the world feels a little bit different

I'd like to extend a virtual "Obama pound" to everyone out there in cyberspace. Personally, I'm thrilled the White House will be home to the sharp looking Obama family. We're living in a world where one no longer has to be rich, white, and male to become the president. The world feels different to me.

listen up, Mr. T has something very important to say

I know their day has come and gone, but in anticipation of the next day of mothers, let us consider this very educational/inspirational video. Perhaps we'll take away something very important and be sure to always treat our mothers right! Treat Your Mother Right

summertime in Yosemite

OC fair

I'm a sucker when it comes to the fair. I love the over-stimulating environment it offers my eyes, ears,
nose, etc--the aesthetically pleasing bright colors, the obnoxious pumping of techno beats, the smell of deep-fried everything, heart-attack-inducing everything, and the opportunity to indulge in a few fair sweets. I'll even risk my life and the life of my beloved husband on an extra-wobbly and sketchy fair ride for the sake of a thrill and a good time. And although I've already been--twice--I'll probably go again with you if you ask me to. County fairs are just so "American" and definitely sites to be seen, heard, smelled, and tasted. Plus, the people watching is top-notch.




This is Bailey, a little beggar child we happened upon at the fair. Bailey was starving. For only 14 cents a day, we could have fed her a well balanced meal for up to 5 months. Instead, we opted to feed her funnel cake.



Anne, bothered by the surplus of attention a starving Bailey was receiving, claimed she, too, was starving and needed funnel cake to suffice.


Kiffy, however, swiped Anne's funnel cake and crafted it into a makeshift mustachio!


And Callie, in a fit of sibling rivalry, just smiled . . . As of now, Callie and Anne are no longer on speaking terms. It is terrible! It's terrible.

oh, the anticipation!

The Road by Cormac McCarthy is one of my favorite American novels and it comes highly recommended by yours truly. It tells the tale of a man and his young son in a post-apocalyptic world in which they attempt to survive. Among other things, it tells of the good and evil in people and the lingering presence of hope in even the worst of situations. I hope this film is faithful to the novel it's based on. Either way, I'll definitely be seeing this one when it finally comes out. Read The Road, tell me what you think, and then see the film, maybe.

yippeeee!

This is the latest! I was accepted to graduate school at Cal State University, Long Beach for my master's in English Literature and I'm feeling pretty pleased as punch and very relieved! I've had a few very brilliant English professors at CSULB over the years and I feel privileged to get the chance to study with them again. This is something I've always wanted and I'm excited that I get the chance to make a dream come true for myself. It will definitely be tough trying to balance work, endless writing, and a life, but I'm confident I'll make it all work. Besides, Kiffy's schoolwork ethic helps to keep me from straying from what I need to get done. He's a maniac when it comes to school, but in the good maniac sort of way.

I begin this fall. Wish me your best!

salton seagoers

Strange things take place in small towns. My cousins and I took a trip to the Salton Sea and stopped off at some pretty amazing and strange places along the way.

THE SALTON SEA
What was once a happening seaside resort town is now a ghost town with a few strange residents still living amidst the stinky sea.



SALVATION MOUNTAIN
This was our strangest stop and my favorite. Salvation Mountain appeared in the Oscar-nominated film, Into the Wild, and so did its maker, Leonard Knight. He is a strange old man, yet also very sweet and especially determined. He's been working on this piece of art for 24 years and living in a very small trailer, without electricity, on the grounds. I don't know how he stands it out there in the summertime, with temperatures exceeding 100 degrees (it was about 120 degrees when we visited). He was really excited when we showed up and asked if he could show us around. This man just wants to share his mountain and his message of love with as many people as he can.

He builds his mountain from hay bales and adobe and adorns it with objects he finds in the desert like tires, tree branches, car parts, and other junk. His mountain includes a "museum" with pictures and news clippings of the mountain plastered to the colorful walls. People bring him paint and help him out as he's in his 70s. This man is awesome. If you're up for something wacky, I recommend checking Salvation Mountain out.