New Ingrid!

A new find

The Wailin' Jennys - Long Time Traveler

A Christmas album worth endorsing

1. Winter Song - Ingrid Michaelson & Sara Bareilles
2. The Heartache Can Wait - Brandi Carlile
3. All My Bells are Ringing - Lenka
4. Sleigh Ride - KT Tunstall
5. Silver Bells - Alice Smith
6. Blue Christmas - Nicole Atkins
7. Frosty the Snowman - Fiona Apple
8. I'll Be Home for Christmas - Holly Conlan
9. Maybe Next Year (X-mas Song) - Meiko
10. White Christmas - Katy Perry
11. Mistletoe - Colbie Caillat
12. Silent Night - Priscilla Ahn
13. Winter Wonderland - Kate Havnevik
14. The Christmas Song - Catherine Feeny
15. Auld Lang Syne - (A medley including Anya Marina, Cary Brothers, Jesca Hoop, Butch Walker, and everyone else you love)

I knew it was too easy

We found our second dead mouse today.

I've got to start investing in cheaper mousetraps. And better apartment choosing ability.

Happy mouse day to you. Enjoy the feeling of not straining your ear to every sound, watching every step, and having to send Steven to the bathroom every time you need to get up in the middle of the night.

Maybe tomorrow we'll find bugs in the microwave.

The calm feeling of nostalgia

"The Kansas State family is in flux right now. I want to be able to help. I want to be able to soothe the waters." ~ Bill Snyder

I'm glad you're back. Even if you can't get us another shot at a national title or an 11 win season, it will be so so nice to have you on the sideline again.

Welcome back, welcome back, welcome back.

Music time

I'm up too late again. Steven works nights, which means that I mill around and find ridiculous things to do until 4 in the morning. I think I just cleaned the apartment for 5 hours. And now I'm waiting on my 6th load of laundry to dry before I go to sleep.

Luckily my predicament led me to music videos.

On Sunday, Steven and I celebrate a year of togetherness. I have class in Omaha and then we're driving to Lawrence for dinner for our tummies and music for our souls. Jaymay + Meiko + Liberty Hall = divine satisfaction.

Be nice to your ears and click on the links. You won't be sorry.

Happy weekends to all. Think positive thoughts for OSU and the Wildcats.

Meiko - How Lucky We Are - House Of Blues Cleveland

Pretty, shiny, ridiculous hope

At least it was true for a few minutes...

K-State, TCU officials deny Patterson rumors

3:26 PM Fri, Nov 07, 2008
Bobbi Roquemore

Kansas State athletic director Bob Krause said that his school has not hired TCU's Gary Patterson as its new football coach.

"We're in the early stages and we've talked to no candidates at this point," Krause said in a phone interview.

A TCU spokesman said there was "no truth" to the information.

"Patterson has not talked to anybody," he said.

A Rivals.com affiliate published a report today saying not only that Patterson had been hired but even detailed provisions in the contract.

Krause flat out denied the report.

"This is a published report by a private group that really claimed they had verified it from several sources," Krause said. "They never called me, and they should have."

Krause said he's fielded about 15 phone calls regarding the matter and his e-mail box is exploding. The TCU spokesman said his phone was "blowing up."

"It's an embarrassment, and while I'm sure we have no part in it, I'm sure it reflects back to the university," Krause said. "But it is what it is, and we'll try to maintain our sense of humor."

Crazy news story of the day...

Jogger runs mile with rabid fox locked to arm

4 hours ago

LOS ANGELES (AFP) — A woman jogger ran for a mile with a rabid fox clamped to her arm before locking the animal in the trunk of her car and racing to hospital for treatment, police said Thursday.

Michelle Felicetta was out running on a trail at the base of Granite Mountain near Prescott, northern Arizona on Monday when she came face-to-face with the fox in a clearing, Yavapai County Sheriff's Office said.

The woman attempted to back away from the animal but as she did so the fox lunged and sunk its teeth into her feet. After grabbing the animal by the neck the fox bit Felicetta on the arm and would not release his grip.

The quick-thinking jogger realized she would need to keep the animal for testing so ran back to her car where she managed to prise its jaws open before throwing it in the trunk and driving to hospital.

The fox also bit an animal control officer who attempted to remove it from Felicetta's car. Both Felicetta and the animal officer will have to now undergo a series of vaccinations for treatment.

"This fox made eye contact with me and started walking towards me," Felicetta later told KPHO local television. "That's when I knew something was really wrong."

~~~~~

Happy Thursday, all! Just remember... your day could be worse.

Come on.... Venables!

http://www.kstatesports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=3065&SPID=212&DB_OEM_ID=400&ATCLID=1618716

Grown-up things

I have to get renter's insurance. And finally get the car insurance in my name.

Any suggestions? So far the lowest rate I've found is for State Farm. But that was without the car insurance package deal.

Tips, tools, experience, stories, etc.... would be extremely helpful. The only insurance I'm used to is in the game of LIFE.

Real world guidance is always welcome.

At work, not working

Paper ~Lorene Lamothe

“. . . in sleep, the soul goes out of the body and if a piece of paper is put over the face of the sleeper, he will surely die, for his soul cannot find its way back into him again.”
James Frazer

On this side of outside
I can't hear the weather at all.
Wind mouthing nothing,

leaves unraveling out of sight—
like watching a movie
with the sound turned down.

My mind ticking loud.
The page a room,
night washed blue.

I'm pressing the palms of words
against what my next door neighbor
waves every morning,

what even my grandmother could read,
what my daughter watches
on educational t.v.

In my fist a grocery list of my life,
the same dull staples,
palimpsest of memory.

Blankness falls over me.
It falls from nowhere onto skin, hair.
It melts on my tongue

and when I open my eyes
I'm lying in a field of silence
watching how sleep

seems to rise off my body.
On the other side of white,
an alphabet of lightning,

dialect of lips on skin,
fingertips telegraphing images,
sound beginning to shed its colors.

~~~~~~~~

Today is day one of TOEFL sign-up day. It is wildly exciting.

This weekend I move! Finally, into a place with space and a dishwasher and laundry facilities IN THE APARTMENT. I'm going to have the cleanest clothes around. Look out fabric softener - here I come.

Yikes

What is happening to Kansas debate?

http://globaldebateblog.blogspot.com/2008/10/richard-young-hall-of-fame-usa-debate.html

For better, for worse

Giving Up - Ingrid Michaelson

What if we stop having a ball?
What if the paint chips from the wall?
What if there's always cups in the sink?
What if I'm not what you think I am?

What if I fall further than you?
What if you dream of somebody new?
What if I never let you win, chase you with a rolling pin?
Well what if I do?

I am giving up on making passes and
I am giving up on half empty glasses and
I am giving up on greener grasses.
I am giving up.

What if our baby comes home after nine?
What it your eyes close before mine?
What if you lose yourself sometimes? Then I'll be the one to find you
Safe in my heart.

I am giving up on making passes and
I am giving up on half empty glasses and
I am giving up on greener grasses.
I am giving up.

I am giving up.
I am giving up.
I am giving up on greener grasses.

I am giving up for you.
I am giving up for you.
I am giving up.

....ON AN UNRELATED NOTE....

I'm official. Come read about the wacky people I work with. Check it: http://www.k-state.edu/elp/staff/

The sweet upswing

I logged in to MySpace today - because they have a new music player and it's fancy fun. Anywho, life lured me back to MySpace just in time, because it turns out that Ingrid has a brand new album coming out... TOMORROW! What a happy surprise. I needed something new.

Here's the track listing:


1- be ok
2- giving up
3-over the rainbow
4-the chain (live)
5-lady in spain
6-keep breathing
7-oh what a day
8-the way i am (live)
9-can't help falling in love (live)
10-you and i
11-be ok (acoustic version)


I'll also be seeing the lovely Allie Moss and Ingrid LIVE in Omaha on November 16. If you're interested, let me know. It's the best therapy I've found.

Steven and I have officially started the apartment hunt. My landlords refused to answer any of my calls this weekend. I tried again today, but nothing. They covered the hole, and left a big mess in the closet. So I'm taking the "we'll let you out of your lease" option. We've seen two places already and have about five more tomorrow. I'm so excited to be looking at 2 bedroom places again. It's just so much more space! And rooms with doors! It feels like we're finally pushing through to something good.

"I just want to feel today, feel today, feel today
I just want to feel something today
I just want to know today, know today, know today
Know that maybe I will be ok" ~ Ingrid Michaelson

Anyone wanna come visit?

Yep, that's my bathtub. You can see it in my closet. Through the giant hole in the wall.

And those are the rotting floorboards under the other side of the tub. That clean piece of plywood is guarding the hole in the floor. It is the only thing keeping the rats out of my closet.


I have a lot of faith resting in that piece of plywood.

And this is the view when you open the door of the closet.


The (black?) mold creeping along my remaining wall.


The door that protects me from the creepy critters that are crawling through the hole. I also made him spray it for bugs. I barricade it with boxes when I'm at home.


The inside of my closet. Unceremoniously moved outside.


The shower also got recaulked, which is sort of pointless, since they'll be ripping up the tub next week. Apparently the entire floor under the tub is also rotten.

Mmmm, moldy.

And so it goes

I have rotten floor boards.

They're digging a hole. And then bringing a dehumidifier. And then leaving the hole uncovered so it can air out before they rebuild my wall. My closet wall. One of the five walls in my apartment. After that they get to rip out my bathtub and give me a new one.

Life without Hailey is disastrous.

Happy Birthday, Momma

RIP David

David Foster Wallace: 1962-2008

"Learning how to think really means learning how to exercise some control over how and what you think…being conscious and aware enough to choose what you pay attention to…how you construct meaning from experience. Because if you cannot exercise this kind of choice in adult life, you will be totally hosed."

The dark underbelly of The Office

Vocabulary lesson

Ketty, one of the teachers in the program, has been working with her lower level classes on Vocabulary. Today they were going over new words and one of them was "employer." As an example question, she asked the students, "Who is my employer?"

In unison, the class answered, "Susan!"

I suppose it doesn't matter what it says on my business card, as long as the students know who's boss.

And yes, I do have a business card. Let me know if you would like one for your refrigerator. They make lovely decorations.

8 Reasons to move to Omaha

Okkervil River - Saturday, September 13 - Omaha, NE
Neko Case - Monday, September 15 - Omaha, NE
Skypiper - Friday, October 3 - Omaha, NE
Ben Kweller - Saturday, October 11 - Omaha, NE
Minus the Bear - Sunday, October 12 - Omaha, NE
Broken Social Scene - Tuesday, October 14 - Omaha, NE
The Mountain Goats - Wednesday, October 14 - Omaha, NE
Ingrid Michaelson & Allie Moss - Sunday, November 16 - Omaha, NE

Anybody wanna go?

I found out from a girl in my class that the club where all these concerts are is just right down the street from the Omaha Public Library.

I think I've found my happy place.

Help (Take Two)

I have landlord issues.

From the very beginning, these people have been bullying me around. And since this is my first time living on my own, I have absolutely no idea how to obtain any sort of upper hand. The first altercation that I had with them concerned moving in. They said I could move in on Friday, I got there, they came late, started walking toward the wrong house, and discovered that they had me confused with someone else. That the person in my apartment wouldn't move out until Wednesday. So I paid someone else's utilities for five days. And moved back in to my old apartment.

Then came the stove. My stove hasn't worked since I moved in. I called them to come look at it, they said it was broken. I kept calling and they said there was some special part needed, and it was hard to order, and would take awhile to get there. Three weeks later, the new part was installed. I get home to check my stove, and it still doesn't work. I call them back, and it turns out they didn't even check it. They just saw the light turn on and assumed it worked. Then I call them to come look again, and they do, but don't tell me anything. So I call them, and they finally admit that I'm getting a new one, it'll be there on Friday. I get home from work last Friday and there's a note saying that Home Depot brought the wrong stove. I call this week, since I had no news, and they say they'll bring it this Friday. I get a call today saying that Home Depot delivered a damaged stove, that looked like someone took a sledge hammer to the top of it.

Seriously?

So now I wait another week.

I have no idea what is actually going on. Could Home Depot really be this inept? Do I have any rights here? Can I get any sort of financial retribution for not being able to cook for three months? Help!

And yesterday I worked for 13 hours. And then had to go in early today. And I have to work tomorrow. This week, adulthood is lame.

Help!

My plants keep dying. If the ends of the leaves are turning brown and yellow, does that mean that I'm over watering or under watering?

I cannot figure out these dang plants. They come to me all pretty and full of leaves and life and green things, and then one month in my house and they look like they've been dying for years. I am so glad I don't have any pets.

In brighter news, I just got a DVR and it's the best toy ever. I tape Jeopardy! all week, and then Steven and I watch them all back to back. So far, I'm on a 10 game winning streak. There's no greater joy than discovering that you know more about state nicknames than your significant other.

27 months and 1 day later

Rita Alsop: September 23, 1951 - June 18, 2008

"Darkling I listen; and, for many a time
I have been half in love with easeful Death,
Call'd him soft names in many a mused rhyme,
To take into the air my quiet breath;
Now more than ever seems it rich to die,
To cease upon the midnight with no pain."
--John Keats, "Ode to a Nightingale," 51-56.

Funeral info and article links here.

Accentuate the positive

Reasons to be thankful:

1. Trauma tans
2. Sno cones
3. Card time
4. Surprise pizza
5. Not having to be involved in Orientation or Wildcat Warm-Up during the tornado aftermath
6. My wonderful and extremely understanding new work family at the ELP
7. Anna duty
8. Sister sing-a-longs
9. Skype
10. Water slides

This has not been my favorite week of all time, but because of the previous ten things, and my family's willingness to find laughter wherever possible, we are getting through. I am staying in Garden City another week, and will now start my job on the 23rd.


Oh- and quick Steven update- he arrived in Turkey safely, is happy, and besides a minor mishap with a snapping turtle, is adjusting well to international life. He starts teaching on Monday, and I am eternally jealous. Oh, and his blog is here: steven26.blogspot.com, if you feel like following his journey more closely.

Happy Father's Day to all.

Gainfully employed

I got a job! I actually got offered two jobs, and then got offered three more interviews, all today. Life is so mysterious. But I took the job as Administrative Assistant in the English Language Program, working with International Students and faculty and programs and doing all sorts of things. I fill out all my paperwork tomorrow and then start on June 16th.

I'm so relieved. It's a job. Full-time. With benefits. And because I don't start until the 16th, I can drive Steven to the airport on Tuesday, and then spend the rest of the week back at home before I settle down to this new part of life.

It's been three long weeks of job searching, but somehow, magically, it all worked out better than I could've imagined.

And now, Steven and I are setting up my Skype so we can talk while he's in Turkey, and then the rest of the day is full of reading, iced chai, darts, caribbean food and Gilmore Girls. (I got him hooked. That show can take down anyone.)

Today, adulthood feels all right.

Falafel

Steven and I both had the day off on Saturday so we decided to cook something complicated. And so began the great falafel adventure.

Here's our recipe:

• 1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 dash pepper
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup dry bread crumbs
• oil for frying

There's also instructions for the cucumber sauce, but we just went to Pita Pit and grabbed a couple of containers of their tzatziki sauce in the interest of saving time. Also in the interest of being lazy and not owning a blender, we decided to chop all of the vegetables. Bad news. Especially when we discovered, 24 hours too late, that a clove of garlic is that little thing that comes out of the bulb of garlic that you buy at the store. So really we ended up making garlic and onion balls, with a splash of garbanzo beans. And it took three hours and 45 minutes.


I got to mash up the garbanzo beans and then mix all the vegetables together. So much onion. So much garlic.

Happy little Steven, spending a wasted hour chopping garlic. If only we had known!

I was also in charge of making bread crumbs. Somehow, when you're forced to do this for a meal, it's much more complicated. It was also complicated by my frustration and hunger and the fact that I didn't have any sandwich bread, old bread, a hammer, or any plastic baggies. After toasting and baking and mashing this new sourdough bread to no avail, we finally found an old box of croutons and beat them with a pair of pliers until we had bread crumbs aplenty.

The after dinner entertainment. Dan in Real Life is excellent- by the way. So sweet and funny and Steve Carrell-y.

And the after after dinner entertainment. Steven won. Again. Then he tried to teach me Monopoly strategy and I went bankrupt after two times around the board. How does that happen?

Back to dinner. Still going. We made the actual falafel balls wayyyy too big. They fell apart immediately. Also, they stay together and are much healthier if you bake them instead of frying them. But that takes longer, and we were finally resorting to shortcuts.

The fixings! Our pita bread was too small. I would recommend the actual pita pockets.

And finally on the plate, ready for eating. It doesn't look incredibly appetizing here, but that's just because of the orange plate and pink fork. They were really yummy, even with the excessive amount of onion and garlic. I promise.

On Memorial Day we watched a bunch of Food Network specials on barbequing. So tonight we're going to experiment with spices and create our own rub. I think we'll leave out the garlic.

Moving fun?

The guy who runs the flower shop downtown is also named Steven Miller. So Steven supported his business with these flowers for me. They did not survive the move, and are therefore memorialized here.


My bed in my old room. I've noticed that my bed feels different in each apartment. On Ratone it felt tiny. On Pierre it was always massive. And now it feels extra small. Why is that? The only similarity between the two apartments is a ceiling fan. Hmmm....


I really really miss the big windowsill/bookshelf. But it is nice to be above ground again. My cell phone works much better.


My new apartment does not have two enormous closets.


Or adventure laundry. Though you do have to walk across the yard to a separate garage thing. And I got a key to it. So that's spiffy, I suppose.


My moving buddy.


First night in the new house. There's so much space in my bedroom! It's crazy. I have no idea what to do with all of it.


The new kitchen. It does not have a lot of space, but some really high cabinets that I put a bunch of extra dishes in. I had no idea that I had so many real dishes. I was finally ready to get rid of my plastic silverware and orange plates. Sad day.


To honor the apartment's first night, we played Monopoly. And I finally ended Steven's 7 game winning streak. The secret is the railroads. It's all about the railroads.



Game face.

a briefing

I am moved.

I am not unpacked.

I am still unemployed.

And now, I am going to get a slushie.

New music to love

Allie Moss- she just has demos right now, she does harmonies on a lot of Ingrid Michaelson's stuff. So far, all of the demos are incredible. Very simple, crazy pretty.

Vienna Teng- I have Betsy to thank for this one, since I discovered her via Betsy's Pandora radio station. Really pretty, soothing piano folk music. And a cool name to boot.

Also, Margo May just uploaded a new song this week.

It's perfect spring-rainy day- then sun- relax and eat bananas type music.

So listen and twirl. Twirl to your heart's content.

I never get over how music makes everything seem so much more beautiful.

Why not?

I wrote a poem today. Originally this blog was supposed to get me more comfortable with sharing my work. So... since I'm not really blogging about my life lately, here's a little ditty.


I have these dreams
of doing jigsaw puzzles
and listening to Prairie Home Companion.
I would drink white wine,
and cook what I pleased,
dancing in the kitchen to the sweet sound of Garrison Keillor.
And all of these dreams, include only me.
Ne’er a curly haired boy,
smiling down at me,
eyes a twinkle,
lips whispering odes in my ear.

Instead my dreams feature myself in my pajamas
comfortable in the peace of solitude.
It is in these dreams that I feel most connected to my mother
to my beginning
to my peace.

Dad mentioned that I never post anymore. Tis true. Much apologies to my loyal readership. I just haven't felt like reporting, or writing, or stepping into the shoes of creator, rather than observer. I've been reading constantly, consuming at a crazy rate, becoming addicted to fonts and characters and plots and completion. But now I've read everything Lorrie Moore has ever written and I feel lost, waiting for the next person that will strike me like she has. If you haven't read any of her work, I recommend starting with her first collection of short stories, "Self-Help." It's an experiment in 2nd person that actually works. And oh so funny. In addition to Moore, I'm trying to get through the complete works of TC Boyle and Antonya Nelson. Nelson is a Kansas writer, born and raised in Wichita, a KU alum. It's interesting to see Kansas from her perspective. But I'm almost finished with both of them, and looking for new writers, so let me know if you know of anyone.

I'll be moving back to Manhattan in less than a month. May 20th. I start packing up my apartment, and leave Hailey after 4 years. I never want to have another roommate ever. Maybe that's where the poem's inspiration comes from. Who knows. Being back here makes me feel nostalgic sometimes. I went to Abby's choir concert at Abe Hubert tonight. Being in the gym, remembering the locker room and the sporting events, the nervous nights in uncomfortable clothes, trying not to giggle in between songs, holding my breath looking for my crush to walk in the gym unexpectedly... the whole thing makes me feel young and optimistic. Or weary. Who knows. I just remembered my freshman year, auditioning for show choir, and Ryan peeking in the choir doors, mouthing the words to the song, willing me to smile and show off, hoping that I got in just as much as I did. Little moments like that, make me remember the importance of those first relationships. The shared goals. The shared anxieties, making you feel like all of your inadequacies and awkward gestures weren't uniquely yours. Everyone was figuring it out together. I hope it's still like that.

Have I talked about Margo May on my blog before? She's a singer from Manhattan, who plays in Kansas City and Chicago now, but I love her. Her song is on my myspace profile currently, so give her a listen if you have a minute. www.myspace.com/patchouli_pancakes

Oh yeah. I'm definitely moving here.

Okay, so sorry for saying “stay tuned.” I should’ve known that I wouldn’t update this at all until the end of the trip. But I’ll do my best to make it worth your wait. If you were waiting at all. Which I’m going to go ahead and doubt. Anywho...

We left Galva around noon on Sunday. Our goal for the day was to get to Little Rock, where Steven wanted to check out one of his grad school choices. However, once we started passing signs and exits for Fayetteville, we discovered that the school he was interested in was actually there, and not in Little Rock. But I was driving, so of course, any sort of spontaneous exiting is out of the question so we continued on. Turns out, Little Rock is a long way from Fayetteville. It’s also a long way from Oxford. And it’s not a very nice town. We found a super cheap and moderately sketchy Motel 6 for the evening, and Steven in a sudden spurt of manly fear for his lady, gave me a knife for my keys and told me how to escape if I ever found myself in a horror movie type situation. All of these things, of course, made me feel ever so much better about our 35 dollar hotel room. We got out of Little Rock without any sightseeing.

Along the way to Little Rock we stopped in Tulsa for some much anticipated Jamba Juice. It was just as delicious as I remembered, but I’m glad there’s no Jamba Juice in Oxford. It’s just so expensive, and I know that if I lived in a place where it was I would either go broke or eat it so much that I got sick of it- both of which would be very sad. So we took our smoothies and headed on, through the massive state of Arkansas. Also on Sunday we found out that Steven’s Dad had another emergency at the hospital and wouldn’t be able to meet up with us for any part of the trip. Super sucky, and I think Steven was pretty unhappy, so I let him pick where he wanted to eat. Apparently that was the wrong thing to let him choose, because suddenly Long John Silvers sounded good to him and we both regretted that decision immediately after. Turns out, Steven’s stomach doesn’t really like the combination of interstate food and 600 mile a day driving. After listening to him vomit everything we’d eaten in the past two days, while sitting in the Motel 6 watching the Weather Channel at 2 in the morning... well... I knew we had reached the low point of our trip. Just like with Betsy and I last year- we had to listen to the bum puking in Austin before we could really start to have a good time.

On Monday we learned that Arkansas is truly the biggest state in the entire universe, and drove for days to get to Memphis, which we did not enjoy. We got to Beale Street just after the St. Patrick’s Day parade, and the whole place just looked dirty and deserted. Then we scoured the town for a Wal-Mart, where we had to pick up the money that Steven’s Dad sent him so that we had money to get home. Once we got through the line, there was some sort of Code 4 with the moneygram, and we had to wait another 45 minutes to get it all straightened out. Turns out there had been some problems with moneygrams in the past with a different Steven Miller. Yet another reason why children with common last names should have freakish first names like pudding or jelly bean.

When we finally crossed the Mississippi state line, everything started to feel better. The roads were less crowded, the scenery was varied and beautiful. Oklahoma and Arkansas were full of crazy semis and dead trees. As far as the eye could see. We got to Oxford and immediately got lost, but were rewarded by finding the “SnoBiz”, Oxford’s own sno-cone and smoothie shack. We refueled and then promptly got lost again, trying to find the Bed & Breakfast. Then we got stuck in some guy’s driveway and finally called the B&B to get real directions. I have no idea how my directions were so bad, but they were the exact opposite of everywhere we were supposed to be.

The B&B, called “The Colonel’s Quarters” was massive and Southern and beautiful. After the day of driving and the Little Rock adventure- it was like a dream. We had the whole place to ourselves and ordered sushi for dinner and took pictures of the insane four poster canopy bed and flat screen TV and double vanity jacuzzi tub bathroom. It was so sad to leave. They didn’t have a full breakfast, but we had all the muffins, sausage biscuits and cereal we could eat, along with cranberry, apple and orange juice. It was a good thing that we only had the reservation there for two days, because if we were there the whole week, we might never have seen the town. Also, the first night, the mother who showed us our room, had some major fight with her home from college son in the yard about responsibility. It was a good bit of Southern domestic drama to help us get situated in our new environment.

As for Oxford, it's wonderful. There are giant old houses everywhere, and hills and little winding streets and antique stores. The historic downtown Oxford square is beautiful and old and full of fun places to eat, little boutiques and wonderful bookstores. Other than food and gas, we’ve only spent money on books, because the selection is insane. I bought three books from the used bookstore for 15 dollars, and three books from the full price store for 45. Also, in the bookstore the guys working talked to us about Denis Johnson, Joy Williams, Padgett Powell and Susan Minot. It was unreal. We tried to go to a reading/concert at the used bookstore tonight, but it was already full to capacity when we got there 15 minutes early. I think that’s a good sign.

Today we went to Rowan Oak, to see Faulkner’s home and take pictures. They still have the whole thing intact, including his study, where he wrote outlines of his notes on the walls. We also went to the library on Ole Miss campus, where they have Faulkner’s Nobel prize, and a copy of his acceptance speech and first editions of all his novels. The literary history of the town is just insane. There was another room dedicated to a Mississippi publisher who discovered everyone from Pablo Neruda, to Barry Hannah, Tom Franklin and Susan Minot. I would love love love to work in that library.

And now, we've reached the end of our journey. Tomorrow we drive back to GC for Easter weekend and I'm kind of dreading facing Arkansas again. But the Days Inn is starting to get depressing and the people next door are smoking weed and filling our room with the smell, so I think it's time to say goodbye. Tonight we ate dinner at the Volta Taverna and it was fantastic. It was Greek food that actually tasted good. I had a falafel wrap and Steven got a chicken gyro and we had spicy hummus dip and these warm cinnamon pita chips. So good. It will be so sad to go back to interstate food tomorrow too. Also, when we driving around trying to find the Wal-Mart last night, we discovered a Dippin Dots store! Hailey would've been on cloud nine.

It's been a great trip, ending with a K-State win in the first round of the tournament! What a great day. Happy first day of spring, everyone!

Day one... sort of

Okay. So Steven and I are officially on our way to Spring Break adventures.

We're just a little... stalled.

The original plan was to get to Galva last night, leave with his Mom this morning for Little Rock, drive to Oxford on Sunday, then his Mom would head to Florida in a rental car, and we would driv to Memphis to pick up his Dad and then spend the rest of the week in Oxford.

Instead, I'm updating from a coffee shop in McPherson. A very nice coffee shop called The Button Hole, with spotty wifi and english toffee steamers. It's also directly connected to the big quilt/fabric store and it's all I can do to keep from buying yards of reproduction fabric to make a hundred skirts that I will inevitably ruin. Anyway, we're here in McPherson, because Steven's Mom decided to fly to Florida on Monday, and Steven's Dad has some emergency at the hospital where he works and may not get to Memphis until Tuesday.... if at all. But, good news- we have reservations at a B&B in Oxford for Monday night, and a car to get us there and back.

So far, it's been even more of an adventure than I could've hoped for.

On the drive to Galva last night we played several movie games, listened to music, and drove through a massive thunderstorm, just in time to see K-State lose to A&M in the last minute. So frustrating to be a fan this year. So. Frustrating.

Hopefully tomorrow I'll be updating from Arkansas. Or, at the very least, a different coffee shop in a different town. Perhaps I can convince Steven to move in to the Jamba Juice in Tulsa...

Stay tuned.

Attention Project Runway fans...

I found a new blog. Through Jenna Fischer (aka Pam, from The Office). We're MySpace friends. I'm that cool. Anyway this new blog is by Jennifer Eolin and provides hilarious commentary about our friends on Project Runway. She even writes the blog as Heidi, or Michael Kors, or Nina sometimes. Love it.


http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=82230642&blogID=362984530

That's my big news. I passed all parts of my GRE so now I can get to work with the rest of applying to grad school. I'm so glad I never took a semester off before finishing undergrad. I'm dragging my feet just getting grad school applications done. Blech.

Also, today, a kid in one of my classes was named Darwin. And I was so stressed out about learning everyone's names that it didn't even occur to me how weird of a name that was until I was driving home, six hours later. Surely I'll get the hang of this soon.

New Soul

I love that song on the new Apple commercial. Y'know? The one where they fit the computer in the manila envelope? Ridiculous. Anyway the song is called "New Soul" and it's by Yael Naim, some super cool french singer. It's on my MySpace profile if you want to give it a listen, but all of her others seem to be in French. But I'll take what I can get.

I spent the last week in Manhattan and it was fantastic. Time passes so strangely in my two different lives. Here, weeks seem to stretch on forever, full of work and chores and ferrying Abby around to different appointments and lessons, etc. But I spent ten days in Manhattan, all relatively uneventful, and the time seemed to gallop away from me. Hopefully time will start to gallop here, also. I don't operate well with slow.

Anyway, here are the highlights, so that I can remember how I spent my week.

1. Harvest Grain & Nut pancakes at IHOP. I finally found a pancake I like. Steven and I tried to feed the extras to the ducks, or the birds, but when we got to the lake, we discovered that it was frozen, and the only animals around were hunting dogs. So instead we tried to throw rocks through the ice and ate the pancakes ourselves.

2. Waitress. It's a new release with Keri Russell and it's wonderful. Very quirky funny, and Keri Russell is so sweet and quietly hilarious. I watched a lot of movies over the ten days and it was definitely my favorite. I also watched Feast of Love which was not great, but did inspire me to read the Charles Baxter novel it was adapted from. Movies we watched that you should avoid: In the Land of Women, Suburban Girl and Because I Said So. Poor Diane Keaton is so fidgety.

3. Chipotle Raspberry Bean dip at So Long. It takes a good three times eating it before you like it, but once you do, you'll never order the fried pickles again. It's just that good.

4. Dan Chaon. I'm currently reading "You Remind Me of Me" and it's excellent. I've been reading some of his short stories, and moved on to the novel. I'd recommend either. I've also been hooked on Lydia Davis, TC Boyle, and Alice Munro, as of late. I think you have to be in the right mood for Munro, though. She's great for gray, cold weather days.

5. Big Love. I know I'm three years behind on the show, but I watched the first two seasons in four days. I'm hooked on their crazy lives. And their continued dedication to always making the wrong decision. Love it.

6. Super Tuesday. Steven and I watched Bob Roberts in between all night coverage of the results of Super Tuesday. Then we researched the candidates websites. Seriously, if you're running for President, Hillary Clinton, you'd think you could get a better web designer. I'm officially throwing in my hat as an Obama supporter. This declaration in no way means that I wish to engage in any sort of political discussion. They only end in tears. I'm just excited to see how it all plays out. And if you haven't seen Bob Roberts, it's not bad. If you can get over the fact that it's Tim Robbins.

7. The Superbowl. I didn't watch it. We made jambalaya and watched Big Love and played Phase 10 instead. But we did watch all of the commercials the next day on MySpace. The eTrade baby ones were my favorites. Anyone else?

8. Omaha. Hailey is officially moving to Omaha in August, which means that if my plans remain the same, I will be living on my own for the first time, back in Manhattan in August. If anyone hears of a good one-bedroom, I would be much obliged, since I have to do the majority of my apartment hunting from GC. Also job openings are helpful too. Just if you run across anything. It was really nice to have a roommate again for a week. We watched American Idol and that terrible Moment of Truth reality show on Fox, ate a lot of cookies and giggled. It'll be strange to live in Manhattan without her.

9. Spring break. We decided not to go to New Orleans over spring break, but instead visit Ole Miss in Oxford, Mississippi. We'll probably spend a day in Memphis too, so if anyone has any ideas or suggestions about things to do/see in that area, I'd love any advice.

I think that's the major update on my life. I have three more days at Hastings and then it's back to substitute teaching full time. Unfortunately, the anthropological experiment came second to paying the bills, so I'm giving it up. I'm very relieved to be rid of my coupon signing and cash drawer counting responsibilities.

Sycamore Down

Here's a helpful hint, from me to you: never read T. Coraghessan Boyle's, "The Love of My Life" when you are young, infatuated, in a long distance relationship, and currently planning a spring break trip with the object of your infatuation. It's a little too close to home. Instead, read David Schickler's "The Smoker" and indulge those fantasies about your English teacher that you never knew you had. Or just enjoy the detail of Schickler's narrative.

I have now been back home for two weeks. It feels like a lifetime. Time is a tricky devil like that. I'm falling into step here though. Work is going well, routine, the hours of the day are starting to fit together with ease, sleep comes easier, my skin is adjusting to its new role here. It's interesting how geography dictates so much of perspective. I spent the last 3.5 years living on my own, or living with Hailey, rather. And now, I'm here, and in two weeks, this already feels like the norm. The way it has always been. I never thought that I would be a quick adapter. I lived in the same house for 18 years before college. But maybe after the first move, it becomes easier to adapt to the next.

Other than the move, I'm finding other things to fit into my new daily routine. Like tea. I've decided to get hooked on tea, because it's healthy and pretentious, and I can make it at home, since there are no coffee shops open past 6. The tea I'm drinking tonight reminds me of an abandoned crayon in a pack of 64. That weird mix of green and yellow that didn't look good, no matter what you were drawing. I've also started eating yogurt, and oatmeal, both things I tried when I was 8, disliked, and had assumed that I would hate them forever. Turns out, not so much. This revelation had me cheering for Brett Favre and the Packers again, but sadly, they have broken my heart and I am officially off the NFL again.

I've also decided to turn my Hastings job into some sort of anthropological study of Garden City. So far I am learning about the wide variety of people who purchase dirty magazines. The type of small talk in a situation like that is a gold mine of awkward and uncomfortable dialogue. I'm hoping to get some serious inspiration from the job to make up for the lack of decent pay. I'll keep you all posted.

Survivor

I just got home from my first day as a substitute teacher.

I subbed for 8th grade Reading at Abe Hubert Middle School.

And I survived.

I've never been so nervous about anything... ever.

But now, it is over. Until 7:30 am tomorrow.

Also, Steven sent me tulips yesterday. He's kind of spectacular.

Frustrated.

So, I think I've figured out why I haven't been sleeping this week. Part of it has to do with my ridiculous schedule in Manhattan. Stay up til 5am, sleep until 2pm. Not really conducive to Garden City life. Then, when I finally get here, my waking hours are little more than being asleep with my eyes open. I watch Gilmore Girls. I drink tea. I read Lorrie Moore. I drink Dr. Pepper. Occasionally I'll eat some yogurt. It's strenuous stuff. In addition to my sedentary lifestyle, I haven't been working. I'm finally in the system now, but only subbing for high school. Because I earned my degree, and I will not, cannot, refuse to, follow around third graders and accidentally making one of them cry or pee their pants or bite someone. It's too much. So tonight, when I discovered that there were no jobs available for tomorrow, something in my head finally clicked.

I need to apply for other jobs too.

Initially, I was opposed to this idea. Substitute teaching gave me the flexibility to leave for a week at a time, lounge around in Manhattan, enjoy a mini-vacation once a month. Other jobs, even crappy part-time ones, don't exactly grant that sort of schedule and allow you to keep your job.

I suppose one alternative would be to take the crappy elementary school subbing jobs and suck it up, and hold out for the vacation.

Or...

I could sub occasionally AND work my part-time job. This doesn't allow me to visit Manhattan as often, but maybe that's better. I think part of my sleeplessness is stemming from the fact that I keep taking shortcuts. I'm looking for the easier path, the job where I can keep my brain on autopilot while collecting paychecks and refreshing myself before grad school in August.

I don't know. Maybe this is just another short cut. But I'm blogging about this just in case you, the informed populace of Garden City, know of any jobs where I could actually learn something, or use my degree in even the smallest capacity. Jobs paying significantly more than minimum wage are a plus.

At the very least, I'm doing something. That feels better.

I like giants

Last weekend, Steven and I went to Topeka to judge for DCI. Well, Steven didn't judge. He just kept me company. Because we're still in that early phase of the relationship where you do ridiculous things together - like watching debate rounds that you have absolutely zero interest in. Or staying up all night watching Mark Sommers host a game show for Social Studies teachers. It was a good trip.

We also went to see Juno, which was wonderful, and I laughed and cried and came away love love loving Kimya Dawson. It's actually in Garden City, so everyone should see it. No excuses. It's adorable.

And also, you should check out The Moldy Peaches and Kimya Dawson. They're silly and fabulous.

"When I go for a drive I like to pull off to the side
Of the road, turn out the lights, get out and look up at the sky
And I do this to remind me that I'm really, really tiny
In the grand scheme of things and sometimes this terrifies me

But it's only really scary cause it makes me feel serene
In a way I never thought I'd be because I've never been
So grounded, and so humbled, and so one with everything
I am grounded, I am humbled, I am one with everything

Rock and roll is fun but if you ever hear someone
Say you are huge, look at the moon, look at the stars, look at the sun
Look at the ocean and the desert and the mountains and the sky
Say I am just a speck of dust inside a giant's eye
I am just a speck of dust inside a giant's eye."