frosted mini-wheats.

I had some of these the other night. The box was almost empty, so I ended up with lots of broken pieces and leftovers. It was ok, since I was just sort of shoveling it in anyway.
When I was a kid, I used to pick these when we went to the grocery store. I would make a bowl in the morning or sometimes at night, and since I was the only one who ate them, I knew how much was left in the box.

I'd open up the whole top, reach in, and carefully select the ones with the most frosting on them. Then, I'd layer them in the bowl (frosting up, of course) three or four across, alternating the direction of each layer, like Jenga blocks. I think the bowl was always three layers high, with an extra couple wheats on top, so they'd soak up the leftover milk. I was just as particular eating them, too, eating each one in one bite, and making sure to start at the bottom so they didn't soak too long and get soggy. Talk about priorities.

I was thinking about this while shoveling in the remains of the box the other night, thinking how strange of a habit that was. Though, if I'd had a full box, I'll bet I would've gone through the whole ritual once again.

go higher than high.

Wicked Awesome got its second official win of the season, and I was glad to have the day off and be able to participate. We all played well and the action was spread around so everyone really contributed. It was a beautiful day, sunny and warm, and it was nice to hang out in the grass before the game and relax.

The summer has been packed with festivals and barbecues, new music and old friends, and apartment hunting. The big move is next Wednesday, and I'm pretty excited. I'll have a sublettor for the first month and a half before my new roommate, Lisa, moves out from San Francisco.

It will be strange leaving Palmer Hall. It has been my home for two and a half years. And more importantly, it feels like home. It has been great living with good people, creating routines, and being the gathering household for barbecues and birthday parties. I think some of that is going to be missing when we move, but I also think it will help me be more active in getting out to see people.

Someone just started playing bagpipes in the park across the street. It sounds good. And melancholy, but uplifting in that way that bagpipes always do. Pretty neat.

I'm going running in a few minutes. I do that now. Not like a runner runner, but a few miles three or four times a week. It's funny because I always hated it. I still do, every single lumbering step, but I guess it makes me feel like I've done something when it's over. My feet are terrible and flat and unstable, so I've always been looking for shoes or insoles that are more supportive, or better at correcting what's going on. I've tried lots of things, and found a couple that help, but I've been thinking that maybe I'm going about it the wrong way.


They look fun, and weird, and get crazy good reviews. Your stride changes without tons of heel cushion, and you start using all those little stabilizing muscles in your legs and ankles and feet. And either way, they look fun.

a couple strips of bacon to ease my stomach.

Sunday morning and I was given the day off today at the last minute.

Plan for the day:

-softball at the lakefront
-playing outside
-food on the grill later
-beers on the porch

Let's hang out soon.

All of this writing sort of happens in my head, and just never makes it here. On the way to the bus stop, while running in the park, or just sitting on the train. Those are the times I always feel like jotting something down. Strange how that works out. 

I came home from work tonight, milled around for a bit, and went to the hall closet off the kitchen to get out the ironing board. It set up with a loud metal-on-metal screech, and I plugged in the iron, though not before pouring whatever water was in the iron out onto the board, and floor, and myself. 

My suit was already pressed, and I made sure I had my dress shoes, socks, and a decent tie. These things have a habit of getting lost, or stuffed into the corner of my closet, and become unavailable when I actually need them. 

I set to ironing my shirt--a standard white dress shirt, nothing fancy--and I quickly fell into a rhythm. Long, straight, smooth passes over each side of the front, redo the pockets, then in between the buttons. Then it's the arms and finally the back. 

As I fell into the careful monotony of the task, I thought about the idea of ironing itself. It's a strange thing, taking wrinkles out of clean clothes that will be wrinkled again within minutes of wearing them, but i sort of feel like doing it tonight. It's trivial, but it seems like the small amount of effort and care put into it is sort of a way of showing respect. A token of gratitude. Something like that. 

My great aunt Kitty died this week, and I'm getting ready for her funeral. She was always a sweet old lady to me, and had a way about her that was all her own. She laughed a lot, more chuckling to herself, and she had a voice that was completely unique. 

Her husband, Ray, died a few years back, and I always got along with him well. He had a woodshop when I grew up, and made all sorts of old-fashioned wooden toys that he sold around. Trains, cars, animals, trucks, and all kinds of pull-toys and things for little kids. I used to love playing with all of them when I was a kid, though, when I got older I grew to admire the work involved in making each of them. 

I don't really feel sad about her passing, she was quite old and lived a good and full life. Though, I feel like I should've appreciated more when I was a kid. Stories and histories and family and things. 

things.

Things I did in the past several days:

1. edited music for an upcoming dance competition. not my own.
2. watched 30 rock on dvd.
   
3. avoided doing laundry. it's getting scary.
4. went shopping for semi-healthy things.
5. ate buffalo wings while shopping for semi-healthy things.
6. applied for school in the fall for a couple refresher classes.
7. made a fire in our "authentic mexican caldera grill." (firepit.)
8. went to trivia at the logan grill.
   
9. ran outside.
   
10. had pizza for breakfast.

winter skin.

I guess this thing is still here. And so am I. I just haven't felt like writing or sharing or whatever lately, and it seems that's a pretty common thread. The winter has taken its toll on just about everyone and it's like our collective emotional and mental well being is as beat up as the streets around the city. We've all been going about our business, trudging through the winter, and planning for the months ahead.

Personally, I've been holed up watching shows on dvd, and making my way through the selections at vas foremost. Most recently, we're getting Northern Exposure through netflix, and I've found it hard not to power through an entire disc in one sitting. I probably haven't seen the show in fifteen years, but it's still really good. I hear it starts to unravel pretty quickly in the last season or so, but for now it's still fantastic.

This winter feels like it's all been preparation for the spring and summer, moreso than in the past. It seemed more punishing, more relentless, more bent on forcing us inside, and feeding off our frustration and boredom. It's like it has been a forced hibernation, and now the entire city is on the edge of emerging from this. Pacing back and forth, like a big old bear, waiting for the ice and snow to melt from the entrance of his den so he can go out and hunt.

This bear just wants to go out and ride his bike, and play some sports, and barbecue with friends, and ride in a car on the highway with the windows down, singing along to the radio with his hands dancing in the wind.

green hornet.

Ran lots of errands today, and it was nice to be out driving. Took Simone to work in the am, and I'm still not convinced that actually saves her any time over taking the train, but at least you're riding in a car and not packed on a rush-hour train going downtown.

On the way back I stopped and picked up a couple croissant sandwiches from BK for myself and Colin for breakfast. Also got a medium (read half-gallon) soda. Oh yeah. This is how days off should start.

We went to Target to take back an espresso machine I got for Christmas. I used it once, decided it was cool, then had to clean it. And concluded that it was so not worth the hassle. So I got a new Calphalon frying pan instead, and Colin bought a new Swivel Sweeper. And I saw a grown man buying a Snuggie.

Went to Kohl's next for a return, and I browsed through the kitchen section while Colin scoffed at some of the overpriced cutlery. Colin and Simone surprised me with some knives for my birthday that were rated the highest in Cook's Illustrated, and used in lots of restaurant kitchens, though they're relatively inexpensive . The handles aren't inlaid with pearl, or made from old-growth Brazilian hardwood, but they're sharp as the devil and feel great.

The last stop was Blockbuster, to return Kung Fu Panda and some girl movie about poetry or weddings or something, and we picked up four movies from the some number for some amount of money rack. Pineapple Express, Hancock, Tropic Thunder, and In Bruges.

The rest of the day will be filled with doing laundry, movie watching, beer, and 25 cent wings.

something stupid and confusing:

Honey is sold by weight, not volume. We have a 16oz bottle of honey in our pantry, and for the life of me, I can't figure out why it would be sold this way. According to the bottle, the serving size is one tablespoon, and there are approximately 22 tablespoons in the bottle. It also says that one cup is about 12oz.

So if I use a half cup for a recipe, I'm using 4oz, but six ounces by weight, leaving 10oz left. But the internet says that there's 2 tablespoons per fluid ounce, meaning there's only 11oz in the bottle to begin with. So there's really 7oz left?

Now I consider myself a fairly smart person. I think I'm pretty good at problem solving, and I was always good at logic problems, spatial relationships, and figuring things out in general.

Though today, I'm standing in the pantry eating a bowl of cereal and looking this label, putting numbers together, and a strange feeling overtakes me. The only thing I can think to compare it to is the reaction your car might have if all the oil had drained from the engine instantly and the entire thing suddenly locked up, lurching the car to an abrupt and skidding halt. While on a nice drive on the interstate.

That's the reaction my brain was having.

Hours later I still can't wrap my head around it.

29

Yesterday was my 29th birthday. I've now entered the last year of my third decade on this planet. A lot of things have been going through my mind over the past month about life, the universe, and everything.

I came to the conclusion that, for almost a couple years now, I've been in a funk. Not a depressed funk, or a mid-life career funk, or a what-does-it-all-mean funk, but a funk nonetheless. And I think that's over. Neat.

I woke up one day, and felt really good for the first time in a long time. And I might consider myself to be a moody person, so I figured I just woke up on the right side of the bed. And then the next day was the same. And the one after that. And so it continued, that, in the middle of this God-forsaken winter, with record cold temperatures, and near record snowfalls, I've been in a pretty good mood for most of the time. It's interesting.

My preferences for music are changing slightly. I'm more inclined to listen to things with strong bass lines, creative beats, electronic influence, and playful melodies and harmonies. Songs composed predominantly with major chords instead of mostly minor. And I guess the interpretation of different sounds has changed slightly as well. It's a funny thing.

I had a series of interviews recently for a job that sounded interesting and challenging, and it didn't work out, but that's ok. I think I'm at a point where my confidence has boosted, or my insecurities about many things has started to drift away. I've gotten interested in trying out new things, and not being afraid of failing at them. Now I'm trying to figure out what it is I'd like to get involved in. There's a lot out there, I guess.

Yesterday I cut mats for some pictures I got from a friend, and it turned out well. Cool, because the walls in my room are pretty bare. Today I'm going to try to put together a new rechargeable battery pack for our cordless sweeper.

It has been a while since I blogged. I think I should do it more often, but I'm not sure if I will.