The Cold

After a snowy start to Matt's arrival--we were planning to head back Saturday morning with Greer, but the crazy over-night snowstorm put us back to the afternoon with Erin--we arrived home all in one piece.

It's a lot colder in Helena than it is in Missoula. Mother said that this morning it was -24 when she got up. I wasn't awake for that, thank goodness, having chosen instead to sleep in until a sensible, warmer hour. Like Noon.

Also, this morning, we discovered that the strange popping/snapping noise we heard least night was one of the windows in the living room cracking, it was THAT COLD.

And now I'm down in the basement, several layers deep in clothing, cleaning my old room and building a nest to sleep in and listening to music. I might have to kidnap Ruby from upstairs and use her as a heater later. I'm sure she'll love that.

Election Night

I have just gotten back from the bars (don't judge) in one of the most epic nights I can remember, not on a personal level, but communal. I suffered from anxiety all day, well, for weeks, induced most strongly by the RNC and Sarah Palin's silver speech.

Two days ago I was thinking what I would do, really, REALLY, if Obama lost, and how I would feel. And that imminent feeling of doom sat heavy with me. I said I would cry. And I meant it. Had Obama lost, I would have been deflated, and hurt, for lack of better words, and yes, I would have most likely cried. It's my country, and although I dont wear patriotic colors or shirts, don't chant USA USA in large crowds or jump to declare my nationality, I love it.

And tonight, yes, I cried. But out of relief and joy in the fact that for once, something I believe in counted and had weight. It's just so nice to be noticed everyonce in a while. GO BLUE!

Keeping with the tomato theme... SALSA

And day of the dead.

Saturday was salsa night, and also the official day of the dead. SO I dressed up with a marigold or two. And Sunday, yesterday, was the celebration of day of the dead, and Greer, Erin, and I went down to the parade in the rain and froze our toes off and admired the african dancing and cheered the zombies dancing "thriller" down the middle of the street.

Here, witness the amazing before and after, Saturday to Sunday...


















Of course the day of the dead is best spent in company....











UPDATE: A few photos from the Halloweens
VALKYRIE POWER!

Soup's Up!

I have been recovering from a nice strong cold--it's that time of year again--and I believe I have found the cure. Or at least an aid, and it's much more delicious than NyQuil: Tom Yum Gai soup. It clears out the sinuses with its spicy zing, is packed with lemon grass and lime juice for vitamin C, and based on a chicken broth, which we all know is good for what ails you.

Hurray for a happy tummy, a clearer head, and hopefully a happier immune system as well.

Ketchup

Last Sunday Greer, Erin, Bill, Eliza, and I piled into the car and drove up to Big Fork for a cider press. When we stepped out of the car, it was like walking down the road into an LL Bean catalogue. There was golden afternoon sunlight, leaves everywhere, children running all over the place laughing and wrestling, live music coming from the garage, and the hum of small talk. Add to that a spectrum of fuzzy hats, gloves, and scarves, various jackets and vests, but no heavy coats, and no bitter cold. It was the perfect fall afternoon.

We took turns slicing apples, cutting out wormy bits, sorting them and tossing them into clean water, and Eliza took her hand at cranking the press, which was old, and from Kentucky. There were wheelbarrows full of apple mush, the remnants after all the juice has been forced out, and I expect the neighborhood deer were looking forward to a nice dinner, as the mush was going to be scattered throughout the trees later in the evening.

It was just as fall should be. I have a few photos on Bill's cellphone, when I talk him into giving them to me, I'll put them up.

EDIT: Here they are!

I have been reading too much poetry as of late

I want to make a mirror of your roof,
lay tongue in groove,
want to mock the warped white pine boards with our soft white bodies
and your freckles.
I want to feel their laquered silence
and listen to their sighs in the quiet that falls after ours
and know that it is jealousy
and not the shy heat of morning
that coaxes from them that muted groan.

Target may be hazardous to your health

Apparently, things get dropped a lot in the warehouse in the back of Target.

Of the various horror stories that Glenn regales me with most days of the week are the following:

He was almost concussed by a falling box of helmets. He started hallucinating after a pine-sol spill. And my favorite to date, the great Soap spill of July, 2008.

G: "Yeah, and then the soap exploded"
ME: "How did that happen?"
G: "There was running, and screaming, people falling over."
ME: ... O.O'
G: "Yeah, it was awful, I had powdered soap everywhere, in my nose, my ears. But at least the truck smelled nice. This was after we had spilled some cans of Progresso soup, which, in a hot truck, is not as appetizing and you'd expect. So, that was a relief."

Or the time the entire truck was covered in maple syrup.
G: "This one employee even had a serious reaction to it [the Aunt Jemima's]. I guess you don't realize you're allergic to maple syrup until you're bathing in it."


**UPDATE** apparently they also once stumbled upon a hundreds strong plastic animal orgy. I want a new job.

Whitefish

I am wrapping up my week here in Whitefish, I have been keeping Greer company while her parents are out of town (they got back an hour ago). But all in all it was an exciting few days. We went to Glacier (ish), and around the area just before glacier, got swept away in a VORTEX of.. otherwordliness... and even saw a pair of zebras and a camel. I swear.

I also got to meet Greer's grandmother Adelyn, who made us, yes, MADE us, eat an entire serving of strawberry shortcake that we most expressly were too full to eat. That woman is an expert in torture, and a formidable 87-year-old.

We shot up an entire disposable camera, just picked it up today, along with some classy shades (thanks Greer!) and when I get home I shall scan them in and put them up.

AR

EDIT: HERE THEY ARE (MONTHS LATE)

Finals

I am in the middle of preparing for finals week, spending Friday here at home with Garm (that's the dog we adopted last summer). We are here listening to the groovy sounds of Alicia Keys, analyzing poetry. Garm isn't too useful in that respect, but he tries his best.

He actually is very good at his second job, which is stress relief. I'm not sure if he is aware he has this job, but he performs it excellently. During those moments when you just want to throw all your text books in a pile and say "To hell with it!" he makes himself available for a quick game of fetch in the back yard, and after a few tosses of the ball, everything seems less overwhelming. Also, if you chuck the ball at the garage really hard, it makes a satisfying noise (and if the ball is slobbery enough, a nice muddy print). Add a really cute dog on top of the cathartic ball-throwing, and you have grade A stress management.

Everything here in Montana is nice, which I admit is very frustrating if you're trapped inside with homework. But at least I know everything will still be there on Thursday when I'm done with finals, and then I can enjoy it.

Also, it is very hard to be down about things when your printer is so polite. It greets me whenever I turn it on and before making copies asks me graciously to "Please wait momentarily". Try as I might, I just can't get mad at it.

Academia

So, I have just finished meeting with my advisors in the spanish department. I can't believe it but I only need to take 4 more classes in the department, two of which I am already enrolled in and will complete by the end of 2008. It's crazy. That leaves just two my final semester.

First Entry

It feels a little weird to be starting up a blog, creating a new project, when I'm still winding down the semester, but as my mother knows, I never did have the sense to finish one project before going on to the next.

I wanted to start this blog for a couple reasons. Mostly, I really wanted a way to share what I get up to with my family, a great number of whom I don't get to see very often (you know who you are). And then, secondarily, I have a large trip on Amtrak's Empire Builder coming up, and that lends itself well to a journal, I feel. Lots of time to sit and write on a 31 hour train trek.

So, here it is.