Things Worth Reading

My new favourite website:

http://www.happynews.com

:)

An update.

I've been finishing college applications for the past few days. The weirdest thing about my life right now is that I have no idea where I'm going to be in a year from now. I have this blurred, surreal idea of the future. It's all too much to consider. 

I honestly don't THINK I'll end up on the east coast next year. Partially because I'm realistic and not expecting to get accepted by the schools I'm applying to, and also because I've lived in California my whole life. I want to, though.

I don't think I'll end up in Oregon, or Southern California either. I'm not sure why.

Will I end up at a private college, or a a state university? No one- not even I- will know until March or April.

Tradition.

Erlings + Eastwoods + Christmastime = An amazing gingerbread house every year

:)

Cemetery

Walking through a cemetery isn't as morbid as you'd probably think.

Shakespearian Analogy

If I were a character in Hamlet,
I'd be Ophelia for sure.

I was wrong.

I seem to make more mistakes as I grow up. That doesn't seem right, but I rationalize: What if I'm making more mistakes because I'm taking greater risks? If so, in essence, I am learning more.

I was wrong about a girl I thought hardly existed. I had one of those epiphanies when you realize you don't know everything. Quick to judge, quick to be wrong. It was a moment when I sudden;y felt bad for all the things I had said before, and the frustration I had felt didn't matter.

I was wrong, but who to apologize to? I cannot apologize to her; she doesn't know I talked about her badly (I'm not that mean). I can't apologize people who listened to my gossip- they just listened to my ranting. I'm sorry to...myself?

If my conscience were a scale, it'd be one of those super-advanced, high-tech pieces of equipment that can measure weight down to the tenth of a gram. Even slight misdeeds leave it hanging out of balance. Even tiny wrongs weigh in noticeably on the scale.

I wish I knew more. I wish I wasn't ignorant. I wish everyone wasn't ignorant.

Monk Series Finale Aires Tomorrow Night.

I kind of love that my number of blog posts last month was 11; I just noticed it. Eleven posts for the eleventh month. Now I'm going to try to get 12 this month...this one's number two. Of course, I can't really continue this pattern, since January will be the first month again, and I have more to say than that.

I did the most un-vegetarian thing today. My vegetarian friends would be ashamed of me, haha. However, I survived. 

I need to get my stufff together.

Come to a fresh beginning.

See what we see.

Conquer all obstacles.

Discovery

Standing, looking out on the world which lies before you.

Do you ever wonder...

....If the thing you dislike makes you who you are?

Or if the thing you like actually hinders you from becoming a more aware person?

Makes you reconsider good and bad.

Shhh!

I highly recommend checking out Post Secret if you haven't yet this week.

http://www.postsecret.blogspot.com

You have a lot of freckles.

But I like you anyway. :)

November

"You are sixteen going on seventeen. 

Baby, it's time to think. 

Better beware, be canny and careful, 

Baby, you're on the brink. 

You are sixteen going on seventeen, 

Fellows will fall in line. 

Eager young lads and rogues and cads, 

Will offer you food and wine."

11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6...

I like pretending not to procrastinate. 

I like dreaming of the future.

I like red doors and special trees.

Looking forward to later this evening, when it will be: 

11/10/09 08:07:06 p.m.

"How to Make God Laugh"

Cigarette butts, styrofoam shreds,

 glass shards, plastic spoons, used condoms,

 human waste, plastic wrappers, torn paper, 

empty bottles, fast food trash, 

plastic bags, and hypodermic needles.

Trashy and trashed.

But now I'm hopeful.

There was one man I saw on the street, who motioned me over and told me he had some more trash. He looked disheveled. His clothes were old and worn. He called me "pretty lady." I took the trash and said, "Thank you."

We cleaned (some of) it up. We served. I'm so glad I went. I knew it was the right thing to do, again and again.

We saw other people on the street, too. There was another man, who was younger and thin. 

"Want to hear a joke?" he said too loudly. 

"Sure," we said. 

"How do you make God laugh?" He was missing several teeth, I think. We looked at each other and smiled and we didn't know.

"Tell him what your plans are for tomorrow."

The greatest thing in life is...

wqehyjuikjueerfghjhgghjyhdfghnjymkujynhbgcd

fghjkumjyhtbgfvdvgbthyr

ewq13456uhbv*(fb fvd.

hygfdsfghedfgyjuiklodertyuiokujygrfdwefvg

bthynjumiko

8uytredfbghnjmkjfvcdfvgbjkds

frtyuiokljbgfvcdx

The greatest thing in life is possibility.

Brainstorm?

My world?

-Successful, educated parents

-All-girls environment (in high school, girl scouts, Girls' Health)

-Diversified family, culture

-Opportunities through Artemis, Girls' Health, school activities, summer volunteering

As a result:

-I appreciate and respect diversity

-I enjoy teaching others

-I am a better leader

-I understand gender differences, while advocating women's rights

My goals?

-I want to explore the education field

-I want and expect to attend a challenging four-year university

-I will graduate from college and consider post-graduate school

-I will take advantage of new opportunities 

The big secret, and what I usually avoid.

The question to ask is not "Who is God?" but "What is God?" God is not a person or anything close to a singular human being. A lot of people call God "Him," but I know better. I know that this supreme being knows no gender or human limitations. God is as feminine as it is masculine.  The reason people call God a man, or depict God as a person is because it makes it easier for us to relate to God. We know people, we can understand people. So, perhaps if God were some old, wise man in the sky we could understand it better. That is a false representation steeped in outdated tradition and hasty belief. 

God is all around us. God is the force that makes events and occurrences meant to be. God is magic. God is one part karma and two parts hope. God is completely scientific and also beyond logic simultaneously. Maybe this idea of God is offensive, but I don't think so. God is merely fate, and I can believe in that. There is something that makes everything interrelated and I call it God. When a good friend has to leave, and the love lingers and stays, I call that God, too. When the seasons change, and you can sense a transition of the environment, that is caused by God also. When we ignore fate, and do things to silence our conscience, we are working against God. 

God is eternal and alive, but does not have direct control over anything. We can put some of our faith in God, but we also have to invest in ourselves and others around us. God is universal. All civilizations in history have been able to sense a higher, mysterious power. That's why religions were developed. People wanted to explain it. So, no religion is wrong, they are are merely different. Eventually, people came up with the word 'God' to show what they believed.  It's easy to see how God affects different aspects of life and can be attributed to separate deities, which is the basis of polytheism. It's also easy to understand how God can be seen as one unified being; monotheism. People get too caught up in the technicalities of belief, and want everyone to share a common belief. This can manifest in catastrophe, violence, and terror. It's very sad, because that's the exact opposite of God!

God makes people die. God makes people live. God makes nature flourish, and good and bad things happen. Of course, my authority on this subject is extremely limited, just as my knowledge is. I am ignorant of the actual truth of God, and therefore I am uncertain. I do not know what will happen to me after I die, and that really isn't important. We're not supposed to know a lot of things. That's the big secret. 

"The Madrone Tree"

            The last tree standing in the forest is majestic and tall. But it is hidden by the freeway overpass, monorail, and the new multilane roads built all around it. People in their shuttles and carbrids zoom past it at more than 100 miles per hour, so they never take notice of the tree.

Traffic conditions are conditions are excellent in the year 2167, due to the automated vehicle regulations and safety features. However, driving is not what it used to be. “Taking the scenic route” is all but impossible. Open land has been entirely paved over, and due to the invention of carbon converters, carbon dioxide emissions have been reduced so there is no need for “wasted” space or extra plant life. Everything a human could need is grown inside confined greenhouses and life-form homes. Scientists sustain Biodiversity in small quantities, but you wouldn’t know it by looking out the window of your carbrid. All space is occupied.

The only plants I had ever seen in person before the “last” tree were the genetically modified and engineered trees and flowering plants that are permitted in city limits for aesthetic purposes. But this tree does not fall into this category. It looks wild and old and too natural. It has thin, red, peeling bark and wide, radiating branches. It seems to be invisible to the people of the city of Greenslade.

I am different. I am different merely because I noticed the tree. I saw the last tree in the forest and remarked on it, but I only got strange looks. I apologize; I am getting too far ahead in the story. You may be wondering why I call it the “last” tree. Well, I first noticed it about a year ago. I went on the library and skyped with a historian who told me that Greenslade got its name from a large forest that used to be here, until 150 years ago. That was 2012, and there were many fires that year. I was surprised to learn that a fire could get so uncontrolled, but never mind. The forest was comprised mainly of madrone trees, a beautiful and rare type of tree. And this madrone tree survived. And with the once-famous forest gone, I guess the city planners had no choice. It was considered wasted space.

I needed to go see the tree- each time I passed it on the 230-G freeway; I felt it calling to me. I went on a mission to take a picture of it. One day after school, I walked by the furthest freeway entrance by myself, and approached it cautiously.

Time stood still in the immediate vicinity of the tree. As I approached it, that alluring quality of its branches and its leaves seems to draw me even closer. Then, suddenly, a door appeared, from within the tree! It blended in with the wood of the trunk, but was clearly a small door, its shape defined as though it were part of an old building or an ordinary wall. It had a brass doorknob- the only feature that contrasted with the reddish bark. Faced with the gateway, I had no choice but to open the door. I grabbed the handle. An abrupt, overwhelming dizzying sensation overcame me as I pushed the door ajar.

One moment, I was peering into what was on the other side; the next, I was being pulled into a thick fog and tumbling through the door. I couldn’t see much, but I could her the door close and click shut, its hinges blending into the tree once more, and I watched it dissolve. The door was gone. I sat up and turned around quickly. I was in a place unlike I had ever witnessed before. My madrone tree was no longer alone- it had a hundred companions just like it, and other life forms too! I could hear water running, which was very strange.

“Where am I? What have I done now?” I thought. It was cooler here, but the air smelled fresh and crisp. The fog was like a mist on the ground, making it feel damp. I felt peaceful, but it was a fleeting emotion. I began to panic. I touched my tree, I hit it, and I looked for the edges of the doorway. Nothing happened. I tried to talk to it.

“Please open!” I pleaded uselessly. The curious tree had now led me to an even weirder disaster. I was lost. I stood up and walked all around the tree’s trunk in a last-ditch effort, but then I realized something. The portal had not gotten me completely lost- in fact; I was in the very same place! The tree was the same, the mountains to the east looked familiar, and I could tell we were near seawater because of the fog. But there were no roads. I could not hear any people. This must be the Greenslade Forest! I had traveled back in time!

            Although this was perhaps the most interesting thing that had ever happened to me, I could not enjoy the excitement too much. I did not know what year it was. Although I knew this place in 2167, it was totally foreign to me in the past. How big was this forest exactly? Were there any people around?  Suddenly, I heard voices a short distance away. I couldn’t think of anything to do, I stood there stupidly. But when I looked back at my tree, the door appeared again. I took it as a sign to go back. I stepped through the door again, whooshed through the fog, and was back in 2167 before I could have any second thoughts.

            When I stood up again, completely dazed, I realized I could control the portal with my thoughts. All I had to do was stand near it and think about the destination on the other side. I thought about the Greenslade forest and the beauty of the madrone forests, or about the comfort of home. I learned that I traveled back to 2005 every single time. I met people, even a girl of my own age! I never divulged my secret, and I always returned within a few hours. However, as I made frequent trips to the past, I began to realize how corrupted my present was. I wrote this, my story and the secret of the madrone tree, so that the people of 2005 could maybe prevent the catastrophes of the future. I cannot tell you everything. I do not why I am different, but I know what my message is. Do with this information as you will. 

Girls' Health is important to me.

Girls Health in Girls Hands Movie from Kim Stemler on Vimeo.

Typical of me.

I've been having a great week. Don't want to jinx it. but it's been pretty good. Busy. That's how I like it. But simple at the same time.

This week- Likes:

• Learning calculus (GASP!)
  
• Field hockey games
  
• Foreign exchange students
  
• Giving presentations
  
• Uggs
  
• Pumpkins

For those who don't know, I'm taking a creative writing course. And I've been thinking- Why don't I post some of the things I write on my blog?! Why didn't this occur to me before?

I'm gotten accustomed to sharing my work with the other girls in my class, and it's fun. Right now, I'm writing a short science-fiction-y story called "The Madrone Tree." 

At home, we've been rearranging the furniture in order to accommodate our new flat-screen TV. I'm not a fan, but it's not my decision. It's okay, I guess.

Stay tuned. :)

Take and retakes. :)

My world?

I have to write an essay, a personal statement, for college applications about my "world." And how it's influenced my aspirations and goals.

This is the HARDEST prompt I've encountered. My world? Oh goodness. How can I describe my world? I don't even fully know it myself. I belong to different "worlds" within my universe of reality. I am split. I am not whole.

Eleven months, one day.

Take me, it's so pretty.

Trying is lying.

Promise(s)

I wrote a poem half a year ago about the first promise.

And now, for a second one.

I'm still thinking, silently and inwardly.

Was it an impulse?

Sure, I hit "Send" and then, I was talking on the phone,

Blurting out words.

But I meant it.

Making promises.

It's easy to do when you're obsessed.

I'm not going to be the one to stop,

I can guarantee.

Promises to keep!

Alternative Anatomy

You have two eyes, two ears, but only ONE mouth.

Two eyes to see, two ears to listen, but only one mouth to talk.

So what does that say about us and what we should be?

Before School (a poem)

Getting dressed in the morning, it simplifies life.

Selecting an outfit causes me no strife.

I look at my closet and grab something plaid,

Or maybe my khakis, that’ll make me glad.

Then, I put on a white polo shirt,

It always complements the pleated plaid skirt.

If it's cold outside, I might take a jacket or sweater.

Come to think of it, a sweatshirt would be better.

Because I’m a senior, it can be navy OR green,

And that’s what’s it’s like in my uniform routine.

Living Life

Saying Sorry

Last Friday (18th): She baked a cake. "Sorry" was painted on it in yellow frosting-- then she presented it to me. It was a much better end to the week than the rest of that turbulent several days.

Making Me Laugh

Thursday, and frequently: You texted me about your involvement in badminton club. Later, you sent me a picture and a reference to our summer food obsessions. :) I always love getting updates from you like that!

Being Lazy

At school: We joked about how much we procrastinate, and all that darn time we waste. I'm really sorry for being so distracting! 

Having A Good Time (Again)

Friday: They came over to my house, somewhat unexpectedly. We ate cereal, looked up music, watched bad TV, and had a tremendously simple, fun afternoon.

Showing You Care

The other day: You spontaneously texted me about my friend whom you don't even really know. I love how thoughtful you are, and I always like talking to you. 

Looking At the Stars

Last night: You suddenly blurted out, "I just saw a shooting star." That made my day (as if everything else didn't, which is not accurate, haha). Thank you. :)

I really like this today:

Update.

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

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

I've been all over the place. But really I've been nowhere.

I like this one!

Well, I try not to. :)

I live multiple lives.

1. the older sister

2. the scholar

3. the problem-solver

4. the outdoorsy girl

5. the journal-keeper

6. the nice girlfriend

7. the can't-do-anything-right teenager

8. one-third of a tripod  

= me.

All things pass.

The hardest thing in the world to do

The hardest thing in the world to do...

[Well, probably not, 

but I'm just struggling with this at the moment. 

Bear with me. It seemed easier in concept, 

but reality has sunken in.]

Drumroll please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

College essays.

About fate...

People respond to positive things in their lives differently.

For example, upon seeing a beautiful sunset...

Some people might be extremely appreciative. "What did I do to deserve such a wonderful sight?"

Others might just simply enjoy it. "This is so gorgeous!"

I'm different. I'm more likely to think, "It's fate that I'm here to see this. I was meant to be here if only just to see this sunset, right now."

See, I tend to cite fate as a cause for lots of things that happen, just in general. To me, fate is some abstract notion that no one can control, but everyone is under the influence of. That's what I believe in.

I didn't know...

"When you cry, it makes your mouth wetter."

.........

"You know what this song reminds me of?"

"What?"

"Those times after school, and when we used to go to circle park."

.........

I wasn't (we weren't) expecting that.

I'm going to miss you.

♥

Senior year classes.

First Semester:

Block 1: AP Calculus

2: AP English Literature

3: Social Justice

4: Creative Writing

5: Human Anatomy/Physiology

6: [T.A. for a class, not sure which one yet.]

7: Economics/ AP U.S. Government and Politics

We're on a weird block schedule again, but I like it better that last year. Considering I've only been to one day of school so far, I think I should go more often. Haha. :)

32 Ways

32 Ways To Make Me Smile

1. Hug me.

2. Listen.

3. Sing (even if without talent).

4. Tell me that you love the rain.

5. Make up a really stupid (or really clever) pun.

6. Remember a very small detail about me.

7. Offer me a piece of gum.

8. Make a silly, ridiculous face.

9. Pose in front of a camera lens instead of shying away from it.

10. Write me a note on a post-it...

11. Or on a napkin...

12. Or on regular paper...or anything else!

13. Cut out something cute or funny out of a magazine and show it to me.

14. Put a witty bumper sticker on your car.

15. Tell me that you read my blog. :)

16. Compliment me genuinely.

17. Tease me a little.

18. Leave me a not-so-ordinary voicemail message on my phone if I don't answer...

19. Oh yeah... Give me a call. :]

20. Write something with a pen on my hand or my arm.

21. Be spontaneous. And honest. Eventually, I'll smile.

22. Send me a picture on my cell phone.

23. Say 'thank you.'

24. Take a photo with me.

25. Remind me of something special that happened. 

26. Jump into a pool with me.

27. Be a good friend (even when I'm not).

28. Draw a picture.  

29. Laugh at yourself when you do something stupid or clumsy.

30. Recommend a good book I should read or music I should listen to.

31. Don't worry about me too much.

32. Give me a huge smile and say 'hi.'

Life,

Sometimes, you've got to experience life with the car windows rolled down...

Shave Ice or Shaved Ice?

I still couldn't figure it out, haha. :)

Two Skies

It's weird to ride in an airplane flying over the ocean. It's surreal because everything outside the window is blue or white. 

Various shades of blues, different hues and tones of white. And I just thought looking out on that view that there are, or there were, two skies. 

Maybe just for that moment, but they were there.

Follow the Stag.

Ugh.

All I wanted was just to go backpacking,

Those boys just wanted to be sure they were packing,

Something they were sure they'd miss,

Enough for a couple, a few, several hits

To get them high, so baked and stoned,

With their false friendship and some happiness loaned.

I'll admit, that I was shocked.

When I found out, my jaw was locked.

I saw their stash, they showed it to me, 

The fragrant herb stored quite carefully-

A small plastic bag that consumed their thoughts

What a pity; but I've learned what I was taught.

I said I didn't care, but inside,

I felt anxious that I was along for the ride.

The rest of us, we saw what it did.

We witnessed the aftereffects after they hid.

They didn't pressure me; they only had a small amount,

But all they cared about after was avoiding cottonmouth.

They called it a universal language, something to make them friends,

But they missed the best part of the trail in the end.

Scattered Showers

I went through a period of scattered showers recently this summer, where every shower I took was in a different location than the previous one...kind of weird to think about, i suppose.

August 1- Artemis- Boulder Creek

August 1- my house- Spreckels

August 6- White Stag- Tamarancho

August 8- my nina and nino's house- San Anselmo

August 9- Hyatt- San Francisco

August 10- our condo in Kona- Hawaii

Artemis 2009

Zimba Zimba, Zia Zia!

We are the Zulu, we take you higher!

Zimba Zimba, Zia Zia!

We are the Phase III, we bring the fire!

Zimba Zimba, Zia Zia!

We can make the fire higher!

Zimba Zimba, Zee Zee,

Zulu Zulu, Phase III!

WARNING:

I've been away from my computer for weeks. Crazy blogging might ensue today. Making up for lost time. So I apologize in advance...

This is it!

This is it! I'm leaving this afternoon for Artemis- the culmination of another year's work and staff development. I still need to finish packing, but I've gotten a lot done, and I feel pretty accomplished, so I'm sitting down to blog.

This is my last post of July, because I'm not coming home until August 1. And on August 2, I leave again for another week. I'm (not intentionally) cutting myself off from all outside civilization. And I'm pretty excited. I love camp.

I'm nervous and happy and a little sad and stressed and excited, all simultaneously right now. 

[I'm really going to miss you, Sean.]

Camp....my first year on Phase III staff! Next week will be insanely memorable. :-)

[Phase three, phase three, rah rah rah!]

I'm obsessed.

Google Maps is such a wonderful creation. Haha, wow.

Oh, and, I finished that book, "The Time Traveler's Wife." And I cried for the last fifteen pages or so. It was so great. Thank you Zoe. And thank you, Rei, for further recommending it. I can't wait for the movie. Of course, the book is always better than the movie. They just have to be.

:}

"and possibly i like the thrill"

I've been in a blogging mood lately.

So I have two things to discuss (this blog being my medium of sharing them with you):

1. Kodak

2. A book I just read

Okay, to begin. 

Kodak has stopped making film. What?! See, that sentence just doesn't make sense. I've been meaning to blog about this. Inexpensive cameras and the use of photographic film were first made available to people by Kodak. The Kodak people revolutionized photography. I'm sure this sentiment has been phrased much more eloquently by confused photographers elsewhere already, but this really kind of makes me sad. Kodak not selling film is like Smucker's not selling jam-- and instead only producing those "Uncrustable" sandwiches because consumers are too lazy too make their own PB&J's. [Fine, I'll admit they taste okay. But still.] We can only hope that's not where our society is headed. 

Anyways....something different to ramble about.

 "King Dork" by Frank Portman is a great book. And while I'm not reading the books I should be reading as required by my school's summer reading list, this book is an excellent distraction. Great book. If I cannot convince you how cool this book is, I'll let you be intrigued by this excerpt from the introduction. This is how the main character describes the book:

“It's actually kind of a complicated story, involving at least half a dozen mysteries, plus dead people, naked people, fake people, teen sex, weird sex, drugs, ESP, Satanism, books, blood, Bubblegum, guitars, monks, faith, love, witchcraft, the Bible, girls, a war, a secret code, a head injury, the Crusades, some crimes, mispronunciation skills, a mystery woman, a devil-head, a blow job, and rock and roll."

And now, I have a new book to read, courtesy of Zoe. "The Time Traveler's Wife" by  Audrey Niffenegger. So, the end. I'll probably be blogging a lot these next two weeks before Artemis and White Stag.

Not your typical shopping trip.

We started out, not exactly knowing what we were looking for, but with a theme in mind. And, a limited budget. We were hoping for great finds.

 

First stop: Cost Plus

So I'm not totally sure what I bought, but it was seagrass and we were able to talk the lady at the register into giving us a 30% discount. And yoga-like mats? 

Next: Cheap, great stuff at Ross

We found out that cheap curtains come in many varieties, but why spend more than $4? Haha. Zoe was amazed at the low prices.

And then: We found Nikki! Or, at least, she found us.

It was pretty great that her mom was there, too. We were hunting for twine.

Third store: Staples

We didn't actually buy anything here, but we still went. 

Fourth: Osh Hardware-- We found the perfect twine!

It was a successful stop. :)

And then: Adventures in Gottshalks

Everything 80-90% off. We were skeptical about going into the store, but it was the highlight of our night. A basket of pinecones, plastic vegetables. A clown costume! The bottom half of a male torso. The most random stuff you can imagine. As Zoe called it, it was "surreal."

Overall, very fun. And spontaneous. And quite a successful shopping trip too, haha.

Artemis inspires us to do crazy things. [Such a random night.]

:-]

If you have a moment to spare.

[Sean, I thought you'd enjoy this. Even if it is a little girly, ha.]

[Everyone else, I hope you'd think it's cute!]

just 

enjoying

SUMMER!

I miss...

You know, I'm really starting to miss my digital camera. Broken cameras suck. People who break cameras (ahem, my SISTER!) also suck. Lame.

: (

But tomorrow will still be fun!!!

I recently realized how much I love having a P.O. Box address instead of a regular street address. My street address is okay and everything, but having a P.O. Box seems a little more cool to me. It gives an air of mystique, almost, since you're not actually giving out where you live. It's like an alias, part of my secret identity. Maybe I am over-analyzing this to the point of nonsense, so I'll stop. That's all I have today. 

"Don't forget to keep in touch."

Weird, witty words.

http://www.weirdwittywords.blogspot.com/

blank.

I've got an attitude problem.

Doesn't [almost] everyone?

6/21

It felt like camp just yesterday, but it doesn't feel like summer?
I don't care there, but I do care now?
It's the longest day of the year, but I won't remember it much.
It's Father's Day, but I'm not seeing my daddy today.
I made him a card and a cool wood-burning piece.
But I'm not at home.
Santa Cruz!!!!

I, like, love you.

THE "TALK"

Sara

i don't get it?

2:17pmHedieh

b/c no touching is allowed between the sexes

but we inevitably start like-liking the members of the opposite sex

2:18pmSara

so you can't talk?

2:18pmHedieh

right

you CAN talk

but parents just worry that it will lead to other things

2:19pmSara

talking leads to touchingggg!

; )

OH NO!

SEXXX!

2:19pmHedieh

lol

well

....

it all begins somewhere though

right?

Today, while I'm reflecting on my life.

She leaned in and squeezed my hand as she said to me, "You love a very special young man." I kindly nodded, and then replied, "I know," and smiled. 

Congratulations, Sean.