A Very Gigabyte (Family) Christmas

So, I'm home now. It's snowing outside my window, and there's only an 8% chance of snow in Dayton. So, it's not snowing outside their windows. I had the longest trip back from Ohio imaginable. Ever. My sister flew out to Ohio to drive back with me, and we became lizards (tough skin). The weather was terribly cold, windy, snowy, icy, and we were constantly hungry, smelly, cranky, and out of gas for Emily for three days. At one point, we stayed over in a Ramada [with very fancy elevators and apples] in Batavia, NY because we couldn't drive in 0 visibility anymore. And in the morning, a Jesus incarnate pushed our car out of a very snowed in parking lot because our pants would no longer defrost. He is forever our family. "Don't stop driving! Keep going! We'll talk when you're done!" But, you know, we went to Canada. Toronto was beautiful in the snow. Church bells rang as we tried to break in. All convenience stores were closed. Tim Horton's followed us. Produce markets looked like bars. Old men made fun of Liz's lip ring. I drank margaritas at fancy bars, at which point, I decided I want to dedicate my life to being fancy, the act of fancies, what have you.

My fancy lifestyle will continue when I attend Harvard Grad School in a few years. Yes. I decided this the other day when my sister, Caitlin, and I ventured to Cambridge and frolicked around the Harvard campus, after crying for 2 hours in Urban Outfitters because even just a pair of leggings is $58. [I want a neon yellow cardigan.]

In related news, we had a very gigabyte [I've been spelling gigabyte wrong for a while; blogger just informed me it's not "gigabite", as in nomnom] Christmas. I received a Nikon D40 (omg yay), a flash drive for my computer, and a memory stick for my camera. Liz received an external hard drive, also a flash drive for her computer, and a Lenovo! So many gigabytes this year. I'm going to post some beautiful pictures from my new camera soon.

I've been reading two books since I've been home. One is called: "To be real", and the second one is "You'll be Okay". Liz gave me "To be real" for Christmas--it's a book of essays about feminism by a lot of famous activists! Their experiences and things! It's really captivating. I can't read it before I go to sleep. It doesn't make me sleepy. Yay! I wanted to learn more about feminism, and when I opened the gift on Christmas morning, and I quickly read the title "to be real", I said out loud, "All I want is to be real!", which is true. Anyway. The other book is written by Edie Parker-Kerouac. It's a memoir, basically, about her love for Jack, during their very short-lived marriage. I was in the Kerouac section at Borders, looking for books I wanted to soon check out at the library, and I saw this one, and I had to buy it. Edie is so completely adorable. And, the entire book is about the beginnings of the Beat Generation, meeting Allen Ginsberg, and everything before Kerouac's downward spiral of alcoholism and things. How he only loved once and kept in touch with Edie, even throughout his second and third marriages. It's really interesting. And I mean, I'm completely aware that Edie was only devoted to Jack's writing, and she put her own talents aside and didn't care much about her life (though, that's basically why she left him), but, it's interesting to read about these people who created the Beat Generation. It'll be interesting when I'm finished with both books--a book about feminism and a book set in a time of so much sexism. What will I conclude?

Also. I purchased plaid flannel sheets for my new bed in my new apartment. Only a few more days! Adult! (Pashmina!) Netflix (best sister ever)! Wonderfalls!

Anyway. Dad just inflated an air mattress for Liz, so she doesn't have to sleep on the floor anymore. He is very excited. And also, tonight is New Year's Eve. I have a blue cocktail dress, black leggings, and incredibly soft black moccasins to wear to a fancy cocktail party at my friend Anya's house. I hope there are martinis. I will be turning off my phone if I consume too many beverages. As per my sister's advice (and Dove chocolates), I will now consistently "keep the promises that I make for myself". For good this time. Unless I want to call Lulu. She's in Long Island. I miss her.

So. That is all, I guess. As previously mentioned, it's snowing, and Dad says it's a good day for laundry. So, that is where I will be all day. Laundry room. Yay!

Xoxo! Kulu!

PS. I Know What You Did Last Summer is an excellent movie for drinking (water) games. Serial killer fishermen planning murders on facebook for a year. Lolz.

Espresso Drinks For Thought :)

Okay, so, this silly analogy came to me while driving around Dayton late at night...life, being alive, experiencing items, is a process. Kind of like a Caramel Macchiato. I kind of think it's stupid when customers take a caramel macchiato that I made for them and immediately stir it up without tasting it first. It's a layered drink. You're supposed to drink it in layers, and it gets sweeter the closer you get to finishing. It just does. It takes a longer time to make, and if I knew you just wanted something similar to caramel latte, then I would've just made that for you. It takes much less time and effort.

I saw someone I hadn't seen in a very long time last night, he's been going through a lot since I've seen him, and it made me think of things like this. And thinking of all the shit I've been through recently. I constantly try to stir up my life, and make things seem better more quickly, but I never know what I'm getting myself into... kind of like I ordered the wrong drink. And somehow, I always leave. I always leave right before I start getting a taste for what life is like, before it develops, just as I've been taught.

In life, we make caramel macchiatos. And then we drink it up!

We all order the wrong drinks. But, I shall tell you my dear, it will get sweeter.

On a side note: I'm eating a bowl of plant life. Om nom nom.

10 more days. :)

Attention: Your Gate Has Been Changed. (Your Life is Now Weird).

I've probably looked at the U.S. Airways Departures board every two minutes for the past hour and a half. I want there to be more than just one flight to Dayton today! But, of course, the only flight out to the charming Dayton, OH departs at approximately 1:29pm. I will arrive in Dayton, hopefully, by 3:30, where I will proceed to run like a freak (with my arms flailing, of course) to my car and speed all the way home (assuming that my car is still in the parking lot...I don't remember if I locked up Emily before I left or not...ehhh) so that I can get to Starbucks on time...to wait on the delectable characters of Brown street who are dotingly taking part in the Starbucks (RED) cause for the day...until close. Or midnight. Whichever comes...more naturally. And I was supposed to be home yesterday...yay for flight cancellations (and never-ending traffic!) !

Annnnd...Yay for a very, very short Thanksgiving break. Which, by the way, was short...did I mention that my vacation away from Hell (the Hell with... creepily nice folk) was too short? Well. In case I didn't, now you know. Though, my break did have its up sides. It was my first vegetarian Thanksgiving! Yay! My sister made such delicious nom noms, like lentil loaf, for supper. [Her recipes are on her blog! Check them out! http://lizshmackenzie.blogspot.com/ Yay!] Another up side: I saw all of my friends, plus more. And, I learned that I'm desirable for marriage. Sweet. Who knew?

On my first flight this morning, from Boston to New York, and in and out of REM cycles (I slept MAYBE from 2am to 5:22am this morning...my dad woke me up at exactly 5:22 of course), I was thinking...my life would make such a funny movie. Seriously, everything that happens to me is hilarious...in kind of a sad way. But, it's only sad because it's happening to me. It'd be a funny movie. I should take Film Studies or something...learn how to write screen plays. Everyone's a narcissist, right? It would be so easy to just write about myself, and perhaps I could make millions on the hilarity that ensues in my life, and I could just do what I want with my life for forever. Like, I mean, if I had millions, just think about what I could do with my time...Weird example: This morning, when my dad was driving around the Logan Airport parking lot, there was a rope blocking off a section of the garage, and all I kept thinking was, "I wish my life had no schedule so that I could just ram my car through the rope and drive up there". I have no idea why that would be so fun...but it would.

Anyway. That's enough of my thoughts. I'm sleepy, and I'm going to my gate now. Everyone should find and watch the canceled show "Wonderfalls". Funniest show I've ever seen. See you laterz!!

<3 [The freckles in our eyes are mirror images.] <3

I wish I was Pam.

Mmmmmm, I haven't written on here in a long time! Let me tell you about things!
Yesterday. I went to the library to do some homework at like 9:30 in the evening time hours. Annnnnddd, I spent all of my time on the 5th floor--contemporary art and literature!--sitting by the window with an Oreo Mint Blast, taking career placement tests online. The results--nothing. It told me I like being ridiculous and have no sense of responsibility and I love flowers and colors and pretty words. Really? Okay. Thanks. So, then I decided to watch The Office on my compy. It was the episode where Pam screams out, "That's what she said! That's what she said!" to Jim on bluetooth while she's in New York. Such hilarity. I wish I was Pam. Anyway, about half-way through the episode, my phone vibrated in my purse! A text message! I leaped! It was from Marie-butt (one of my suitemates, for those of you who don't follow every aspect of my life). She said: "I'm eating human collagen. Am nam nam." She's probably my favorite cannibal ever.

We have this on-going joke about pudding. How it turns humans into human-eaters. This is how it goes. Gelatin is made up of collagen. Humans have collagen--what if, for some odd reason, there's an animal collagen shortage at some point in the future? This, of course, only means that there is a pudding shortage. And, me, being the cynic that I am, thought of this brilliant plot. Our government. As splendid and proper as it may be...is someday going to muster up this plan. Upon the shortage of pudding, the government is going to send the military into homes of innocent families, looking for human "sacrifices". WE MUST HAVE OUR SNACK PACKS. I'm so deranged. Anyway, I took out some books! I got "Orlando" by Virginia Woolf, and a few books about surrealism. Yayayayay. And I saw my old coworker from Starbucks (he quit)...he checked out my books for me. SILLY LIBRARIANS. It was awkward, for some reason. Probably because I'm not used to much human contact.

I started out today reading Plato and answered lame questions, when I realized that I hate EVERYTHING. I'm sick of school, and I, frankly, don't give a shit anymore. OK--I don't hate everything. I just want time to be ridiculous. I wanna roll around on the floor in Marie's room and interpret art with her. OKAY, the other day, Marie interpreted art from my Ecstasy book, and it was soooo funny. She thinks very logically, and so, hilarity ensued. There was a picture of a model in the rain forest, holding hands with a robot, and they were sitting next to a body of water and some sort of floor lamp. And she was like, " How can the lamp work in the rain forest? I think this one means our houses shouldn't have roofs." She told me she wants me to continue to get "fun art books" from the library so that she can interpret it for me. She's so cute. And I heart her.

The rest of today was fine, though. It snowed lots and lots! I went with Lindsey to the doctor because she's having back problems, which, in turn, make her heart condition worse! Agh! We had a fun time together, though! And the doctor fixed her right up! We went to Starbucks after we drove around for like 3 hours and talked about how jaded and bitchy we are (i.e., we're jaded bitches). Annnnd, obviously, the most awkward person alive was working. One of my coworkers told my other coworkers that he wanted to sleep with me! Is that REALLY something you wanna be spreading around? I didn't think so. Before we went in, Lindsey said to me, "Do you want me to just go up to him and be like, 'I just really want to have sex with you' " And I said, "Yes. Please." But, obviously, she didn't. He was uber awkward to me, too. Ugh. Things. Why am I such a freak?

I want to learn how to paint. I draw things always. And colors make me happy. I also want to crochet my sister a hat. Or a sweater. Or a sweater with a matching hat. All I really know is...I do not want to go to my classes tomorrow. I want to watch national geographic in my jammies and draw you a picture of a sunset and chickens. KTHANX.

I leave you with Paul Eluard:

"I have not always had this certainty, this pessimism which reassures the best among us. There was a time when my friends laughed at me. I was not the master of my words. A certain indifference, I have not always known well what I wanted to say, but most often it was because I had nothing to say. The necessity of speaking and the desire not to be heard. My life hanging only by a thread.

There was a time when I seemed to understand nothing. My chains floated on the water.

All my desires are born of my dreams. And I have proven my love with words. To what fantastic creatures have I entrusted myself, in what dolorous and ravishing world has my imagination enclosed me? I am sure of having been loved in the most mysterious of domains, my own. The language of my love does not belong to human language, my human body does not touch the flesh of my love. My amorous imagination has always been constant and high enough so that nothing could attempt to convince me of error."

Stay tuned: Next posting will ACTUALLY be about mangoes. Colors, shapes, tastes, origins, all varieties of mangoes.

And On the Radio. You Hear November Rain.

I hate not having a camera. My Canon powershot (which actually lasted me about five solid years) is now dead. And it's all my fault. I spilled water on him. SadsadsadsadsadFACE. (Remember FACE from Nickelodeon?) Once I get a new camera for Christmas (wantwantwant a Nikon!), I'm going to start posting pictures on here! Most likely of flowers and snow and beautiful things and [beautiful, maybe] people! Yay. Want.

New things. Hm. I was just reading this book [which is really, really overdue to the library! ahh!] by the editors of the Green Living Journal, and one of the chapters of the book is called "Why to Bike to Work"... Which, by the way, I would love to do, if I had a bike in Ohio, or at all...I always see one of my coworkers, Andy, biking to work, and I always beep at him and wave freakishly, as I pull in the parking lot with ease in my little red nissan, and I don't know if he thinks it's funny or not. He's like 47 years old. Oh well. Anyway. I want a bike. And, this chapter gave a whole list of reasons why you should bike to work. Here's the best ones:

• Driving too much results in eye-strain, backaches, migraines, weight gain, and highway hypnosis. Bicycling too much results in sexy calves and thigh muscles.
• Drivers who fall asleep at the wheel result in 20,000 accidents per year. Bicyclists who fall asleep simply fall down.
• Road-rage abounds. Bike-lane rage is as yet unheard of.
  
• A car requires insurance, registration, and a valid California license. A bicycle requires the sense of balance of an eight-year-old.
  

Those were just the funny ones, but, biking to work is definitey an obvious choice to help with global sustainability! So hooray for bikes! I should get one!

I was mainly reading this book about sustainability because I have to do a presentation for my communications module about my major--so, I chose an aspect of photojournalism. I found this photographer, Perry Dilbeck, who started a 10 year documentary project [which is now titled The Last Harvest] about a group of farmers and the deterioration of their farms and inevitably, their livelihood, due to an increase in big factory farms and sooo much consumerism! Yay! So, yeah, basically, I want to feature this photo-story in my presentation, and kind of talk about how local farms are beneficial to us--how they're more environmentally friendly (i.e., less carbon emissions from big factory trucks delivering veggies and they're healthier! less chemicals flying all over the place!) and possibly a few other photographic stories addressing environmentally friendly causes and some photographic trends behind the creation of the actual pictures. (FARM SHARES.)

Liz is going to make me vegan when I go home. I am nervous.

In other news. I'm a freak! No, I don't know. My apartment applications with the Boulders' was approved! Yay! Neighbors with Lulu! My first apartment ever! I'm a grown up! I'm excited to go back home. I was just looking at pictures of some of my friends from home, all hanging out in Amherst, and I was jealous. I want. Soon.

I'm going to make a Mocha syrup snow angel on the floor behind the bar at work on Saturday morning. If they're going to make me open at 5 am, I'm going to make things interesting. Yes I am.

Well, it's time for din-dins! I'm going to make pasta and tofu and num nums!

Today. I will leave you with a quote from my Lindsey-face.
(Over text message)
Boy: Hey, what're you up to?
Lindsey: (thinks for a minute, looks down at her donuts in her lap) Eating 3 donuts...OM NOM NOM...I mean, being popular.

<3 Kulu

IS YOUR BLOOD JUMPING?!

Hehehe Liz...

NPR reports! [BTDUBS. OBAMA JUST WON IN OHIO. ]

"NPR is projecting Democrat Barack Obama as the winner in the vital swing states of Pennsylvania and Ohio. If Obama holds every state that John Kerry won in 2004, he will be able to claim more than 270 electoral votes — enough to clinch the presidency.

Ohio is Obama's first pickup of a state that went for President Bush in 2004. The loss of the Buckeye State represents a crushing blow to Republican John McCain, whose campaign worked hard for the state's 20 electoral votes. No Republican has ever been elected president without winning Ohio.

Obama's ambitious strategy to reshape the electoral map appears to be succeeding. The first African-American to head a major-party ticket has had strong showings in a number of states, including some that have not voted Republican in decades, as exit polls showed the economy was the main issue on voters' minds.

In the key swing state of Virginia, long a Republican stronghold, early exit polls showed Obama leading across all age groups except those 65 and older, across income and education levels, and among all demographics except whites.

And in the crucial states of Pennsylvania and Minnesota, as well as more than a dozen other states, NPR projects Obama as the winner; Republican John McCain is projected to win in Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas and Alabama, among others.

With Pennsylvania going blue, McCain has little room to maneuver: In order to reach the 270 electoral votes needed to win the presidency, he must win every state President Bush carried in 2004. The race remains too close to call in North Carolina, Indiana and Florida — all states that Bush won four years ago.

The dramatic economic downturn in the last weeks of the campaign played to candidate Obama's advantage, as polls showed voters trusted him more to deal with the crisis. Two thirds of voters leaving the polls said they were worried or very worried that the financial crisis will affect their family.

The dramatic economic downturn in the last weeks of the campaign played to candidate Obama's advantage. As polls closed in some states, Democratic candidate Barack Obama appeared to have the edge in exit polls which showed the economy as the main issue on voters' minds. Two-thirds of voters leaving the polls said they were worried or very worried that the financial crisis will affect their family.

Yumei Liu is a Taiwanese immigrant who voted for Obama in Oakton, Va.

"If Obama is elected," he said, "I think he's more for having the country united together rather than all those attacks going on. I'm hoping that if he's elected, maybe you bring a more positive thinking to society right now."

Going into Election Day, most national polls showed Obama with a solid lead in the states that had voted for Democrat John Kerry in 2004, and also leading or tied with McCain in a number of states that voted for President Bush. That gives Obama numerous ways to reach the 270 electoral votes needed to become the nation's first black president."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

How exciting is this! Obama just won in Ohio. It's so wonderful! If Obama is president (which now it's pretty clear that he will with Ohio), I just feel like our rut will be broken. Our disgusting history of white Christian men believing they're this alpha creature, who push us back further and further into the past (which is stupid!). I would really just rather not have a racist, sexist president! I would not stand for a government run by a man who air-quotes women's health, bans rights, and who chooses a running mate who thinks the most important part of her campaign is sweaters and defines her own form of feminism with a $35 wedding ring...and then talks about plans to ban the morning after pill. Yeah. Okay. If that were the case, I would move to Canada in a heartbeat. And, honestly, I've noticed that it's starting to become common ground among even the most Conservative [and Midwestern!] Americans. I have crazy old religious folk [wearing ridiculous religious parafanilia and T-shirts reading "Jesus Is Real"] coming in to my Starbucks talking to my partners, undecided young folk, trying to convince them to vote for Obama. They. Want. Change. And there's definitely something to be said about Colin Powell endorsing Obama. [Hehe, in Stephen Colbert's words, "John McCain, the only way you could truly be a maverick is to endorse Barack Obama"] Now. I would say... That's common ground. Everyone has different ideas on what kind of change they want, but it's happening. People finally joining together again for change.

I would like to be happier with the country that I live in...it'd be cool to not be so ashamed to live in America. I just think this is the start of something big! Which is what we need! Happy! My blood is jumping all around everywhere! HISTORY IN THE MAKING. WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT?! I'M TOO EXCITED RIGHT NOW. It's so exciting that I'm here for it too...I voted for Obama in Ohio! Yipee! By the way. My roommates are pissed and racist. One of my roommates' responses to Obama's win in Ohio:

Her: "There's a lot of black people in Ohio."

Me: "So, you're saying that black people have no other political opinion beside the color of their skin?"

Her: "Nope. They don't."

Sorry you're going to have to live under a black president, rather than a "maverick" of a president.

Glad I'm going home soon.

Stay With Me, Go Places.

Hi!

These are my weekend plans:
Peanut Butter Cups

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

1 cup peanut butter (reduced fat and creamy)
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups of vegan chocolate chips
1/4 teaspoon salt
12 paper muffin cups

Directions:

Cut the top half of the muffin cups to where they are about half the original height.

Microwave the chocolate chips for about 2 minutes at 50% power in a glass or microwaveable bowl. Stir until creamy, you might need to microwave them a little more. Make sure you do not overcook them.

Using a spoon or paint brush spread the chocolate evenly within the muffin cups making sure you fill the crevices on the sides. Place the coated muffin cups in the freezer so that the chocolate hardens.

In a separate bowl combine the peanut butter and salt and fold in the powdered vegan sugar.

When the chocolate cups have hardened put the peanut butter mixture into the microwave for 1 minute. Wait a minute for it to cool and then bring out the chocolate cups.

Spoon the peanut butter into the chocolate cups leaving a little room for the top layer of chocolate. You have the option of putting the top layer of chocolate on now or after the peanut butter has hardened in the freezer. Both ways work just as well in my opinion.

Place the cups in the freezer and wait an hour (or as long as you can!).
~~~~~~
I'm so excited! It's like home! Peanut Butter! Nummies!

So, here's an update about what I've been thinking about/doing this week:

As I write this, one of my roommates is sewing up the final pieces to her Halloween costume. She's going to be an "Indian" as she describes. Basically, she's grouping every single Native American tribe into one costume and parading it around campus in a very slutty manner. Nice. I love racism. And Ohio. I kind of just thought girls liked to dress up like tramps for Halloween. I did not know that it also transcended into the world of racism here in the grand ol' Midwest. I'm really happy I have to work Saturday morning...I can't parade around with racist folk for fun on Friday night! (I'm just guessing there will be lots of other types of discrimination in the form of costumes, since there are already 3 costumes that I find disturbing being made in my own apartment. Sweet.) Also, earlier, one of my roommates was very verbal about being confused as to why I was making my tofu for dinner. Basically, tofu is this foreign material that us hippie folk eat to confuse the rest of the world. "But, wait, there's like, no meat in your stir fry?".... Yay.

Also, in reading a particular article on a feminist blog (http://www.feministing.com/cgi-bin/movabletype/mt-search.fcgi?IncludeBlogs=2&search=pimp+the+vote), I've come to a realization about the past few men I've dated. Or probably all of the men I've dated. I really, really find very intelligent, dirty, indie hipster boys attractive. Guys who follow politics like no other (and talk about it constantly), read Salinger and Hemingway and such, have some sort of musical talent, probably smoke some kind of hipster cigs, spend lots of time in coffee shops writing poetry and such. And, for some reason, I never truly realized that these boys are disgustingly arrogant and really do not respect women. At all. Basically, the article I read on the blog was talking about an ad to advocate for Barack Obama's presidency. But, it's degrading for women, in that, it was a picture of a few hipster-esque, skinny girls sitting together with the tag line "Girls say Yes to boys who say Obama". So, you know, girls like Obama because their boyfriends do! Not because they're able to follow politics themselves and think he has good ideas and policies. And if their boyfriends vote for Obama, they will say "Yes". Awesome. Whenever I try to talk about politics or any other "male topic" with my ex and his friends...I'm usually pretty much ignored. I've dated the same type of person over and over again. Boys who like girls to be skinny and giggly and quiet. And use their mind to just paint pretty pictures. No wonder I'm so depressed!

BUT. ANYWAY. Happy thing! News flash! A big one! I got an apartment! It's in the Boulders' apartment complex in Amherst! Same complex as my sister! My sister is the best sister in the world! We're going to be neighbors! And I couldn't be happier. I'm very excited to finish off the semester in Dayton and to never go back...
My sister is coming to pick me up at the end of the semester. She's flying in, and we're going to pack up all of my ITEMS, and we're driving home! But we're stopping in Toronto first! It's just about half way between here and Massachusetts. So, we're staying over in a hostel overnight, and I'm so excited. There's like 4,000 vegetarian/vegan restaurants within walking distance of our hostel. And the drinking age is 19! Things! Sister! Fast car! So, despite this weird post, I actually am happy.
And I'm thinking of going to Smith...(NICOLE!) I've been looking at courses at Smith and Hampshire, and I'm just happy. I love learning! And I like going places! ("Come head on, full circle...stay with me, go places." Seriously, I'm obsessed with the New Pornographer's new album. Listen to it. Do it. Do it.)

Usually, I end off my post with song lyrics as my signature. But, today, I have a funny quote from my Physics professor.

Prof. Erdie: Well, kids, there's this thing. A favor. A favor that I'm going to do for all of you someday. A favor that old wrinkled scientists have been doing for young scientists for a long while. What am I going to do for you? (He calls on some random guy)
Some random guy: (nervous) Umm...well...I mean...
Prof Erdie: Just say it. SAY IT. SAY IT. COME ON. SAY IT.
Some random guy: You're going to die?
Prof Erdie: That's exactly right!

Hehehehe. Goof face.

Love,
(happier) Kulu!