thirtyone flavors for thirtyone cents

last night was 31¢ scoop night at baskin robin's, and how could i pass that up? it's all for the sake of the firemen... and my belly. three scoops of goldmedal ribon, please & thank you!

"isle be seeing you"

did you know that i'm studying abroad this summer in the british isles? well, if you didn't before, now you do. i'm off to ireland, scotland, and britain in just twenty days! to keep up with me and my travels before, during, and after the trip, check out my "isle be seeing you" blog.

"love and a question"
by robert frost

a stranger came to the door at eve,

and he spoke the bridegroom fair.
he bore a green-white stick in his hand,
and, for all burden, care.
he asked with the eyes more than the lips
for a shelter for the night,
and he turned and looked at the road afar
without a window light.

the bridegroom came forth into the porch
with, 'let us look at the sky,
and question what of the night to be,
stranger, you and i.'
the woodbine leaves littered the yard,
the woodbine berries were blue,
autumn, yes, winter was in the wind;
'stranger, i wish i knew.'

within, the bride in the dusk alone
bent over the open fire,
her face rose-red with the glowing coal
and the thought of the heart's desire.

the bridegroom looked at the weary road,
yet saw but her within,
and wished her heart in a case of gold
and pinned with a silver pin.

the bridegroom thought it little to give
a dole of bread, a purse,
a heartfelt prayer for the poor of god,
or for the rich a curse;

but whether or not a man was asked
to mar the love of two
by harboring woe in the bridal house,
the bridegroom wished he knew.


[my sophomore year of high school i read this poem for the first time, and it was love at first sight...or well, read. now, in my sophomore year of college, i reread it and fell in love with every line all over again. it very well may be my very favorite poem of all time. it's just perfect. so, so perfect.]

for it's root, root, root for the home team

now that i live in san diego, i feel almost obliged to be a padre's fan (though my heart will always lie first and foremost with the angels). and tonight marked opening day at petco park, giving me the perfect opportunity to try out my new fandom. we got great tickets through point loma for a fifth of the price they sell for, and spent the four fifths we saved on cotton candy, peanuts, pizza, and popcorn. the game started out slow, but ended with a bang--literally! we were down by three, and caught up in the last inning, finishing it all off with a three-run homerun. and after the game there was a firework show in honor of opening day. so it look s like being a padres fan isn't too shabby after all. i'll be rooting for my new home teem and sporting blue & beige this baseball season.

the GET in get-a-day

remember the whole "give a day, get a day" thing? well this past weekend i got my free day at disneyland, along with my three mousekateers: claudia, tori, and jess. this has been the first year in very long while that i haven't had an annual pass to the happiest place on earth, and boy have i missed it. i'm almost certian that i could live at disneyland--preferably in the castle, or maybe they could build me a nice little place on tom sawyer's island--and never get tired or bored of it. there are just so many things that i love about the place. i love how everywhere you turn, a different disney song is playing, each one bringing back some cherished childhood memory; i love the anticipation of getting soaked on splash mountain, followed by my even greater love of the laughter that insues after actually getting soaked; i love the freezer-burnt chocolate-covered bananas; i love taking astro-blasters way too seriously; i love watching the leashed children try with all their might to break free and run rampant; i love looking for hidden mickeys, even though i can never seem to find any; i love the fireworks, the ridiculously long lines, and the relief of resting my aching feet on the tram ride back to my pinochio parking spot. really, i just love it all. and i was so glad to experience it all again, even if just for a day. the girls and i had a great time, spending a fantastic fifteen hours riding rides, taking pictures, and channeling our inner child. and i hope with all of my heart that disney does the whole "give a day, get a day" diddy again next year.

one day without shoes

once a year TOMS shoes encourages people around the world to take part in "one day without shoes," a day in which you kick off your heels, flip-flops, or flats and spread awareness for those who go every day without shoes. so i did just that, baring my feet for the day. at times it was liberating; there's something freeing about unfettering your feet. i loved feeling the warmth of the sidewalks and the squish of dampish grass. there are so many sensations that shoes prevent your feet from feeling. and feeling those feelings was what i enjoyed most about today. it also felt good to walk around with the knowledge of what my bare feet stood for. but to be honest, there were times that i found myself a bit self conscious, as some people looked at me with disdain rather than interest. at the beginning of the day, before the word got out and the shoelessness caught on, people were giving me glances that screamed, "ew. where are that girl's shoes?" and instead of asking me about my bare feet, they just walked on by, likely thinking i was some sort of unsanitary hippie. by the time someone stopped and asked, i was more than happy to finally share the purpose behind my day without shoes. but as glad as i was to spread awareness to others, it was my own awareness that really grew today. i mentioned before that today was liberating. but there were also times that it was hard. crossing the occasional unpaved road or path shoved sharp rocks in my uncalloused souls, and the hot asphault of the parking lots burned the bottoms of my feet. i couldn't help but imagine those who have to cross much more difficult terrain and travel much longer distances. my heart goes out to those people and their feet. and so i have gained a new understanding and a fresh sense of gratitude. i am so thankful for my heels, flip-flops, and flats. i am so thankful for this one day i spent without shoes.

two broken airplanes & twenty-four hours later

it just took me twenty-four hours to get home from oregon. two canceled flights. one delayed. a free meal and a free hotel room. i could have driven home faster. phew. i may or may not blog about my trip later. for now, i'm just glad to be back.

what happens to a dream deferred?

does it dry up
like a raisin in the sun?
or fester like a sore --
and then run?
does it stink like rotten meat?
or crust and sugar over --
like a syrupy sweet?

maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.

or does it explode?

-langston hughes

a picnic & a boat

this past weekend the boyfriend came for a visit to the land of loma! few things make me happier than when nathan stops by for a day or two. i love spending time with him, and i love the adventures we have. on this particular visit we picnicked at the park, watching airplanes and kites fly over head, and ventured to the u.s.s. midway, an aircraft carrier museum in the san diego harbor. we had tons of fun and learned lots of things throughout the day:

1. snuggies make great picnic blankets

2. north park is a perfect place for a date.
it's not too crowded & not too empty. it's a great place to fly
a kite or take a nap. and it has military gadgets on the ground
& airplanes in the sky to entertain and amuse any boy of any age.
3. i can eat a whole chipotle burrito in one sitting.
nathan cannot.

4. the uss midway is huge!
in the three hours we were there we only saw 2/3 of the ship.
5. wax figures are frightening.
to give tourists an idea of what life was life on the uss midway, there are wax figures throughout, meant to represent different people in different roles on the aircraft carrier. they were very scary looking.

6. i will never live on an aircraft carrier.
first of all, i would get lost all the time. i've never been in a more confusing mess of hallways, levels, and ladders. second of all, i would get extremely claustrophobic. there are practically no windows and the rooms and passageways are compact and constricting.
7. how to tie fancy navy knots, 8. how to ring a giant navy bell,
9. how to captain an aircraft carrier, and 10. how to fly airplanes (kind of)

have you ever eaten funfetti cake with chopsticks? i have.