I put millions of miles under my heels

missabravest @ 2009-06-16T01:50:00

2009-06-16T06:13:44Z

I haven't so much as looked at LJ since last year. However, I told David I'd post about my visit with him so here goes.

Friday after work, I embarked. Traffic wasn't bad but as I was coming into Chicago, stopping about a million places to pay stupid little tolls, my 'no gas!' light came on. I was already having trouble staying on track (the road signs and my GPS couldn't agree on what ANYTHING was called) but then I had to detour to a gas station. I then went in circles for a bit, in the dark, bitching to myself about having had a long day and scared of going the wrong way down a one-way street. Finally found his place but nowhere to park. Eventually we sorted it out and about 10PM it can be said I properly arrived =)

We went to the grocery store, got cookies, ice cream, Pepsi and Cracker Jack and - inexplicably - five short episodes of Mario Brothers Super Show, and consumed calories and horrible cartoonage on the roof of the awesome house David lives in. The view in all directions was fantastic and a train track passed within a stone's throw. Then we watched most of The Royal Tenenbaums with his roommates.

Saturday morning it rained a little but got beautiful. We wandered determinedly and with little plan. We

ate bagels
walked past the lab where David works
were going to get some cheap yarn and make a lamp-post cozy but on the way to Walmart, through Cicero, we (I) were vaguely threatened and decided to abort the plan
ate raspberries on a train using chopsticks
saw the lake and river
fought off my inclination to belly-dance with a pair of drummers in a tunnel (better for the world that that's what happened)
made plans to see a time capsule dug up at a fountain when we're 102 and 103 (our phones are programmed to go off so it's totally happening)
rode lots more trains (Columbus has zero trains)
saw Chinese sculptures in Millenium Park
saw some guys smacking buckets
found a closed knitting store and ate Chinese food
watched several episodes of Karau because Zanmei Tina was hard to find

AND on Sunday, we got up in time to have tea and breakfast, then attend a Buddhist service. Buddhism is nice and cuddly. There was then time to pick up Asian snacks (pancakes!) and go to the knitting store (not as impressive as hoped) and then I left for home.

I like where David lives.

missabravest @ 2008-11-30T17:45:00

2008-11-30T22:57:55Z

I'm not even going to talk about how long it's been since I posted here. Just rest assured, I check my friends page just about every day.

No more questions,
I'm addressing my fears.
Top of the list was always traps but I think it's been replaced.
I can't help but wonder
What it would be like
To look back and see, oh wait,
That was the one person I could throw myself into!
Far too late to backpedal.

----

A lot has happened and is happening and will happen. Vague enough? I'm finally getting my head together more than ever, I just don't know quite which direction to go with it.

If this job I interviewed for last week in Columbus doesn't pan out (though of course I hope it will), I'm going to see what I need to do to get the further schooling I want.

Not telling what kind of schooling. Oh .. nothing scandalous, just not the direction I thought I'd want to go.

I dated Tom for approximately six months, and he turned out to be a jackass .. well, what I really think of him is a little more complicated and a lot meaner than that but I'll spare you. Someone needs to smack me upside the head next time I try to date someone I meet through Dag .. oh wait, too late. This one's name is Michael. We'll see what happens. I've decided against trying too hard. I do, however, love his family to pieces. They have my Wii.

----

I am dreaming out my fingertips
Through wild-boy hair,
Spreading it over and over again the upturned freckled shoulder,
My eyes can't decide to be open or closed
Like the half-forgotten book beside me and
The thing is, I'm only mostly sure he's asleep
And if I relax too much
I'm afraid I'll get bitten

missabravest @ 2008-03-26T00:36:00

2008-03-26T04:54:47Z

I have more stockpiled Peeps and dark chocolate M'n'Ms then I have ever wanted. Mom keeps buying junk food for the family out of a guilty fear that she'll make everyone eat what she needs to eat (diabetic diet), then forgets what everyone likes and doesn't like and ends up buying a bunch of lemon sandwich cookies and non-chocolate Poptarts that don't get eaten and THEN sends all of it home with me whenever I visit. Guh. And all the while I'm trying to control my eating habits as well since I've been so sedentary, and my mom - who by the way has dropped a lot of weight and continues to do so, and she looks great and is staying healthy - SABOTAGES me.

I'm not really mad about it.

Hmm .. so my birthday was pretty sweet. I was initially scheduled to work that morning, which was a paid holiday, but my supervisor got the analysis rescheduled and I got to head up to GR Thursday night. We (Celina, Ron, Pat and I) went out for the midnight drinks, which was exciting and led to a few minor shenanigans. Then my birthday greeted us with a nice little snowstorm that got us stuck in traffic for a few hours and snowed in for the night, so we played Rock Band and had a few drinks in the basement. So it was a good weekend.

The next day Celina's dad made me sad because I was getting ready to think about leaving for Adrian, and he was all, "So, how long are you staying? A month? .. There's always room for one more here." And I was all .. maaannn!! I wish!

And my dad had surgery on his right arm, so it's in a sling and he has to take sink baths and get Mom to cut up his food and find someone to tie his shoes every time he leaves the house. And he's taking it pretty well. Probably better than I would.

I just blew two and a half hours on Smash Bros Brawl. I got my ass kicked in GR this past weekend by a drunk guy *grr Pat* so I'd better work on that.

Mm! Two weekends ago I went to the Rivendell season opener in Columbus. I hadn't fought in like a year and a half so I was awful. But it was fun! Everyone was really friendly and courteous and I can't wait to go back. So now I may have someone to camp with at Rag *dance* and won't have to rely on the civility of jackasses.

missabravest @ 2008-02-25T21:03:00

2008-02-26T02:12:18Z

Mmmkay, I know this is like my third post today but it's actually important.

In case you didn't hear, Bishop Makarios lost his battle with severe injuries sustained during a car accident in England on 5 January 2008. Despite the internal trauma and broken ribs, he held on until 23 February 2008.

If you took a class from him, heard from someone else about him or even just saw him walking across campus, take a moment and think of him. The loss to the Alma community and to the Indian Orthodox Church is monumental.

missabravest @ 2008-02-25T17:19:00

2008-02-25T22:20:08Z

In a colorless town
A colorless crowd of people
Mutters "Happy Birthday"s to each other

missabravest @ 2008-02-25T07:35:00

2008-02-25T12:37:50Z

"But was not cynicism merely a mask on an idealist seeking more, seeking perfection, seeking disproof of his cynical assumptions?"

Andrew Offut, in The Vivisectionist

(You bet yer ass.)

missabravest @ 2008-02-03T14:59:00

2008-02-03T20:00:24Z

Ha, screw the Super Bowl!

The Puppy Bowl is starting on Animal Planet right now.

CHECK IT

Lazy Sunday

2008-01-27T21:58:58Z

So I was watching Enter the Dragon the other night really late, and thinking I wish I'd been born at a time where I could idolize Bruce Lee .. you know, before he died .. but whatevs.

Colored the front of my hair! It was a minor disaster, but then I've been meaning to clean my bathroom anyway.

WHAT BITCH?! (note the nasty, dirty ears I am totally not allowed to clean.)

Glove I made. Brother to follow in opposite colors (purple cuff, etc).

missabravest @ 2007-12-17T21:47:00

2007-12-18T02:55:07Z

K so this is where I go,

Holy crap. Did I need to buy another DDR game, another lot of yarn from eBay, or that T-shirt?

I think I kind of went nuts with the whole "real job, now I can buy what I want" thing.

And now I have to stop because student loans are eating my paycheck and there's been a whole lot less overtime for me lately.

Also, cats are costly, especially when you're allergic. And getting them spayed.

AUGH SHE EATS HAIR

Spay and neuter, y'all.

missabravest @ 2007-12-16T21:30:00

2007-12-17T02:33:52Z

Just something that occurred to me ..

Was knitting and watching Glenn Beck (I don't make a habit of it) and they had a quick talk about someone that wants to put a tax on having children. And regardless of how I feel about that, they started talking about how people should really have more babies, not fewer. They said someday the history books will talk about the "decline of the West" and how we "brought it on ourselves" because we are being "outbirthed".

So, what? I guess I missed where human population became a competition.

Isn't overpopulation a global issue? Why is it us v the world?

"Fuck sides, man! What we need here is a little solidarity!!"

missabravest @ 2007-12-01T16:45:00

2007-12-01T21:49:08Z

So I finally sucked it up and got my hair cut. The cut is not exactly what I wanted, and once I put my finger on it I'll probably fix it, but the color is great!

This is how the lady styled it .. kind of curled under and bob-y. Didn't really like it.

And this is me right before leaving for the Christmas party tonight.

which is after straightening and using product. Bwahaha! It also looks cute in high and low pigtails =P

Now if only Josh would show up .. *foot tap* it's go time!!

missabravest @ 2007-11-12T22:03:00

2007-11-13T03:03:59Z

missabravest @ 2007-11-12T00:07:00

2007-11-12T05:16:05Z

Hahaha. OK. So I'm playing DDR, and I'm kinda getting gross and decide to take a walk for some fresh air at about 11:15pm. I take off with my phone, a five for a pop at CVS, a hoodie and, just for the hell of it, my black "engineer" hat. I notice some cop cars zooming by me, but no sirens, think it's weird but whatevs, I get to CVS like ten minutes later, buy a Diet Sunkist, all is well.

And I'm halfway back to my apartment, and a cop car pulls into the driveway in front of me. I think, that's weird, that coffee shop's closed. So I walk by, and the cop jumps out and is all, "Hey, blah blah blah, do you have an ID on you." And I'm all, no, it's at my apartment. And she asks if I'm alone, and I say yeah, and she says "Well, someone says they just saw you with two other people." I really don't know what to say, right? Something comes out like, "Well, that doesn't seem right, I've been alone." Cuz, seriously, the last person I was with was Jess at like four in the afternoon. And I explain what I've been doing, and she writes down my name, phone number, SS number, all this. So it turns out, they're looking for a blond girl with a hat. (Damn the hat! Why'd I wear the hat??) And another cop comes up for a while, then he leaves, and then the lady cop asks if she can check to make sure I don't have an ID on me and I'm all, "Go for it." And she says, "Put your hands behind your back. You're not being arrested. Have you ever been arrested?" And I almost laugh.

Anyway, after that she said they found the girl they were looking for. And I walked home laughing to myself. Seriously, what are the odds?

Also I'm wondering if it's gonna be in the police log in the paper, and if my name will be in it, and if I'm gonna get asked about it at work tomorrow.

missabravest @ 2007-11-10T00:06:00

2007-11-10T05:08:00Z

I love these commercials inordinately. When the Viking yells "NO!!!" and throws the garbage can .. that's, like, replaced my "DO NOT WANT" response to anything that irks me. At least for now.

But I didn't know till I looked on YouTube that there's like seven or ten of these. Holy crap.

missabravest @ 2007-11-02T20:21:00

2007-11-03T00:30:50Z

The way the old man stumbled up to me, it seemed he was surely drunk, yet his words were clearly spoken.

"I'm here to tell you," he say excitedly, "of a sight I came upon some months ago, when I was moved to walk through the woods alone in the dark, as happens sometimes .." He trailed off, then started with fresh eagerness.

"The path was even beneath my feet, so I let my eyes wander to the leaves above me - was summer still then, you know - and a silver flash caught my eye. So quickly it moved, in curls and spirals, a great pale snake!" His hands made graceful motions in the air. "Nothing so sick as that, though, you understand, this was beautiful. Something right.

And you know, it hovered, it started to drift away, and of course I followed - some beauty, a dreamer's lifeblood!" He laughed a little. "Off the path, between the trees, I could barely keep up but then it stopped! And it descended, and the face of it looked at me, as its body kept writhing. The shame! That I should stand in the regard of such a creature, only myself!" He was nearly wailing now, but caught himself and calmed.

"The face of it - covered in scales, or feathers, and they weren't white or gray as I had thought, but all colors, light and shining. And enormous eyes it had! Like ice, they shone! But even as I noticed them, those big eyes closed.

"Before I could wonder or speak, the face turned away, and with a lash of its body it left me, far quicker than before. In a flash, I thought, was it displeased by me? But I didn't wonder long, for a little chunk of stone hit the ground in front of me, like it flew out of the moon!"

Now the man thrust his hand down the front of his shirt and came up with a long chain necklace. He came close to me, and curiosity bid I lean close to examine the pendant in his shaking hand. It was a stone wrapped in silver wire. I was disappointed.

"That's only moonstone."

"Ain't that fitting!" The man laughed delightedly, without many teeth. "Let me tell you, boy, this old man's seen a lot of things to please a dreamer, but all of 'em fade. But I haven't forgotten the way that thing looked at me, oh no! Never will! It's in all my best dreams now."

GR

2007-10-28T23:56:06Z

So me and the boy went to GR for a Halloween party at the house of Celina's folks.

He started by meeting the ducks

and helping with bunny maintenance

and we watched Celina get Shrek a little more vertical (that's right)

and then we changed into costumes. Celina was Leeloo from The Fifth Element

and Ron was Corbin Dallace, and Delia and Pat were dancers

and me and Josh were King Kong and .. the girl he kidnaps .. ^_^;;

And there may have been some of the traditional Celina-biting

and James showed up! I still don't believe it

We met Shteve

And everyone loved everyone.

Seriously .. I should not have worried, but I did because sometimes my friends and boyfriends don't mix, but he was GREAT. I will indeed try to hang on to him =)

It was awesome to see everyone. I wish I could do it more often!!

missabravest @ 2007-10-19T01:19:00

2007-10-19T05:20:01Z

Fell off the wagon again ..

and logged into Everquest 2 tonight.

Traj invited me right back into the guild and even offered to make me an officer. (I declined.)

*sigh* =^-^=

Weather

2007-10-13T02:00:09Z

I like driving backwards in the fog cuz it doesn't remind me of anything

I was sitting at lunch yesterday, and the table was crowded but I was kind of spaced out, looking at the thick rain clouds and wishing I could be in them. Being in fog - even driving through it - if I relax, I really enjoy it. Reason being, if something is in front of me unexpectedly, it's not my fault. I couldn't have done anything about it. I am small and the fog is big.

If we give up responsibility for the big things, we lead such small lives. (I am not qualified to make this or any related statement.)

I'm only happy when it rains

Something Josh doesn't get, and kind of makes fun of me for, is my affinity for rainstorms. There's something about being soaked and droopy that really gets my creative mind in gear. Nothing I can usually phrase or form outside of my mind, but I walk slowly and let everything remind me of something. Thunderstorms are better. Nature's usually all, in the background, doing the normal thing, but then once in a while She gets in a mood and is all, pay attention to ME! And we do.

missabravest @ 2007-09-30T02:23:00

2007-09-30T06:24:32Z

For some reason, though I have hit the random comic button on this site five million times, this one only popped up just now.

missabravest @ 2007-09-29T20:13:00

2007-09-30T00:26:58Z

My kitten thinks it's funny to jump on the screen of the screen door and just hang there, spread eagle, with all fours. I think it's funny too but I'm worried about the screen.

I went to Wisconsin with my dad last weekend for my cousin Donnie's wedding. The first night we were there I stayed at Ty's new place, but wasn't much fun to be around because I was dead tired. (Bad planning, really. I decided to go to the Motocross event at the fair here with Josh, Harrison and Cheryl, and me and Josh couldn't tear ourselves away until 11pm. Then I drove to Adrian for too few hours of sleep.) The wedding was the next day. I wore a dress I made, which was cute, but I haven't gotten/won't ever get any pictures of it.

I met some kids I've never seen before in my life: my cousin Lisa's twins, Katy and Elizabeth

and their little bro (I forget his name), who was so sleepy his feet weren't even ticklish

and this is the wedded family: Donnie and Crystal, their twins Josie and Courtney, and the parents of the groom, my aunt Sherrie and uncle Dave

Then I went out with Lisa, Donnie and Crystal and partied at little country bars, got embarrassingly sick and didn't get to eat dinner. Ah well =)

------------

Something's going to happen.

-----------

Some girls like to hold your hand and some girls like to pray
My girl takes her drinks with dust and rusty razor blades
She's my man and we've got all the balls we need"

ASS UP

2007-09-14T02:53:01Z

missabravest @ 2007-08-22T00:51:00

2007-08-22T04:53:55Z

I stood over her unconscious body, the hollow, plastic, child-sized chair shaking in my hands as I held it aloft. "What are you? What are you?" I stuttered.

"She breathes still." His lips didn't move, and the grin didn't waver on his face; I thought distantly that perhaps it was only for decoration. "But I didn't come to do that."

And with that, he moved, faster than I could track. Suddenly the grin was in my face, his claws were rending my shirt, and I was being hauled up, thrown aloft. The chair slipped from my hands, and I watched it tumble downward away from me, slowly spinning. It hit the floor with a mild tunk. Nearby, the monster's feet led my eyes to his face, wildly grinning still. He crouched, then sprang upward. His shoulder hit my stomach.

Something happened. Something snapped. Something exploded. I felt my eyes widen, and then we were moving, upward, away, faster. His fingers, his claws, dug into my thigh. Past his buttocks and his feet, I watched in terror as we flew through .. I couldn't tell what. A fever dream. A cathedral. Candy-Land.

Then there was an impact, and he gently - curiously gently - laid me on the ground. It was soft, springy. Purple. There were trees, blue and orange. A pink sky stretched overhead.

I lifted my hands to my face. All was numb.

"Where are we?" I heard myself whine, somewhere. And a sob. "My sister? Where is she?"

"She will feel closure," said the grin, or something behind it. "We left your body behind."

missabravest @ 2007-08-19T01:19:00

2007-08-19T05:39:07Z

I got into town at 9pm yesterday, because I got a late start leaving from work .. long, stupid story, and it took five people helping me to get me out of there as early as 6 at all. And as I rolled through Blissfield I called Justin as per plan, thinking how sad it was that it was so late and he probably wouldn't want to do anything, but I was wrong. So after I got home and talked at my mom for a while, he called back and said he didn't know if we were going to go bowling or play pool or what, but we should meet at 7-11 and decide over Slurpees. The reality turned out to be walking in loopy circles through downtown Adrian with Slurpees in hands, talking quickly and laughing loudly. I am happy that he seems happy.

We ended up in his parents' basement playing Wii games and Guitar Hero (I was awful at everything), and half-watching Adult Swim while still talking a mile a minute. Some of it was joyful, some fairly depressing, and one thing made me tip my chair over in excitement (the guy plays D'n'D!! WHO KNEW!? I'm still excited about that).

There was also some of this

which was good. And I left at 3:30am still full of things to say, but not feeling so energetic anymore.

Today Celina and I dropped Ron off at practice, got Tim Hortons goodies, walked around the mall and successfully used up lots of time, randomly including a Deb manager in our conversation about lady hormones. Everything was good .. the usual rants, which brighten my heart. I also bought another bikini (on sale!), a lacy skirt (also on sale!) and a few shirts. And then we called Nettie and wished her a happy 23rd (Fyre! I cha-cha-chaed in the song =D ), and found out something spectacular ..

she's moving to freakin' Columbus!! (That's, like, an hour from Ashland!)

*completely geeked*

And tomorrow holds good things too, with any luck .. depending on the weather, and the post-party state of my comrades. (I do miss the booze.)

(Sometimes.)

It's been a damn good weekend, and a whole nother day to go.

missabravest @ 2007-08-16T22:25:00

2007-08-17T02:33:52Z

Meet Claudia

and baby Nova. This is when I brought them home and she wouldn't come out of the carrier. "Cage is fine kthxbai"

Definitely a "DO NOT WANT!!!" shot

And Mommy's all, ppppttttthhhhhhhh on the soft widdle tummy!

And my favorite, because it's always funny when people make silly faces in pictures. Or stuff themselves into boots.

I want to catch minnows ..

2007-08-02T11:14:30Z

Lately I've been doing this stupid work-nap-wake up and groggily do things-sleep for too few hours sleep cycle, and it wasn't very smart. So since I had an insomnia problem Tuesday night, I decided yesterday to stay up until a reasonable time and get decent sleep.

So I went to sleep at 11:30 last night and at 7 this morning, I was dreaming this pretty dream, and I was just starting to wade out into this clear, shallow, sandy creek with a camera and a bucket and a little net (no holes anywhere, either .. they never stayed that way long in my experience) and I was gonna catch minnows .. and I was really excited about it ..

And my alarm went off and surprised me. I had one of those "where am I?" feelings except I was just right here.