a red truck just passed by....

I'm sitting in a second-story corner nook surrounded by four windows trimmed in white.  A decent-sized shefflera, a hollow glass pear, and an empty birdcage accompanies me as I sit and look out towards South Temple and think about what to write.  Or not think.  Mostly I am just looking out and watching people and cars pass by and note how the lighting is playing across the pines and bony catalpas.  I love January's atmospheric lighting. 

I am applying to grad school - something that sometimes you don't publish on the internet because what if it doesn't happen?  Then I have to tell you all it didn't happen.  But this is my life and I am applying to grad school and hope to start this fall.  Keep fingers crossed because I am supposed to have the GRE taken by the first of February and I don't even know where I need to go to take the GRE.  And I need to prepare.  So I am hoping I can get that requirement delayed - you know...sssppecial permisssion.  This whole idea was kind of a sudden occurrence, hence an approaching deadline with oh so many things still to get done.  Like writing a Statement of Intent.  I don't know - I intend to go to grad school?  Is that specific enough?  Oh, darn.

I haven't wanted to write in general.  Not having my muse to write to makes it a chore rather than an outlet of expression or thought.  I think of lots of stories to write, some which would make you all laugh for sure, like when I went country dancing and got so motion sick by being thrown every direction including overhead - that I had to sit out - even slow dancing was too much at that point.  But then the desire to sit down and tap, tap, tap it out is sucked out of me and I have nothing to say.  Just an empty me while my life experiences float on by, but none are ever captured.  It's going to take awhile, and I wonder if it will ever be the same. 

And a little squirrel runs by across the power line.

That Friday Feeling

Tuesday...Wednesday...Thursday - Friday.  Yeah for Friday. 

I teach each Wednesday and Thursday evening.  One class lasts for 2 hours, the other 2.5 hours, so by the time Friday rolls around, I am extremely enthused about having all the pressures of being ready for class and making class interesting and exciting raised off me for at least a few days or so.  Phew. 

Teaching is a lot of work.  Especially if you want to be good at it.

I think that really anything in life is like that.  Well, most anything.  That is worthwhile anyway.

My sister just left from doing several hours of laundry.  Which means I got the bathroom cleaned, my bed made, closet organized.  Her washer at home was leaking water, so I became the lovely laundromat.  I always clean when she comes over - it's just easier for me to get things done if someone is around. 

Ever since I returned from Japan - the water that empties out of the kitchen faucet hasn't exactly been clear.  While I was away, my landlady replaced the old, leaky faucet and I came home to a shiny, new, non-drip-drip-drip kitchen faucet.  Which was nice, until I turned the water on.  It hasn't changed since so I started buying my drinking/cooking water at a local gas station where you can fill a gallon up for 30 cents - osmosis water.  Sounds fancy.  That or I get my water from my bathroom sink.

2011 is the year of thrift stores.  I have decided that every article of clothing I purchase must come from a thrift store or someplace similar.  There are two exceptions: socks and underwear.  I don't think I need to explain myself here.  Two great reasons for buying thrift is 1) money savings, obviously - and 2) creativity and originality will be enhanced and challenged. 

I am going to buy some water.

why not

let's try writing out a blog post.  why not.

1.  within a period of 20 minutes i went from just-back-from-the-gym-and-feeling-great to sick in bed.  maybe it was germs from the gym that got me.

2.  i am cooking a whole chicken in a crockpot.  just cut up some onion, mixed some spices and threw in the bird.  homemade chicken broth sound good for my sore throat.  don't know what i am going to do with the rest of the bird.

3.  i am into my third week of teaching at BYU.  and i feel like i am finally starting to get a grip on things.

4.  i have loved every single day in January - the cold, the snow, the sun, the rain....all good in my book.  i am learning to embrace these cold nothing months - however I am a little leery of upcoming february.

5.  as of the 11th of this month i turned thirty.  and as of the eleventh, my brother turned 19.  we share a birthday.  I am so happy to be 30.  what's the big deal?  so much better than the overrated 20's.  enjoy the 20's while you're in them, sure, it's just that once you're beyond them, you realize you are still breathing and it's better up here anyway.

i think 5 items is enough to blog about for now....