Willows

I like them when they fall down
like weeping willows
They’re crisp and together at the same time
as being
wispy, faint, there and then gone

Crackle down the barrel
of a gun
But not a gun gun.
A finger lost
A holiday to remember

I like them when they fall down
like bodies
like Tina Turner’s 80s hair
like everything and then nothing.

Happy Birthday America
You did it.

"October and the trees are stripped bare of all they wear..."

I've got to get a pumpkin. When I was a little one, my mom used to take me and my siblings to a pumpkin patch up in Wisconsin just as October began, so we could carve out a set of eyes, a nose, and some sort of ominous smile more reminsicent of a prisoner who's gotten his teeth knocked out than a happy holiday treat. But first thing was first. Upon picking out our six pumpkins, all somehow representative of the person we were then (Larry's was mishapen but full of color; Colleen's wellrounded; Sean's a gord, whoops; mine a bright orange with spots of dirt smattered along the sides, just waiting to be wiped clean; and Tim and Kevin's, always miniature and less than ripe). The memories are clear, you see, because this part of our year was special to me. More special than dying Easter eggs on the floor of the kitchen, accidentally staining the carpet; more important than laying the Christmas presents beneath our pine; more important than all of that stuff -- because fall was here. Fall, with its crunching leaves under foot, with its array of colors that make my pale skin and auburn hair look good finally, with its soft, yet biting winds, not quite chilly enough for a hat, but perfectly content with a sweater. I still look forward to Fall more than any other time of year. Our dad would arrive home, always later than he intended, placing his keys and wallet on the antique foyer table before sneaking up behind us, reaching his large hands into the carved out tops of our creamsicle colored pumpkins, then shouting in his creepiest voice, "GUTS! Guts! Every! Where!" And our shrill undeveloped voices cried out all at once in fear, delight and excitement, "GUTS!" What's not to love about this scene? My dad once told me, after I'd asked him if he had always wanted a lot of children, that of course he did. It's like creating your own set of friends, special in a way that no other human beings can be.

"October
And the trees are stripped bare
Of all they wear
What do I care
October
And Kingdoms rise
And Kingdoms fall
But you go on...
...and on..."
-October, U2

5 Things...

I haven't written down anything for my '5 Things' list. So, here's this day's '5 Things I Love':

1. holidays with my family home, all watching a movie snuggled together on the couch.
2. mornings to myself. making coffee. catching up on the news, random tv shows, and just watching the light move in my apartment.
3. box set dvd television seasons. [almost done with gilmore girls]
4. improvising. and laughing.
5. the convenience of a car.

Utter Ridiculousness & the Holidays

I woke up at 4:47 p.m. today. It was too ridiculous to not write about it in a blog. Last night I went to a Christmas party and later met up with some kids from Iowa, then didn't get home until around 5 a.m. Still, I slept over 10 hours and almost 12. That's ridiculous. Ok.

In other news: I'm so excited for Christmas time. I still have yet to buy any Christmas presents, but I will. Eventually.

Notes for everyone: Linens 'n' Things is going out of business. Check it out. Everything's 40-60 percent off. It's great. No, I don't work there or know anyone who does, but I had to mention it. Seriously. Everyone will be getting silverware, dishes, margarita makers, blenders and maybe if you're lucky some bath towels. Nice!

Not Exactly a Halloween Spider Web

Instead of doing Halloween this year I somehow roped myself into creating my own website. I'm a big fan of it, but maybe that's only because I've been awake for almost 22 hours straight. I should probably hit the hay.

Anyway, here's the site, if you're interested.

HERE

Enjoy!

San Francisco: Roommates in Costume

I suppose I haven't much talked about my living arrangements here in San Francisco. It's sort of hilarious. To give you a glimpse of my day to day, and a little bit of Halloween's special occasion glimmer:

Last week I got a call while working from Nancy, my 40 something housemate. She's a high school teacher, has a 6-year-old daughter, and is a pleasure to be around. Often she will call me while I am working. It's no big deal, I just turn off my ringer and forward her to voicemail with the intent of checking her detailed messages later. They're actually not detailed at all. She's the sort of person that leaves messages that sound like: "Hey, I've got something I need to ask you...Call me back, bye!"*

*Note: These messages are 100 percent unhelpful, and you should stop leaving them. That's "you" plural. I hate that the English language has that you/you business.

Anyway, this particular day Nancy called me twice in a row. Naturally I assumed there was a problem, like she was ill or Drina got caught shop lifting while drunk. What have you. However, that was not the case. Nancy wanted to tell me she had bought me an Ugly Betty costume to wear on Halloween, complete with glasses, fake teeth with braces and an ugly wig. This was clearly very important, and while on the phone sitting at my desk in the office, I did in fact repeat all parts of the costume aloud so my coworkers could hear. I feel like living with Nancy and Drina is like a television show sometimes. They're so comical. I'm the random girl that lives with them, becomes like the family, only to move out and on to other things. Like Cody from Step-by-Step.

But back to Nancy and Halloween. Nancy got herself a child-sized "fairy" costume for $10 from what she calls the "party store," because apparently it has no real name. She is my size, i.e. 5 feet-ish and petite. Tonight she was trying on her outfit, trying to make it school appropriate. She put on another skirt underneath the sheer fairy one, and tried on no less than six shirts to go beneath the belly-styled fairy top. The costume comes with these wings that look like camouflage fairy wings. No, seriously. They're the exact fabric and pattern found on Army gear everywhere—and probably the reason the costume was only a tenner. Anyway, they flop too much. That's the problem with wings. I should know, I was a butterfly, ladybug and a fairy throughout college and had intentions of being Tinkerbelle last year, but ended up alone in London in a hostel (another story for another time). So, I pinned her wings together in two spots. Nancy was practically ready to wear the thing to bed, but I told her she couldn't. Sometimes I feel like I might function as her mother as she mothers Drina.

Anyway, usually our days end with me helping Nancy pick out what to where to school the next day, in order to of course, impress her high school classes. Sometimes she's fine by herself, but often I'm glad she asked. She's like my mom in that way. But Halloween will be a nice time to check out how the San Franciscans do it. If forced, I had some options for Halloween costumes myself. 1. Madeleine 2. Pippy Longstocking 3. Strawberry Shortcake and obviously, the old classic 4. Roman/Greek woman. Simple and Cheap: white sheet and lots of eyeliner. Maybe a wreath of some sort of leaf. We'll see.

Central & Standard

By the way, I do realize I'm currently not in central standard time. I just wish I were a lot of the time.

Happy Thanksgiving, too!

Christos Anestis!

Happy Easter!

Brian told me that for Greek Easter they dye all the eggs red and crack the eggs against each other. The person with the egg that doesn't crack is the winner and "is in charge of the house."

Yesterday I dyed eggs with two of my good girl friends from home, Jackie and Kate. Kate showed me how to blow the egg out of the shell. After we did that then we dyed them.

Here's how they turned out...