In the moment of the meantime...

Does it go from east to west

Body free and a body less

Come again just to start afresh

Once again to find a home...

 

In 5 hours, I'll be westward bound.  I'm going home...and I'm taking my Dante with me! 

 

Schedule during the next 24 hours:

• Finish this silly .pst file and get picked up by Dante and whisked to the airport around 4
• Have an enjoyable flight - especially because getting through security should be quick and painless (knock on wood) thanks in part to online check-in and the fact that Dante and I only have carry-on bags
• Get picked up at the airport by BEZREN (Shem & Sham in da HOUSE), then go to the Bales residence to bond with Sarah and Ian
• Start getting krunk and snapping random ridiculous pics
• Pass out blissfully
• Get passed off from Bezren to my dear, cuddly, fun-sized mom and go home to the Springs, hopefully stopping at some point for Noodles&Co.
• Realize and exalt for the 23490283408th time that this is only the beginning of an amazing trip...

COLORADO HERE WE COME!  I'm delighted!

(Extremely) Cool Widgets.

I adds dem.

Speaking of addiction...

...I have a Spider Solitaire problem.

A Decade Later: Boy Crazy Phase, Round 2

Oh heeeey.

So. As I've been reading books just for fun, rather than education, enlightenment, and soul-searching, I'm coming to realize that it's been waaaaaaay too long since I've read anything purely for guilty pleasure and enjoyment. Not that I read trashy romance novels or anything, but I love fantasy, for example. Why, you ask? Because over the past few months (don't worry my dear Dante!) I have developed an unhealthy number of crushes on fictional, mostly supernatural men/vampires/werewolves/etc. I'm using the angsty middle school era as my point of reference for the acceptable number of simultaneous crushes that can be squeezed into a single, though rather large, heart...and sadly, the number of crushes (or at least twinges) I have right now probably exceeds that. Specifically, a certain Mr. Edward Cullen permeates my thoughts. I mean, I have a serious infatuation with this guy, who happens to be a happily married vampire who was born as a human in 1901. How ridiculous is that?

By the way, that question was rhetorical.

The weather has been so nice lately. I love stepping outside from the A/C of my workplace, bracing myself with dread for the impact of oppressively hot, thick air, and instead being met with a cool, clean-smelling breeze gently kissing my face. Aaah. I went to Dorney Park for the birthday celebration of my favorite Philly twins, and not only were the rides and the company stellar, but also the high was 75 and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. Almost every other day over the past week or so has had at least one rainfall, not that I mind, because I do love rainstorms (although I do get a little "blah" if it's been dreary for a week or more).

In other news, Dante and I just bought our plane tickets last night. On August 27, we will be Colorado-bound, for a glorious 4 days at home. I need this so much. As quiet as it can be at times (formerly "boring"), Colorado Springs is a wonderful place, with perfect access to deserts, forests, mountains, bodies of water, etc. It's literally centrally-located in the state (and on the Continental Divide!), and pretty much equidistant from every type of terrain and form of entertainment Colorado has to offer. A person can basically enjoy any activity that does not involve the ocean. Despite the fact that I couldn't wait to leave Colorado Springs, I think it took leaving for such an extended period of time for me to really appreciate the state's beauty, friendly people, and all it has to offer.

I haven't been sleeping well lately, and when I do sleep deeply, I don't wake up feeling rested...I'm not quite sure what to do about that.

I would like to purchase a Wii Fit jointly with Dante, so it's really like (ok...sortof) getting it on sale for 50% off retail price (ok...humor me now), but alas, it seems that they're nowhere to be found.

"Scrubs" is awesome.

Pluots are tasty, even though they're freaks of nature.

Hmm. I think that's all for now.

Next destination: End of Rope

I'm rapidly approaching the point where the grit of Philly (mostly the abrasiveness of its natives) inevitably starts to get to me and begins to taint my outlook. Generally when this darkness just starts to push past my tolerance limit, like a fresh breeze on a sweltering day or a rain storm in the middle of a dought, someone comes along and performs a random act of kindness, which restores my faith in the people who supposedly epitomize "Brotherly Love." Bullshit.

This morning, for example: I very nearly got into a bad car accident. I was in my lane, toodling along happily as I abided by traffic laws, when a huge, brand new truck cut swiftly in front of me, so close that our bumpers actually scraped against one another. I beeped in surprise, thinking overly-optimistically that the guy just didn't see me. Much to my disappointment, the offender immediately rolled down his window, screaming obsenities regarding how shitty I was not to let him in, calling me vulgar names, and making hand gestures that would make my little mom turn white as a sheet. I didn't even know some of them. Apparently, he's one of those guys who thinks everyone else can read his mind, and that a pea-brained spontaneous thought to move over was more than enough to make up for the fact that he forgot to use his turn signal. I know what goes around comes around...maybe next time the driver he cuts off won't be paying attention. I'm confident that an asshole in a big truck with no concern for following the rules has one or both reasons for driving such a huge vehicle:

1. Somewhere in the back of his feeble mind, he knows that his reckless driving will cause an accident, so he needs to feel more secure in being higher up off the ground and having more metal around him. And rollbars. Asshole.
2. He wants to use his vehicle as a means of intimidation so smaller, urban-friendly cars will hurry out of his way.

To voice the least and most superficial concern of mine, just in the interest of identifying one positive outcome of the situation, is that at least his truck was silver so the minor damage my car incurred is nothing a little rubbing compound won't handle.

I'm overdue for my dose of decency. I don't even need to be on the receiving end, I just need to witness a real-life scenario in real time when a person reaches out to another with nothing in it for himself - but rather for no reason other than to help out.

Unfortunately, these displays of (mostly) selfless goodwill are rare, but when I am exposed to even just one little act of kindness and decency, it's always enough to recharge my spirit.

I'm going to find some chocolate milk. That will cheer me up.

Let's hear it for simple pleasures, and the promise of a miracle, no matter how small.

Incredible quote from "Martian Child"

David [John Cusack a.k.a. The Man] is talking to Dennis, the kid he adopted who claims to be from Mars and is having a hard time adjusting to life on Earth:

Dennis, can I just say one last thing about Mars? This may be strange coming from a Science-Fiction writer, but...:

Right now, you and me here, put together entirely from atoms, sitting on this round rock with a core of liquid iron held down by this force of this trouble you call gravity, all the while spinning around the sun at 67 thousand miles an hour and whizzing through the Milky Way at 600 thousand miles an hour in a universe that very well may be chasing its own tail at the speed of light. And amidst all this frantic activity, fully cognizant of our own imminent demise (which is a very pretty way of saying we all know we're going to die), we reach out to one another; sometimes for the sake of vanity, sometimes for reasons you're not old enough to understand yet...but a lot of the time we just reach out...and expect nothing in return.

Isn't that strange? Isn't that weird? .. Isn't that weird enough? The heck do ya need to be from Mars for?!

The film is full of good quotes, but this one sticks.

Before bed...a quick sidenote on homesickness

I am sorely missing Colorado right now. Granted, I find that as I spend more time in Philadelphia I feel stronger, more capable, and better able to find things around me to appreciate, but the truth is, I'm really out of my natural element here. I was trying to put this into words when I was talking to Mueller (Pittsburgh born-and-bred) today, and he explained my homesickness:

me: im not forlorn or anything...just maybe a bit out of my element?
Chris: well, you're not a mouth breathing ass wipe, so of course philly wouldnt be your element

Hahahaha. In all fairness though, I'm grateful for my experiences here, no matter how rocky some of them have been. I have grown so much in every single way, and things are going well for me out here at this point in my life in terms of giving me the tools and teaching me the skills I need for the "real world," but honestly...aside from having family and friends in Colorado, how could anyone not* miss the beauty of places like Maroon Bells, Hanging Lake, and Garden of the Gods?

Here they are, respectively, even though photos don't do them justice:

Sigh.

Ahm le tired. I really need to get some sleep now.


*The blogger recognizes and openly acknowledges her bias.

We can stick around and see this night through

H'okay, so.

I’ve been literally addicted to the “Sookie Stackhouse/Southern Vampire” series by Charlaine Harris. I sailed through the eight books (each one between 300-400 pages) within two weeks or so; devoting all of my spare time and concentration to them. Charlaine Harris doesn't take herself too seriously and I doubt that one of her works will win a Pulitzer any time soon, but geez-oh-man does she know how to spin a good tale.

I finished the eighth book From Dead to Worse yesterday, which was perfect timing because I will have a lull during which I can rest up before my preordered copy of Breaking Dawn, the last installment of the "Twilight" series by Stephenie Meyer, arrives on my doorstep.

Just thinking about the "Twilight" series gets my heart racing. I have a heart-wrenchingly massive crush on the main vampire in the series: Edward Cullen. I don't even remember being so filled with angst in middle school...no doubt due to the fact that since Edward is fictional (and in love with Bella - harrumph) he is 100% unattainable. I finished the first three books in the series within the space of about 5 days in February, and it took me a relatively significant amount of time to "get over" Edward [by the way, I'm laughing at my own ridiculousness as I type]. I have mixed feelings about Breaking Dawn. On the upside, it's going to be nothing short of f'awesome and I've been waiting for its release for months. HOWEVER, not only is this the last book in the series, but also...it took me months to "get over" Edward, and now the wounds will reopen.

[Insert dramatic sigh here, as you see my fling myself onto a chaise lounge]

Ha. Naaaw jus' messin'; Breaking Dawn will be great. AND my heart won't have to suffer alone anymore...I was in a bad state in February, but Bezren just got into the "Twilight" series and has fallen in love with Edward as well. See?! I'm not the only one!

If you have a penchant for the supernatural and some appreciation for excellent writing within the genre of fantasy, check out Sunshine by Robin McKinley. All of her other books are amazing too, particularly The Blue Sword, and in my humble opinion, The Outlaws of Sherwood, her rendition of the Robin Hood story.

ANYway. I went to the library today to collect materials I had placed on hold: "The Office Season One," "Scrubs: Season One," "Martian Child," and Moloka'i (the only book in the bunch!). It should be no secret by now that I love the library. Philadelphia's Free Library System is one of my favorite things about the city; it's so accessible, flexible, and hosts a myriad of literacy and empowerment programs, open to everyone, from every walk of life.

I decided to stop by a branch closer to my new place in Germantown, and I was struck by a huge, beautiful tiled mosaic on the library's entryway wall:



Inspiring, is it not? Granted, I don't know what it's like to not be a hopeless romantic, but this certainly impacts me.

If you'd like, check out more Philadelphia Public Art here: http://www.philart.net/