7 moves to get next door

that's right, I'm back in the FLSR. and so so happy to be there.
here is a catalogue of my seven moves of the last seven days:
out of flsr to andy's car
andy's car to celesta & paul's quanset
quanset to car
car to apartment 16
apartment 16 to apartment 13
to car
to home sweet home - apartment 360

which is literally three feet away from where I started out in apt 370
woe is me (and woe is andy, poor boy - seven moves!)
it's okay, though - if this is what it takes for me to realize what really makes me happy and where I really want to be, I'm okay with that as long as I end up where I'm happy
and I am! I am so happy to be back.

my roommates are awesome:
- I share a room with clemence (from bordeaux) who is funny and sweet and not allergic to sunlight - and though she was looking forward to having her own room, I know her from the french house last year, she likes me, and I speak french well, so she feels understood and it's good
- one roommate, lesa, is a french major, african studies and international development minor - does that sound familiar to anyone?
- one roommate, christeen, is a piano performance major, which is also awesome (and which matches clemence's organ masters quite well)
- alison is just all-around a really cool girl
- carrie is ... andy's ex-girlfriend. haha. I was worried at first that it would be awkward or something, but it's totally not. she's a really sweet girl and I like her a lot already.

it's amazing how things worked out - that marie-laure could put me back in the french house on such short notice for spring and summer, that I could move in last night, that I feel so at home already (without even having unpacked!) and that my roommates are so good.

my class schedule, which had a moment of catastrophe, is all worked out - I'm taking the conversation class so I can be in the french house and auditing rock-climbing (because their day excursion is also the first day of my backpacking class trip) so I'm taking religion, conversation, and backpacking and auditing rock-climbing.

I am dating andy and I love it.

in other words - everything is right and good with the world (for the moment)
and I have the Lord to thank for it.

and then I found 20 bucks

well, everything kind of sucks right now. I guess not everything. but a lot of important things. as amanda informs me that my blog is boring her, I present a long written post with everything that's been happening. here's the deal:

so I packed all of my stuff, did some cleaning, and moved everything out of the FLSR to celesta's house where it needed to stay over the weekend since I couldn't move into my new apartment until monday.

then andy and I were supposed to go down to zion's to go camping with claire & jesse. thing 1 - it was going to be verrry cold, but we could deal. thing 2 - I got online to make our camp reservations the saturday before, but I got distracted and did everything but actually reserve it. then for some reason I thought andy was going to do and he thought I was going to do it, so come friday, nobody had done it and the campsites were all full. we wouldn't get there in time for the first come first served sites, so we had to cancel.

turns out it was national park week or something and all the parks were free, so it would have been super-crowded-impossible anyway. but I was still disappointed. then claire got mad at me for not "being responsible" or something like that. all in all - a lame friday.

what we missed out on hiking:
angel's landing
a most dangerous and pleasurable hike

saturday we went to andy's sister mary's concert with the deseret chamber singers, which was incredible. I loved it! so that's one good thing that came from no zion's. I was really impressed with the quality of the group and the acoustics in the baptist church didn't hurt any.

afterwards we went to a little french restaurant/patisserie in salt lake with lili, tracy, and betsy. I had a super-yummy sandwich - smoked turkey frisco panini or something like that. it had roasted artichoke hearts and other deliciousness. ended up having a crazy complicated and slightly stressful talk with andy that night, but it was a very good thing. all in all - a good day.

the interior:
significantly less charming when there's a group of 15 or so thoroughly loud and obnoxious youngsters who did not respond to my disapproving looks. we couldn't even hear ourselves talk sometimes. though this did nothing to discourage the quality of my sandwich.

sunday was nondescript. the kids were at the rimingtons' in heber so I got to go to church with celesta and paul, which was fun. paul is a great gospel doctrine teacher - just the right amount of humor, experience, and spirituality. stayed up til 3.30 or so talking with celesta.

monday, after lots of fun watching maxwell for an hour or so (puzzles, follow the leader, hard-boiled eggs, gardening, the like) I was supposed to move into my new apartment (pack up all my stuff again). so I check in with the office and get my key, head over to the apartment ... and oceane's not in my apartment. just some weird girl named krystal who told me she doesn't go to sleep until 3am on average (so I picked the other room).

before I even start to move my stuff I head back over to the office to tell them - what is going on?? because they'd already confirmed with me that I'd be with oceane. long story short - oceane never put my name down to room with her. initially I was in her apartment because I'd put her name down, but when it came to some reorganizing, the apartment people put oceane and nikki in another apartment and I got left high and dry.

the girl at the office was really helpful and tried her best to get me switched into their apartment, but it was just impossible logistically. they told me I could move into the next-door apartment. so I moved all of my stuff in. and then get a phone call that - oops! nevermind. some other girl needs to be in there. so I had to move all of my stuff AGAIN back down to original apartment #13 (I claimed to andy on being assigned to 13 that I don't believe in superstition. I take it back)

apartment 13 is on the ground floor. it is dank and smudgy and gloomy. the couches are old. there are excessive large appliances in the living room. my roommate says hi and launches into a monologue (no really, she's a theatre arts major) about how for some reason people think she's difficult to live with and she's found it easier to just stay in one place because people will move around her and that if I have a problem with her I just need to say it because she thinks that conflict brings people together.
...
she has monopolozied the entire desk. she has this deep red velour curtain thing over the window that's nailed to the wall to keep all light out. the first morning I didn't wake up until way late because when I did wake up, I thought it was still night. when I hiked the curtain up and tucked it in at the top to let in the light and open the blinds, she closed it up again while I was in the shower (who's being passive/aggressive NOW, sarah-lucy??) she came back in the early afternoon and informed me that she was taking a nap and that I needed to turn the light off as soon as possible (I still haven't unpacked yet, bytheway. how am I supposed to unpack when the lights are always off?)

my roommate abhors light and insists on gloom. I CANNOT LIVE LIKE THIS. the whole reason I'm here for spring/summer (besides my thesis, of course) is to live in the light!

krystal came out of her room for the first time around 6pm and informed us that she hadn't gone to bed until 4.30am and that she was exhausted. I felt 0% guilty about playing my uke and singing at 11am. I'm not going to jump through hoops for crazies. I sing. it's a matter of course. and pretty much the only thing that got me through that day.

monday was one of the most depressing days ever. I had moved 3 times (though we are extremely quick and efficient, I might add). I felt completely betrayed by my best friend - of course she didn't mean for this to happen, but she knew a long time before she told me that she wasn't going to room with me and it totally screwed me over. I would never have chosen to live in this place if it weren't for the fact that I'd be living with her. but hey, I let her take care of it without being well-enough aware of what was going on. this is still my responsibility.

that said, I can't stay here. I'm going to try and sell my contract for the summer term. I don't know if they'll let me cancel my lease for spring - I'm guessing not, though I could try and bank on their mercy and push the fact that they didn't do what they told me they were going to do.

in the mean time, I've contacted marie-laure about getting back into the FLSR and she told me the french house has spots open for spring AND summer and they'd love to have me back. and frankly, I couldn't want anything more right now. even if I don't know any of my roommates. at least tim and tanner and mike vogue will be there. I've lived there for 2 whole years now and the FLSR is home. I want to go home. even if I have to pay rent for the crap apartment so that I don't have to live there, I'll do it.

please FLSR - come back to me ...

and that is the end of my story ...

p.s. andy is sweet and tries to make me feel better. and the man single-handedly moved me 5 times in one weekend. he's a trooper :)

just a school-day afternoon

library:

edgar mortimer strikes again ...

... and is left to enlighten in a 1st floor study room.

hfac art loveliness:

children's book

My Son, My Son by Jethro Gillespie

"I suffer from epistemological hiccups.

I am Abraham's. I am an animal."

panel 1

panel 2

panel 3

mandala:

inspiration for my next project

my favorite wilk view

whilst I devour jamba fresh-squeezed orange juice and apple brown sugar oatmeal

15 august 2009 - toulouse france

Espace d'Art Moderne les Abattoirs

Quand mes mains se prolongent dans la nuit

Jean-Luc PARANT

« La distance qui sépare l’homme de l’infini n’est pas entre ce qu’il touche et ce qu’il ne touche pas, entre ce qui est près et ce qui est loin, mais entre sa main qui peint ou écrit et sa main qui arrête la lumière. Si les yeux de l’homme découvrent ce qui est loin de son corps, ils lui montrent ce qui est le plus près de ses mains. L’homme voit le feu qui est trop loin pour le brûler et il voit ce qui est trop près pour le toucher. L’homme se lève et à travers ses mains, il parcourt l’insaisissable. L’homme voit plus loin que ce qu’il touche ; il ne voit pas seulement le monde où il peut aller, il voit où il n’ira jamais et où son corps ne peut pas entrer. »

I couldn't find pictures of this one anywhere, which is probably just as well, because nothing could convey the incredible experience that I had with this artwork.

Tombeau pour Sawtche alias Saartje Baartman Venus Hottentote

Serge PEY

« La poésie est un accident de la pensée ou bien la pensée naturelle de l’accident. »

Charley CASE

« Personnages isolés ou enchevêtrés, seuls ou engloutis, anonymes et indispensables. »

conversation w/ benjamin

CONFIDENT:

1. having strong belief or full assurance; sure

2. sure of oneself; having no uncertainty about one's own abilities, correctness, etc.

3. bold

4. trustful or confiding

syn. certain, positive, self-reliant, assured, intrepid

SELF-CONSCIOUS:

1. excessively aware of being observed by others

2. conscious of oneself as an individual or one's own being, actions, or thoughts

3. socially ill at ease

epiphanies:

- I have strong opinions but I don't act on them because I'm afraid of disappointing people - I have a deep conscience.

- I'm afraid of getting in trouble, of people being mad at me or disappointed in me

- I am confident in my abilities and self-conscious of how people perceive me

conference weekend

tea and toast

Edgar took tea and toast in the breakfast room while he read the local newspaper. He liked to keep informed of the various neighborhood goings-on.

the goings-on, as told by the Kirby Corner Daily
of Coventry, County of Warwickshire:

Shrews Protest New Burrows

West Meadow - The shrew family held a silent sit-in Saturday in protest of the new housing development construction also scheduled to begin Saturday. Led by Mrs. Amelia Shrew and attended by all her extended family, the sit-in prevented the Martin Mole & Sons Construction Co. from beginning excavation in the West Meadow. Though the development plans were approved by the Board of Trustees, Amelia refused to acknowledge their decision and declared her intention to "sit all day and night for months if necessary! I decide where my family lives. Just let them try to root us out!" When asked if she was concerned about the legal repercussions of her family's protest, she seemed unconcerned with the community council's loyalty to her cause. The question will be the chief item of business at this week's community council meeting scheduled for 7 o'clock tonight.

Gordon on Gardening

This week, I'd like to spotlight frost and flame irises, a lovely addition to the edible flower-box gardens of last week. These irises rise nicely above the clustered herbaceous perennials to add a pop of color and lighten the purple alliums and red rooster grasses. They have a light, delicate flavor to compliment the hearty red rooster.

Erudite Evangeline

dear erudite e. -
Must I always wear gloves to dinner parties?
- anxious Amy

dear Amy,
You must.
yours, e.e.

hey hermano

dream extravaganza!

1

going on some kind of trip, having to do with music maybe. ben rasmussen, too. he was in a wheelchair? we were trying to get to the airport, walking along a sidewalk. for some reason I go back home, which is more an apartment or hotel really, not my actual house, because I forgot something. in the bathroom, almost every spare inch of the counter and in the drawers was covered in different types of makeup brushes, especially blush brushes, courtesy of amanda, who I live with. mme thompson was helping me pack and get everything that I needed into my suitcase. there was a chunker baby, but I can't remember who, and also gregory who was watching the baby and helping me, too. then I was on my way back to the airport - walking was difficult - something wrong with my legs. not sure why ben was in a wheelchair.

2 * pay attention - this one is epic *

two cars blocking veronica lane, I'm walking up from malynda's house, there's a hyena trying to catch and eat a deer in the yard. gregory's there and a couple other men in the yard, but they're not doing anything. I try to distract and intimidate the hyena. it's brigham dallas (guy from the french house) - hyena body with brigham's head on it. he won't stop chasing the deer so I beat him with my sweater (my rust red prep school sweater except it was longer) and one of the buttons cuts him on the brow. he's deterred for a moment, but then starts after the deer again, so I go to the garage to get a stick. I pick one up as he comes in the garage to get me, but the stick has a skewer/marshmallow roaster on the end of it and I don't want to hurt him, but he says "no, go ahead, it's okay." but I don't want to, so he takes it and sticks it into his chest - kind of a detail shot on the impaling wound.

Indian dad from the darjeeling limited. we're sitting at a conference room table with another man. he's relating the worry and difficulty of bringing his toddler son with him to work and not knowing what time I'm going to come in or if I'm going to take care of him, etc. I tell him that he just had to tell me it was part of my job to take care of the kid and then we could have talked about what he needed me to do and when. I would be happy to do it.

big lady with short, mousy curly hair teaching me the proper way to clearn the bathroom stalls as part of my job.

Asian guy, author, malynda's house, another part of my job - to read his manuscripts, maybe? there was some problem we needed to talk through, but I can't remember what it was.

3

french mother & child

black car, construction or police stuff on the highway, told us to slow down

driver went to the back of the car to handle some kind of health crisis

I was driving from the passenger seat

couldn't slow down fast enough and the police were upset

pulled me over, got in trouble, the french mother was mad at me

back in their home in the kid's room

met the sister? of the woman and her husband and woman's mother - brinda

she had me try on the woman's dress from when she was 16 and some other stuff

they were all really nice to me

when it was time to go to bed, they all came in and said goodnight

even the mother, who was supposedly mad at me, came and gave me a kiss goodnight