How Much?

This morning Bisque called out from behind the light of his phone, "Did you see this article about the couple who quit their jobs to travel the world and regret it?" I hadn't. "Yeah, they're janitors now and are totally broke." This is pretty funny because what you always hear is, "You won't regret it" and the term "priceless." But sometimes there is a price.

We watched Another Earth yesterday with my hair wet from the rooftop pool and my hands full of leftover pizza. Very reminiscent of summer days at Peppermint's house growing up. We'd sit dripping on our towels while Spice World played for the billionth time. Without any spoilers, there is a lot of dramatic action surrounding a 3 million dollar travel ticket. The stakes are high, very high. There is deep dark guilt, love lost, love found, repentance. But even so. 3 million dollars. Sheesh. That's a lot to be tossing around.

I wonder about how important it is to visit. Friends. Okay, kinda. My parents. Sure. Sometimes I don't want to. Well, it's rarely that simple. I feel like I'm just not up to it. Planning, traveling, and mainly all those dancing dollar signs. But anyone could die at any moment. And then how would I feel about those dollar signs? Pretty dumb. But, also, sometimes I'm thinking about what it would be like if I actually just did everything I want. Oh whatever, I'll take more cabs so I feel up to a big trip. Let's go out and celebrate more. Who knows when we say goodbye. If we did, would I not empty my bank account to go back in time and have that weekend getaway with you? But what if I emptied it now and credit card debts strangle me and I am nothing, and every time you see me for the next twenty years (because goodbye didn't happen) I am sad and sick and mainly oh so poor. Oh so, oh so poor.

Stuck to You Like Glue, Baby

My dear dear dear friend Kath has been staying with me since Saturday. It's been such a wonderful visit full of poolside sunshine, root beer, and joooookez. If this were my high school Deadjournal, I would have a giant list of things that made us laugh that no one else would care about. So, instead, a couple of the best ideas:

-See the person you want to see!

-We (and others) do things for good and bad reasons, but give everyone the benefit of the doubt.

-It's okay to support friends but not okay to have projects.

-The most important thing is Trying to Be Good. You might hem and haw, but, like, if you look down at your feet and you're on a path of Trying to Be Good, you're doin' alright.

-Be happy. You won't regret being happy.

She like tannin', I like stayin' in.
She like romancin', I like rollin' with friends.
She said I'm caged in, I think her conscious is.
She watchin' that oxygen, I'm watchin' ESPN.

I Said, What About

On the way home from the bars Saturday night, Pookie got hungry for some salt. Our dinner had been a horrendous amount of chocolate cake. Six hours later, our tummies longed for something hot and satisfying. We stopped in a pizza joint and picked up a slice. The young, drunk people of Arizona clogged the sidewalks, and Pookie meandered down the blocks nomming her greasy snack as beats bumped from underground and girls in heels cackled. We passed an art store, and her eyes filled like little moonpuddles of desire.

As she stood there, looking in at the dark shop...there was something familiar to me. Ah. Breakfast at Tiffany's.


Midnight Snack at The Art Supply Store

Mems, Cremes, Neve

Memory:


A photo I took of me and Yatchface the first day we were friends. "Look," we said. "Look at the way we sat. Our knees are friends." And then that night we went out for sushi together. Fall 2008.

My mom and aunt are here visiting. I had trouble climbing the stairs to my bedroom just now because my stomach is crushing my lungs. Boop.

Cupcakes I Ate Tonight:
-chocolate marshmallow
-birthday cake
-red velvet with icing
-red velvet with cream cheese
-salted caramel
-peanut butter chocolate

Random Fact:
Collective Soul came up on my iPod today, and my window is open--it's fall--but a California fall in a college town, and I hear party kids being rowdy outside...it makes me feel like I'm in Scream.

Clara in AZ

This is when we were both slap happy sleepytown USA.


We climbed a mini mountain Saturday morning!

Clara's visit was SO MANY GREATS!

Highlights:
-Bringing her to my sketch show and improv rehearsal--getting to discuss comedy with her visually artistic brain
-So much good food: Ethiopian, pasties, award-winning macaroons, and more
-Going to a dramatic one-man show and decompressing decompressing
-Singing Celine Dion while running
-Poolside conversations about faith, friendship, trust
-Eating ice cream out of the carton while watching a documentary about eating disorders

Why I Love Clara (A Partial List):
-She is honest and forward about expectations/desires (important for visitors)
-We like junk food
-She disagrees in a compassionate and smart fashion
-She is an optimist big time
-Gratitude is the attitude
-Laughing, laughing, laughing
-Pick-up friends

Ideas Mulling:
-Does "it" matter? If it does, then is doing our best enough? If it doesn't, is doing our best futile?
-There are a lot of things that we expect others to do based on our own concepts of not being interested in the temptation they face
-Being frugal is something to celebrate
-Close your eyes and imagine what you really really want--then go after it

This is the big stuff for now.


We may not reach the ending,
but we can start--
slowly but truly mending,
brick by brick, heart by heart.
Now, even now
we'll start learning how.
We can build a beautiful city--
yes, we can. Yes, we can.