May's Last Stand

Hey, marvelous news: Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros released a new album on the 29th called Here!  With it having nine songs, it costs $9.99 on iTunes but Amazon is selling the mp3 for $5.00.  Now, I'm a general advocate of tangible items, but I am also unabashedly frugal; perhaps digital purpose will be the way to go.  If you're unfamiliar with this 11-piece troubadour, then I suggest you check out their arguably most well-known hit, "Home" that expresses love and nostalgia through folk-driven, instrumental-thumpin' chords and chants.  I cannot wait to have my hands (ears?) on their new music!!

With May on its last leg, I guess this means that we are tumbling into summer.  I like blogging about what's happened to me from the school semester because if you've been following this blog you should know by now that basically all I do is work.  As usual, I ended up greasy and with tired feet, though yesterday I had time to go out to dinner and a movie (The Avengers, which was actually pretty good) with my friends.  I also bought a few herb plants and I can't wait to see how my planting box progresses!

 

 

Here are a few photos from the gorgeous last weeks of school.  I took higher quality photos with my camera because I had no choice but to shrug off studying and lie beneath the trees to capture the temporary blossoms.  And hey, even though I go through cycles of panic and self-doubt with school work, I had my best semester yet academically (and otherwise)!  So it seems you can take time to stop and smell the flowers and finish what you need to do successfully :D.
Regarding the last photo, I never found out why, but the knitting club went on a guerrilla knitting spree (at least that's how I like to think of it) and they created public knitting installations all over campus!  On bike racks, railings and that tree, which happened to be fantastic because it made the tree favorable to look at and hug.  Random as it was, I hope they do more of that next year!

Listening: "You Can Call Me Al" by Paul Simon

Altitude

Last Monday I went to the Adirondacks to romp around in the woods with my recently graduated housemates plus a few other friends!  My housemate Hannah, her family has a cabin on a 5,000 acre members-only property that's full of stocked lakes and ponds, pine-needle paths, dignified lean-tos, antique cabins and water craft.  

We swam and had a cookout at a lean to the first night.

There were 15 of us causing ruckus in their beautiful Scotch-pine cabin, built in 1890!

There was plenty of lounging about, bacon cooking and snake wrangling.  As in the giant garter snakes that kept appearing in their side room (the doorway with the antlers over it!).

The misty rain didn't stop us from going to the boathouse.  I went rowing and fly fishing for the first time!  Figuring out how to row really demonstrated how uncoordinated I am...

We had the two dogs in our boat, who kept shoving me off for the a seat haha.  I was an unsuccessful fisher-lady, but my friend Kate snagged a brook trout on our way back in!  We grilled that 17-incher up later that evening, with a delicious mustard seed spread :).

The pond was incredibly still after the rains, like a mirror.  I understand why people never would never want to leave.

Granted, I was only there two days but it was a darn good time.  It's just fantastic to be around people you are completely comfortable with.. which bites, because 11 of 13 of them won't be around next fall.  Alas, we all just need to keep moving to the next thing.
On the way to Kate's house where my parents were to pick me up, we had an absurd car accident.  I won't let Kate, who was driving, take the blame for this-- it was equally my fault, because I was blabbing my head off, not paying attention to the GPS and being a terrible co-pilot.  We took a right turn too hard and drove straight into the gas tank of a logger truck from Quebec that was, fortunately, stationary.  And the miracle was, everyone was alright.  We were kind of in shock, but minus a few bruises and whiplash, we didn't have any injuries.  The front end of the car was totaled, but the logger was able to drive back up to Canada.  Mind you, that made the afternoon a bit longer; we went to the nearest hospital that was 30 minutes away from the no-reception site of the accident, then my parents sped for two hours from my house to retrieve me (Kate's parents came from an hour away).  I'm not sure if it was a miracle, but it certainly reaffirms how lucky I am to be alive. 
And then the next day I was back to work, and from Thursday to Sunday, I clocked in 42 hours.  I know I say this everytime, but I am exhausted... But happy to be alive!

Listening: "Stuck in the Middle With You" by Stealers Wheel

When I'm Not Working

I truly enjoy cooking and feeding people.  I wish my parents were a bit more adventurous with food and ate all that I do, but that's why I need to have friends over to my house more often so I'm not gorging on everything!  For example, last Thursday I invited Kerry over and put together a chicken roast with potatoes, onions, spinach and tomatoes.  I seasoned the chicken breasts with lemon pepper, cumin and parsley and then stuffed them with a bit of Swiss cheese and more spinach.  Even with my guest, my parents had leftovers and I had two meals for work!  It was delicious and simple, so give me a shout if you'd like the recipe!

I go to school in a pretty rural area, and I'm not much of an online shopper when it comes to clothes.  Needless to say, my first Salvation Army visit last Wednesday since winter break was a thrill!  I was in heaven again, sifting through all the color-organized racks, the soft and musty clothing with bright colors, off-sized fits and throwback patterns.  Wednesday is the half-off day and I spent $25 and acquired things such as a nice mason jar with a lid, Matilda and The Rescuers Down Under on VHS, a pair of American Eagle jeans for $2, a fluorescent orange windbreaker, a new houndstooth scarf, a New York & Co. pink cardigan, these wonderful printed drop-crotch pants (okayyy so it's two seasons ago and they are pure man-repelling status [term courtesy of the Man Repeller] but at this low of the price how could I resist?) and so on!  I love thrift shopping.

I nabbed this woven tote as I was heading to the dressing room--it's in perfect condition. Score!

When I have more than a moment to spare, I dive into painting.  I enjoy being lost for a few hours, not knowing exactly what my brain and brush might produce.  The one below is a preliminary for a larger painting that I would like to do on canvas from Monet's gardens in Giverny this past fall.  Photo cred goes to my friend Merrit.

Weapons of choice :)

 

I wasn't quite ready to start a full-size painting, so I made note cards!  I need to acquire a nice set of water colors, I miss manipulating their fluidity and saturating textured paper.

I am decidedly too antsy and lazy to read books.  I'm trying so hard to work through an environmental one by Bill McKibben, so maybe it's the subject matter that's not holding me down enough?  Bah whatever, I'll drift in between with my NatGeo Traveler magazines.  I'm itching to trot the globe again!

Listening: "Blue Skies" by Ella Fitzgerald