out of the blue

There occurred today, in the region of Spokane, a very strange phenomenon, the likes of which I have never before encountered. Promptly following the end of Calculus,at approximately two of the clock, I began to perambulate in the direction of my dormitory. When I had traversed nearly one half of the distance between the two locations, my attention was siezed by something just on the edge of my field of vision. Something of the white persuasion had fallen from the sky, and had stuck a chord in my mind that sounded echoes of winter. But could this strange happening have been that thing we like to call snow? No, not possible, for the temperature had risen well above freezing by the early afternoon. On a fine day who bore a pleasant number of degrees, around forty-five by my reckoning, snow seemed highly unlikely, if not downright impossible. So, I walked on, putting the question nearly out of my mind.

Not two seconds had passed before I saw my second unidentified falling object. Then the third passed by, directly in front of me and not two feet distant. Although a quick explaination flashed through my mind of a strange individual flying overhead with a stash of styrofoam particles, it was soon displaced by the belief that, against all notions of sense and probability, it was snowing. I reached the grassy region directly in front of the noble Campion, or at least the door by which I had become accustomed to entering, and bent down to examine this strange white substance. It remained between my fingers, unlike snow, and only melted at a sluggish rate, until I commenced its demise by crushing it between the powerful digits of my right hand.

The conundrum that befell my poor, troubled mind, as the white substance flurried about my head, was that it wasn't snow–it wasn't flaky enough. It wasn't hail–it fell much too slowly to answer to that appellation. I quickly turned it over in my head, until a flash of brilliance struck me, and I was nearly bowled over by my own genious. I knew that this previously unencountered substance must henceforth be respectfully addressed by a new name! A strange combination of the lightness of snow and the icy reality of hail, this marked a new era of meteorology, in which brilliance would flare in the hitherto unremarkable principalities of Eastern Washington. It was upon us, and I was at the head!

Let everyone hail this new phenomenon, and call it by its true name (coined by perhaps the most unrecognized genious of our age):

Snail!

Today, I decided to catch up in Lit, so I read all of the stuff that I was supposed to have read already, as well as the reading for tomorrow. So, I got done with that, and decided to figure out how many pages I read. I was appalled when I figured it out: 175 pages. Now I know why I'm so tired. And, bear in mind that these aren't bloody NORMAL pages, these are LIT TEXTBOOK pages. Therefore, they have quite a few more words on each page than novels, and aren't necessarily as interesting. (There were at least 20 pages of biography that I read. The actual works of literature were interesting, but not as much as they would be were I to read them on my own time, and not trying to finish them so I could let myself go to sleep.) Needless to say, I'm tired. Goodnight.

Well, today I recieved some mail from my parents. Among those were some monks (tasty German pastries–if you'd like to try, talk to me, and you might get one), some easter candy, and a card. The card contained $20, inviting Aaron and I to go to Easter dinner with it. Seeing as I didn't have it at easter, we decided to have post-Easter lunch, and get a David's pizza. (The Maple Street Bridge, like combination–huge and wonderful.) So, I run over, and try to put it on my debit card. They run it, and somehow it doesn't go through, even though it had enough money. I said that all I had was a 20 (the pizza was about 21 or so), and they said that would be fine. So, I pull out my wallet, and realize that I had left it in the card which was sitting in my dorm. I told them I could run back to the dorm and grab it, but one of the chefs offered to cover it, as long as I'd leave money back there sometime. I was very impressed with that, so I went back to the dorm. I grabbed the money, and biked back over with it before eating–walked in and gave him the money, and thanked him.

Why did he do that? He placed faith in a fellow human being that I would come back and leave him the money. He trusted me, and by that trust I was blessed. I would like to think that he was blessed by my returning with the money, because he went out on a limb, but I don't know if it affected him at all. Anyway, thank you, Mr. Pizza Chef Man, you just made the world a better place!

Well, my Art section on my site has all of the sections I want it to: CG, Sketches, Paintings, and photography. I just uploaded the Computer Generated stuff today, and I'm pretty happy with it. I'm considering working out a new layout sometime, but I might just wait until the summer for that. I'd like a simpler one that is less reliant on images. Anyway, go check out the CG stuff, and the new Photography.

( Smurf's Domain Artwork )

In other news, the other day we made pot stickers, and they were heavenly. It's the first time I've made them without mom's help, so I was rather proud of myself–they're not a simple meal. Anyway, I learned a few things, and next time I'll do a little better, until I can make perfect pot stickers.

Well, last night (this morning) was rather insane. Aaron was going crazy because of having work that he had to do that he didn't want to. He seemed to only be able to focus on his watercolor experiments. Becky and I were talking a bit, and then we returned to the room, and found Aaron, shirtless, sitting at his desk in front of his watercolors, with paint all over his chest and face. Later, he was talking to Nathan in the same mood. Now you see, Nathan's girlfriend, Yoshiko, is having a hard time getting back from Japan, because of some form that she has to get mailed to her. So, Nathan was missing her a lot, and he told Aaron that he should go to Japan and bring her back.

Aaron's response?

"Okay."

So he began packing things up, grabbing some food, and was about to leave. I felt that it would be better to just make sure he took enough that he wouldn't get into trouble, so I made him grab a few other things before leaving. I asked him when I should start worrying that he wasn't back, and he told me he'd call me sometime today.

So he left.

At that point, I wasn't sure when he'd be back. I wasn't sure whether his mood would remain with him for only a couple hours, or even a day or two. So, I knew that at the earliest, he'd be back in two hours, and at the latest within the week. I wondered whether he might be hitchhiking his way to Everett, where Nathan and Soren would put him up for the night and feed him, if he managed to show up. So, I expected Aaron to either come back or to call that day.

I wasn't disappointed. At about 9 or 10, he staggers back in while I'm in the shower, and falls into bed. When I get back, I say, "Oh, so you didn't make it to Japan." Nope. But he told me a bit about his journey, which sounded rather fun. Later we talked about biking to Everett someday, and figured out how long the route would be, and how much elevation gain there would be.

To top it off, I was talking to Sarah, and I told her that Aaron had called me today from Everett, saying that he was trying to figure out how to get to Japan. I said he might have to go up to the Bering Strait, but I hoped he'd try to get passage on a boat somehow. Sarah was quite impressed and amazed that Aaron was that crazy until I told her that, actually, he had been back at 9. Alas.

Aaron wrote a description of his trip, which is quite a joy to read. You ought to try it out.
( A trip )

Thanks to Anne for this meme. I rarely do these, but this one looked good. So, here you are:

(Still up, in case you were wondering)

TEN random things about me

01. I am completely oblivious to pop culture, aside from a lingering fear of it in improv games
02. I don't drink caffiene, except in some teas
03. My childhood hero was Steven Hawking
04. I used to say my favorite food was oysters, but when I found out that a lot of people didn't like them, I was afraid to claim that I did
05. I was the shortest person in my class all through grade school
06. I don't generally find people pretty until I know them–all of my friends are
07. I love the rain
08. My favorite flowers are lilacs
09. If I could live in the mountains, I would
10. I find smoke and fog to be some of the most beautiful things in existence

NINE ways to win my heart

01. Truly care, and show that you do.
02. Don't settle for the everyday answers.
03. Don't be a jerk, even to people you think deserve it
04. FInd out what I want to be, and help me become it
05. Show me something beautiful
06. Buy me tasty food
07. Accept that I'm not perfect
08. Find time to just be with me
09. Talk to me, about more than superficial things

EIGHT things I want to do before I die

01. Live in a foreign country
02. Figure out who I'm going to marry, and do so
03. Write a book
04. Grow old and awe the neighborhood children
05. Own a cat
06. See the alps
07. Learn to program
08. Publish some poetry

SEVEN things I believe in

01. Love
02. Art can communicate the things that we can't say
03. God
04. There is a lot that science can't explain
05. If I look long enough, I'll find the truth
06. Success isn't what most people think it is
07. People can transcend their situation

SIX things that get me mad (or annoyed/paranoid/frustrated)

01. People hurting other people, being aware that they're doing it, and doing nothing to stop it
02. Hatred
03. When the rules or laws make it not okay to do the right or intelligent thing
04. Seeing people fight
05. When the country does things that I think are stupid
06. Blindness

FIVE things I'm afraid of

01. Finding out that someone I thought was a friend is really just tolerating me.
02. Losing the people I love.
03. That there might be something in which I can't change myself for the better
04. That I'll hurt the people I care about
05. Darkness, in certain moods and places

FOUR of my favorite items in my room

01. My nice blue teddy bear
02. A lovely computer
03. My art supply box
04. A bookshelf full of (surprise) books

THREE things I do every day

01. Think deeply about things
02. Talk to my friends
03. Dream

TWO things I need to do right now

01. Sleep (but I'm not going to)
02. Homework (ditto)

ONE person I want to see right now

01. Sarah

So, I haven't gotten more than three or four hours of sleep in the last 48 hours (and that's an estimate, because I don't actually remember when I fell asleep and woke up, that's just measuring at the limits of how much I could have slept.) I'd estimate more like 2 hours. Tonight (this morning?) one of my friends who is currently in Japan went to sleep before me. Instead of sleeping, I've been sketching pictures of my blue bear that I got for a graduation gift, in different mediums. So far tonight I've done an ink drawing, a marker sketch, and a colored pencil one. I'm working on a Photoshop painting, and I may very well go on to do a vector art version before going to sleep. I've never really done vector art before, but there's always a place to start–insomnia. Wheeee!

Well, it's my roommate's birthday today. Becky and I just sprung a big one on him, too, with him unsuspecting. It was quite beautiful!

You see, Becky and I made a cake today, a nice lemon one with a lemon glaze on top. It's great-tasting, and it isn't the sort of thing one generally puts candles in. But it worked beautifully. Anyway, all day Becky and I were waiting for Aaron to leave to go to GUTS, but he went and it apparently was cancelled, or something. So that put a stop to our plans of filling the room with balloons and streamers. Instead, we quickly devised an alternate plan, and it went off nearly without a hitch…

After removing the screen from the window (which is right next to him) without him noticing, I set up a bunch of music playing, then ran off. Becky and I got the cake, sparkling cider, and balloons ready. I had set a loud song playing, for a cue so that we knew when to be ready, then I let the Beatles Birthday Song play just a tiny bit after 12, while I came in with a flaming cake and Becky sent balloons flying through the open window.

The funniest thing about it all was Aaron's reaction. When the Beatles Birthday Song came on, Aaron was sort of humming along to it without realizing the significance! He got it when he saw the cake and the sparkling cider. Aaron was very surprised… :-D It made me quite happy.

Anyway, that's the second year in a row that we've surprised him. We'll have to keep doing that for the rest of his life. :)

Pictures from the festivities

PS. The cake was excellent, thanks to the culinary skills of Becky, and the moderate help of yours truly. The cider was good too, but it was made even better by drinking out of the cool red glasses. As you can see from the pictures, we made good use of the balloons.

Well, I haven't said anything about Spring Break, which was actually a little while ago. Over a week. But I have to say that I had a very good time. I may have spent a little too much money, because now I'm broke, but it was definitely worth it.

The entire account can be found here.

Over the week of spring break, many things happened. From almost missing my flight, to being sore from getting so much excercise, they were fun-packed days. I actually got to see a lot of my fellow Alumni who were scattered about the country like stars on the velvet of a midnight sky. They all congregated in this one place in order to watch a play, where forming stars gathered in the nebula of SST to put on a play. We brought brilliant light to their lives, and they enlightened us with their youth.

I've broken my Spring Break into episodes. Here's the seventh episode of the miniseries.

Seventh Episode: Before, After, and During The Play
So, at this point in the narrative, Sarah and I are wandering around in the Nature Park. We wait to start heading out until it's pretty much Dark. I didn't realize how Dark it was until I looked up and realized that I could see Venus. Then, I realized that Venus wasn't all I could see, and that there were many other stars out as well. We had half an hour to get to the play, which was to be the crowning jewel of the day. So, we ran, in the half-light, watching the sides of the trail as they passed by, to find the quickest way to the school, which was on the way to the place the play was to be at. Finally, after stopping to read a couple tiny signs by the starlight, we happened upon the trail that would take us where we needed, and we ran down it. Then, I called Soren's cell phone, and asked him to see if anyone could pick me up. I didn't pay much attention to who he said, if he even said anyone's name, but he said someone would be by. So, Sarah and I stood in the middle of the road, waiting for someone to come by.

We're waiting, and we see headlights in the distance. Obviously, since the road we're on isn't a big one, it must be Aaron. But, as they pull to a stop up to where we are, we see that it's not Aaron, it's actually Mark with his car. He rolls down the window, and calls out, "Do you need a lift?" And we, naturally, agree, knowing that Soren must have sent Mark to come get us. We get in, and put our stuff down, and he said he just happened to be in the area. I laugh, and jokingly say, "Well, that's good." becase he was obviously being silly since Soren had sent him. Then, I stop laughing, because I realized that he wasn't joking. This, naturally, caused me to laugh some more due to the irony of the situation. We ask him to wait for a minute, because Aaron will be along any minute, and sure enough, we see headlights in front of us, and the car is Aaron's this time. Sarah and I decide to ride with him instead, so Mark gets to go off just carrying Rowena again.

The play was awesome, and I was especially glad to see Gabe onstage. He did a wonderful job, and I've wanted him to act for quite a while. In addition, we got the pleasure of watching Ian Kern pull off an excellently stylistic politician, and Steven Rapp play an almost-wicked stepchild. (He could have been a little louder, though.) The play was brilliant, and you're welcome to ask me for a plot summary sometime. I read it, since I did the poster for the play, and I can remember most of the details. For a lightning synopsis, it's about an older woman and her three evil stepchildren who are trying to get her part of the family fortune from her by putting her in a nuthouse. This is the least comedic play that SST has done since I've gone there, as we've only done farces for the three years I attended. (The previous year we did Earnest, so it's a long-term tradition). It was brilliant.

One amusing incident that I find just odd was when I went to the bathroom during the intermission. I walk in, and there's the moderately old guy standing there, as if he's been there a while. I use the urinal next to him, expecting him to finish. No. He just keeps standing there, one hand on his hip, hand curled into a fist, his other hand on his fly, and his body is at somewhat of a jaunty angle. He doesn't really move for the entire time I'm there, from when first I entered to after I wash my hands. For all I know, he could still be there.

Afterwards, a bunch of alumni went to Shari's, and we ended up at Nathan's house until three in the morning, when the party broke up into its component parts.

Special thanks to Beth and Paul, who made all of this possible (That would be Beth Bland and Paul Wildermuth, who were kind enough to pick Aaron and I up from the airport upon our return *good vibes towards them*)

Blast, Anne beat me to wishing people a happy Pi day! Oh, well, I can still do it. So, everyone…

Happy Pi Day!

(I'll review the number sometime, and get back to 50 places or so)