86) In a purple prison

On the day this photo was taken, I played in my Wind Ensemble for the send-off ceremony of a local national guard company.

I know this is a horrible pessimistic view of the whole formal affair (which included a speech by the governor of the state, and his first lady), but...why did I feel like I was at a funeral? The somber mood, and the way I couldn't help but view these strong, stoic men as they marched into the gymnasium...even though I'm sure they will all be fine, I felt like we were sending them to certain doom. No matter what war it is, no matter what the situation...

I hate sending our family and friends and neighbors to some country half of my classmates couldn't find on a map with the intent of...doing what, exactly? What is the point of all of this? The speeches were filled with loaded words like "patriotism...duty...bravery...loyalty...freedom...honor...mission...". WHAT is their REAL MISSION? I wanted to cry out and interrupt. They avoided saying anything of substance...do they even know?

I was probably affected more strongly than I otherwise would've been because I happen to know one of the young men about to go overseas...well, I used to know him very well. I still might endeavor to call him a friend, even though it's been years since our bizarrely matched friendship imploded on itself.

It scares me, having a personal acquaintance in the desert holding a gun and wearing camo. Everytime I see footage from Iraq I'll see his face on every soldier, I'm sure.

85) An indicator that I was starting to get sick.

I tried to take a picture, but sneezed in the middle of it...this was the outcome. I find it amusing. I'm really quite sick.

84) College visiting.

isn't the bedding at my uncles' home awesome? it's like an old movie theater carpet...

where should I go to college?

reading pride and prejudice is not going to give me any answers.

83) Last week, the Cup got a new bowl

and it fascinated me

82) Minding my own business...

I was lying on my stomach reading my Jane Austen for a spell this afternoon while procrastinating going to the gym...when my cat came and settled on my back. And fell asleep. When she picks a spot, I feel guilty moving her...so what did I do? I napped, too. I didn't want to bother her until she was ready to move on. Is that ridiculous? So instead of working out, I slept. Good trade-off.

This picture really pleases me.

81) I need to start uploading these everyday. This is tedious.

I spend an hour every day in this little room with an clunky, out-of-tune piano trying to memorize a Fantasie or a Sonata.

80) I am the blur

I wonder if people from my high school will remember me at all in ten, fifteen, twenty years...

79) My hair was teetering, so I took a picture of it.

78) Ghost-y pale

This is mostly my friend...but I make up the almost pure white portion of this photo. Yes, it's all due to the flash...but really, I am outrageously pale these days. After a long winter in MinnesOHta, I'm probably quite vitamin D deficient.

77) I fell behind again. Oops.

Do you like my sunglasses? I inherited them from my friend P-Bear. She didn't die; she moved to Portland.

76) Where does the time go?

I don't think I'm really appreciating how quickly 2009 has gone so far. I even typed in 2008 instead of 2009, that's how off I am. Jeesh. Number 76 of this project already? I can hardly believe it.

And soon it will be spring. Very soon. I'm mostly excited, but a teensy part of me is not.

In other news, I will never live by a retirement home. Ever. I drove a friend home today, who lives several blocks from such a place. We followed an ambulance for a few blocks (not as fast as it was going, of course), and he reminded me that yep, ambulances on this side of town are always going to the same place.

Morbid and awful, isn't it...just. Very sad. To think about.

I hate that element of our society. We don't really take care of our elderly. We heard them all into the same building for someone else to support. We abandon our parents and grandparents in the hands of strangers. To a place where the ambulance, even in a small town like here, roars into the parking lot "3 or 4 times a week".

It's so sad. I never want to be condemned to such a grave establishment. Nor do I wish that for anyone else I know.

75) Seventy five, wow!

This is NOT a "wow" picture. Not "wow" enough for seventy-five, that's for sure. But...I took a test picture and then lost focus and didn't do anything else. :X

74) Warmth

The texture and color of this shot just made me very...content.

73) 3 pm on Saturdays? What is this crap?

I'm somewhere back there.

Everyone who complains about the coffee shop hours here in town can suck it. This is in the metro area. Near the U.

72) Squashy

Have you noticed that we see a lot of my polka dotted sheets? I end up taking photos at the very end of the day a LOT because I always forget until I'm ready for bed...at which point it is JUST not worth it to me to get more creative.

I call this work....."Ms. Pillow Head".

71) Tights

Warm spring weather warrants wacky leg wear.

70) I am now caught up through Thursday, March 12th.

sometimes I just try to hide from the world...you know, when it gets too annoying to live in anymore.

It doesn't work!

69)

I got these shoes at a huge thrift store, brand new with the tags. They are limited edition Converse designed by some...Italian guy whose name I can't remember...his signature is on the bottom. :X

They were supposed to be $90. I got them for much, much, MUCH less than that.

:D

They are my pride-inspiring shoes. Not to mention really comfortable.

68) New sunglasses.

I used to own the most fabulous Bob Dylan sunglasses. They were black and gray checkered, opaque-y. I didn't lose them, and they didn't get broken by someone else. I stepped on them while taking senior pictures.

:( These red ones were the next best thing I could find to replace them.

In the left lens, you can see me giving you the peace sign.

I do not feel peaceful.

67) The inexplicable exhaustion continues.

I arrived home from shopping on Sunday to find that my mother had done that thing once again where I leave the house, and she goes through my room and completely de-clutters it. It always seems as though she has stolen all of my belongings, but really she just throws them away.

I always have the intention of cleaning, organizing, putting away...but it becomes a much larger project in my head than it actually is. I put it on a pedestal.

I have managed to keep it clean since then, though.

One week, woo!

66) Dress Shopping on a Sunny Sunday

This is my "not amused" face. Last year to prom, I wore a vintage-inspired short green dress of almost exactly this color. It was the only one of its kind that I could find anywhere, on a clearance rack at Macy's. It was a totally unique dress. I was proud of it.

I'm just a trend-setter, I guess.

65) One Saturday...

If I could get my hair to look like this just by taking it out of the towel and ignoring it for an hour, I would be a happy lady.

64) Last...Friday? Yes.

My solution to extreme tiredness: lots of coffee, lots of naps, exercise.

63) I was...so tired....last week

Uncommonly tired. I always looked like this.

62) Let's see...ANTM premiered last Wednesday...

Kitty!

61) one week ago today

My room was a huge mess. It's not anymore.

60) Always playing catch-up

Earrings that look like candy buttons

59) Me Day

I dusted and sorted my jewelry in my bio-hazard of a bedroom. Then I went to a piano recital. It was a lovely day.

I decided to do another "what I wore today" post...I kind of enjoy that.
So, what I wore:
Bell-bottoms
Striped ribbon flats
a yellow beater
A brown and black argyle sweater vest from the Salvation army with silver buttons
topped with a lime green cardigan
And my royal purple pea-coat (featuring a Pride Week ribbon)
and a scarf that my friend and her sister knitted me for Christmas last year. :D

I'm always inspired to do something like this whenever I get into a conversation with anyone about clothing or personal style.

58) Minor Mishap

That's the name of my combo at ummmmm.

We melt faces and break headphones.

(As seen to the left.)

(Actually, this was stepped on at the gym.)

I love playing with that band, even if we have some awkward times and tuning issues.

A bari, a tenor, a trombone, a drummer, a bassist, a pianist, and maybe a trumpet or two. That's all you need.