I can't think of fitting title, so here you go:

I've been listening to The Pogues nonstop since last evening. I finally had enough sense to remember to pull the final season of The Wire to the top of my Netflix queue, and it reminds me of The Pogues . . . mainly because they're frequently part of the show's soundtrack. Anyways, I watched the show back on HBO (before the series ended) and have been having this strong urge to play through the entire series for a while now. It must be something about the whole gritty Baltimore crime/drug drama thing that gets to me. I suppose it really fits that void of "danger and questionable activity" in my far too wholesome life.

Oh, well. I suppose I should go . . . long day and all that jazz. I don't have work until 3, so I'm going to mill around until then I guess . . . maybe go in early, to get a head start. Wait, no I won't. 

"Too Cute" : Why I never thought I would find myself writing those words.

I went on a sort of a baking frenzy this weekend. I was in one of those modes and after very little coaxing by friends baked up all these goodies for a birthday party. They're mostly cupcakes of different varieties, along with the cake . . . and I even splurged whipped up a tray of marzipan candies (yum)! The party went over fine. It was for my friend, Anna, whom thought that maybe the idea of formal birthday party was a little childish for someone her age, but I told her quite firmly to suck it up. We should all enjoy the spoils of childhood, even if we're in our late twenties (or acting even more middle-aged). Of course, I naturally just enjoyed it because dessert decorating to overly fun . . . and well, I don't know many people with children for whom I could bake decorated treats for, so I substitute  for proper adults that have no sense of idyllic joy. 

I suppose the photos really brighten up the page. Sheesh, everything looks so . . . cute. It's as if I need to add a couple photos of some kitties and puppies to really complete this post.

Yeah, I don't think that that is going to happen. 

Staring up into the solar system, all the stars are fixed up in the sky. I just want to sparkle for a moment, before I just fizzle out and die.

The week is almost over. The weekend is almost here. 

Please, feel my most joyful exhalations. 

It did not rain today.

Make yourself comfortable, for me, I took off my shoes, changed into some cotton clothing. Surround yourself with the most inviting of smells. I put on a put on a pot of strong fragrant masala chai, stirred ingredients of fruit and pastry into the perfect scone, and watch it bake, filling the room with warmth. Add the final touch, put your mood on play. Today, I was feeling a little Tegan and Sara "Under Feet Like Ours," as it had the feeling of female strength and acoustical rhythm. Then, lie down on your back and close your eyes for as long as needed. Hopefully, when you open them again you will be relaxed, calm, and content. 

I keep having the feeling like I haven't been listening to anything worthwhile lately, probably because I've been stuck in the attitude that I haven't done anything worthwhile as of late. However, today, for once, I did not have that feeling. I don't know if exercise served it's purpose or otherwise, but everything came together, the world stopped spinning, and it was just about the best feeling in the world. 

My dog was lost but now he's found.

My nap/supposed "deep" sleep didn't last long. I was awoken by John who in a stated of confusion and sheer orneriness (I'm doubting the validity of this word, but the root of it describes so well), woke me. He was not alone. Our neighbor, whom I've never met before, was with him (and looking quite frightening as well, dressed in thick boots and carrying a large shovel). Apparently he wanted to chat (quite angrily) with us about our dogs and thought the presence of his large forbearing shovel/(murder weapon) might intimidate us. 

The hilarity in the situation is that, after being lectured for about an hour and half without pause or opening to say a word about our obnoxious animals, I had to politely (or politely as I could), "Sir, this is a grave situation indeed, because we do not own any dogs. Or any animal of the sort. We must be having a ghostly situation here, or you're just crazy. Now please leave, before I have to threaten you with my shovel." I think I angered him. But, really, the man was a little out of line. I mean if I really did own a canine, after he said he was going "beat it dead," I think I would have been a little more irrational. 

Anyways, Seattle. It was . . . more enjoyable as the week progressed. Still rainy, still a little boring for my taste, but overall okay. I saw my father, and he obviously didn't look so hot, with the whole about to die thing going on. I saw my brothers, all four of them (Septimus, Julian, Noel, Peter) and stayed with them, alternating throughout the week. They really made me think about and appreciate why I left with my mother, when moved from Vancouver to Chicago when I was a young teen. I don't have much in common with them, I think. 

I'll post more photographs of the actual city later. For now you'll just have to enjoy photos of my family and their far too luxurious homes. I mean really, what's the deal? Why do I feel so lower-class when I'm around them? Oh right, maybe because I am, in comparison. 

A Series of Unmade Beds.

This has been my life for the past week. I'm glad to be home and actually able to rest in one place without moving about. I'll post more pictures from the trip later. For now, I need to sleep. I've got some major jet lag (or at least it feels like that) and I've got early labwork in the morning (woot). It's a beautiful combination (not). 

Yeah. This is Great.

Seattle. I'm here. It's just about as much fun as I imagined it (which is to say its not that great. I've spent the last day and all those prior squatting at my brother Septimus's house, listening to John and him chat about everything, and endured the most uneventful, probably worst trip to Vancouver that I would have ever expected. Anyways, I'll write more later. Tomorrow I'm being traded off to my other brother's home to stay . . . and at some point will be throwing in a trip to see dear old dad (cough, yeah, I still haven't visited him yet). For now, I've put on some The Boy Least Likely To, and am trying to enjoy myself. 

Like a death in the hall that you hear through your wall, New York, I love you, but you're freaking me out.

I'm catching the night flight to Seattle tonight. Should be there by dawn. In just enough time to feel the weight of the week come crashing down on me and allow me to pass out on whatever spare bed I'm squatting on tonight. I hope I haven't forgotten to pack anything. Looks like I haven't, but I hope John will double check just in case. I hope Septimus cleaned his house. I hope this week passes quickly. I hope the rental agency hasn't lost the reservation I made with them, so I'll be able to drive out of Seattle onto Vancouver as soon as I wake up. I hope none of my brothers will try to stop me. Look at that, I'm just a bucket full of hopes, brimming with optimism. Ha. 

And no one wants a tune about the 100th luftballoon that was seen shooting from the window of your room.

We made it to the Shenandoah. The park was silent, as I suppose many people don't travel there often in the early spring. We then met up with some our eastern friends. John went to college in the region, so he's always eager to meet up with other "buddies" of his.  We all camped out under the stars, drank cheap alcohol from the bottle in front of the campfire, and remembered what it was like to be a teenager again. It was still a little chill at night, which naturally made sleeping in the open air of night cold, but somehow enjoyable. 

In the daytime, I wore shorts (for the first time this year!) and hiked around. We only stayed near Shenandoah for one night, the other two (days and nights) we spent biking and hiking around the uplands of Kentucky. I'll post some more photographs soon. My battery died not even halfway through the trip, so most of the good photos, were taken with John's older (less digital) Nikon, and he hasn't developed them yet, for me to begin the tedious procedure of digital copies. 

Well, I'll write more later (and post more photos) later, for now I have to go and deal with crazed students who seem to have forgotten that midterms were this week. It really amazes me that they can prepare these outlandish spring break trips to Mexico and all the other bright beaches of the Americas, but still at the same time act as if that fact that it's midterm week totally phases them. People confuse me sometimes. Well, it's back to the office . . . then the lab . . . then a meeting . . . then the lab . . . then the office . . . and then finally home, again, maybe. I'll be at this schedule all week, if I survive. Hopefully. 

I've been to a minor place, and I can say I like it's face. If I am gone and with no trace, I will be in a minor place.

The sky is beautiful. The air smells like fresh bed sheets after being newly washed. I'm smoking a cigarette on my non-existent balcony. I've put on Les Savy Fav's album "Let's Stay Friends." I'm watching John reattach the bike rack to the back of the car. We're going to the east. I think. Basically the plan is to hop into the car and drive. We're aiming to reach the Appalachians, but I don't know if we'll get that far. 

After a quick stint in the office this early (6:30) this morning, I packed everything up, came home, and have been ready to head out since. I packed berries and bread for a quick breakfast on the road even, except John was hardly out of the shower when I was ready to go. He's getting a slow start since he spent the entire evening out yesterday, finally arriving home in the early morning completely incoherent and loud. Thankfully I made extra coffee to pacify him. 

Well, I should stop writing and find my shoes, wherever they are. 

Jane was the one, who would always have her fun. When she's lying on her bed, making visions in her head.

I hate it when weather throws my body cycles off. This weekend, temperatures dropped into the teens and it started snowing again. Today, the weather has miraculously heated up and it's 70 degrees outside. The sun is shining and people are wearing shorts and tanks, whereas yesterday the only skin you could see while walking down the sidewalk was the noses of people sticking out from bundles of scarves and parkas. 

Due to the climatic shift, I'm going to take off my shoes and walk around on the budding green grass, wet from slushy snow. Then, I'm going to start digging around in the backyard. The house is too warm on the inside, since the heat was turned up because of the cold. I have to wait until it cools down before I spend too much time in there. Thankfully, the house lends itself it having many large windows, to air it out. I'm sitting on the patio now, eating cherry pie, listening to some Caspian . . . Mogwai . . . etc. 

Also, yesterday, to brighten my spirits, I went to the salon . . . got a hair cut . . . and a dye. At first it felt awkward trading my dark locks for a lighter shade, but I was beginning to get this skunk stripe of gray hair in my bangs (yeah, I am vain enough to dye it out) . . . and well . . . it makes me look more . . . youthful. I haven't had a pixie cut since I was 18. This makes me remember why I liked it so much. 

Well, if the weather stays constant, I think over the weekend I'll pack a knapsack, drive east, and go hiking. I have the strongest urge to be outside all of the time. I've been a little down lately, with the whole supernatural-forces-being-against-me-thing, but I don't know, the air makes me want to believe everything is going to become right again. Well, I should go and run around in the lawn . . . check up on the activity in the greenhouse . . . dig up some dirt . . . the usual. Later I'm going to drive into campus to check up on things at the lab and participate in the blood drive they're holding this week. I never miss a chance to donate . . . it gives me one of those natural highs. Weird, I know. 

I Can't Sleep: Why I'm going to spend the night gorging myself on ice cream, strawberry syrup, and really bad monster movies.

I'm awake, still. It's the wee hours of the morning, and I find that I can't fall asleep, which is distressing since I've got a bunch of hours I have to punch at the lab tomorrow and I'd rather not do so drained from lack of sleep. At least John's still awake too. He's downstairs making ice cream sundaes (I had this craving for peanuts and strawberry syrup . . . don't ask). We're going to stay up watching bad monster movies until, 1) the dawn breaks and both of us have to head off to our respective workplaces or, 2) the sleeping pill I took 30 minutes decides to take effect and I crash just long enough to restore some energy, but not sound enough so that I sleep through the alarm clocks I've set up. Hopefully the latter is going to occur. For now, I can hear the patter of John's footsteps coming up the stairs. It's time for ice cream . . . and hot bruschetta. Yum.

. . . Travelling. Again.

So, it's set. In two weeks, I'll be catching the red eye to Seattle and staying there for seven days, bunking over at my brothers houses. They've all decided that since I've never seen their homes, they're going to trade me out for the entire week. I'm not especially excited to go . . . and in fact am a little disappointed. I mean, I'm giving up the bright blue beaches of Baja California, for the cloudy dismal of Seattle. The only plus sides I can foresee is that I'm taking a couple of those seven days to pop two hours away up to Vancouver . . . while there I'll at least be able to have a moment to myself. The other positive being that I'll get to finally pick up a couple records and books that Septimus says he's been hoarding away for me since the winter holidays. Ah, hopefully the weather will be nice while I'm there.