Food

Here are some pictures I have taken of food.










I really like food.

Sunfowers

I bought some sunflowers to try to brighten up my room. My basement. It doesn't really get any sunlight. Unfortunately, the sunflowers don't help; my room was already so colorful. I mean I have a huge brightly colored painting on the wall, so the flowers were just a dying drop in the bucket.



It's so unfortunate that I decided to move to a place without sunlight, because I can never get a good picture inside. Among other reasons, like the effect on my mood. Sunflowers are so pretty. But I buy them because they are the cheapest flowers at the supermarket. So cheap, so pretty. I probably wont keep buying flowers like I planned originally, because my room is bright enough without them.

BUGS!

I really like taking pictures of bugs. I love their colors, and they are always so flighty that I feel proud of myself.

I don't know what to talk about. It's been so pretty and rainy. I haven't had much time to spend around people, but have been talking to people who aren't here, on the internet, such as Fawn and Fiona. Two special and beautiful women who lack the ability to teleport. And I sent a letter to another such qualifiable woman, whose name I wont mention in case she might get surprised by it. The ink on the envelope is permanent, but I'm not sure about the letter itself, so I hope if doesn't get too wet.

<3

I have a house. Also- Lasagna.

here is my beautiful Wilson, ready to walk with me to a beautiful fall wonderland, where we could live happily, basking in the warm sunset and swimming in the river.

But we didn't walk through that window, didn't take that route, because I feel compelled to get this amazing education.
















But I do have Wilson, and I do have a place to live. I also have magic lasagna making powers. Anyone who has talked to me in the past week has probably heard all the want to hear about lasagna.


Here is lasagna-eating. Nom.
I set up my bed space to dry some roses, so that when I got Wilson out here there would be dried roses above the bed. They're in a vase now.

Too bad to those of you tired of hearing about my lasagna. It was SO GOOOOD. And lasted me for almost a week, so I should definitely make it again sometime.
Why did I make it? The ricotta was on sale and I needed to use the spinach and some ground beef. So I should make it again soon.

Here is my apt while I was moving in. COLOR!

Also. I have too much salt.

Bikes! And the fact that I can't help but befriend everyone?

Hello again, fellow few who read my blog!

First of all, I found housing. Not sure when I am moving in- it is complicated. I'll find out more tomorrow. Eventually I'll let you know about it.

Second, I am an Aunt again/ still. I love the idea of being an Aunt. Heather is now a mother of two: Sebastian, a 2 year old boy, and Liliana, a newborn! I wonder when I will meet her.

Now, on to my blog post. This past Saturday, after poking at every housing lead available, I took a little pink bike, newly adopted, to a bike shop I'd never been to before. The shop is in Mt. Vernon.

As I was getting oriented, getting off of Mt vernon (Bart ... um station? It isn't Bart. It is New York- Metro North.... but I want to say Bart!), I started talking to some firefighters and other men outside of a bar. A bunch of older white guys (actually I can't remember if it was only white guys but that was my impression), who were concerned with the safety of a sweet lady such as myself in that neighborhood.

I told them I would be fine, that I've been in worse neighborhoods. I think they are mistaken in thinking that that neighborhood was as bad as the worst parts of oakland. I felt safe, in spite of getting catcalled more than usual.

When I finally got there, there were a whole bunch of steps. Kind of silly for a bike shop.

The place was a bit disorganized.



It used to be a tattoo parlor. There were remnants of this, like windows that had the tattoo buisiness' name on it. I didn't take too many photos, because that would feel awkward. I'm sure I will visit again. bikes and tools everywhere, and a kitchen area, bike routes of new york in the bathroom, and a mural. And a very friendly cat.



The man who owns it is very friendly, and likes to talk my ear off. I spent hours there, because he let me work on fixing my own bike (which you can see above, bottom left), and I'm not a great bike mechanic. It is good to learn. He fed me chinese food and orange juice and charged me less than the cost of the supplies I used, I think. I told him I had been spending all week looking for a place to live, and he half serious offered me to stay in the bike shop, but we agreed that that wasn't a great idea. There are a lot of reasons, perhaps the least of which that it is a bike shop: It is in a pretty bad neighborhood, it would be crowded with Wilson living there also, and also wouldn't seem like a permanent idea.

The guy reminds me of Bob. The beard is the same, and he loves to talk. They talk somewhat similarly.

Oh also I found an Irish diner on the way home that I can't wait to try!

(the bicycle shop is http://bronxriverbicycleworks.wordpress.com/)

street art- knitt-bombing

Emily, and Kevin my friend and her boy friend, have been leaving little clay creatures around for the observant to find. They talk about it here: http://somnule.wordpress.com/2010/08/21/bomb-of-the-day-698/ ... today on their journey they passed some knitted street signs... you can see some examples here: http://streetcolor.wordpress.com/

Well all of this reminded me of an adventure I had a couple months back, that also took me past some unexpected knitted creations...
Can You guess what it is?
I just loved her blue nails with it. But I bet you still don't know what it is.
Well people who've seen it, maybe they know.
Ok, now ask yourself, where is there a giant 'T'
This made me burst out laughing. You have to have heard someone say what that is referencing, in all seriousness. Then, if you are me, you look at this and have a sound track, in yo mind (kids beat up and they don't even rhyme, they just stand there on the street corner, skin tucked in and inside out), sorry, a sound track playing for me what I've just read, "Knitta PLEASE."..."You be hella bootsey!"

Have any idea where this may be now?
This is the T in the sign saying "There." On the edge of Berkeley/Oakland, there are HERE and THERE signs. Oakland is there. I believe this came from the quote "There is no there there" in reference to oakland. Gertrude Stein said that. I know because I'm on the computer right now. I suppose I could look up if that is actually where these structures came from.

Ah, yes, the internet- you serve me well. That is where these structures came from. And the quote is not disparaging of Oakland, but actually references that Gertrude's childhood home was torn down. There is apparently another THERE statue downtown. I like that better. I'm not sure what message it gives, having Berkeley be the HERE and Oakland be the THERE.

I am so tired.

Here, have a picture I took of a really awesome pepper. Bob subscribed to a farm-share, and is getting all these beautiful and fresh vegitables.



But I don't get to eat them, because I am in new york.

I've been in New York since Tuesday, being as responsible as I know how to be. You see, I want a home. The sort of place where I can put nails in the wall, hang paintings, and have some peace and quiet.

I've been walking around, asking people, emailing people, calling people, all about homes. I've also been calling people about bikes. I have only determined that I am not going to get a folding bike. It was a lot of work to figure that out, you would be surprised. All of my time, save for some blog posting, has been either sleeping or being responsible.



So I am too worn out to take a better screen shot. This one I took before shutting down my computer, to look at and memorize this morning, and then I added the purple a second ago.

The arrow is where I went. It's a nice walk. A pretty walk. But it is 2 miles. For slow-walking-mackenzie, that is about 40 minutes. In the snow, that is... well... probably an hour at least.

I really like it there. There is what could be my own apt up top, to decorate as I wish, Wilson could stay with me... two cats, and a garage I could paint in. A really nice woman about my mom's age lives in the downstairs. She grows tomatoes, and sews, and I really like her.

It could be a home.

But it wouldn't be very much like college.

See the purple circle? That's about where I want to live. I want to transport any happy home to within that circle and then live there. I want to be able to be out until 3 am, and I want to go home to take a nap in the middle of the day.

I could maybe live on campus, and smuggle in Wilson. But it wouldn't be quite as much a home. 8/9 people sharing a kitchen, and I only get my tiny room, and then I have to move out at the end of the year. But in some ways it's better. It's college. Its a few hundred yards from the art building. People will ever visit me.


What do I do?

One day I'll just fly away... oh wait I already did!

Every time I fly, I try to make sure I can pretend there is nothing between me and the sky. That way, I can either feel like a giant, or like some kind of magical creature, relaxin' cradled by some over ambitious cloud thing that fills up my rib cage with buoyant elation.


These crop circle things reminded me of Burning Man. I can tell that they aren't, but I wish they were.
Then I could have at least flown over Burning Man this year.
I love how blue the atmosphere makes these green feilds. I also love the grid and the wash of clouds.
Speaking of a wash of clouds, these feel like foamy ocean tide. If I could be a giant I would swim in the sky and splash in these clouds!
And finally the sunset. I love flying at sunset. So so much. My camera isn't good enough to capture just how spectacular this was. Everything was washed in warm orange light. I tried the best I could. It helps if you tilt the screen.

Oh did I mention the camera I used to have got stolen. It was a couple weeks ago. Luckily I inherited another one, even more mediocre than the first (the last one I had wasn't so bad... but this one is pretty bad. Also, pretty old). Why is this lucky, you ask? Because maybe it will push me to get a better camera!

The brutish chopping of the lovely lady locks.

Emily and I spent the week up in No-where, California (otherwise known as wine country). We both love it up there. It is so beautiful. For example:


(this flower also has lovely lady locks)

One evening, I got out a pair of safety scissors. She started out looking like this:

Which was a hair cut she gave herself out in Washington. It is a pretty decent hair cut.

Chop!

It got pretty dark, and pretty silly, before we were done.

But, she is super super adorable. She looks like the modern woman, her hair in a kind of bob. I'll try to get some good pictures of her before I go back to NY.

Emily is asleep ("I'm not asleep!") beside me.

It's been awhile, but my zeal for sharing is renewed. I realized I was imposing rules I didn't even know about on myself, and I had all these hang ups. Well Bah.



This is a picture I composed while at my friend, Quinn, 's house. (I never can figure out where to put the possessive) It is entirely made of other pictures I have taken. It seems like cheating otherwise.

The picture is of people dancing. Let me know if you want to buy a print of it, a few people have asked me for a print already.

Look, it looks like she is looking down at my shadow-twin. Maybe secretly they are friends also. My shadow is always making friends behind my back.
The picture to the left is of Emily, back when her hair was long. A couple months ago, she cut it off to shoulder length. I trimmed and shaped it when she got home. But, this evening I cut it into a cute bob. She is just too adorable. I'll give pictures when I can, having a camera has been... well... sometimes I lose things. (I really do have amazing luck though, I swear) I've been sort of reconnecting with Emily this week, since we've been away in the country without our boyfriends, or other people. Her mom and aunt are out here. It's lovely, like family. Emily and I have been goofing off being silly. At one point we were giggling behind the backs of Barbara and Deb (my self proclaimed fake-family). They called us out on it. Yes, we WERE laughing at them, but they were just so cute. There is something so special about siblings who love each other. It really makes me smile. I love siblings. My own, and everyone elses.


P.S. Em has been my little proof-reader in a fox hat tonight. I should keep her in my pocket for every time I'm Typing While Tired.

Sorry for not posting.

It's not that I haven't been taking pictures, it's that I am lazy. I do want to post everyday, but I'm bad at managing my time. I think it would be good if there was an expectation of me, and if I had more readership. I think I should move to LJ... maybe I'll post both places?