growing freckles

So I know it's not good for my skin, but my favorite past-time is growing freckles. This basically consists of sunbathing, going to the beach, reading in a lawn chair, swimming, playing croquet, or any other outdoor activity that lasts for an extended period of time in the sunshine. Due to the beautiful weather, this past weekend consisted of a lot of freckle growing, which makes me very happy.

I just bought new nail polish so it must be sandal-wearing weather too. I'm going to paint my toenails tonight, but I can't decide between seductive plum, mango-get 'em, or monsooner or later. What do you think? I'm pretty sure I'm going to make a career out of coming up with nail polish name colors. They're always so clever and cheeky.

Didn't do too much tonight. I picked out an online traffic school and schlepped through 10 miserable chapters of how to merge onto freeways and the importance of windshield wipers. I guess it's helpful but it seems like a lot of work for one measly speeding ticket. On the bright side I got new dry-erase markers so I re-wrote my schedule on my whiteboard calendar, and it's now color-coded!

Not too much planned for tomorrow besides school, swimming, and more traffic school (sarcastic "yay"). I'm pretty sure I'm getting a couple papers back tomorrow so keep your fingers crossed that I did well!

walking on sunshine

Hey hey heeey. Just got back from LA. I went down yesterday afternoon to see a play. I have a friend that lives in Sherman Oaks and so I got to his apartment at about 4 and then we headed down to Santa Monica. Without traffic it would normally take about 15 minutes to get from his place to Santa Monica but it was rush hour on a Friday afternoon of a three-day weekend, so it took almost an hour, but we just passed the time catching up and listening to good music and making funny faces at the other drivers on the 405.

When we got to Santa Monica we parked and walked down to the beach and the sun was just setting so it was really pretty. Then we walked back up to Main Street and ate dinner and got some beers at this pub called Finn McCool's. Some of our other friends met up with us and then we walked over to the theater. The play was really random and kinda awkward but overall I guess it was a good experience and fun to see an actual play. Everyone in the audience was about 50 years older than us which was funny. After the play we took the scenic route home and drove past UCLA and through Beverly Hills, and then down Hollywood Boulevard, which weirdly reminded me of Times Square in NYC.

Basically it was really cool to see LA, and I really loved Santa Monica. I can see myself working for some cute company there and living in a cute little apartment by the beach. I'm definitely keeping it in my sights for this summer/my future.

When we got back to Sherman Oaks we played a whole bunch of songs on my friend's piano and then passed out. I had to get up early this morning and drive home because I have work at 11, but luckily there wasn't any traffic and I stopped at a Starbucks to get some coffee. The drive home was actually really nice because it's super sunny today and I love driving up past Ventura when you get to that stretch where it's all ocean for like 15 minutes.

Anyways, not too much planned today, I have a split shift at work so I'm scheduled from 11-3 and then again from 5-9 which kinda sucks, but I'll probably get to go home early both times. Hope your day is as bright and sunny as mine!

me oh my

Hey hey. Hope you like my new blog layout. Still boring but I felt like it needed a change. I feel guilty because it's a beautiful sunny (albeit not very warm) day outside and I'm curled up in bed about to take a nap. However my window is open so I can see blue skies and feel the breeze and I can hear the neighbor playing pretty songs on his acoustic guitar so that makes me feel better.

I had an awesome birthday on Monday and I got treated like a princess which is always nice. Bowling was a success even though I might be the worst bowler on the planet. I blame part of that on consuming too much alcohol though.

Anyways I mostly wanted to post a quote from this book I am reading called Age of Iron by JM Coetzee. I really like it and I feel like it explains for some reason why I keep up with this blog.

"In another world I would not need words. I would appear on your doorstep. 'I have come for a visit,' I would say, and that would be the end of words: I would embrace you and be embraced. But in this world, in this time, I must reach out to you in words."

Just think about it; it makes so much sense. I wish I was able to write that eloquently, but I guess this will have to do.

birthday girl

So I'm celebrating my 22nd birthday today! I feel super lucky because having a February birthday usually means rain, but today it is super sunny and warm! I love birthdays because everyone is so nice! I got some really sweet gifts from my roommates. Thank you to everyone for the birthday wishes! My day has been pretty laid back, I went to class, finished the crossword puzzle in the paper, and then got lunch from my favorite sandwich place with a friend. We took our sandwiches down to the beach and had a little picnic. It was so nice! I have to go back to class in a little bit and unfortunately I have to do a little work on a take-home midterm, but it should be pretty painless. Tonight I'm going bowling with a big group of friends. The local bowling alley has over 40 beers on tap. I love throwing heavy things around when I'm drunk!

It's weird to think of where I was a year ago on my birthday. I celebrated my 21st in Paris, and I had such a blast. I went with a big group of friends to a funky little fondue restaurant that served wine in baby bottles, then we went dancing at a club on the Seine. It was such a fun experience and I have such fond memories of my birthday abroad. Here are some pics from exactly a year ago that I love to look at. The Eiffel Tower never gets old.

untitled except that it is titled "untitled".

So as my previous post predicted/foreshadowed, I am currently cozied up in bed with a nice frothy glass of eggnog+rum (+ 2 ice cubes). If you haven't figured it out yet, that equation equals bliss.

I just got home from having a cozy, on-the-couch, tea-and-pumpkin-pie, and intellectual-magazine inspired chat at my chubi's home, and it made me feel so good. I missed her. Driving home from her house also made me remember why people move here and live here and raise their families here. There are rare moments when I remember that good old A-town means something to me. Not necessarily the town itself, but the memories and the people it holds. I like Autumn here. It feels cozy and homey. Maybe it's the Thanksgiving spirit that's getting to me...or maybe it's the rum in my eggnog, but I feel nostalgic and sappy. I guess at some point on Thanksgiving everyone should think about what they're thankful for.

Euphoria

WOo! I love the rain. I just walked home from class and for some reason I felt so good. I was all alone, had my iPod and umbrella, and was just jamming. Like, enjoying the rain, enjoying the coldness, enjoying the wet street, enjoying LIFE. I love how when it rains all the lights get a little fuzzy and reflect off the wet street. I feel so rockin'. I don't know how to explain it. I am euphoric and jubilant. And I'm wearing my favorite red sweater.