the jester king

on my walk with my speckled hen of a dog this morning it smelled like rain. everything is light gray in the sky and the colors of cars pop out at you and my oreo dog looks blue. he tried to chase the birds that sound like they are hiccuping as they sit on the telephone poles. he taunts the other dogs behind fences, and played with another speckled dog who was brown and white. his name was oz.

sometimes i feel like my life revolves around this dog. but i guess his life revolves around me. so i a way, we are the same. i am reading this book by jose saramago and its about death. at the point i am, she has for the first time, had a dog sit on her lap and realized how wonderful it felt to be in that situation. this death is only the death of humans, not other living things, and she feels sad for the dog, as she knows it will die one day and so will its owner.

sunday commences. breakfast time.

sanctuary

neptune is calling

january 5th. 5 days into 2011. quite naturally, everyone i am sure is still holding steadfastly onto their resolutions. it takes more than 5 days to admit you are a quitter. for me, i have started half my resolution- the one to read more, and am about halfway through death with interruptions by jose saramago. i absolutely have loved all the books i have read by him, so i am continuing on. and it was a gift. next on the list is the crucible, and then heart of darkness. after those, i will read deconstructing the kimbell an architect's account of louis kahnl, who as you all might know, is number 2 on my list of favorite architects. after that, brecht's galileo. afterwards, there will be more greek tragedies and faust. faust will be in february i believe. i hope by this one book a week, i am not setting myself up for failure, but rather for quite an education. kind of the best thing ever.

the other half of my resolution is to go to yoga 5 times a week. i am starting tonight. or restarting, as the holidays killed my yoganess.

the cave

i know the holidays are about family and overindulgence and arguing and snow. but i am seriously dying for a day in a coffee shop with my computer and my latte and gchat that sidetracks me from what i want to work on. all in all, i am longing for a perfect grad school day. wake up, oatmeal, trek to the coffee place, computer on table, coffee on table, books on table, internet procrastination, amazing thoughts appearing from said procrastination, more coffee, more internet, possible lunch break with a streaming episode of some cheesy show, and more work. somehow that is complete perfectness and this snow storm is really starting to get on my nerves.

the adams family tradition

best ever

these are my dreams

glass houses, white sheets, fig and olive oil candles, puppies that always stay puppies, two-toned vintage trucks, big glasses and perfectly short hair, overly stamped passports, cascadian dark ales with brussel sprouts and sweet potatoes, collages in white frames, car singing, heels and dance parties, snow, cigarettes and sister time, the commune any day of the year, the coast, the ocean, jade coves, unlimited ripe avocados and sea salt, walls of books with time and no internet, nighttime train rides through mountains and cities, bikes and tree lined streets, autumn weather for breakfast, sunshine, the redwoods, the first time i saw the redwoods, the black forest, maltese food and family, every color of sharpie, sonoma wineries, and kidney bean swimming pools.

one mountain

esteban schimpf

turkey a go go

thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. it probably has a lot to do with the food, but there is something else that just makes it the best day in my book. we went to martha's vineyard for a few years. something about the cold ocean smells and the grey days just made everything absolutely wonderful and cozy. there was the year in chicago, where josh and i cooked a turkey we named stella for mostly a vegetarian crowd. it was my first attempt at fried cauliflower also. the vegetarians loved the cauliflower. my mother still makes it better than i do though. she is the master and i only the apprentice. i remember spending a thanksgiving in florida with my aunt and uncle, and that was slightly disastrous and the stuffing was frankly gross. fourth form thanksgiving was spent at the ole miss mississippi state football game- we ate beforehand and bounced on a trampoline- full of green beans and cornbread stuffing. my last two thanksgivings were spent in santa cruz, where time stands still a bit, and the smell of the ocean just reaches you in the morning. where friends really do become family and where having at least 10 pies is not extravagant but necessary. i am missing my santa cruz family, my california family today. because being in california meant not only time with molly and her family, but with my brother and sister and nick's aunt and uncle.

today would have been the day to arrive, to drink some wine and cuddle up by the outdoor fire. nick and i are sad to miss the friends and the feasts. but we have our own 15 pound turkey that is brining as i type and new friends to share our modest feast with this year. it is sort of my first offical grown up thanksgiving. but next year, i believe it will be back to the commune we go. its just too hard to stay away.

all we ever wanted was everything

tonight, i think we are going to play pool with our friend drew.
tomorrow night, i am shopping for my thanksgiving party. or going to uchiko. i haven't decided yet.
wednesday night, i want to go to the gingerman and have some beers because we haven't been yet.
wednesday morning, i want to go to boggy creek farms, to find other delicious things to eat.
thursday is thanksgiving and i am cooking.
friday will be movie day- harry potter again.
saturday, brunch and walter cronkite at the lbj library.
sunday i will gear up for monday. football will be involved. and other things too i am sure.

sigh no more

sayre gomez