Well, it's been a while.

I'm not completely sorry. I am a little, but I know no one reads this, and apologizing to myself is a bit unnecessary. So here we are.

I'm thinking of scrapping this blog and starting a new one, possibly on tumblr, because I'm more familiar with it and its community-type thing than I am with Blogger. I want to start writing more, and posting more of my thoughts, whereas this blog was more of a diary (and a boring one at that). If I do actually get around to doing that- and finding a good URL, because I don't think I'll be able to feel good about blogging unless I have a kickass URL to go with it- I'll post the link on this blog in the off chance that someone strays in here and likes what they see.

_____________________________

Classes started this week. I'm taking four English classes because stupid, indecisive me declared my major at the last possible second and spent the first two years of college dicking around and fulfilling GERs and taking pointless classes. I'm excited for it, though. I'm one of those people who in high school always loved the books that everyone hated to read in English class, because even though I may have initially hated them, the analysis always ended up blowing my mind and giving me such an awesome insight and the books a deeper meaning that I couldn't possibly not love them.

However, something one of my professors said during one of my first class meetings made me falter a bit in my conviction that I had chosen the correct major. He had actually been my advisor last year, since I was a transfer student and apparently according to William and Mary incapable of choosing a good schedule for myself despite the fact that I'd done it all the year before, and I had also taken one of his classes last semester. I had experienced his grumpy-old-man tendencies before. So I wasn't too surprised when he started class talking about how the field of English was jobless and there wasn't hope for anyone majoring in English. I had, in fact, been given pretty much the same lecture when I first met him and he told me not to major in English. I had ignored him. Obviously.

What caught my attention, though, was when he asked us why exactly we wanted to be English majors- and the complete silence that followed the question. Why be an English major and take courses that require us to read and analyze and write papers, and pay approximately $50 a class to do so, when we can do that on our own for free? I know that part of my answer was somewhat superficial- I loved the idea of getting credit for doing one of my favorite activities. But I knew there was another part to the answer, a reason that I couldn't quite put my finger on. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that being an English major pretty much automatically turns you into a better writer, or the critical thinking skills that come along with having to figure out the meaning behind a text.

For me, I think, it's mostly a feeling of belonging. I feel completely at home as an English major, in a way that I don't see myself feeling as a psychology or history or sociology major, all three of which were considered as possibilities and subsequently tossed aside. English majors might all be a bunch of pretentious assholes, but they're my pretentious assholes, and I am one of them (God knows I can be pretentious). I can connect with someone just by mentioning a Pulitzer Prize-winning book (A Visit From the Goon Squad, Jennifer Egan, put me on the good side of my Creative Writing professor a few days ago). I can sit in The Grind and listen to someone talk about an article they read in The New Yorker and smirk to myself about how I'd read the same article and had a completely different opinion on it (I'm not quite up to approaching strangers in coffeehouses. I'm working my way up to it though). In this crowd of glasses-wearers and cardigan-toters and book-huggers and grammar nerds, I feel like I totally fit in. And it feels really nice to finally have a place where I feel like I belong, especially since I spent SO LONG trying to figure out what I could POSSIBLY major in. And now that I'm in English, I can't imagine ever considering anything else.

No, I don't know what I want to do after college. I'm trying not to think about it. No, I'm not going to be a teacher. Stop pestering me. Lalalalala I can't hear you.

The rain outside of my window just tricked me.

You know those split seconds where something reminds you so strongly of some place or some time or some... something? I felt for the briefest moment like I was lying in my bed listening to a rain storm dragging spring along. Like it had been a long winter and I was hearing the first sign of spring with all of its blossoming and warmth and sunshine along with rain. And then a split second later my mind caught up with my feelings and reminded me of the fact that it's November and that spring is a long time away, and I've got to go through winter before I can get to my favorite season again.

I don't know. For a moment I felt content. I felt like I was where I wanted to be. And yeah, that's still true here in November. I am content. Things aren't perfect by any means, but when are they ever? I'm here and that's not going away and certain parts of my life are really great. I don't even know what I'm saying anymore. I guess I felt some hope for a split second in the midst of the kinda not so great things going on in my life. And it felt good.

September, 2010

I'm not sure how well I explained this undertaking in previous posts. I had told Aaron that I was in a photo slump and not feeling very creative, and then I found this website that basically just came up with lists of photo concepts for you to do in a month and then you were supposed to upload what you got to the website. Unfortunately, the site hadn't been updated in about a year so I was still kinda stuck. But thennnn Aaron said "I'll make you a list!" and then gave me a list of 15 things to do in a month.

You'll notice that there are only nine. This is because I'm a failure as a girlfriend and a human being. And a photographer. But I hope you can forgive me, because I did try. It's just easy to get caught up and forget about things until it's too late and everyone's all sad... but there's nothing you can do about it.

So anyway, here's what I got:

There was a guy drawing the statue of Lord Botetourt that's in front of the Wren Building here, so I didn't feel too creepy taking this picture. Though for some reason having a camera in Williamsburg usually makes me feel like a total stalker. I don't know why. It's not weird to take pictures. But it feels as though it is here. It's odd.
Oh yeah, after this some jogger came up to me and asked me how far it was between the Wren Building and the Governor's Mansion. Yeah. I'm a William and Mary student, therefore I know stuff like that. Not?

The wonders of photo editing. This picture was dead. Boring. It still is pretty boring. Which makes me sad. But it was like 100 times more boring before I played around with it. So just imagine that.
This one was really fun to do. Although I felt like the biggest creep ever taking it. Sitting on a picnic bench not too late at night with people walking around... undoubtedly watching me sitting there with a camera in the dark taking 3-second-long pictures. I should probably get over that.
Ooh, this one has an amusing story too! So obviously when you take pictures of stuff on the ground, they're going to suck unless you get close to the ground, right? I was crouching to take these pictures (with people walking around staring at me, of course) and then I stood up and started walking away... when this girl comes up to me and goes "oh good, I thought you'd fallen or something" once she sees I was just taking pictures. Nervous laugh. Ugh.
This, of course, is the beautiful cocoa. You know this story already.
The School of Education is a sweet sweet building. Too bad we couldn't get in it that day. The banisters feel like air. I don't even know how to describe it. But they feel beautiful.
Don't really have much to say about this one except that I got in the most secluded spot I could find to take this. Score.
I wish there wasn't construction constantly going on by my dorm, or this would have been much better.
Feets.

The End.

Fall Break

Fall break. Was. Entirely. Too. Short.

What I Did Over Fall Break
-Went to New York to visit my great aunt
-Bought jeans!
-Wrote my American Lit paper
-Found and brought back a bunch of stuff (including winter coat yayyyyy now I won't have to freeze my ass off)
-Watched a shitload of TV

What I Didn't Do Over Fall Break That I Meant To Do Over Fall Break
-Get a haircut
-Go to Noodles & Co.
-Hang out with Christine
-Finish a book (I did listen to The Blind Side on CD on the ride home from NY. But that doesn't really count.)
-Find my ipod headphones and shorts that my sister stole
-Go on a run or two
-Sleep in (Seriously. Didn't get to sleep in once. Boo.)
-Finish watching a shitload of TV
-Go grocery shopping
-Buy rain boots

So basically I am a gigantic failure. But I really like that photo up there. So I guess it's ok? I'm becoming more comfortable with taking pictures of people, although it's usually their backs. I've been getting all sorts of inspired by portraits lately. Maybe I'll actually get my act together one of these days and find someone who likes getting their picture taken and then shoot the shit out of them. With a camera, of course.
Let's see... what else is new. I still need to put up all of the fall pictures I took last month, I swear I'll get around to it... I've just been meaning to photoshop them a little to make them look a bit better and I've had absolutely no time to do anything. I have no time now. But I'm still in fall break mode and completely in denial that I have to go to class tomorrow. So maybe I'll edit and upload those pictures tonight.

Have I even talked about William and Mary? I'll just say that I really like it (although I might like it less in a month or so because my closest friend here besides Aaron is leaving) and that it's a lot of work, but of course I like that as well. I've learned that I'm an INFJ. And some more stuff. You know. Anyway, I'd better get going if I'm gonna have time to play around with photo editing tonight. Later.

Facebook is down again- October 6, 2010

The World Is Coming To An End!

It's official.

Ps my blog is fucking adorable now. Maybe I'll actually update it now ;)

(Aaron says I fuckin' better...eeks)

Chocolate.

Yesterday, Aaron and I went a little crazy.
It started out pretty normal. We went grocery shopping. We went to the school of education so I could take some photos (more about that later). We ate dinner.

Then we got bored. The idea of going to the candy store was somehow brought up. It was deemed acceptable. I had been craving a candy apple, so I went in with the intention of us getting that and then something for Aaron and then leaving. Aaron apparently had something else in mind. We ended up with $30 worth of candy... a pound and a half of jelly beans, mint chocolate sticks, truffles, gourmet hot chocolate, and a fancy apple. It was ridiculous.

I've been in kind of a photo slump ("I haven't noticed," you sarcastically remark), so Aaron offered to assign me photo homework. Which was really sweet of him, and it has forced me to go out and explore campus and look kind of sketch while taking photos, but I have a big procrastination problem. There are 15 things on the list to be completed... by the end of the month. Wow. I kinda just realized how behind I am. Anyway, the hot cocoa was shoved in my face by my caring boyfriend as a reminder that I needed to take more pictures. So I relented. We wanted it to be the prettiest picture of cocoa I've ever taken (not that I've taken any pictures of cocoa, I don't think, but whatever), so we went to the grocery store again and bought even more fattening items- whipped cream and whipping cream. So we got home, and I got all over-analytical and stressed out about making this cocoa pretty while also making it taste good... and I think I did well in the pretty department, at least. Despite the chocolate sticks falling in our drinks. Twice. And melting all over the handle.

So yeah, yesterday was very sugar-filled, as I'm sure every day until this pile of candy is gone will be. Not that I mind... I'll just have to make sure to schedule extra trips to the gym in the near future ;).

So. So. So. Excited.

Yeah, this news is a tiny bit late. But it's awesome all the same. And I'm STILL fucking excited about it. (ps try to figure out my address from THAT. Hah.)

I GOT IN!!!!! BOTH SCHOOLS!!!!!!!!!!! Goodbye, VCU. Hello, uhh... either UVA or William and Mary. I still have no idea. I'm visiting both schools this weekend. But I am absolutely ecstatic. It's like a whole new exciting chapter in my life has been opened, and I haven't been this happy in a long time. This post is probably going to be really full of me praising myself, but I'm really really proud of myself. I just feel like this is a huge accomplishment... usually when it comes to things like this I just resign myself to failure, but this time I kept at it and worked my ass off and it paid off, and it's really awesome. I'm going into next year with a 4.0... not expecting to come out of it with that GPA though, haha. But I'm okay with that. I can't wait to get to school and be surrounded by intelligent people all the time who push me to try hard and who I don't feel uncomfortable talking about grades to. This year, every time someone asked me how I did on something I usually told them I did 10 whole points worse than I did. And people were usually still impressed. Next year... I may be lying in the opposite direction, but I don't think I'll mind. I can't wait for challenging classes and learning and nerdy friends and weird people... which I think will be easier to find at WM. So score 1 for WM, I guess.

But yeah. For once I find myself hoping that summer flies by so I can get to school and meet people and have fun and hopefully have more of a college experience than I did this year... because this year sucked. And granted, I will miss a few people, and if I end up going to UVA, I'll end up missing Aaron a lot. I just want my new life to start NOW. I've been longing for something that I can't really explain for so long, and I think I've found it, and I want to fill it so badly. So I hope I can make this decision soon.

Let's break the walls and find how to live, 'cause you and I have so much to give.

Suffice it to say, it's been a rough week.
What's awesome though is that all the crappy feelings and butterflies in the stomach and other things made me and Christine spend a LOT of time together. Which made me really happy, because we hadn't spent that much time together in... God knows how long. I love Christine so much, and I'm going to miss her a lot when I transfer. She's just... a really wonderful person. I'mmm gonna try to hold my tears in now. Hold on a second.

Ok. I'm good. Anyway, on Saturday she took me to this pipeline in/on the James River, and it was really cool when there were railings (such as in this photo) and really scary when there weren't (and thus I was focusing on not falling into the water and soaking all of my valuables, and not taking pictures). And I didn't really get many good ones, probably because I'm ridiculously rusty because I haven't gone on a photoshoot since... AP Photo. I take so many pictures like this one, and get so excited because for me, there's something really intriguing about lots of lines leading to one point. But I always, always forget a focal point, something for the eye to be drawn to, or else it's just... a background. And I think that says a lot about me. I think about the future in general, the fact that it's there, the fact that the things I'm doing are leading to it, but I find it hard to think of something concrete in there. Like I know I'm going to grow up and do something, but I have no idea what. I have little to no idea what I want to major in, much less what I actually want to do with my life. I know that I want to be happy and make the people around me happy, but I don't know how to accomplish this. I know a lot of the people I get close to will most likely drift away due to distance or differences, but I have a hard time imagining it or accepting it when it comes.

So yeah, that's actually one of the first thoughts that came to my mind when I looked at that picture. I didn't try to BS something thoughtful to say so I could use it in a blog post.

As for last week, I'm trying my hardest to accept what life throws at me and trying not to think too much about the past and trying to look at things with different perspectives. Trying not to be so self-centered. Trying to get these goddamn butterflies in my stomach to settle.

No picture, just talking

Sorry. I've just thought a lot today.

I'm pretty sure I'm not supposed to have friends.
First, there's college. And the whole horrible experience of being in classes with people, living in this huge building with hundreds of people, eating lunch surrounded by these people and not finding one single person to be friends with. Not one fucking person in this whole goddamn 20,000-plus-student campus.
Then, there's everything else. I've had so many "best friends" throughout my lifetime. Very few of them have actually been good friends. Most of them were people who I had fun times with, sure, but if I was to ever be stuck with them in a one-on-one setting, I panicked... because there was nothing to talk about. Inside jokes don't really happen unless you're with a group of silly people. So those relationships faded as soon as someone else caught their attention, or a change of location got in the way, or if we simply drifted.
The rest of the close friends I have had, with a couple of exceptions, have either left or been taken from me. There is something about me that causes people to know me for a couple of years, have good times with me, and then just leave. And I don't understand what makes me so unworthy of having someone who can stick with me for the long term. I try really hard not to be an awful person. The worst thing is, I used to pride myself on how great of a friend I was. I recently wrote an essay on how one of the worst years of high school (ironically caused by a best friend ditching me in favor of another group of people) caused me to turn it into something positive where I tried to be the best friend I could possibly be and care about everyone who came into my life and blah blah blah. I don't know if I'm that great of a friend anymore. I'm probably not. There's probably no excuse for it, either.

This isn't to say that I don't consider Aaron my friend. I do, he's my best friend and I can tell him everything, and I do tell him everything. There's just something about me that needs multiple people to lean on, though... different opinions, different perspectives. I guess I've also grown up with the idea that girls should have their best friends... blame Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants or The Year of Secret Assignments or basically any young adult book for girls, which I've read a large quantity of.
I'm afraid, too, that it's coming up to that second-year mark... around the time where the people I considered myself close to leave. I'm afraid that I'll do something wrong, or I'll become too boring or too annoying or too clingy or too something, and he'll be gone.

I don't know. This actually wasn't supposed to be so depressing or whatever it is... and it's really not pointed towards anyone in particular. Yes, there was something that sort of set off this thinking in earnest, but it's been mulling around my head for a long time now. I just felt like tonight was the night to get it off my chest.

Wow, typing somewhere and having it end up somewhere other than the top of your keyboard is really weird.

My laptop screen is dead so I have it hooked up to another monitor (graciously lent to me by Aaron, my spectacular loving boyfriend =P) but since I'm lazy and feel the optimal position for laptop use is laying in bed, I have the monitor sitting on a chair a couple feet away to the left of me and I'm typing all the way over here... it looks really ghetto. And it's really weird to have to keep looking to my left to make sure I typed ok. But it's all good. As long as there aren't typos.

Oh my godddd my cat is so cute. And so freaking deranged. I came home from school (yessss!), and my family had actually waited to put the ornaments on the tree until I got home, so we did that tonight. And while we're putting up the ornaments, Tucker, my cat (who's humongous despite the fact that he's not even a year old yet), runs in the room, goes underneath the tree boughs, and starts climbing up the inside of the tree. What is it with cats climbing up trees? But yeah, he actually stays up there a good while and bats at the ornaments we put within his range and he starts eating them and stuff. He's really bizarre. But he gets down eventually and starts gnawing on the lights, which is how I got this picture... he's Rudolph! I'm extremely proud of this photo, by the way. You should feed my massive ego by telling me how precious it is, haha. ;) Just kidding.

I'm really glad it's winter break though. Finals are over and I have no work for an entire month and everyone's home and it's just happiness. Plus there's Christmas somewhere in there (can you believe it's only 10 days away? Holy freaking crap.), yayyy. I'm very much looking forward to a month of seeing people I like a lot and hopefully not storing any more fat for the winter!! Hehe. Who knows, I may even do this regularly. (Don't count on it.)

-Liz

Nom nom nom!!

Oh yeah, and in cause you were curious, here's a picture of him IN the tree:

PS: wtf, I'm spending my night writing a blog entry about my cat. I have a life, I promise.

Day 36

I'm basically doing this just to procrastinate studying for psych, because for some reason I can't bring myself to study for it.

Anyway, I hung out with my family this weekend because I'm cool like that. We went to DC to go to the Metro Zoo and the Hirshhorn Museum, which is a contemporary/modern art museum. It was a pretty fun little trip, we obviously rode the metro and walked around a bit and had good times. Mostly because it was only the girls, haha. That's the best.

So yeah, this is a picture of the huge escalator coming from... I don't even know what stop this was. But the going down escalator was actually off or broken, to the horror of the people with wheely suitcases, so it was a bit of a climb. At least the going up part was working, walking up all of those stairs would have been miserable.

The art museum was pretty cool, modern art can pretty much be shit sometimes but the basement with contemporary art was fantastically creepy. I wish I was allowed to take pictures, or I would have some really cool ones to post, but sadly I wasn't... just picture a sculpture of a gigantic, naked, bald man sitting in the corner that's amazingly realistic, up to the wrinkles and folds of skin. It was grotesque. And there was a film showing called "A Life of Errors" by Nicholas and Sheila Pye about a couple who kill each other, which I loved for some reason.

Alright, I'd better start studying. See you later.

I read somewhere that people with blog posts with nothing but "I'm sorry I haven't updated more" are really boring.

So I'm not going to apologize. Suck it, bitchezz.
But okay, here's my post, because Alex wanted me to do one.

Since starting college, I've played guitar about... three times. It's hard to find time when I live with a roommate and am self-conscious about playing in front of other people. Much less singing. But I miss playing guitar; I don't claim to be the best at it, or even moderately good. And I'm pretty sure my guitar cost like $75 and is a piece of shit. But I just feels so good to release my energy and my built-up feelings into something that I can hear and touch.
And trust me, I've had a lot of feelings since starting college. I don't like it here. I don't like living with people I'm unfamiliar with. It's not that I mind the people themselves. I was so used to having my own room, and my own bathroom, and a place to talk to myself and sing and walk around in my underwear without anyone being the wiser. I told myself that it would get better, but it hasn't. I just don't think I fit in to this school- while some people have similar interests with mine, they talk about them differently and seem to like things for different reasons from me... and I know that college is about expanding your horizons, getting a new perspective, blah blah blah, but I just haven't connected with a single person here. And it's very lonely.

But I'm sickening myself with my own public complaining, I feel kind of pathetic now- I've been too embarrassed to really talk about the whole extent of my loneliness here to anyone except a few people. I just hope I can transfer to a better fit next year. And I mean, good things have come from being here. I have so much time to study, and classes are so easy, that I have A's in all my classes- something I haven't been able to say since 5th grade. And my relationship with Christine has gotten better, and I'd say my friendship with Alex has improved tremendously. I also have a lot of time to think, though that's a blessing and a curse.

Anyway, music is incredible. I'm sitting here listening to this band called Horse Feathers, and I feel so peaceful and calm... and a mixture of happy and sad, and I have no idea why this music is making me feel this way but I love it. Violins are so expressive- I wish I knew how to play. I have a lot of things I wish I knew. But yeah, you should listen to Horse Feathers. There is so much feeling in this music. It's amazing.

Until next time-
Liz

PS- I've owned a digital SLR since July and this is the first time I've posted a photo with it. That's certainly a shame. I'll try to be better.

Day 34

Tonight I was driving home from Aaron's, not paying much attention to the road at all and mostly just staring at the moon. I've always felt some sort of strange magnetism to the moon. Maybe it's all the water that makes me up or maybe I'm destined to be an astronaut, but it's just always been something I've been drawn to. One of my favorite things to do is drive at night, looking at the moon, thinking. It's so big and far, and I'm so... tethered to the Earth, insignificant and small. It helps me put me and my problems in perspective, but it also makes me kind of sad. How is my life going to matter in the scheme of things?

Anyway, that ended up sounding a bit more depressing than I meant it to, but I've been thinking a lot lately. I've had some really good, figuratively ass-kicking (my ass, btw) conversations in the past few days. Conversations that have helped me see that I've been somewhat of a sub-par human being lately. Not that I'm a bad person, or looking for reassurance that I'm not a bad person, but I haven't been treating the people I care about as well as they treat me. And I want to fix that; I want to love people better, live with more passion, not let time slip through my fingers. I thought a good way to start that would be to restart this blog. I think I love who I was when I started this. A lot of new things were happening in my life and it was just a really wonderful time, and I was a good friend and participated in life more instead of just watching it. I want to be all of that again.

So it's the start of summer. I just graduated high school... I don't think I've ever been more terrified about the future in my life. But right now I'm listening to Two Suns by Bat for Lashes spin on my record player and it's warm and I'm calm and the world right now seems to be peaceful. Let's see how it feels in the morning.

(ps the photo looks better when you click on it)

Day 33

Sweet baby Jesus I suck.
We had a snow day today. I sat inside most of it like a bum, and then decided I wanted to take a picture of the last streak of light on my front lawn... unfortunately I missed it by like 30 seconds. I was bummed.
Yeah, I don't know what's up with this photo block. I kind of wish I could just power through it, but it has something to do with the state of my life right now, I'm sure. I used to take pictures because I was bored. I'm not bored very often anymore... which is really a shame. I miss taking pictures.

Anyway, I came upon this poor chap in the snow. He couldn't smell me coming.

Day 32

Today we rode a ferry to Okracoke and I saw people walk on water. Then Maddie and Christine arrived at the beach house... so the week should now be lots of fun. I'm excited. Today we just kinda hung out and did nothing... went on a short walk to the beach... and yeah. Hopefully tomorrow will be good. I don't really have much to say. I might update this update when I'm in a better mood, but right now I'm tiiired.

Days 30 and 31

Woohoo! I'm at Cape Hatteras... gorgeosity and yum yum yum. I got a chance to steal my dad's Canon Rebel XSi and it's sooo much fun. Makes my point and shoot look like crap. Butttt yeah, Maddie wanted me to update this, and I guess it's time I did. Here's a couple photos from the last few days.

Day 30- August 25
We packed up and started down to Hatteras around 11:30, and I would've been excited except my back was KILLING me. Ugh. So it was a pretty unpleasant ride... but I got happy again once we got to the house, because it's awesome and enormous and probably the best house we've vacationed in so far. Ummm wow, I just realized I'm writing about the wrong day... ok. Well on the actual day, we went grocery shopping and went to the beach, where I turned into a lobster on my front side. That's about it? Oh yeah, I now worship the healing powers of Excedrin Back and Body. And I hate Don Delillo... doing my English summer assignment for White Noise is painful. C'est tout.
Oh yeah, hahaha, this is a picture of birds.

Day 31- August 26
Yeah, today we just hung out at the beach... I'm a lobster on my back now, as well. So I'm sunburnt all over. Meaning soon I'll be tan all over. And then peeling all over. And then something close to a tan but people will still call me disgustingly pale all over. SO much fun. I've had way too much Dr. Perky today... but since the Summer of the Eternal Double Date, I've become a Dr. Perky addict.
So yeah, beachness... this is a picture of my brother getting his boogie board. He's a skinny one. I think that's about all I have to say... the beach isn't very exciting, it's just relaxing. But Maddie and Christine are coming tomorrow, so it should be funnnn. Oh yeah! I finished A Clockwork Orange today. Twas good. It was cheap of Stanley Kubrick not to include the last chapter in the movie... it was a very good ending.
I miss Aaron.
That's all.

Day 29

Look at that, I'm almost up to a full month.

I have a reason for not posting in a few days this time! I was away from internet for 3 or 4 days. Makes me completely nervous that I'm missing something big, but most of the time it's pretty worth it. My family and I went to Massanutten, and that was kinda lame. We normally get a condo there, which is basically 3 different kinds of hotel rooms put together to make a kitchen/living space and 2 bedrooms. But this time, since it was a short trip, we only got one bedroom... bad idea. Good thing my dad wasn't with us... that would have made it miserable. He snores. So loud. But we had a king-sized bed and a pull-out couch, so even though my back is killing me the sleeping arrangements could have been worse. We mostly just hung out or drove around places... went to the pool a few times. Rode the ski-lift to the top of the mountain and had a picnic. Were attacked by ants. Basic procedure. My sister, mom and I tried to convince my younger 2 siblings that Massanutten was in Wisconsin. They didn't buy it, but I thought they might have once we parked next to a car with a Wisconsin license plate, which was pretty hilarious timing.
Basically, it was pretty boring and I'm glad to be home (and glad other people are home to be with!). Except now I have to clean my room tomorrow. Ick.
Oh yeah! The picture is of this cool barn we passed on one of the side roads... it had huge paintings of the Mona Lisa, American Gothic, and the David. Pretty sweet. Rural roads have the strangest houses sometimes...

Day 28

Today's picture is stupid. But you know what? Today was stupid. Blahhh on today. Today (okay, I guess now officially yesterday) failed me. I feel like I've been in isolation since Saturday... ultimate suckage. I need my people. Mais c'est la vie, I've been making the most of my alone time by doing work. A LOT of work. Starting/finishing a lot of my summer assignments and doing laundry... which is what the picture is of. That sweatshirt had been in my dirty clothes pile for God knows how long; I hadn't needed to wash it because it's hot, so I didn't bother. But I figured today was as good a day as any to wash it and a lot of my other cold-weather clothes, and as soon as I got that hoodie out of the wash I had to put it on... it's like an old friend. I love it. (Plus it smelled really good!) I love summer, and I hate cold weather, but I love fall and winter clothes... I love scarves and sweaters and boots and jeans and cords and tights... they're my favorite. And that sweatshirt's been through a lot with me. It met Regina Spektor, it's gone on a bunch of trips, and... I don't know what else.

Whoops. I can talk a LOT about clothes. Sorry. And okay, I lied. Today wasn't a complete failure. I'm 100% DONE with my AP Euro summer assignment, am done with AP Gov until the national conventions at the end of August, and I only have to research some portfolios and take one more roll of film for Photo. This afternoon I went to Richmond with my mom to finish the first part of my photo summer assignment... which didn't go so well, I got a photo block or something... I don't know. But that could have gone better. However, after I got home and ate dinner, I FINALLY got a chance to see the second episode of Project Runway season 5. You have no idea how much wasted effort I've put in to seeing this episode. Every time it came on at a reasonable hour I missed it for one reason or another, so I'd look at Bravo's website to see when it would come on next, and normally it would say 1 or 2 in the morning. So I'd just mess around for a while waiting for it to come on and then sneak downstairs to watch it... only to find that Bravo had LIED to me and it was actually Kathy Griffin or some crap like that. It was upsetting. But I got to see it at last tonight... so that was cool? I dunno. Sad when that's the highlight of you day.

Wow, I think this post is going to be really long. But ummm if you're reading this I probably miss you and want to see you, and I hope your day is going wonderfully. Bye.

click click click

ive been lusting after toy cameras for the past hour... lomo, holga, diana... i want one. they seem really good for experimentation n fun n stuff. but theyre for 120 format film, meaning id have to FIND 120 format film, then id have to find someone who processes 120 format film... or i have to find a kit that works to adapt it to 135 film (doesnt seem likely from what ive seen online so far) and use a lot of black electrical tape or something. ehhh, im not so good with instructions or working with tape... but just look at the kinds of images you can get:







it's so flawed, its wonderful. random light leaks and double exposures... i want to be able to do that! okay. maybe next time i have money... whenever that will be.
i keep thinking AIM is flashing orange at the bottom of the screen... never is. why would it? its 2:30! im going to bed.

Epic Fail.

Holy Christ. I'm so bad at updating this blog... I'm so sorry. I've gotten lazy with taking pictures, and honestly, if I took pictures they would pretty much all be pictures of people's beds. Most of my summer has been spent sitting on people's beds (Maddie's, Aaron's, mine...) talking about stuff. Although last week was exciting, I'll post a picture and call it... day 26. :)

Day 26- July 25

Yeah... we filled Aaron's room with balloons. It was a LOT of balloons. 9 packs of 72 balloons. Sitting in there trying to talk was virtually impossible... every word in my head got turned into "balloon" by the time it left my mouth. It was insane just trying to sit there and see Sam, Maddie, Aaron, and Katie... and to try to navigate the room. But it was lots of fun. I want to do it again. :)

Day 27- July 29

I'm enjoying today. I woke up and decided immediately that I was going to go on a hunt for Wild Sweet Orange's new CD, "We Have Cause to Be Uneasy." So I went to Barnes and Noble, the first place I always go, even though it's probably more expensive than anywhere else I could possibly go... why? Because I love the old dudes in the music section. Last time I bought a CD there it was Tilly and the Wall's latest, and the guy was like, "Hmm, I've never heard of them. Are they any good?" So I told him how they're sweet and have a tap dancer in lieu of a percussionist, and he immediately hopped on the Tilly Train and told me he'd definitely check them out. Today when I went to look for We Have Cause, they actually had it and I didn't have to order it... a happy rare occurrence. And the guy was just so nice. I don't even know. Old guys make me happy... in a totally non-sexual way. I know what you're thinking, Aaron.
After I bought the CD (AMAZING, by the way...I love WSO), I bought a frappuccino and the baristas were surprisingly pleasant today. Normally they're kinda bitchy. But that put me in more of a good mood. And that's what the picture's of, condensation from my frappuccino that just happened to be in the shape of a smiley face. :)
I hung out at Christine's house for a little while after that and heard her and her family play some music... they're so amazing. I love listening to them... it's just sweet. I wish I was that awesome at music. I can't wait until they need a photographer. :)

Wow, sorry for the excess of smileys. It's been a good day, even though nothing huge has happened. I always love that. Hmm, my arm is spazzing out. Might be because of all the sugar and caffeine I had earlier. Haha later.