Old Lang Sign?

Cheers and Happy New Year!

Nice day for a...

This is probably my favorite picture of 2006. This is the flower girl from the first wedding I've ever been in. She's feisty.

Try to make a move just to stay in the game.

Gah.

You've been sitting on the sidewalks wondering.

I like to call this one, "Sunset Over A Farm Through A Scratched Windshield Occurring Due To Overabundance of Road Salt And Lack of Car-Washing In Winter In Wisconsin."

I think the title says it all.

We all need to find someone to keep us warm.

It was not a white Christmas this year, alas. The ducks were right at home. However, it's all okay. Christmas isn't really about snow anyway, is it?

No indeed. It's about presents.

Oh, and family and love and Jesus and Mithras and holly and mistletoe and pie. All those things, too.

It's Christmas time, and time for a carol.

Hmm, where did I go? I'm not sure, I've been here, I thought.

Anyway, it is now Christmastime. Huzzah! In the spirit of Christmas, have this picture taken on State Street in Madison, Wisconsin back in July. This is the Overture Center, and really has nothing to do with Christmas whatsoever. Generally, my Christmas pictures turn out badly. That is disappointing, because so much of Christmas is just so pretty! It's just not very photogenic.

In other news, I found out this morning that I got all A's this semester, officially. I can do the happy dance and breathe easy until January. Woo!

...and he will be my Squishy.

This is another from New Orleans Road Trip 2004. This was taken at an aquarium in Dolly Parton's hometown (just down from Dollywood), and I actually blew it up, framed it, and hung it in my bathroom (this picture, not Dollywood).

The jellyfish were really neat, because they turned this pinky-orange color when you turned the light on in the tank. Without the light, they were black.

In other news, have you ever gotten a spoonful of oatmeal that tasted like dish soap? Let me tell you, that's something you can skip.

The cat came back, the very next day.

I have a strong dislike of cats, and it is this cat's fault. She was my roommate's cat and my nemesis for the entire time we occupied the same dwelling. Suffice to say there were severe personality clashes between Audrey and I.

She sure is cute when she's sleeping though, isn't she?

Jimmy, don't cry.

It's lucky that I have a large backlog of things to post, because I just killed my low-end digital camera. Forgetting that I am not a master photographer by any means, I am extremely upset. Mostly because The Accident was entirely my fault and I have no idea when I'll be able to get another one.

In case you were wondering, it isn't a good idea to drop your camera on the floor lens-side down. Not even a carpeted floor.

Rest in peace, Low-End Digital Camera. You and I may have been low-end photographers, but together we still managed some prettiness. You shall be missed.

This is the last picture on the memory card. Nothing too spectacular, but I really love the colors.

O cruel fate! Fie! Fie!

Let it rain, hallelujah, let it pour.

I thought when I grew up I would be smarter, more sophisticated, and generally be far more with it and happening than I currently am. I thought I'd be better at knowing what I wanted, better at not feeling bad about wanting stuff, and better at getting it. I certainly didn't think I'd be debating between applying for jobs in Washington DC, joining the Peace Corps, or adopting an extremely large dog. I also thought I'd be mature enough not to take pictures while doing seventy miles an hour down I-90.

I was wrong about most of those things.

But I don't really mind.

I'll start minding if this is still happening when I'm forty.

I am a chimbley, a chimbley sweep...

The Decemberists are one of my favorite bands of all time. I didn't get to see them this tour but I did before everyone else started to like them (ooh, elitist alert!). That tambourine is on fire!

I want an alien for Christmas.

I had grand plans to take a picture of something wintery or Christmassy, stick it on the front of a piece of cardstock, and call it a Christmas card. These plans have been dashed by the memory of the last time I attempted to do this and wound up with a frozen camera, no Christmas cards, and a couple dozen annoyed people I'd promised really excellent cards.

I'm spectacularly bad at sending out Christmas cards. I bought some at the store this evening and have addressed about half of them, but if they actually get sent out before mid-March it will be a first.

So rather than look at a picture of something seasonal, look at this neat globe in the glowy library of the Hawthorne Hotel in Salem, Massachusetts. It reminded me of being below decks in some kind of fancy old tall ship.

The fox went out on a chilly night...

I was talking to someone just the other day about how much I enjoy living alone. I do enjoy it, very much. On the other hand, one of the problems (one of MY problems, that is) is that it's very easy to think too much. You start thinking and you don't stop, and you go a little batty.

Another problem is that you get very good at talking to yourself. Sometimes you forget to turn that off when around Real People. Then they know you've gone batty too.

Sew, very old one! Sew like the wind!

I realize this doesn't look like much, but I think it's beautiful. Since this is my blog, that's all that matters. I think even linoleum can be beautiful in the right light. This is at my parents' house, sometime in the winter of 2004. Someday I'd really like to actually try piecing something together on the ol' Singer. It seems like it would be more Real.

I'm aware that's silly.

Tomorrow I'm going to the art museum, provided it isn't snowing. Maybe I'll be inspired.

Some terrifying space monkeys maybe got loose?

To continue my mini trip down memory lane, this was taken shortly after I turned 21 at a bar on La Crosse's almost-famous Third Street (it's rumored that Third Street has more bars per block than anywhere else in the country, but I think that's a myth. The point is, it's The Place To Go when you're a college student in La Crosse, Wisconsin). I was having an especially bad day and some friends took me out to cheer me up. Nothing takes your mind of things like playing pool very, very badly.

And forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair.

My senior year of college (three years ago, now) I went on a Spring Break road trip down to New Orleans with two friends. We were driving from Mobile to New Orleans and decided we needed to stop along the way to take off our shoes and sit on a pier. Just our luck, we found a pier on our first try!

I believe this is a county park on the Gulf of Mexico in Alabama, but I couldn't recall the name if you offered to take me there again, which is a real shame because it was lovely. Very bayou-like.

In other news, I had a very strange dream in the wee hours of the morning before my alarm went off that involved me marrying Clark Kent and smiting some ninjas using only my wits and several dozen forks. This may have been the highlight of my day if I hadn't just made myself a cup of tea and hunkered down to watch Superman II, because tea + Superman = a recipe for goodness.

Throw me a line?

This is the Mississippi River, just south of its official beginning. In the summer, old-timey paddle-wheel boats come and dock here so tourists can climb aboard for gambling and boozing. It reminds me of the twenties, with less-awesome fashion. At least, I think it would remind me of the twenties if I'd been alive then. Wasn't there something about alcohol and gambling boats during Prohibition?

I might've dreamed that. It might actually remind me of that movie "Maverick." Definitely not the twenties, but definitely some awesome fashion choices.

Six o'clock in the morning, and you're the last to hear the warning.

Yes, Virginia, it is okay to call in to work if it takes you 45 minutes to drive seven blocks. Snow day! It doesn't look like the dream of balcony snow angels is going to happen, because the snow is blowing around too much, but perhaps later.

It's a jungle winter wonderland out there!

The moon is up over one tree hill.

Looks like it's going to snow. A lot. Whee!

I wonder if, living in Wisconsin, you can possibly get away with calling in to work because of road conditions. I'd like to make a snow angel on my balcony.

You say it's your birthday...

It's my birthday and I had $2 martinis and Baileys. Because I have very nice classmates who put up with pouring rain and an annoying brat who has to go do something on her birthday and doesn't have a boyfriend to fall back on.

Sometimes I think I'm very lucky. Life is good.

You're the other side of the world to me.

Seeing this outside today, I find it difficult to believe I've got a Christmas tree up and December starts this week.

In slightly related commentature, I want KT Tunstall's outfit from the front of "Eye to the Telescope," but without the rainbow suspenders, which I consider to be just too much wackiness and fun for one album cover. Of course, I'm not going to be on any album covers in the near future so it might be all right - but I also believe rainbow suspenders would be too much for going out to dinner with your friends. Just say no.

Rain rain, go away.

I'm pretty sure this is supposed to be snow. What's up, weather? It's snowing in Seattle right now, come on!

I am in a major funk right now. It's probably because my birthday is this week, and (I fully realize this is annoying) my birthday depresses me a little bit. Soooo... if it could snow instead of rain, that might be helpful! It might also be helpful if Peter Parker would come over and be my boyfriend, but I think snow might be just slightly more realistic.

Spread your wings and fly.

I'm having sort of a rotten day, so I'll make this brief - this is the capital building in Madison, which I've always liked. It's got four wings, a dome, and a golden lady on the top! What's not to like?

Joy to the world, all the boys n' girls.

Why, Blogger, why? Why did I just have to log in with three different usernames to post? Methinks beta!Blogger has a problem.

Luckily, this didn't ruin my life. I put up my Christmas tree today and it's mighty pretty if I may say so. I'm only using red and white lights. This is because my mom and I were so impressed with the display trees at Menards, one of which was a green-and-white tree, I decided I'd go with that. It's a little tree and it's fake, but I don't have anybody to impress here so it works fine. Plus, if anybody breaks in, my place will look festive. That's almost as good as having someone there whose sole job is to shake his or her head disapprovingly at intruders.

Paladin!

This picture reminds me of 'Stand By Me.' I have a list of projects on which I wish I'd been in on the creation (writing 'Yankee Bayonet (I Will Be Home Then)' by the Decemberists, the first 'Superman' movie, 'Firefly,' etc), and 'Stand By Me' is one of them. I find that movie so almost perfect it hurts my heart (that's in a good way).

Anyway, I like the part when they're walking along the tracks singing the theme to 'Paladin.' Kids do silly things like that all the time and I like it when movies capture kid moments so well.

Yellow rose of Thanksgiving.

I started a new job recently so I'm not entirely familiar with the way they do things yet. Yesterday was my last day of work before Thanksgiving (I onlly work two days a week) and at about ten in the morning some of my coworkers ran over to my desk declaring, "The flowers are here! The flowers are here!" Sure enough, in the recieving department were flower arrangements for each person I work with. Apparently my boss buys everyone flowers for Thanksgiving, which I think is really keen and totally above and beyond.

I hate taking pictures inside, but they're really very pretty and fall-y. Trust me.

Yo ho, yo ho...

It's the Salem Friendship! For a place so serious about burning people alive, they're awfully punny. Though maybe puns are part of the evil... hoom.

I went to Salem last year and it was wonderful - the people were wonderfully nice and welcoming, and it's just a neat little city. I do not, however, suggest attempting to drive to Boston from Salem in the hopes of going to see The Decemberists, because Massachusetts navigation is like navigating the Bermuda Triangle. Not only do none of the streets have signs to tell you where you are, but at one point the light at which we were sitting turned red and yellow at the same time, causing this sort of face: o.O

So... go to Salem, or go to Boston, but do not attempt to travel between the two. It's harder than it looks.

When you're a Jet, you're a Jet all the way...

This is supposedly the busiest week of travel in this country, but personally, I'm not going anywhere. Well, anywhere exciting. I do not consider driving four hours to my aunt's house to be terribly exciting, especially when we're not even leaving the state. For a small state, Wisconsin is pretty big - you can drive at least ten hours and not hit something that isn't Wisconsin. That seems wrong.

In any case, I like travel and generally think it is a good thing. I think the TSA is considering disallowing cameras (and all other small electronic devices - goodbye, iPod) on planes in 2007, which would break my heart. We'll have to go back to documenting things by drawing them, and if you've ever seen my art, you know that is a bad, bad plan.

One thing I really like about this picture are the two rising suns that showed up because of the double-paned glass at the airport. It makes me feel like Luke Skywalker. Excuse me while I go hum the "Binary Sunset" theme.

Miracle-gro?

They look so much taller from here.

The weather outside is frightful.

It's coming... I can hear my car groaning from here.

Someone told me it's all happening at the zoo.

Madison has a really excellent free zoo. When I lived in there last year (Madison, not the zoo - though I was actually born just across the street), I would take some of my ample (well, these days it seems ample) free time and go visit the wee animals. Giraffes look totally dorky while chewing.

November 12 of 12

Happy Veteran's Day.

Who's the leader of the club that's made for you and me?

Very recently I discovered that I hit the friend jackpot, and a friend and I are going to Disney World in January for her birthday, compliments of her parents.

...whaaaaa?!

Promises to be sweet, provided it is more than ten degrees warmer there than it will be here.

This plastic prison can't hold me forever.

I wish it looked like this outside right now.

Raaaaaaiiin... I don't mind.

I'm sitting here attempting to teach myself about the fascinating world of library law (I'm typing with my sarcastic fingers today, in case you hadn't noticed) while we're having the best rainstorm we've had all year. I think rain is supposed to make me want to stay inside and do homework, but it's really just making me want to stay inside and read graphic novels. Maybe even regular novels, without any pictures! I also think it's supposed to be snowing, given that it's November. Ah well. Batgirl was a librarian.

By land, by sea, by dirigible.

I hope the rest of these people get their boats out of the water and down to Antigua soon, because I think the lake will be freezing in the next few weeks. And I would hate for the yuppies people who keep their boats at the marina to be without them until spring!

They sure are pretty, though.

One side will make you grow taller, and the other side will make you grow shorter.

Taken off the bike path where I used to go running. This thing was the size of my head. Why would a mushroom need to be so big?

Perhaps more importantly, what kind was Lewis Carrol on when he wrote "Jabberwocky?"

Like you imagined when you were young.

This is my grandmother's backyard. In her backyard, there are lots of wildflowers, as well as The Ocean. This is what I've always thought grandmother's houses ought to look like, and what I imagine mine will look like when I'm old.

I really like that wildflowers look pretty even when they're beginning to get tired and wilt... I know some people like that.

Peer pressure! Peer pressure!

Go vote, all the cool kids are doing it!

Just forget about the satisfaction you're giving all the people with the ads on TV and the signs in their yards. After tomorrow, it'll all be over. To celebrate, I shall have cheesecake.

Don't you know that you're toxic?

My mom spent summers here as a kid, and I'm jealous. Of course, that was back before some dummy poured a bunch of government toxic waste into the lake and made it not quite as nice as it used to be.

You can't tell it's toxic by looking, though. You also can't tell half the actresses in Hollywood are anorexic by looking either, but that doesn't mean it's peachy keen.

That's probably a bad example, but you know what I mean. Also, I want to give Lindsay Lohan a cheeseburger and fries so badly I'd buy it for her myself if I were the kind of person who had celebrity friends. My friends should really get on that. If they were famous, I'd buy them stuff.

Ireland 2001 (horizontal edition)

Galway - Monday morning... they do like their spirits in the old country.


Dun Aonghasa, Aran Islands - The farmers on the largest of the Aran Islands just let their cattle graze all over the place. Are the cattle suicidal, or just bored with the view? The world may never know.


Aran Islands - Well... there's fishing. Mostly I just really like that the boats are all such bright colors.


Glenn Colmcille - This is my favorite sunset of all time (and I've been alive for almost 25 years so I've seen a lot of sunsets), and you really don't get the half of it from the picture. It was much better than this. It's still a nice picture, though. At least I think so.

Ireland 2001 (vertical edition)

Glenn Colmcille - I was never sure what this was even while I was there. All I know is it was surrounded by a creepily high wrought-iron fence and looked extremely haunted. More haunted than you're average haunted place.

I guess you don't really get that sense from the picture. Next time I'll take one while it's foggy. Then you'll see.


Glenn Colmcille - Just the beach. It's beautiful, much like everything else in Ireland. *yawn*


Slieve League - Slieve League is in Donegal, and is supposedly the site of the highest sea-cliffs in Europe. I don't know that I believe that (the Cliffs of Moher seemed taller to me), but I'm an ignorant American fully able and willing to admit I know nothing. This is the path up to the highest vantage point.

Deep Blue Day

We've got sort of a fake indian summer here and since I finished my homework to-do list before noon today, I figured I ought to take advantage of what is probably one of my last chances to wander around downtownish.

Generally when I have these grand plans to wander around downtownish and take pictures of neat things, I end up at the art museum. As a result, I've been a-wandering aorund downtownish a dozen times and couldn't tell you any of the neat things down there. Except the art museum.



The lobby. Unless it's night, it's always all blue and reflectey in there.



I'm still sort of shocked they'll let you in the lobby for free.



Purty.




My feet look huge, but don't be afraid! I promise I wear size sevens.



Either the Cathedral Square decorating committee hasn't gotten the memo that it isn't Christmas yet, or this is Wisconsin and everyone puts their lights up two months early because when it is actually socially acceptable to have Christmas decorations up, it's freaking cold and nobody wants to be outside. Not sure which.

Speaking of Cathedral Square, it's Sunday, and I had these grand expectations of branching out and taking pictures of something other than the art museum - namely, churches. This dream is still unrealized, because apparently churches are locked on Sundays. O! I am fortune's fool! Perhaps I should try again on Thursday. Beause that would make sense.



I have many silly expectations. One of these is that I will marry Superman, another is that one day I will have a very nice camera, yet another is that churches are unlocked early Sunday afternoons. Today's example: I expect cities to be full of fat pigeons.

Milwaukee gets my city stamp of approval.