the fiiiiinal countdooooown....

Afternoon, friends.
It is one of those days when I can't remember When I am. Like, at all. I woke up convinced it was November, and Wednesday, and about three hours later than it actually was.
So far, I'm blaming the deadlines.

pretty much all I have to say today.

1. We just closed Six Dead Queens this weekend. I'm gonna miss those ladies. More immediately, though, the usual post-show immune-system shutdown is proceeding about as expected.

2. As a direct result of the first point, I am now going in for my first shift at Planet Access that does not involve an enormous backpack with food, change of clothes, and laptop for going to the theater afterwards. (It's the little things.)

3. I'm going home tomorrow, for almost a whole WEEK.

Source: tuckedstyle.com via Lauren on Pinterest

I might have little-to-no money and about the same amount of upper-respiratory cooperation, but life is good today.

3. book that makes you laugh out loud

Once upon a time, I wished my Dad was Bill Cosby.

(Sorry, Dad. For what it's worth, I think you are at least as cool as Bill Cosby. And definitely better-looking.)

Then, I realized my father is Bill Cosby.

(At some point, we should talk about that whole sweater-vest thing.)

Several years after that, my boyfriend (who does a fairly decent Bill Cosby impression, although thankfully sans sweater vests) introduced me to a book written by Mr. Cosby, called "Cosbyology: Essays and Observations from the Doctor of Comedy."

In what was, for him, a remarkably poor judgement call, he decided to read to me from this book while we were driving home from school one day. Well, I was driving. But pretty soon I was laughing, so hard my face hurt, so hard, in fact, that I was gasping and crying actual tears and could not see at all and very nearly killed us.

(Sorry, Josh.)

It's a really good book. You should read it. But probably not while driving.

onward and upward. please, God, don't let the yetis eat me.

Source: fun-gallery.com via Larissa on Pinterest

HOLA, COMERADES.

That is not usually how I begin my blog posts, you are probably aware. Honestly, I stole that just now from Amanda F. Palmer, who writes the rawest most exciting Kickstarter Project Updates ever. (Other Kickstarter-ers: take note!)
I am sitting at someone else's kitchen table, in South Chicago, at 7:30 in the evening (which for me, since I have hardly slept since for the last two days, feels like 2 in the morning), and I thought I was tired until I read her post about what she's been up to.

(Oh, and that link is, if you scroll down far enough, quite NSFW.)

I stand corrected. I am far from really, truly tired. I am merely fortitudinally inconvenienced, that's all.

on my way, don't know where I'm goin'...

Source: bit.ly via reyna on Pinterest

I have struck a city - a real city - and they call it Chicago ... I urgently desire never to see it again. It is inhabited by savages.

~Rudyard Kipling

Wherever you go, go with all your heart.

~Confucius

early mornings + late nights + New York

Source: etsy.com via Lauren on Pinterest

[just because.]

Oooooookay.

I've been sitting here puttering around the internet while occasionally cleaning my (already hopelessly trashed) desk, trying to figure out how best to start with the events of the last couple days. As usual, when in doubt, I revert to my trusty bullet points! Feel free to hop around to the interesting bits. I'm afraid I may be too tired to prioritize just now.

Here we go, here we go!

Well, here I am, sitting at my gate in Lambert Airport, so sleepy I could easily lie down and go back to bed right here. I'm due to depart in one hour. I finished packing three and a half hours ago. Because that's how I roll.
And then it hits me: I'm GOING TO NEW YORK. By myself!
Who do I think I am???
And then I recall that I am, in fact, a smart, confident, independent Black woman. Because Facebook tells me so.
Appropriately reassured, I settle back, plug in my headphones, and doze off to Florence and the Machine.

Time for another big adventure, everyone!

(Sent from my Android)

working Wednesday

Good afternoon, people of the internet!

I apologize for the lateness of today's post; my computer's been in a bit of a sulk most of the day and I (terrified of getting on its bad side - again) have been running around doing things other than typing. To whit:

1. Packing. Endless, endless packing. I am so close to being done, guys. So. Close.
2. Tutoring (my student has a peer review on her yet-to-be-written analysis paper tomorrow).
3. Eating sandwiches with the irrepressible Lindsay T., who should really have a blog of her own because she is hilarious.
4. Having awkward encounters in the dressing rooms at Target ("Hey, aren't you the same girl who was here yesterday?" "Um...yes?" "Well, you're sure here a lot. It's like we're family!" "Um...no?")
5. Paying strangers to rip out my eyebrow hair, all the while making comments like, "Oh my; they're so thick!" and "You don't do this very often, do you?" and "Wow, you cry a lot."
6. Buying my Very First Ticket To See A Broadway Show.

That's right. This Saturday, at 2pm at the Lyceum Theatre in New York City, I am going to see Venus in Fur! I will be sitting in Balcony Row C, so if any of you, my lovely readers, should happen to be there too, you should come by and say hi.

I feel slightly guilty about not having any actual work news to report today, but rest assured that that will be changing very soon. The day after tomorrow, I leave for my NYS&F job...which means, in about 48 hours, I hope to be drafting a blog post about the No Doubt Ridiculous trip (because something ridiculous always happens when I take a trip).

Much love everyone, and thanks for reading! I will soon be writing you from a different time zone (eep!)...

Thursday rain

Source: pinterestschunt223.blogspot.com via Anisha on Pinterest

I'm supposed to take my siblings to a school picnic today, but judging from this morning's drizzle, I kind of doubt that's still going to happen.

It makes me miss England, though. Which, in an odd way, makes me miss all the places I want to go, but haven't been yet. Here are a few of them.

Source: kevinandamanda.com via Lauren on Pinterest

Cinque Terre, Italy

I need an attention span upgrade.

Hello, friends!

At this moment, I have six blogs and two Google docs I'm switching back and forth between reading, simultaneiously writing a shockingly overdue letter to a dear (and patient) friend, glancing occasionally at my Bio textbook, and trying to get in the mental headspace to edit some intriguing new shorts by my favorite writer to cuddle with.

Also, it's really pretty outside and I wish I was there. But I have so much work to do!
Naturally, that makes Right Now an excellent time to update the blog.

something to brighten up a Wednesday.

(Swiped from Terri Windling's blog. Happy Wednesday, friends! You can make it!)


Address Is Approximate from The Theory on Vimeo.

it's almost time to hit the road again.

 from pinterest.com

  also from pinterest.com

I have a Pinterest now, guys. Come, share my pretties!

Staunton, pt. 1: friends from the road

Hello, friends! I write you from Staunton, VA, tiny mountain town and proud "Breadbasket of the Confederacy." So far, the only confederate flags I've seen have been on the tourist brochures ... but I'm sure that'll change, sooner or later.
Anyway, I have a backlog of blog-age for you, so we'll start with what I wrote on the way here, and work our way forward to the present in a post or two, yes? Yes. Here we go.

***

Saturday morning, I jolted out of bed at the inhospitable hour of 5AM, dressed, ate, said goodbye to my family, and had my Dad drive me to the station, for the second time in six months.

wait ... didn't we just do this?

I mean, I did plan this and knew full well it was coming, but the time's flown faster than I thought possible - once again, it's time for me to pack up and get ready to leave town. I've only been home for a month this time, and when I get back, it'll be a scant day and a half (if that) before I leave yet again.

Great grief.

update!

Phew… sorry about the long absence, everyone; you know how it is. End of semester, papers to write, packing to put off, last-minute shopping to do, blah blah blah. I'm taking a break from cleaning out my room now, so here's a little update on things:

1. I'm going HOME today!!!!!! 

Well, sort of. Not really today. Actually, I won't properly get there until Tuesday, if you want to get technical about it. Tonight Josh and I take the last train up to Heathrow Airport, because our plane leaves at 6AM and the trains do not run early enough for us to get there in the morning. So, that'll be fun. Wheeee, airport sleepover!

things I learned in Prague

It’s Not About the Money, Part One, Episode 2: They Speak Spanish in Paris?

Hello, friends, and welcome to Day Two of our Easter break adventure! (Day One is back here. Today's post is really ridiculously long, but it's half pictures, I promise!)

Yesterday, Josh treated you all to our adventures actually getting out of England and across the Channel to Paris, and also to a wee glimpse of our hostel and the neighborhood immediately surrounding it. For those of you who have had the honor of experiencing St. Louis anywhere south and west of Tower Grove after dark…yeah, it was a bit like that. Just like home, really.

To get back to the story, though – we survived our first night in the ever so aptly-named “Friends Hostel,” and didn’t even have much of a problem with the language barrier…the French language, anyway.

It's Not About the Money: Introducing the European Misadventures of Lauren and Josh

This series is named in honor of this song,which was stuck in Josh's head for our whole trip. Beware that British pop music, boys and girls - it will grab your mind and never let go.

Anyway...hello again, everybody! I hope you all had a lovely Easter yesterday, and for those of you who are now getting into the finals crunch: Godspeed. Over here, we're lucky enough to have another week of Easter vacation left still (I believe it has something to do with a certain high-profile wedding happening in London this Friday...), but next week, I'll be finishing up classes myself.

blast from the past

12-18-10

There's a fascinating image in Genesis 18 today: Abraham's sitting in the door of his tent, three men appear, and immediately he runs to bow and greet them as 'My Lord'. Not Lords. They don't announce themselves, and he shows no doubt or hesitation about their importance or his duty to serve them. So I wonder: what must they have looked like? Did they approach like angels, bathed in light, eyes fiery, with the lustre of brass on their skin? I don't think they would've had fire-breathing horses or burning swords, given the occasion, but maybe their clothes and sandals were silver and gold?

ten things I must do in the next ten days

...before I leave for Paris!

1. Finish my portfolio for Technical Elements (not due until I get back, but who wants to worry about homework right after vacation?)

2. Write and hand in a research essay for British Life (joy)

3. Get my money changed to Euros

4. Make Eurail reservations (interesting fact - having a pass does not, in fact, guarantee you a seat)

5. Clean my room

6. Pack up my backpack

7. Learn some important phrases (how do you say, "which way to the train station, please" in French?)

8. Pay my rent retainer

9.  Confirm with my hostels (in Paris, Florence and Rome; probably shouldn't forget...)

10. Buy a pair of sunglasses, because they've got this thing called SUN in Italy, amico.