Second star to the right

I'm back at Pepperdine!  Fully moved in for my part and am alone in the apartment since no one else can move in til the 26th at the earliest. It has been wonderful seeing Laura, Lauren, Nate, Tyler, etc. etc. here in Malibu again. Words can't describe how nice it is to be back. As always, I'm a little homesick for the family, but I've been so ridiculously busy that it's ok. Plus, once everyone moves in, it'll be fine. NSO training is hardcore ALL DAY long. You wouldn't have guessed that...I think my own NSO leader was very NOT-memorable, so I had forgotten a lot of what they did at orientation. I won't be that way for my group I hope. Anyways, I LOVE my room and'll put pictures up once Laura gets moved in next Sunday. I have an art portion of my wall that my desk faces, and a friends/family picture portion over my bed. The color scheme is pink and brown with turquoise accents. 

We got off early today at around 6:30, and I've just woken up from being passed out. I missed several calls, so sorry about that! It's a Saturday night, and I'm so exhausted that I'm being the biggest nerd ever and am staying in to write some stuff and read some Seamus Heaney. CORNERSTONE COMMUNITY CHURCH TOMORROW WITH LAUREN!!! I'm so excited. The end. 

...Until Tyler gets here and kicks off my final week in Washington. Walnut Creek, Corona, & Malibu bound!
Before the 13th, a huge TO DO LIST (so far, ever changing):

BUY:

v     Rubber Bands

v     Volleyball spandex

v     Leotard

v     Wall frame for family pics

v     Eye liner

v     SCHOOL BOOKS (just rob me of my money now)

v     White purse

v     Jeans

DO:

v     Get the DaVinci Code from Megaron

v     Complete writing internship essay & application/Send recommendation sheet

v     Write & edit copy for Ginger’s business

v     Finish Tyler’s present

v     Update/organize pictures on laptop

v     Make binder of volleyball drills

v     PACK PACK PACK

MAYBE’S:

v     Buy more shirts

A lot of it took place in some newly built shopping (outdoor) plaza...kind of like Kent station, but a lot more ritzy and the plaza was circular. It looked really really nice, really fun. I remember fragments...there was a huge basket of some sort with lots of stuff in it...I recall 2 Panasonic phones. I wondered who it was from, and then Tyler came out from behind some trees (the basket was in a little clearing next to the plaza-weird??) and said "It's me!" And I screamed and ran to hug him since he wasn't supposed to be up here until Sunday. THEN apparently, one of the new stores in the plaza was a fairy costume store, and Hilary Pittenger (I'm sorry if I spelled your last name wrong!) was working there. As I made my way around the plaza (I never completed one round), Hilary passed in front of me 3 times somehow, each time in a different fairy outfit. The first time (I don't remember the outfits themselves really, more her hair), her hair was down but separated and tied back together in several spots so it was like a long net cascading down her back. The things tying her hair were jewels of some sort- I know they were soft yet shimmery looking. As weird as that sounds, I remember thinking it looked really pretty. The next time I saw her, her hair was tied back, but after the rubberband where her hair should have been falling, there were various black & white glass-like ornament things. They were different lengths, shapes, and sizes. It's like they were these beautiful blown glass ornaments hanging where there should have been hair. It was really pretty! I woke up and thought...how did my mind create such unique/weird/interesting outfits??

That was the dream. Sorry if that weirded you Hilary! And sorry if there are typos- I typed this semi fast since it's straight out of my handwritten journal.

Just saw Urinetown with Karen which was pretty good. The beginning was terribly cheesy, but the songs and acting and facial expressions got to me and I left Kentwood thinking it was a very entertaining play. I love plays. I love the arts.

I'm about to eat some cherries then finish cleaning my room which I started earlier today. 

I love being a writer.

Why is it that while I'm at work I pictures myself doing so many things once I get home, then when I actually do get home, I am so dead tired and just want to lay on the couch and take a nap? I'm sure the extreme heat has something to do with it...not fun to do too much when it's so hot.

I decided I feel really detached from a lot of my friends. It's kind of weird because when I really think about it, I just had a movie date with Ryan, have been hanging out/working out with Caitlin nearly every day, talk to Jen while she's at summer school on a pretty regular basis, see Liane at least once a week, kept up with good old AshW, and have seen the bro Michael each time he has been back in Kent. I'm even going to hang out with Liane tomorrow I believe, and Michael just got back in town (and he already called me which means late night desserts, fun drives, and more). Basically, my free time is spent being busy- but usually with friends. 

BUT there's still an uncomfortable void, and I think it's because I've lost touch with some friends who used to be pretty close to me. Clearly, this isn't a big deal since I'm sure it'll be just the same when I do get to see them. But it's kind of like we've progressed to another part of life (I know I feel this way- this upcoming semester and year feel like a new beginning completely separated from the past two, and that's a GREAT thing), and we've kept certain people in our lives while others were left out-of-the-loop without realizing it. Well, it's part of life and I am excited for this year. Even so, the void just reminds me that I'm growing up and makes me want to read J.M. Barrie. Tadda.

So...it's HOT. Humid, sticky, want-to-take-a-cold-shower-every-hour, Washington hot. Let's see, what have I been up to. Been working full time, taking extra long breaks with the coolest crew ever and challenging Ali to Scrabble (he claims he is king, I claim I am better), using "magic rub" eraser-like sponge things that seriously clean off surfaces like no other.

Went to Bellevue Square today with Caitlin and found my much anticipated 1st Year Anniversary dress! A fun, sexy yet classy little black dress from Express...I'll be wearing it to dinner on September 2nd. Since I didn't spend as much on it as I made a budget for, I'm splurging on a really hot necklace to go with it. The dress is really simple and sleek, so a cool, attention-drawing necklace will look awesome with it. I have yet to find this necklace, so Cait and I are going to South Center tomorrow for a day of necklace hunting and Starbucks (we get paid July 31st and the paycheck is going to be FABULOUS). Tyler still won't give me any hints whatsoever on what we're doing for our anniversary, nor where we're going at all. It's the first time he is keeping something completely secret, and it's exciting! I'll have a post later on my present for him...

For now, I need to go do some last minute preps for the barbecue we're having tonight with some friends. Another cool night on the deck with the fambam, friends, and MOLLY! Yes, no one claimed her at the shelter, so we have officially adopted a dog. Our very first REAL pet (fish don't count, and Nibbles, my bunny, couldn't go for walks and run with me). For those of you who don't know my mom, this is a HUUUUUGGGGEEEEE deal because well, she's analy clean (that's where I get it). Molly won't be coming inside much, so our house will still be spotless. 

Word.

What I like:
-Sleeping
-Sometimes feeling like Cinderella when I'm working (bucket, sponges, towels, scrubbing on my knees or sitting down, it's all there. I'm just waiting for Lucifer to come pouncing all over the clean floors with dirty paws sometime soon)
-Coming home for lunch

What I Love:
-the CUTEST, sweetest, little dog that magically appeared in our garage yesterday who we are now taking care of and getting too attached to (my dad built this adorable little house on our deck for her to keep warm. she is in love with Kristen. we put up "found" signs around nearby neighborhoods and are going to bring a picture of her to the animal shelter soon : (  we [us three sisters] want to keep her so bad. we named her Albus at first before we found out she was a girl, then changed it to Molly. We're not attached at all)
-Starbucks dates with Liane where we talk about everything, laugh, drink coffee, laugh, get fat, laugh, and be content
-Liane in general
-Hanging out with Caitlin again because I missed her and am proud of her for getting into college in Hawaii where she'll be playing fastpitch
-Finally feeling like everything in my life is falling into place- school, major, future, life
-Getting a card from Tyler nearly everyday (it all started last week, I received a card and called to thank him and he says "what does the card say?" then I receive another card the next day, and today I received 2 more! no wonder he lost track. so sweet)
-Talking to Laura about...just talking to Laura makes me ridiculously happy
-Ashley Walters, my bestest best friend since 3rd grade who screeched when I called her out of the blue and exclaimed "YOU'RE NOT ENGAGED ARE YOU!?" Nope, Ash, and not any time soon haha
-TALKING TO TYLER ABOUT HARRY POTTER. It's awesome. He never read the books before, and now that he has read 5 and is reading 6, it is so much fun to talk to him about it all
-Jennifer Levy, and running into her mom twice in a row in back-to-back Fred Meyer trips
-Johnny Depp in Pirates
-Actually, Johnny Depp all the time, but ESPECIALLY in pirates
-August 10th is coming up slowly but surely, and that means no more work, tyler's back in WA, and let the packing begin

Yay it's Friday! I'm looking forward to a 4-day weekend with no work, hopefully seeing Alix tomorrow, "Click" with the sisters, 4th of July partays, and maybe renting a FRIENDS season DVD and splurging with baked Lays potato chips, water, and oranges (haha "splurging" right). For those of you who don't know, I'm working for the Kent School District this summer, and my job varies from day to day. My friend Ali and I are assigned to different schools every few days and the work we do depends on the people we're working for. So far, I've done everything from labeling and sorting reading packets for elementary kids to hauling hundreds of pounds worth of desks, file cabinets, book shelves, etc. from classrooms to the gym. 

What have I learned from this experience so far? LOTS ABOUT TEACHERS. I won't look at teachers the same again (except Mrs. Behrens who did a fabulous job cleaning/packing up her room, and who --I'm allowed to say this since I've seen her teach-- is an all around hilarious/excellent teacher). They have tons and tons of stuff, just STUFF, and they expect someone to clean up after them even if it's their fault. i.e. sloppily throwing everything into their desk and file cabinets so they can hurriedly leave for the summer, making it very difficult for the custodians to move it all since it's a)extremely heavy, and b)so badly thrown together that one little nudge knocks everything everywhere. i.e. ripping down class decorations (and that's if they were nice enough to take them down anyway) and leaving tape stuck to walls, boards, desks, etc. so the custodians have to scrape off the residue IN ADDITION to cleaning the desks and chairs anyway. i.e. taking sweet time to move out so that food, scraps, miscellaneous lamps, month-old used tea pots, umbrellas, and every other random item you could think of remains scattered around the room so it's impossible for custodians to clean when they have deadlines and get in trouble for it. AND THE BIG ONE: Complaining that nothing gets done (vacuuming, window-washing, dusting, floor cleaning, board-cleaning, ________ cleaning) when IT'S THEIR FAULT work can't be done since they carelessly keep their rooms as if they have personal maids. 

I know I'm not doing all of what the custodians do, but I do see it, and it has made me decide that if I ever become some sort of teacher in any way or form, I will do my best to help the custodians out, even if it's something as small as emptying a cup before throwing it away so the beverage doesn't splash everywhere when it's time to pick up trash. Custodians do so much work that goes unnoticed. And of course, not ALLLL teachers are like this, but sadly most of them are.
 
Whew. The end, the weekend is here! 

This evening was fabulous. Absolutely beautiful. Liane and I had our usual Starbucks date and sat outside in the warm evening sun, talking for over 2 hours. The sky was so pretty turning orange and pink with the Seattle green-ness all around. It's the perfect temperature still in the upper 80's. 
Things I've learned so far this summer:
-Jobs are nice because that means money
-It IS possible to talk to someone at least 8 times a day and have that still not be enough
-1000 any-time minutes is, in fact, not that much
-I'm fat and not getting any skinnier
-I'm not used to/don't like/absolutely hate being fat
-Seattle summers are priceless
-I miss playing volleyball and my nice platform is going to waste
-I love having long hair

Art:
Colorblind

Through an ocean of muddled dreams,
he wakes it seems
without the notion
to really understand,
colorblind to his own hand.
Night wraps up its story in a whisper,
and the hour glass never lies.
He looks above and sees the stars
unafraid of morning's grace.
Worry slowly paints his face
He does not know the stars' places are eternal as well.

Dawn comes, and smiling cosmic eyes
softly push the sleepy skies for
Day's part of their compromise.
As warm light floods the drowsy earth,
one more rebirth,
the stars linger on in mirth,
and he laughs with them, scared of change.

Dreams become less hazy, and dawn Divine chooses this day.
The light is mirrored in bright eyes.
He raises a hand to touch the sky and draws it back, perplexed--
It cups the dripping center of a star.
A stirring in his heart begins to realize, but
the quicksilver continues to bleed.
He looks up, confused, and sees the fading night
a soft-spoken pinprick is dull compared to brilliant others;
its twinkle dies in his hands. And he really sees its color.
But it's ok, sweeter to fall in pieces despite the pain.
He holds the core in daybreak's open arms and finally sees.
But night is gone.
Did he know before? or
Does he see too late 

I laughed out loud when I read Laura's latest entry regarding moths...
http://lavitabella86.livejournal.com/

These are the wonderful girls I'm going to be living with this fall. You're so jealous right now.