Some days...I don't really like talking about my flair.

(Peter looks at the buttons' on her suspenders. One says We're 
not in Kansas anymore. The one underneath says POOF.)

PETER
"We're not in Kansas anymore."

JOANNA
Yeah. Really. (laughs)

PETER
It's on your - (points)

JOANNA
Oh! That's, uh, that's uh, my pieces of flair.

PETER
What are pieces of flair?

JOANNA
That's where you know, suspenders and buttons all sorts of stuff. 
We're, uh, we're actually required to wear fifteen pieces of flair. quite stupid actually.

PETER
Do you get to pick them out yourself?

JOANNA
Yeah. Yeah. Although I didn't actually choose these. I, uh, I just 
grabbed fifteen buttons and, uh, I don't even know what they say! 
Y'know, I don't really care. I don't really like talking about my 
flair.

This scene is how I feel walking to work sometimes...I'm simply required to walk along this street so that I can physically get to work, and the fact that I am there, walking, well, we don't need to have a conversation about that, do we?

Random guy: Whoa, how tall are you?

Me: (shun)

Random guy: Tall and pretty, coming through!

Me: (obligatory smile, mumble)

Volunteer: Are you friendly?

Me: No.

Volunteer: Wow, I guess you don't care about saving the whales...

Other Volunteer, disguised as a random guy: Do I know you?

Me: No.

Other Volunteer: Well, while I have your attention, do you want to save the children?

Oh my gosh, people...I don't want to talk about my flair today!!!

  

Is this why people miss seasons when they move to San Diego?

Fall is in the air...

After months of alternating between heavy humidity and lackadaisical warmth, this morning was amazingly fresh.  How do I explain it?  The gentle and powerful wind reaches up like fingers and swirls my hair under my umbrella while the rain mist cools off my smiling face.  I arrive at work with natural curls and a radiant feeling, alert to the events of the day and with the certainty that I CAN be kind to people today.  I know the winter will come, but this morning feels like the first day of my life.  


For too many weeks in a row I have been on display in my summer wear and it is wearing me out; I relish the idea of being able to hide myself from the world in fall clothing, revealing my best when I want to and not because the weather insists.  

Let's get outside again

Climbing is...so great. Old people, young children, hippies, yuppies, women, men, people with disabilities, people with the bodies of greek gods and goddesses...so inclusive; forgiving, yet challenging...mental and physical...requiring strength but also flexibility...hanging on, and letting go. So many wonderful things. 


BUT--today I was really annoyed at the gym.  I was up on the wall and stuck mulling over this difficult stretch of holds and this lewd hip hop song came on...really? Do we have to hear about some guy taking advantage of some naive girl and then calling her a whore? Did they not expect to offend the empowered women who frequent the climbing gym? I almost fell off the wall I was so unnerved. I'm not a prude, and I like some hip hop, but I am offended by misogynistic lyrics and utterly disappointed to hear this stuff in a place that I have put on such a pedestal of inclusivity.  I guess there's one more duality to include in my description of the climbing gym: enlightened people and idiots.  


I post this to remind myself to get back outside where the noise pollution will not be an issue, and it doesn't smell like feet.

"Love you Lisa and Art!!!"

Abstract (surrealist?) art from Maddy :)

SoWa you tempt me...

Maybe one day I will go to an open air market and not find pretty things I must have...today is not that day. How can I pass up gently used Italian leather wedge heels in just my size? Or the perfect coasters to compliment all of the colors in my favorite couch pillow?  Pretty...

I'm so lucky to get to spend time with my great sister and her kids!

These are really good kids.  Damien was building a lego car and Dylan grabbed it and snapped it in two...most big brothers would flip out, but Damien calmly trades him the wheels of the car for the two pieces..."here, Dylan, why don't you play with these instead while I finish building it?" 

LJ and Steven, how did you raise such angels?

Conversations with "Caroline"

him: what does the phrase "w-h-o-d-a-t" mean?

me: oh, they're just using that phrase because for so long the New Orleans Saints were not really a good football team, so I think the fans have taken on the banner of sort of having come out of nowhere to be a really good team, you know, like "who dat?"

him: no, I meant what does the phrase itself mean?

me: *loud incredulous laughter*

him (overhearing a conversation I'm having with someone else): Oh, I heard that TV show got terrible reviews.

me: wow, you seem to know a lot about a lot of different things. 

him: well, you see, I have an app for my ipad that, you see, updates me on things like current events, things that are happening in the world.  It just gives me small articles to read; it's really convenient (feminine giggle).

me: oh, it's like you have the cliff's notes to life.


him (overhearing a conversation I'm having with someone else): It's funny to me how the subclasses speak sometimes.

me: What specifically do you mean by that?

him: Oh, nothing...(giggle)

me: Some subclasses don't even realize they're sub, I think.

him: *no reply*

I have family this week

Mama's silly boy. :)

my data...pentacle or dream-catcher?

This is network analysis of protein interactions we pulled out in my screen at lab. 
(Yes, this is my Saturday night...don't judge!)

on TV this weekend...right after Beetlejuice! No kidding!

    BILL
  Okay, a little ethics. You are walking down the 
  street. You find a suitcase full of money. 
  There's nobody around. No human person is in 
  evidence. What do you do? A
  You keep the money. B
  You use it to buy gifts for your friends and 
  your loved ones. C
  You give it to the poor. D
  You turn it into the police.
    KIM
  That is really stupid.
    PEG
  Kim!
    KEVIN
  I keep the money.
    PEG
  Simmer down.
    BILL
  Edward?
    KIM
  Hey, how about after dinner we go down to the 
  bowling alley? That will be fun.
    PEG
  You are not seeing Jim tonight?
    KIM
  No.
    KEVIN
  You know we had a cool show-and-tell today. 
  This kid brought in a box of baby possums, 10. 
  maybe 12. Totally naked. No hair at all.
    PEG
  Honey, this is fascinating. but I don't think 
  your father's finished yet.
    BILL
  Thank you, dear. Edward, we are waiting.

    EDWARD
  Give it to my loved ones?
  
    PEG
  Oh, Edward, it does seem that that's what you 
  should do, bit it's not.
    KEVIN
  You dope, everybody knows he's supposed to give 
  it to the police.
    BILL
  Good thinking, Kevin.
    KIM
  Well, think about it, you guys, I mean, that's 
  the nicer thing to do. That's what I would do.
    BILL
  We're trying to make things easier for him, so 
  let's cut the comedy for a little while.
    KIM
  I am being serious. It's a nicer thing to do.
    BILL
  We're not talking nice. We're talking right and 
  wrong.
    KIM

Shut up.

after seeing arcade fire on sunday...I want to be Regine Chassagne

Haiti, mon pays
Wounded mother I'll never see
Ma famille set me free
Throw my ashes into the sea

Mes cousins jamais nes
Hantent les nuits de Duvalier
Rien n'arrete nos espirits
Guns can't kill what soldiers can't see

In the forest we are hiding
Unmarked graves where flowers grow
Hear the soldiers angry yelling
In the river we will go

Tous les morts-nes forment une armee
Soon we will reclaim the earth
All the tears and all the bodies
Bring about our second birth

Haiti, never free
N'aie pas peur de sonner l'alarme
Tes enfants sont partis
In those days their blood was still warm 

good morning!

what...how do you start your day?

http://music.thekimera.net/randomstuff/kinnie%20starr%20-%20Praise!.mp3