation, quotation
I really can't say all the drama I have been subjected to this week since coming back from San Clemente. It will all go away soon I hope, or get worse.
So, the only thing I have on my mind that is okay to talk about is the show Weeds, which is not actually appropriate to talk about either.
So here are some saved up quotes that I find funny, and are easier to think about than this week's real life.

"It's just like, they're normal mushrooms," cooking in the pan, "but they are freaking me out because they are going to be vegan."
-Celisse

"It'd be like, you're hanging out with them and he'll say, 'Can you make me a sandwich" and she'll punch him in the face but then go make him a sandwich anyways."
-Philip, on my apparent future marriage with Collin

"I have a bunch of picks for you guys. They say Metro Station on them, but they work."
-Kenny

"Here's what happened-"
"Just give us the details."
-Tony trying to help Scrib with telling a story during small group

"That's why (coffee's) dangerous," he said.
"It's not dangerous."
"Whatever relaxes you is dangerous. If you don't know that I might as well be talking to the wall."
Don DeLillo, White Noise


"It gave me the agility. To be chill."
-Tony, who will always be hilarious especially out of context


"You lost? well you're just wasting money aren't you?!"
-Philip, who had won $10 from lotto tickets, admonishing Collin

I know it turns you off when I get talkin' like a teen

I never said anything what I felt at Tegan and Sara's SLC concert last week. It was amazing, uh course.

But anyways. I was wondering what it would be like to step out onto a stage and be worshiped by screaming fans every night. To have perfect rock star hair and clothes, and to not be home forever and ever. It freaked me a little.

It was still an amazing concert, and their encore was really good. Dang.

Long overdue Nickisms

"Would you drink champagne if I opened it?"
"Dan, don't threaten me with a good time."

"Wait, will it ever come back?" (on the subject of his "golden" birthday, which was when he was eleven, so he didn't know about it)

"I want to go somewhere wild. Like Maine."

and one from Ashleigh:

"Sometimes I just think about the day-to-day space odysseys."


Oh Nicholas.

There is a house down the street, and the people living there do not have enough rooms. So some of them sleep in a tent under an overhang garage.
Strange, but resourceful. A lot of Americans seem to have lost this resourcefulness. There are other ways to live.

Dear Renee,
I am tired of trying to guess what you are like. I am tired of trying to learn about your more mysterious self, or even your day-to-day self.
You tell me nothing, the more I ask and plead with you. It should be obvious by now that I have been trying to make you be my friend, and that you want to live in your world of not answering my questions in full sentences.
I don't know your goals, or if you have them, because you are hiding all of them.
I will remain your sincerest of barely acquaintances even though we have spent most of the hours of the last year together.
So goodbye,
see you tomorrow,
and here's to me giving up.

-Me.

"My eyes are bigger than my stomach."
"That's because you have glasses on."
-Amalia (my mexican mother) to me, at KFC in Los Angeles

I am pretty suppressed because I only have 7 episodes left of Samantha Who? and I will be so sad when it's over for good.

To do this week:
... work a lot
... go to small group
... play a show with the youth band
... go to the Tolman wedding

And perhaps spontaneously buy a ticket back to Des Moines. My heart is hurting, and the midwest is like a big band aid, with weak coffee and strong love.

I was thinking last night, as I was taking off my fake eyelashes, that I should probably get married while I still have some energy. Like, maybe this week.

"Oh Rachel, whatever will I do?"
"Without me?"
"Oooooor in general."
-Darrell

I'm hoping for your sake I change; hoping for my sake I manage to remain the same.
Josh Ritter

Not being in school is essentially like heaven. Sometimes I look around and feel guilty about watching a lot of TV these days, but there is still enough going on every week to make me feel tired, so I'm probably shouldn't even feel that guilty.

Celisse's wedding was beautiful, and is over now. But there are more weddings to attend to and more hours to work retail, and Megan is here, and I am looking forward to a California trip next month, and always to my "trains" nights with my Ashleigh and Dan. To the final episodes of LOST. To new CD's coming out. To longer, lingering nights and sipping wine on the back porch. Things keep going, and I'm not even writing papers.
How did this happen? I think this Spring is going to be the beginning of Good.

Paul,
I am thinking. I should learn to sell myself to something farther down the road. After proven worth. After love returned. I am figuring out that when the lights are all green, all the way down the road at night, this is not always a good sign. It doesn't pave way for someone soft lying next to you til morning. It does not always put money in the bank account.
I am learning things, I suppose, Paul.
And if you don't care, then I don't care too.

-Me.

I've been watching Undercover Boss, and in result, crying a lot this week. My family got on Demand, so that basically took over my life for one day after work. This man, on the Waste Management episode really struck a note in me. He was super happy about cleaning up porter potties, every day of the week. He was really joyful doing one of the crappiest jobs in America. It made me realize that I could be him. That yes: I have a crappy job, but no: I do not have to let this bring me to miserable.

I think why this show makes me cry the whole time is, that there is a deep unrealized ache in me about working a low class job. When people ask me what I do, where I work, I whisper, "Starbucks," ashamed, humiliated. I love to watch the CEO's and COO's of these huge businesses come down on our level and these single moms, people on dialysis, former "artists"-all forced into sad jobs. And they realize that we need to be treated better. That the world runs off of us.

So what I'm trying to think is that I can be joyful no matter where I work. And that the world wouldn't keep running without poor people like me.

Although my brother cleaning the porter potties, it said at the end that he realized he wanted to bring his joy to way more people and started a job at a hospital. So, there's that.

tiny beer




Window to the Pacific, Cabo





I dream of going everywhere now. And I want to be more serious about this while I have youth and time.

when you are engulfed in flames

Yesterday I had an entire day off. I woke up at Tegan and Sara's and ran to the grocery store for supplies, and then spent the whole day watching the Kardashians make fools of themselves, which is extremely therapeutic. I love them, and think they are so very dumb.
I drank Dayquil all day and tried to get the dogs to not sit by me, but one problem is how deeply and unashamedly they love. I switched from Dayquil to beer at five, and ate a cardboard pizza all by myself and loved it.

It is the first time in a long time that I have said to myself, "This is the life." Its a hard thing to say when you work at Hell, but I said it, because I forgot for a whole day.

I like a good beer buzz early in the morning, and Billy likes to pull the labels from his bottles of Bud

So in this week so far, I woke up stranded in outskirts of the valley. In a residential neighborhood at least a mile from any kind of civilization. My phone was dead, the only charger I had was a car charger and no car to charge it in. The Mombergers' phone was dead. So I just started walking with my Mexico luggage for a long time, and waited half an hour for a bus that never came, and just kept walking til an establishment finally let me use their phone. What a basic yet crappy adventure.

Mac n Cheese never tastes good after 20 minutes of its being produced.

And then one of the days this week, my dad also caught a cockatiel out in our neighbor's front yard, and it lives with us now. At least it is thawing out and lives in a dog crate on our dining room table which is questionable, but only temporary.

"What kind of wine do you like, red, or tequila?"
-Samantha Who?

I should be packing. But instead I took a huge fistful of vitamins (I am trying not to get sick), and now I have an upset stomach and I just keep looking at people's blogs.
I'm going to Mexico for a week, and by Mexico I just mean the ocean, which I'm really happy about.
I want to come back clean and shiny, as Meredith Grey would say. I am excited to be somewhere new and see something new, and spend bachelorette time with Celisse and go swimming. I even bought two pairs of heels today, which I'm going to try to get better at wearing more often, because I just watched the entire first season of Samantha Who?

So cheers to a break from a real life, and considering what I get to look forward in the next one.

older roads
I wanna start over. I want to be with you.

We had our bad look days too. They didn't believe it could happen to us, but we'd be reading books groggily at 3pm and look over at one another. She'd groan, "Maybe we should put on more eyeliner and go out," in Portuguese, and I would nod. She didn't know I knew how bad we looked that afternoon, and the young men looking at our pictures later could think, "There is no such woman as perfect as that," with us, faintly winking at them on the other side of a lens in a far off town. But we weren't perfect-- us. We left paragraphs unattended to. Cookies unattended too. Our fake glasses could fall off our faces when we'd drift off into a nap, but our maid would make sure we didn't burn the cookies. I felt the power of saying no to anyone I wanted to. She felt the power to drink herself away and still get up for the work the next afternoon, no worse for wear.
But once the hours were more gone in the year, I knew. Looking at Sonya, I could know the wrinkles that would probably develop and that you can't go forever on carrots and diet coke.

Gossip Girl is an affair, but 30 Rock is definitely a marriage, and a rock in hard times. Wait, what?

I have a candle in my room that smells like waffles.

What I've learned from listening to hip hop and from Tyra banks is... that we don't really understand what is going on in the ghettos and slums. We don't know what we think we know about prostitution and gangs, and the other things that people in these places face everyday. These songs and music videos make us believe in something glamorous, though dirty, and make white middle class Americans feel like they're so gangsta on Friday nights at the club. But it's not glamorous.

I complain about my situation, when things could be a hundred times worse. I could be poor(er). I could be in Haiti. I could be a sex slave in a foreign country. I could be trying to support 4 kids on minimum wage.

Heart check.

"Billy hates mugs."
"Billy, you hate mugs?"
"I hate all mugs. Except for cool ones."
-Billy and Co.


"Well it seriously can't go wrong, buying a house. Because at least if it goes wrong, you have a house."
-Allison D.

"I gave you a shot, and while your efforts were admirable, I'm bored. You ruined my pants. Goodnight Blair."
-Chuck Bass

I haven't noticed that I'm not in school yet. It might take another week. I spent the last days of 2009 having a long slumber party with Shannon and Celisse, and its weird to even be at home sleeping in my bed. I might even be grumpy about it.

But in other news, I have Tegan and Sara tickets, my darling Megan is coming out for the weekend from FoCo, and I have a brand new handbag that could even rival my coworker Kelsey's ridiculously stylish collection.