a late 13...moving day edition

1. I sign my lease in less than an hour.
2. It's at a different apartment than I thought it would be last weekend.
3. I hate feeling unsettled.
4. I cry when I am frustrated--pretty much the only time I cry.
5. So, there have been some tears this week.
6. When a coworker came to check on my progress on Tuesday, I almost burst into tears just talking about being frustrated and unsettled.
7. She gave me a hug and burst into tears herself.
8. I'm grateful to have people to lean on and who lean on me in return.
9. My car is currently packed to the gills.
10. After I sign my lease, I'll be unloading my car, driving back to the house and loading up again.
11. My father and uncle arrive tomorrow morning to help move my bedroom furniture.
12. It will require a uHaul rental.
13. Is it Monday yet?

cheat post

My writing from tonight...more real stuff tomorrow, I hope. You should know that this is "Sara's" story...just from the first person point of view...switched it up tonight.
*** *** *** *** ***
I should have known better. The far-end of my classroom is cluttered with boxes in various stages of paper mache and paint. Some stand 3 boxes tall, others are in pieces. All of them block the path to my desk--and to the lockers where my students store their backpacks and sweaters. There is a bin filled with newspaper and half-empty bottles of starch and another bin filled with paints, brushes and rags. I really should have known better.

Two months ago, Nancy--the 7th grade teacher, fellow coach of the middle school girls' basketball team and general partner-in-crime--approached me with an idea--a project our classes could work on together--totem poles. It would be an art project and a writing project combined. After all, totem poles were supposed to tell a stories. I hesitated from the get-go because art is far from my strong suit, but Nancy--B.A. in art in-hand--assured me that she would take care of that end--she would supervise the construction of the totem poles from boxes, through newspaper tearing, starching and paint. And, having temporary amnesia, I agreed.

I agreed even though just a few months earlier, we had been ear-deep in another of her crazy projects. Each year during Lent, classes were paired up and responsible for a dramatization of the Stations of the Cross. Most grades simply read through the stations while acting them out. The classes took a week to practice their renditions during religion time and in the half hour before dismissal. Nancy, of course, had a better idea for the 7th and 2nd grades. She took the images from my Stations of the Cross coloring book and, using overhead projectors, had her students trace the images onto 9' x 9' paper. All 14 stations were then painted cooperatively by the 2nd and 7th grades. This took the better part of a week and a half to complete. Once the painting finished, Nancy cut each 9'x9' rendering into 9 separate squares. Preparations moved from the gym floor to the church. As each station was read, my 2nd graders came out to re-enact the scene. As they did so, 9 of Nancy's 7th graders flipped up the squares--sports arena style--to reveal corresponding station. We rehearsed endlessly--Nancy was a perfectionist and this was going to be the best presentation ever. When her "flippers" complained that they were tired, Nancy shot back, "Jesus died on te Cross, you didn't hear him complaining. Suck it up!" She was a little too into it.

So, as I said, I should have known better. But I agreed to the totem pole project--now referred to as Totem Hell (by me, not the kids). The totem pole stories had been an adventure in themselves, having 7 year olds and 13 year olds as co-authors--genius! Now that the stories were complete, each animal in the story needed to be reflected on the totem pole. Boxes were stacked and taped together, beaks for eagles and snouts for bears were construced and taped into place. Nancy's promise to run this leg of the project is a distant memory. Every time we start to work on the totems, she's called into a meeting.

So it's me, 70 kids and 35 totem poles every day in the parking lot. I've never really paper mache'd before and bottles of starch are being knocked over on the blacktop at an alarming rate. One night, I actually bought out K-Mart's entire stock of liquid starch.

At the end of each day, Totem Hell gets returned to my classroom--I'm not sure who's decision that was. But the school year ends in 2 weeks and I'm determined to finish every one.

Relief

I am 99% sure that I have an apartment. I think I'll be signing a lease on Monday. I love the place...it's teeny tiny, but since I'm the only one living there, it's fine. I'm signing a 6 month lease because it's street parking and on the first level on a main street. If either of those become a problem, I don't want to be stuck for a year. In 6 months, I'll likely sign another lease, probably for a year. I will email you all the website where you can see pictures. I love the fact that it has character. The previous tenant painted, so the kitchen is a burnt pumpkin, the living room is a sunny yellow and the bedroom is a sage green. There's a working woodburning fireplace that is original to the building from the 1920s and a pretty stained glass window in the living room. I could start the move in as early as next Tuesday!

In other news, my mother is beside herself with excitement. Cousins from Ireland (in their 70s) are coming for a visit in October (thankfully not Big Yellow weekend!)--they've never been to the U.S. My mother spent 3 summers with them when she was in her early 20s and I've spent time with them on both of my trips to Ireland. I can't wait to see them and to spend some time showing them NYC. John is a vet and was a world-class equestrian/jumper back in the day. He and his wife Eileen are delightful and hysterical. My brother was named for John--his surname, Blake, is Ryan's middle name. So, my mom's pretty happy and so am I.

I also booked my November conference in Denver. 4 days that I'm "working" but not in the office. It's the week following our on-campus, black tie campaign celebration, so I'm sure I'll need the escape.

This weekend, I'll catch up with a T13 and maybe even a Friday 10.

T13

Hello all. I'm sorry for my lack of blogging--I have tried to comment on all of your blogs though! Work is a bit crazed at the moment, but in a good way. The apartment hunt has come to a shuddering halt because I have no time to look and I'm really discouraged by what I've seen.

**disclaimer--the following is a grammatical mess. I am too tired and too grumpy to care.**

1. Fall is arriving in MA.
2. This means sweaters--and I love sweaters.
3. I had a massage yesterday.
4. It felt nice in the moment, but I'm pretty tight and pained again already.
5. Maybe I need to think about a chiropracter--I haven't been since high school.
6. I think falling 30 feet out of a chairlift and landing on my feet screwed with my back permanently.
7. Some friends at work are going through really tough times right now.
8. The feeling of helplessness that leaves me with is one of my least favorite things in the world.
9. For her birthday, I am giving one of these friends a free night of babysitting--she and her husband can get out and enjoy an evening--I'll play with their boys and their puppy.
10. I'm terrified that I'll walk into BY next week and freeze--that I'll have nothing to write, because right now, I have NO clue!
11. I've always been very extroverted, but lately, I've noticed myself hanging back and staying quiet more and more.
12. I'm looking forward to catching up with Grey's Anatomy season 2 this weekend.
13. This past year, in this job, in this state, with the activities I've been involved in (like BY) has been the happiest since I graduated from college.

cross your fingers, please

The apartment hunt continues. I went to see a place last night--the location is GREAT, but the apartment was old. Appliances were new, but the wallpaper, paint and ceiling tiles needed major attention. And they are asking the same price as some of the "brand new" place I've seen! My friend at work told me today that her grandmother lived in the building 30 years ago--and I honestly don't think they've repainted since! I'm going to see another one tomorrow in a condo complex. I like the location, the woman who owns the condos that I'd be renting seems very very nice. Cross your fingers that it works!

On the bright side, NFN just sent out an email to my Monday group and I am beyond excited. It also made me giddy for October. Can't wait to see some of you!

finally!

Blogger works. I head home to NJ for the weekend tonight, but I'll be back for work on Monday. No, HC is not closed on Labor Day--yippee ;) I can't wait to go home. This apartment hunting is sucking the life and joy out of me. I am so frustrated by the limited market in this area and lack of affordable, SAFE options. I just want to move already. Have I mentioned that I'm impatient?

Enough of that. It's September! Welcome to fall. It's the month I will return to my cozy spot on a floor in Northampton, even if I remain apartment-less.

And it's Friday. You know what that means. The iPod is DJ and no apron-wringing!

1. when i reach the place i'm goin' (the verdant mile)--tracy grammer
2. yesterday (1)--the beatles
3. preston miller (flower of avalon)--tracy grammer
4. one man wrecking machine (ganging up on the sun)--guster
5. hey conductor (tanglewood tree)--dave carter and tracy grammer
6. this is where it ends (born on a pirate ship)--barenaked ladies
7. ruby falls (ganging up on the sun)--guster
8. just like that (remembering rachel)--dar williams
9. hope alone (become you)--indigo girls
10. you may be right (essential collection)--billy joel
Bonus: what do you hear in these sounds (end of the summer)--dar williams

General Thoughts--A great set. This week, my iPod clearly fell for Tracy Grammer's voice, and really, who can blame it! I don' think there's a bad song here.

Seen Live--Tracy Grammer, Guster, Dar Williams, Indigo Girls, Billy Joel

Favorite Album--There are some great ones here...I'm having trouble deciding between Flower of Avalon and Tanglewood Tree. Dave Carter has definitely become one of my favorite song writers.

Favorite Lyric--And I thought that if we met, I would only start confessing/And they'd know that I was scared/They'd would know that I was guessing/But the wall came down and there they stood before me/With their stumbling and their mumbling/And their calling out just like me

i'm early too

I'm early too. We have a stupid work retreat tomorrow. Here it is, my week in images.

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10)

11)

12)

13)

quickly...

I need to go to sleep. The cab is coming in 4 hours to take me to the airport (ahh, gotta love the 4:30 AM cab ride!). My heart is breaking a bit to leave the kids behind. You'll see some pictures later in the week, but they are simply the most gorgeous, loving, sweet children ever. We read and played and swam and smashed jellyfish and sang "Aiken Drum." I've fallen head-over-heels in love with them both and I don't want to leave them behind. It's been a great weekend, if only too short. Back to work tomorrow (today really).

random 10

Let the iPod or other source of tunes play D.J. and let us know what it spins out. No apron-wringing!

1. cat eye willie claims his lover (tanglewood tree)--dave carter and tracy grammer
2. you may be right (the essential collection)--billy joel
3. maybe it's love (if you lived here, you'd be home now)--the nields
4. calling the moon (the green world)--dar williams
5. jeremy newborn street (if you lived here you'd be home now)--the nields
6. on the air (little star)--girlyman
7. farewell to the old me (beauty of the rain)--dar williams
8. fruitcakes (live at fenway park)--jimmy buffett
9. santa monica pier (good thing he can't read my mind)--christine lavin
10. even now (it's no secret anymore)--linda eder

General Thoughts: My iPod continues to favor the sisters Nields. Quite a folky set today...appropriate for a day when I'm going to see Dar in concert.

Seen Live: Tracy Grammer (unfortunately, I missed Dave Carter), Billy Joel, the Nields, Dar, Girlyman, Christine Lavin and Linda Eder

Really Enjoyed: Cat Eyed Willie, On the Air, Santa Monica Pier

Memory Trigger: When we were little, we listened to a LOT of Billy Joel--I mean, it's classic! My sister used to sing the line "Friday night I crashed your party" as "Friday night I crashed your body"...and my mom heard her singing it one day and couldn't believe that Billy Joel was singing about such a thing! Most of the time, I still sing it that way.

**I will "see" you all Tuesday. My flight leaves at 7 AM tomorrow for Philly and I will spend the weekend with my British cousins. Have fantabulous week!**

T13

1. I am seeing Dar Williams in Lowell tomorrow night.

2. Saturday, I head south to meet my cousin Larissa's 2 munchkins. The family is in from London--I haven't seen Riss and her husband in 5.5 years. I have yet to meet their 3 year old, Minty, or their 1 year old, Ned.

3. While in MD, I'll be ever searching for pictures to serve the visual T13.

4. I love Coldstone Creamery.

5. I'm sad that I'll be no where near a TV for any of the 5 Yankee/RedSox games this weekend. Should be a bloodbath.

6. I told my roommate about the move. She isn't crazy about me moving out on the 15th. I figure I'm giving her 1 month's notice and that's sufficient. I have no lease and won't be made to feel guilty.

7. I'm already looking at pics I've taken and which ones I want to blow up as wall art for my very own place.

8. I taught a 5 year old to swim this week--the whole length of our inground pool.

9. This October, my parents will celebrate 30 years of marriage--and 25 years of living in my hometown.

10. If you were to look in my closet, 1/2 - 2/3 of my wardrobe is blue.

11. One of life's simple pleasures is an ice cold CAN of coke.

12. Our maintenance department came up this week and hung my office wall decor--a b&w photo of Manhattan looking south to north, pre 9-11--the Twin Towers stand proudly. Also, 3 frames with 4 3x3 openings each--one of b&ws of sights around my hometown, one of color shots of Ireland, one of b&ws of my favorite spots in Santa Monica, CA.

13. Most of the time, my boss and I are very much on the same page--it's scary at times.

the hunt

So, after all the griping I did about apartment hunting, I just *may* have found the place on my first try. The building has recently had walls-out renovation...the renovation is so new, in fact, that they are still laying carpet in the hallways and touching up the paint. All new appliances in each apartment and electric heat. In-house security, which in this city is something I value...and on-site management and maintenance.

The price is a *bit* more than I was looking to pay, but I think I can swing it, particularly if I pick up some more babysitting gigs and some tutoring, which I plan on doing. I am looking at another place tomorrow, but made a follow-up at the place from Saturday to go over details, see if a Sept 15 move-in would be feasible. I was originally shooting for Sept 1, but that's Labor Day weekend and I think it'll be too hectic. I really do want to have it done during September though! Also, I feel like Sept 15 is giving fair warning to my current situation.

Now, I have to break it to the current landlord/roommate. I'm a little nervous about that. But I think I can sell it with the whole "I am ready to live on my own, by myself" bit, which is very true. I'm done with roommates, done with feeling like I'm hiding in my bedroom.

day late and a dollar short: random 10

So, after work yesterday, I headed into Boston to see Guster at the Pavillion. I'd never been to the venue before--outdoors right on the harbor...a great location and boy, did the boys from Boston put on a great show!

I tried to use Pandora, but it won't work (can't hear it on this computer), so we'll just turn to the ol' iPod. I'm kicking it off with a song from last night, but we'll see where it spins after that. No apron-wringing!

1. barrel of a gun (lost and gone forever)--guster
2. mercy of the fallen (beauty of the rain)--dar williams
3. seven years (come away with me)--norah jones
4. he loves the road (love and china)--nerissa and katryna nields
5. sarah maria (gorilla)--james taylor
6. all together singing in the kitchen (all together singing in the kitchen)--the nields
7. an innocent man (the essential collection)--billy joel
8. the city of new orleans (hobo's lullaby)--arlo guthrie
9. teenagers, kick our butts (the end of summer)--dar williams
10. jack and diane (american fool)--john mellencamp

Random Thoughts: My iPod's crush on the sisters Nields continues.

Seen Live: Guster, Dar, The Nields, Billy Joel

Enjoying: Barrel of a Gun, Sarah Maria and Teenagers

Lyric with Best Use of Simile:
Fragile as a leaf in autumn/Just fallin' to the ground/Without a sound

thursday already!

Time for another 13 random thoughts.

1. Mrs. Sullivan was my favorite teacher ever. I had her for first grade and even though she's the only teacher who ever gave me a "detention" (I was talking to Katherine in class), I still love her best.

2. We were released from "detention" early when Sr. Brigitta, the 3rd grade teacher, came in, gave us a blessing and had us apologize.

3. I had 3 nuns for teachers in grammar school and 4 or 5 in high school.

4. I took horse-back riding lessons for 2 years.

5. Apartment hunting is frustrating. I've never really had to do it before--during my teacher-service corps, housing was provided. Then I lived with family and this current living situation came together pretty quickly with not too much searching.

6. I have never lived alone--I'm both nervous and excited at the prospect.

7. I spent all 4 of my college spring breaks building houses--in Tennessee, Florida, Maine and Mississippi.

8. Most mornings, as I try to figure out what I'm wearing, I long for the 12 years when I wore a uniform.

9. I am looking forward to fall leaves.

10. I secretly love What Not to Wear on TLC.

11. My top 3 world destinations are Australia, Africa and Alaska.

12. I don't think I'll be seeing World Trade Center--I'm still not ready.

13. I have 3 phone calls to return right now.

a real blog

Summer is flying by and all I seem to be able to do is post an occasional 13 or random 10. Today, the boss is out, our secretary is out and I'm having a less than productive day. So I might as well blog.

So, the news here is that I'm looking for an apartment. I go through this phase every few months, but I think I might be serious this time--LOL! I'm just tired of having roommates, tired of feeling like I have to hide in my room, tired of coming home from a weekend away to find that all my soda's been consumed and not replaced. None of these are HUGE deals, but in combination over time, I just feel like it's time to at least start looking for alternatives. The challenge is going to be finding something in a decent neighborhood that's as affordable as where I am now. I hate moving!

Other than that, it's pretty quiet on my end. Work is crazy--I signed 300 letters yesterday. My signature isn't a pretty thing under normal circumstances...by letter 100, it was pretty ugly! I'm looking forward to the coming Fridays--this week, I see Guster in Boston. Next week, Dar's playing an outdoor venue in Lowell and the following Friday, I believe I'm taking a few young tykes into Boston to see the sisters Nields play a kid's show. Plus my little side trip to Maryland to see my cousins' kids. I'm actually looking forward to the routine of fall at this point!

a belated 13

I took a last minute trip to the Cape with my mom, aunt and nana from Tuesday evening til yesterday morning. I missed y'all.

1. I am singing and dancing to Tailspin right now. I also just got 2 new Dave and Tracy cds (Seven is the Number and Tanglewood Tree). I am a musically satisfied girl.

2. With all the travelling both near and far I've done this summer, I'm feeling a little scattered.

3. My bedroom (and my desk at work) reflect this!

4. Just when I thought my travels were over, I got a call yesterday saying that my cousin Larissa is coming from England for 2 weeks. She will be with her husband and their 2 young kids--so there will be another long weekend in the next 3 weeks--likely on MD's Eastern Shore.

5. As a result of my "scatteredness," I bought 2 desk calendars (one for work and one for home) and a new planner yesterday--to feign organization and planning.

6. I smiled a huge smile when I wrote in the October retreat at Big Yellow.

7. I love everything about the ocean--the sound, the smell, the saltiness it leaves on my skin. You could see the Vineyard from the beach this week and I just wanted to swim all the way there.

8. I am woefully out of shape. Every Sunday, I think, "This is going to be the week I start hitting the gym."

9. Considering I have access to the on-campus pool/track/gym for FREE, it's pathetic that I haven't gotten there yet.

10. In 10 months, my brother will graduate with his BA on a Sunday. We will then haul ass from western OH to NJ where my mother will graduate with her Ed.D. on Monday.

11. Though I love my current job and situation, I contemplate going back to school regularly--for about 6 different things.

12. When I taught, the younger kids all called me "Miss Q"--this turned into the big kids just calling me "Q"--I loved it all.

13. I have not been to church in a couple of months. I am feeling a wee bit guilty and need to get in the habit again.

T.G.I.F.!!!

It's Friday again. This weekend will be spent hanging around the house, relaxing, swimming, some grocery shopping. I'm looking forward to a bit of downtime.

Alright, here we go. You know the drill. Shuffle up and deal. No apron-wringing!

1. party generation (end of summer)--dar williams
2. heading home (love and china)--nerissa and katryna nields
3. happy frappy (parachute)--guster
4. strangers like me (disney's greatest hits 3)--phil collins
5. love me do (1)--the beatles
6. jennifer falling down (play)--the nields
7. this town is wrong (if you lived here, you'd be home now)--the nields
8. mona lisa (parachute)--guster
9. stupid (afterglow)--sarah mclachlan
10. phantom doll (flower of avalon)--tracy grammer

Seen Live: Dar, N&K, Guster, Tracy

Majorly enjoying: Heading Home, Happy Frappy, Phantom Doll--this is a pretty stellar set, though.

Memory Trigger: Strangers Like Me used to stop my friend's son from crying on a dime. The opening chords would sound, and even if Ben was in major meltdown mode, he'd immediately stop crying and listen intently.

Favorite Lyric: will i say "i love you" even when they are just words/the way words sometimes are when you pray

thursday thirteen...the frff edition

4 days later, and I'm still carrying a bit of Falcon Ridge with me. Here are some of the hilights/lessons learned:

1. Arriving in the daylight (as I did this year) is FAR superior to arriving after 9 PM and pitching a tent in the dark (as I did last year).

2. There is NOTHING better than sitting around laughing and catching up with old friends. Somehow, though the other 2 members of our camp also live in MA, Al and I only manage to see them at FRFF. They are wickedly funny.

3. *Always* wear disposable shoes at FRFF. You never know when you're going to have to navigate gushing streams of mud. My FR flipflops were tossed as we packed up camp on Sunday.

4. Falcon Ridge always holds musical gems that you don't expect. This year, I discovered Dan Bern (hilarious), TaxiChain (very cool) and was introduced to Shawn Colvin's folky side.

5. A Friday Night Song Swap that includes Susan Werner, Christine Lavin and Cheryl Wheeler WILL make you laugh til it hurts.

6. Old favorites never fail to amaze you at FR. There's just a magic about it all. Crooked Still, Tracy Grammer and the Nields put together some of the best sets and workshops I've ever attended.

7. *Never* complain about the sun and the heat. It will come back to bite you in the ass.

8. Embrace the rain--as long as your tent stays dry and the music plays on, how bad can it really be? Muddy, rain soaked hillsides can come in handy and save property and lives.

9. When you are evacuated from your tent at 3 AM due to fire, grab a blanket. Otherwise, you will freeze for 3 hours in the damp, muddy cold. (How many times can the word "mud" be used in one blog entry anyway?)

10. Less than 48 hours is *plenty* of time to establish wonderful friendships that continue to grow. Big Yellow reunions rock and I can't wait for October.

11. Sometimes, you just have to put on clean, dry clothes and pretend that mud isn't caked all over your ankles, feet and legs. It's the only way to get some sleep.

12. Emergency cookies and apples taste better at 4:30 AM than cookies and apples have ever tasted before.

13. As you drive away from the farm--exhausted, filthy, drained and sunburned--you can't help but ask "How many days til Falcon Ridge '07?"

Big Yellow friends, how did we manage to NOT take a photo of the 6 of us together?

rain, flood, fire and mud...my weekend at frff

I am home (well, at work right now).
I am clean.
I am dry.
I am tired.
I am riding a high from good friends and good music.

When I arrived at Dodd's Farm on Thursday, I was a little grouchy. Work had been crummy on Wednesday and I still felt like grumbling and raging. However, as we drove down Rte. 22 towards Hillsdale, I caught a glimpse of multicolored tents and tarps through the trees. I gasped at the beauty of it and suddenly forgot all the work worries. The new farm was great...and the vibe and soul of Falcon Ridge was the same. As I parked my car to get my wristband, the volunteers greeted us with a "Welcome home!" And it really does feel like home.

Maybe it's just me, but I think the music was better than ever this year. Clearly, N&K's energy was better than usual being back on stage after 3 months...I thought NFN was going to jump right off the stage during Tailspin! Other favorites did not disappoint either...Crooked Still, Tracy Grammer (who is just sublime), Lowen and Navarro and EFO had us singing and dancing in our seats. I laughed until my sides hurt with the likes of Christine Lavin, Cheryl Wheeler and Susan Werner. And DD's fave, Dan Bern, had us all laughing hard and ignoring the rain well into the wee morning hours.

Speaking of rain, after a SCORCHING Friday, the rains did come on Saturday. Everything from sprinklings to drizzles to outright downpours...the field of green became a muddy mess. And less than an hour after climbing into our tent, finally dry, in clean clothes and with substantially LESS mud on our feet and legs, AL and I woke up to screaming and talk of 911. A car had caught fire about 50 yards from our tent...we quickly decided to abandon camp, abandon the car and head down the hill in case things got worse. Fire officials had trouble getting up the hill due to mud, but thanks to the ground being wet and tents being wet, etc., the fire didn't spread and just burned out a car or 2. So, in the end, thank God for the rain. It could've been a lot worse.

By far, the hilight of the weekend for me was catching up with my Big Yellow friends. Those of you who couldn't be with us were missed, but it was great to see A, N, J, T and C. T and C, I'm sorry we didn't get to catch up more! I looked around during N&K's mainstage set to see all of your smiling faces and was amazed at the sense of community that had been formed in less than 48 hours.

I'm not sure how coherent I was here and I'm sure that N, J, A, T and C will also have blog entries about this weekend, probably more coherent than mine. I arrived home yesterday exhausted and drained as I did 3 loads of laundry and scrubbed off the mud. I loved every minute of it though!

kissing the new england soil

I've returned from the South. I was the only Yankee in the ranks, so I spent some time deciphering the "southern-ese" spoken in every session. It was a good conference though, learned some interesting things, met some nice people. I'm always glad to meet other professionals in my line of work and realize that I'm not alone in my struggles and that this is a new area of focus for institutions. We're all working without a net. I'm also glad HC doesn't have the tradition of WEARING the school color in professional settings the way that Clemson does. HC Purple is not much more flattering than Clemson Orange.

One of my favorite moments was when I drove past an intersection in SC that had a Dollar General on one corner, an El Cheapo gas station on the other and a Family Dollar on a third corner. About a mile down the road, I found a Dollar Superstore. Also, on the highways and roads leading into campus, there are big orange paw prints, for the Clemson tigers, don'tcha know?

How did it get to be July 16?! FalconRidge is a mere 4 days away and I'm thrilled, but also disturbed! This summer is flying by. I have to go now to do some more shopping for the weekend. I'll be around, but busy this week, so don't worry too much if I disappear. My goal is to post my "road not taken" thoughts by Wednesday. It's been so interesting and enjoyable to read your thoughts.

early 10 and 13

I'm off to South Carolina. Should be hot and sticky--yippee ;) I thought I'd treat you all to a random 10 and a *Tuesday* thirteen.

I set the 'pod a'shufflin. No skipping tracks or rationalizing.

And the winners are:
1. Romeo and Juliet (Rites of Passage)--Indigo Girls
2. Your Fire, Your Soul (Beauty of the Rain)--Dar Williams
3. Red, Red Robin (All Together Singing in the Kitchen)--The Nields
4. Forever Young (Forever Young)--Alphaville
5. Lightning Rod (Ganging Up on the Sun)--Guster
6. Two Points for Honesty (Lost and Gone Forever)--Guster
7. So Close to My Heart (My Better Self)--Dar Williams
8. You Like Me Too Much (Help!)--Beatles
9. Rebecca (Pat McGee)--Pat McGee Band
10. California (The Guest)--Phantom Planet
Bonus: Closer to Fine (Indigo Girls)--Indigo Girls

Seen Live: Indigo Girls, Dar, Nields, Guster, Phantom Planet (as a guster opening)

Good Tunes: Your Fire, Your Soul; Red, Red Robin; Lightning Rod; Rebecca; Closer to Fine

And Not So Much: Romeo and Juliet

Favorite Album: The "newest" albums on this list were all *really* pleasant surprises...I get nervous that new CDs won't be as good as the last, or the first. But Guster's Ganging Up on the Sun is fabulous. Dar's My Better Self is different, but really fabulous. The Nields' latest, All Together Singing in the Kitchen, is delightfully fun.

Least Favorite Album: Well, I only have the one song on it, but I'll go with Alphaville's Forever Young because I just can't imagine it being good!

Memory Trigger: In that same veing, Forever Young is a trigger...I spent 2 summers as a counselor/RA for an academic "camp" in Lancaster, PA. We had 10 dances in a 6 week period and Forever Young was part of the "Canon" that we played at EVERY dance, along with classics like Istanbul, End of the World, Bizarre Love Triangle and American Pie. This song takes me back to a hot, steamy quad, with 600 teenagers dancing all around me.

Favorite Lyric: Could you wear something that celebrates/Everything you love and maybe/What your family hates
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Tuesday Thirteen
1. I have 2 scars on my right forearm from where I had 13 screws and 2 plates inserted.

2. I fell 30 feet out of a chairlift and snapped my arm in half.

3. I love thunderstorms.

4. I am practically counting the hours til FRFF.

5. I am spending the night in Brighton, MA tonight.

6. I'm a little nervous about going to this conference by my lonesome. What if no one talks to me?

7. When I was younger, my mom had my hair permed.

8. I love to fly.

9. I'm planning to coach a 10 year old b-ball team this winter with a co-worker.

10. My first concert was Billy Joel/Elton John at Giants Stadium.

11. I am a Yankees fan (ducks for cover).

12. I was a Yankee fan when they were the worst team in baseball--not a carpetbagger.

13. I'm determined to teach myself the guitar, but I haven't picked it up in months.