Boxes and Bags.

Tonight Will and I went to Benihana for dinner. We were seated with an older, European couple. The best part was that they were wearing the same argyle sweaters, except that hers was pink and black while his was red and blue. I asked Will if we could wear coordinating outfits when we get older and he was keen on the idea.
Later in the evening, the waitress asked the woman at our table if she wanted a box for her food. She declined, saying, "He will eat this." After the waitress left and her husband began reaching for her remaining tuna steak, she motioned toward him and said, "I don't need a box. He is my box."
I also understand the benefits of having a "box" in your life. I don't think it's too forward to refer to one's male companion as a box; after all....how many years have women been referred to as "bags"??
Boxes are very handy objects. They store things, are sturdy, and are stacked nicely (ha!); you and your box can wear matching sweaters. Your box will always be there for you, to finish your leftovers or finish your sentences, to hold your purse or hold your heart.
As said by J.R.R. Tolkien: "A box without hinges, key, or lid, yet golden treasure inside is hid."
Thanks for being my box, Willow.

When we collided

Your sweet moving
The smell of you in every single dream I dream
I knew when we collided you're the one I have decided
Who's one of my kind
So gangster, I'm so thug
You're the only one I'm dreaming of
You see I can be myself now finally
In fact there's nothing I can't be
I want the world to see you'll be with me

True Love.

"Jana & Billy"
http://irisandlight.com/
This makes me cry.

Snakes and snails and puppy-dog tails...

I was at the park earlier this week with Charlese. A little boy (about age 4) and his dad were there too, playing on the other side of the playground. Randomly, the little dude ran up to me and said:

"GUESS WHAT?? Did you know John Lennon and George Harris are dead? Yeah. I'm going to be one of The Beatles when I grow up."

And then he ran away. PRECIOUS. Little boys are ridiculously cute that way, they can unknowingly melt hearts. For a brief interlude, they become boarish teenagers...but eventually they get old enough to make a comeback. That's what so appealing about them when they grow up, I think. They manage to maintain their little boy innocence (aka they act like babies sometimes, but they're funny and adorable), they just wear big boy pants now.

GRAD??

Yesterday I got an email from the U's graduation department, confirming that after I've completed my in-progress classes I will have finished my degrees and be a university graduate. Wow. Until I opened that one little email, it hadn't completely sunk that I am in the last chapter of my U of U story. Where do I go from here? In continuing my analogy, selecting which grad schools to apply to is a lot like judging books by their covers. PRICEY BOOKS. I am still trying to overcome the sticker shock of what grad school is going to cost, no matter where I go.
NYU
Bard College
Boston U
Clark U
George Washington U
Oregon State U
---------
I am confident that this is my final list. The early decision application deadlines are January 15-February 1 depending on the school; at this point, I'd be happy getting into any of them. When the time comes, I hope I'll be able to make the right decision about the next publication in my life anthology.

21st Birthday!

Will took me out to an amazing restaurant (flowers and wine awaiting us at our table!) and turned a frustrating day around to give me the best birthday yet!


My first drink! They made a big deal out of checking my i.d.

All Three :)

I’m happy to report that I’m…well, happy! :) Practically giddy.:) Look at me; I’m affixing smiley faces all over this blog post.
During the final days of my mental slump last weekend, my mom astutely noted, “You’re not motivated because you’re not happy; but everything will start coming together this week.” Most people hate to admit when their mother is correct, but I’m not one of those people (because my mom usually is correct, and in this instance she was dead on).
Summer classes finished, with honorable grades? Check.
Exciting new (and final!) semester about to start? Check.
Best friend in the whole world back from a 7-week trip that took her around the world? Check.
Moving in with said best friend for remainder of summer? Double check.
A handsome, wonderful boyfriend in the process of a monstrous, long-haul drive back to Salt Lake (and more importantly, to me)? Check!!!!!!!!!
Allan Chalmers said, "The Grand essentials of happiness are: something to do, something to love, and something to hope for."
And I've got all three.

Tempest

I think I am experiencing teenage angst late in life. At our family party last night, I’m fairly certain that my relatives were afraid to get near me. My brave cousin Kris ventured over to where I was and cheerfully informed me that my feelings of rage/wrath/ire against the world were blatantly clear based on my facial expression.
Typically, I have a sunny disposition. This ‘seething thunder’ temperament is new for me, and has been going on for a couple weeks now. I don’t know who or what rained on my parade to set it off, but I’m hoping for the calm in the storm to come in the next few weeks. I just have to try to get through this squall and wait for the rainbow that comes after it.

You can't blame the horrific moodiness on me; it's called Being Female.

When your internal reproductive organs commit Seppuku suicide once a month, then we'll talk.

Caught "READ" Handed

Some friends and I recently inaugurated a book club; current membership totals 5, possibly 6, hopefully increasing monthly. Considering how voraciously I’ve been reading this summer, I’m glad that this establishment will guarantee the continuation of reading in the name of enjoyment. I'm excited to select which book we read when it's my turn!

The majority of my repertoire is composed of the abiding classics. My particular favorite is Brit lit, but lately I’ve been delving deeper into the banya of Russian literature; they are the kind of books you have to sweat out, but you feel profoundly refreshed once you’ve finished them.

Reading is my escapism. The existential world of fiction was not crafted directly by God, and yet it has many of the same (and often greater, because the there are no physical limits) awe-inspiring characteristics as the world we live in. It is the ink of printed words, not blood, which flows through the characters’ veins and gives them life. It is the pages that capture with rapture our attention, pulling us into exotic or even mundane scenarios where we participate as silent witnesses to a panorama of humanity unfolding. Reading is magic and chaos neatly pressed between two covers. I love it.

Pyromantic

Initially, when you meet a special person, sparks will fly. I think love is a lot like a novelty firework:

-All it takes is one little flame to set off a whole explosion.
-It's not something you can experience every day.
-It isn't easy to find the exceedingly high-quality ones.
-The end result ignites all of your senses.
-It can be cheap, costly, or even illegal.
-And yes, sometimes it can burn you.

I'm a pyro. I'm a romantic. I love fireworks. And I love love.

Happy 4th of July!

UnWillingly

Countdown Clocks, Fun Countdowns at WishAFriend.com

Leer/Lire/Lesen/Leggere/Ler/ прочитать/讀

2009 Summer reading conquests (thus far):
Anna Karenina, Tess of the D’Urbervilles, Lady Chatterley’s Lover, The General in His Labyrinth, The Clan of the Cave Bear, The Principles of Sustainability, How to Solve the World’s Problems, The Idiot, Unlce Tom's Cabin, Little Dorrit, The Poisonwood Bible, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, Hot, Flat and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution--and How It Can Renew America, Drood, Water For Elephants

Tomfoolery

I've determined that blogging is akin to mild schizophrenia; it’s as if I’m conversing with me, myself, and I. But then again….the three of us generate some fairly witty banter.

Blogging could also be posited as talking to a hypothetical audience of people who may or may not be there, and who you may or may not know on a personal basis. These are people who in truth have no obligation to care about you or what the hell it is you’re talking about.

Either way, blogging = tomfoolery.

...

Tomfoolery denotes foolish or nonsensical behavior, deriving from the Middle English "Thom Foole", the mentally-deficient man personified.

Bring it on! I'm excited about this blogging experience.