Happy Halloween!

Some old photos for your enjoyment.

Where's Waldo and Afro Man. (Ben and Steven)


Carving pumpkins and smoking hookah at the Castle


More pumpkin carving at the Castle


One of my favorite photos ever, with two of my favorite girls. From left to right: sexy ninja, sexy cop, sexy truck driver. Like my sword made of cardboard and tin foil? heck yes.


This was taken at the tarp party... remember that? Oh goodness. Chris was dressed as a Mormon. Was this freshman year??

Hello, Tulip

POP QUIZ

True or False?

The following items were all found in the glove box of Kara's car.


- 1 book on tape: On The Road by Kerouac
- 5 CDs
- 1 tape: Top Gun soundtrack
- 4 mystery cords
- 1 wallet
- 2 keychains + house key labeled "Doug's Shack"
- 3 lighters
- a grip of individually packaged eye drops
- 4 dead batteries
- 1 alcohol swab
- 1 mini-bottle lens cleaner
- 2 headbands
- 4 barrettes
- 1 tweezer
- 1 nail clipper
- 1 cuticle trimmer
- 5 1/2 pairs of earrings
- 3 rings
- 1 piece of driftwood
- 2 bottles perfume
- 2 bottles room spray
- 1 tube shampoo
- 1 lower tray teeth whitening strip
- 1 fork, 1 spoon
- 1 penny

Times up!!

If you answered "True," you get an A for the day! Congratulations!
If you answered "False," sorry, you fail. Better luck next time.

Gossip

Always seems to be a bit of drama around here in the neighbor department. I suppose this is to be expected when living in such close quarters with such an array of families and individuals. Really makes one appreciate "normal people."

As I have alluded to before, we have an odd old man upstairs, Lee. Nothing new with him- he has been avoiding me ever since we had an extremely awkward conversation. (He asked me to call and wish a young, male relative of his Happy Birthday whose girlfriend just broke up with him. Lee thought it only appropriate to have a young, female neighbor call and try to make him feel better on his birthday. I declined. He was not pleased.) I know the old guy is lonely, but I can't help but wonder if maybe he is lonely for a reason...

Downstairs we have a young couple with a little girl who will be two years old in a few months. Their whole situation just breaks my heart. Mom and Dad obviously do not get along with one another, as evidenced by their endless screaming matches. When they fight, the little one gets ignored... or yelled at. Often not a very happy environment down there. Soon Mom and Daughter are moving out. I wish them all the best, especially this little cutie you see here.


All in all I really like this apartment. Other than directly above and directly below the people are nice and appear to be functional, respectable members of society. Honestly I don't see too much of them. Meredith and Spencer have been around more often since Mer is back in school (Go Mer Go! You are almost finished!). Its great having them around. Good people.

Beautiful

Thank you Jayne for the beautiful flowers. Every time I look at them they seem to have changed and somehow become even more spectacular.



Check out the use of thistle. Such unexpected texture and color. Awesome.


Again, thanks so much. I am a very lucky gal.

T-Town

Twix

I am in line at Target.

Very important purchases to be made: One spray bottle of Goo Gone. One bottle of Dove "Shine" shampoo. One box of Target brand NyQuil softgels. One anonymous bottle of wine with a cool label from the "$12 and under" section.

I anticipate these purchases will make for a good day.

Then, I see it. I see the golden wrapper. The bold, red letters shouting, "Buy Me! Eat Me! Love Me!"

I respond.

"Okay."

Per my request, the Twix bar makes itself comfortable amongst one bottle of "fresh citrus scent", one bottle of "repairing serum", one box of "green death", and one bottle of "pineapple, fresh peach, lemon zest, and mango"

I am tempted to devour my entire shopping bag. If the item does not taste yummy or smell yummy or look yummy, it at least has the potential to knock me out for the evening.

I am home. I have all but forgotten my Twix impulse buy. I see it. I get googley eyed. I eat it in about 4 seconds.

I am transported.

I am in South Dakota. Specifically, rural South Dakota, near Mitchell, (Stickney? Mt.Vernon?) and even nearer Gary's farm. It is pheasant season (mid-October) and I am with my grandfather (Dad's dad) in his small, old, brown pickup truck.

It is like a dream in that time, sequence, and other details are blurred. For example, Grandpa and I are in two places at once; the cab of the truck, and the bed of the truck. In both places I remember it being just my Grandpa and me, thought I know there were others around.

When we are in the cab, we are parked at the end of a field waiting for, "the walkers". (I was young and walking through fields yelling, "up bird" lost its appeal by mid-morning) It is just Grandpa and me. The heat in the truck is on, and he is using a fine tooth comb to get the cockleburs out of my shoelaces and socks. I can feel the seats (like sitting on a hay bale- stiffer than anticipated) and smell the cab (like hunting things: dirt, grass, leaves, dried blood). It was a stick shift and the knob was big and round.

In the bed of the truck, we are sitting on the sides, with the big white toolbox open. Inside are hard salami sandwiches made by my grandmother (most with butter, one or two without in case my mom came along) and mini candy. Namely, Twix. We eat as much as we want of both the sandwiches and the candy and nobody tells us to save room for later or that we will get sick if we don’t stop gorging ourselves with miniature candy bars. The smell of fall wraps around us like blankets.

Fantastic.

All this because of a Twix bar.

Everything you do not need to know

1) Favorite objects in your room?
Bed and books

2) Have you ever smoked heroin?
Can't say that I have.

3) Do you own guns?
Yes, but a hose or bucket does the job much more efficiently…

4) What flavor do you add to your drink at Sonic?
I have never been to Sonic, but adding flavor to an already syrup laden drink does not sound appealing.

5) Do you get nervous before doctor appointments?
Not so much

6) What do you think of hot dogs?
I try not to.

7) Favorite song?
Right now it is "I'm All Right" by Madeleine Peyroux

8) What do you prefer to drink in the morning?
Coffee, water, or both depending upon the severity of the evening before.

9) Can you do push ups?
I can but I choose not to.

10) Can you do a chin up?
Probably not, and I choose not to try.

11) Favorite movie?
Robin Hood (animated version), The Big Lebowski, One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest, and Amelie are pretty much tied for #1.

12) Do you like blue cheese?
I like blue cheese dressing on onion rings. (not so great dressing + not so great appetizer = something quite fantastic. who'da thunk)

13) Ever been in a car wreck?
Not really… I once glided across my icy driveway and gently nudged a fencepost.

14) What's one trait that you hate about yourself?
That depends on the day, the hour, the minute.

16) Middle name?
"First name Mr, middle name 'period', last name T!"

17) Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment:
blah
blah
blah

18) Name 3 things you bought yesterday?
peppers
zucchini
tomatoes


19) Name 3 drinks you drink regularly?
coffee
water
coffee

20) Current worry?
That I wont be able to keep myself entertained with this survey long enough to finish it…

21) Current hate right now?
Feeling squashed. (no, not literally… but come to think of it…)

22) How did you bring in the New Year?
By consuming very large quantities of alcohol

23) Where would you like to be right now?
I am totally fine with where I am right now. (Which is at my desk in my apartments with the windows open and all the neighbors gone)

24) Name three people who will complete this?
Psh, don’t care.

25) Do you own slippers?
Haha, I have these giant red fuzzy slippers that I have had since high school. Dessie? You know the ones.

26) What shirt are you wearing?
White and yellow tank top with tiny hearts all over it.

27) Do you like sleeping on satin sheets?
Cant say that I ever have… sounds nice unless you get sweaty- am I right?

28) Can you whistle?
Yep. I usually do it while I work.

29) Would you be a pirate?
I AM a pirate. I work as a ninja though.

30) What songs do you sing in the shower?
I'm not a big shower singer.

31) Favorite girl's name?
I don’t really know

32) Favorite boy's name?
I don’t really know this one either.

33) What's in your pocket?
Ooh, I had fun with this question last time. Honestly though, I have nothing in my pockets.

34) Last person that made you laugh?
Mer

35) Best bed sheets as a child?
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

36) Worst injury you've ever had?
Well, I stepped on a nail as a child (which I do not really remember), and I jammed my finger playing volleyball as a teenager (which I do remember). I guess I've been pretty lucky in the injury department.

37) Do you love where you live?
I like it very very much.

38)Do you have a tv in your room?
Uh, no.

39) Who is your loudest friend?
Tyson maybe? I don’t really know this one either.

40) How many dogs do you have?
Zero dogs.

41) Does someone have a crush on you?
I certainly hope so!

42) What is your favorite candy?
I can tell you that my LEAST favorite candy is that hard-as-a-rock, rip-out-your-teeth honey flavored chunk of nastiness. Yellow and red wrapper. You know what I'm talking about. Gross.

43) Favorite Sports Team?
Are the folks on MXC considered teams?

44) Where is the next place you want to travel to?
India?

45) What were you doing 12 AM last night?
Dreaming of you.

46) What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up?
I need to brush my teeth. Immediately.

Oh I MISSSS you guys!

Soundtrack for life

Greetings!

If my life were to have a soundtrack, today's featured artist would be Madeleine Peyroux (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madeleine_Peyroux). I've been grooving to this all day long!!





Check the gal out. Quite reminiscent of Billie Holiday.

Damn I would love to be stranded on an island with this album.