the phantom menace

This is what I look like after I go to class when it's bright and sunny (so naturally I don't bring an umbrella) and then I have to ride my bike home in the (torrential) rain. Rogue thunder showers are such a menace. So much for blow drying my hair today.

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!

Sunshine

So it was finally sunny and warm today so I took advantage of the nice weather and sat outside and read a book for a while. It was weird looking at my arms; I'm pretty sure I haven't worn a t-shirt in about two months and I didn't even recognize my own limbs. I have some new freckles and I discovered a whitish scar that I can't remember the origin of. Anyways, it just makes me excited for summer and being able to wear short-sleeves more. I love being outside!

Rainstorm, take me away from the norm...

Nothing new here, it is still rain-storming like crazy. For the first time in my life I got woken up by thunder this morning. I thought the sky was falling down, and then I just lazed in bed for a while listening to the rain/wind. After I got up I could actually see lightening too, and at one point the thunder kinda gave me a heart attack. The poor cats were freaked and hid under Jessica's bed all morning.

I eventually slogged my way to class and then decided to go sit in the hot tub at the rec center with Jessica and Lauren. We were the only ones at the entire pool complex besides the poor lifeguards huddled in their office. We finally got warmed up and decided to jump in the super-heated pool which was really fun. Riding my bike home in the rain wasn't even an issue because I was already soaking wet. I didn't avoid any of the puddles, which made things really fun. Made some soup for lunch and then luckily the rain let up for a little bit when I had to ride back onto campus for my second class.

Now I'm home finishing up a novel for one of my classes tomorrow. It's called Life and Times of Michael K by J.M. Coetzee, who is this South African guy who writes about semi-non-fictional apartheid events. He won the Nobel Prize in 2003. Anyways I'm taking an entire class on him, he's pretty cool and even though his work is super depressing (it's basically all about torture) it's also really moving.

Anyways, that's about it. I'm going home this weekend for my Dad's 60th birthday, maybe I'll try to take some pictures?


PS-I've had the worst heartburn the last 3 days. I think I've been drinking too much wine and coffee and eating too much tomato soup and chocolate. Time to mix up my eating habits.

It's raining, it's pouring...

Yay! I love the rain! I'm so cozy right now, curled up on the couch with a mug of tea and a pad of paper and some pens/paints. My curtains are thrown open so I can see the rain hammering down on the roof. Jude is enthralled by the rain. He's sitting on the window sill staring at the stream of water dumping from the gutter. I'm thankful tomorrow is MLK day...I don't have to think about braving the puddles on my bike ride to class. Somehow I never managed to buy a pair of rainboots, even though they would be infinitely helpful and make my feet happy/dry. UCSB wasn't made for rain: puddles seem to accumulate in mile-long stretches, and they're quite deceiving too...sometimes I think I can get away with making a quick dash through one, and then it turns out to be about two feet deep and suddenly I'm soaked up to my knees. Oh well, at least it makes life exciting. I just feel happy happy happy.

Listening to: pitterpatterdripdripdroppitydrip

tut tut looks like rain

Heeeey dude I think its going to storm like CRAZY and I'm so excited, been waiting for it to feel like fall for a while. I've been sick for over and week and I just want to be healthy! Finally saw Zombieland last night, it was ridiculously funny/gory, can't wait for Where The Wild Things Are to come out on Friday. Have tons of papers coming up and I'm joining the honors program at UCSB so I have to write a 50 page thesis in the next few months, but I figure if I write a page a day it's possible. Or crazy. We'll see. Found out one of my roommates has been accidentally using my toothbrush for the last week, and I told her if she gets the swine flu from me she probably deserves it for not being able to remember which toothbrush is hers. I'm going to do a vlog soon, so get excited!

mmm

Man, it's super windy. I kinda like the blustery cold and rain, but again I'm always a little nervous that a tree is going to fall on my car. Wish it would snow instead.

Keeping busy today by wrapping presents and baking an olallieberry pie. My mom and I went to the store earlier and bought all sorts of goodies to eat for Christmas, including some amazing cheese for fondue tonight. I insisted on buying more eggnog too.

Hope the holidays are treating everyone well. I love this time of year. I'll attach a picture later of my finished pie so you can ogle my craftiness.

peace and love


Listening to: the blustery wind

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.

RAIN.

I LOVE THE RAIN. Right now, I am looking out the fourth floor of the Davidson Library on the UCSB campus. There are tall sycamore trees with some nice orange leaves on them right in front of me, and in the distance I can see the ocean, which is steely gray. The sky is about the same color, and I am expecting rain to come pouring down any minute. Can't wait to curl up with some cocoa and a good book. Or watch Harry Potter.

To add to that, this is what I do when I can't think of how to start a paper. This picture was taken at 1:30 p.m.
In the library.
Hope you enjoy.