Right Now

Headaches and gray drizzle. Schoolwork and schoolwork. Coconut water and english muffins with peanut butter and bananas and honey. Tea. Legwarmers and sweaters. Pink rainboots and slickers.

Oh Sweet Manuscript, Let Me Count the Ways I Hate Thee

What They Should Have Told Me--or maybe not:

1) Because of me, a whole forest might be wiped out
2) I will buy insane amounts of printer cartridges and paper
3) The revising will Never Ever end
4) I will change my mind 10,000 times

Spiritualized-Ladies and Gentlemen We are Floating in Space

Sweet Sweet Future

All I want to think about lately is how I'll be in Asia in six months...How I'll be out of my rodent infested apartment and on retreat with nothing to think about in three! I'm dreaming of vast fields and haybales, blue skies and thunderstorms. Dreaming of fresh young coconuts and chai and masala dosas for breakfast or omelettes with yak cheese. Oh future, I can hardly wait!

Tree Love

I Love Patapsco State Park!

Muppet Movie - The Rainbow Connection

This is What It Comes To

EXHIBIT C

EXHIBIT A
EXHIBIT B

Yes, mice now rule my life and dictate the way things are done in my home (see Exhibits A and B). For example, our walls now have hardened foam sticking out all over them in an effort to seal all the many holes in this swiss cheese house in which I live. And in the kitchen, the counters have been totally bare for more than a year (except for the toaster oven) so the mice have nothing to hide behind. Ah, the toaster oven. How remiss I was...The toaster oven used to live between the fridge and the stove.

I must admit, I hated to clean behind it as I was always sure to find the dreaded mouse poop...So the other day I decided enough was enough. I moved the toaster from it's place, emptied out the crumbs and put it on our small island so the mice couldn't hide behind it.

I can't even count all the days I've used this handy toaster--possib;y every day in the last three years I've lived in Baltimore. But then...What did I realize when cleaning around the back of the toaster? I realized (see exhibit C) that there were openings on the back in which a mouse could squeeze through. "No," I told myself, "Don't be crazy." But still, I decided I better take a closer look inside.

And what did I find? Mouse poop at the bottom of the toaster.

You heard me. I've been toasting bread with mouse poop for god knows how long.

Can you even believe it?

Week End

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. Rats on the back step! Wind! And wind. And wind. Mice! Rain and rain. Gray and gray. French toast and homefires and sausage and fresh tasting strawberries and chai. A huge rainbow above Canton. Driving in the rain. Guitar Hero/Keith's crazy dancing to horrible songs. Delicious greasy Chinese food and a broken smile. Cold and blue sky. Sharp throbbing pains in a head. Dry lips--a fuzzy feeling head--furry like frost on metal. And I made everyone upset. Tear stained glasses. "We don't hold little sadnesses," Keith said. Yearning for spring. And grim reaper animation and tear drops and sweatshirts and first thing in the morning Vajrakilaya practice. Nightmarish speed metal. Baby-ness. And I just lost an hour.

Signs of Spring!

Onion Grass!

The other day was beautiful and warm. On a walk with Ryan I finally
saw the first signs of spring!
Crocuses! Snowdrops!

Sigur Ros - Glósóli

Yes, another video!!! A real post tomorrow...

animated lullaby for Renee and Jeremy It's a big world

Missing videos!

So, I just went back to some old posts that were just videos so I could add some labels...but low and behold, doing so made the videos vanish...And I can't figure out how to get them back...So, I'm going to have to just delete those now empty posts and add them back later I guess--what a bummer! Okay, so above, is a video by Renee and Jeremy called It's a Big World. It's actually for kids but it's just too sweet. This was from last Monday--my Happiness Post #6.....

Chai

In America, the only time I've found good chai is at Indian or Nepali restaurants--forget about those pre-made mixes from Whole Foods! Here is my favorite chai recipe:

2 black peppercorns or 1/8 tsp ground pepper

4 cloves

5 cardamom pods (or like 1/2 tsp powder)

3 cups water

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1 cup milk

2 tbsp brown sugar

2 tbsp loose black tea

1) Crush the peppercorns, cloves and cardamom

2) Bring spices and water to a boil over medium heat. Steep 5 min.

3) Stir in milk and sugar--return to boil.

4) Remove pan from heat, add tea. Steep 3 min.

5) Strain and enjoy!