scruff is versatile!

this is a good lookin' guy.

but does this look like a folk music artist to you?

especially one with a name like sufjan

and who's friends with daniel johnston?

no, I didn't think so, either.

we're getting there.

and he's in a thrift store.

this is a good sign.

there we go! much better

unfortunately, the top picture is the most recent.

look what fame has done to him.

it has turned him into a stud.

and the only reason he doesn't spend more time

on his hair than on his music

is because he cut it all off.

tsk tsk sufjan.

how could you let the medias get to you?

I bet you played your banjo much better

when you looked like a fool.

the only constant factor in these pictures

is the presence of scruff.

boys, learn this lesson well.

scruff is versatile!

good things regardless

hmm. unexpectedly long weekend at home. I drove up on friday to go to the temple to do baptisms (I try to go once a month) and intended to drive straight home on saturday afternoon. turns out my grandpa is really sick and I stayed through monday morning to take care of my brothers so m y dad could fly out to utah to be with my grandpa (my mom was already out there for a pleasure visit).

hmm. unexpectedly difficult, emotional weekend. I didn't quite realize before how an emotional stress about one thing comes out in just about every other thing, without even realizing it's happening.

but here are some good things, regardless:

- jeffrey's excitement about things and his laugh are completely delightful and adorable.

- me and jeffrey and gregory have a really fun time together - we are total goofs and I love it.

- brother houghton was going to give me a mandolin, but then it was broken, but still! he was going to give me a mandolin!

- the drive from pitt to home by way of west virginia was gorgeous. the drive from home to pitt by the turnpike was also so gorgeous. I LOVE THIS TIME OF YEAR.

- emotional crisis always ends in peace and comfort and joy from the Lord, which is a good thing, because otherwise I would never let myself feel things and then I would be clinically insane.

- I have a halloween costume. I am excited to wear it :)

- I fly to utah in 1 day !! because you don't count today and you don't count the day you get there, so ... one day :)

I will take pictures - I promise!

and soon I'll put up my pics from last weekend when my momma came to visit. that was fun :)

iphone love

yay! the pictures that other people took in vermont

are starting to roll in.

iphone love :)

way of life

so, I haven't been overly concerned with my grades, so far. probably because I'm practicing an overall less-anxious way of living. I do my homework, I do my readings, I study (ish) for quizzes and tests. but I haven't had a lot of grade feedback yet, except for homeworks, which aren't very important.

however, I had a week of testiness right after I got back from vermont where I made up a stats quiz and an econ exam from while I was gone and took a global governance test (3 straight hours of writing - I've never had writer's cramp so bad). I got instant feedback on the quiz - perfect score! and quick turnaround on the econ exam - A minus! and I got my global gov test back yesterday - 192/200 = A!! I was so excited - I was a little concerned with my last essay cause I ran out of time and pencil lead and it was just meh - but I totally got perfect marks on all of my essays :)

so, this is working out well :) I study hard because I like to learn and don't worry about the things that are not actually important (grades) and I do well. I like this a lot.

procrastination is still ... something I'm working on.

whimsy

the people over at the curiosity shoppe know what's what:

"If an apple a day keeps the doctor away,

imagine what an apple a day IN A SWEATER can do!"

this is the most logical thing I have heard in a long time.

how do they know me so well?

the abominable charles christopher is ... apt:

(bigger)

I think it is high time I learned how to make cake pops.

they're cute. and bite size.

and well, you know ... delicious.

I don't generally like this guy's fashion subjects

so why do I keep him in my feed, again?

perhaps because every once in awhile,

I stumble on things like this:

and ... um ...

WHAT??

I can has swedish vacation cottage??

if I had money, here's what I would do:

thing 1 - hop on a plane to provo (of all places)

thing 2 - buy flowers every week

thing 3 - get all of the awesome art prints

that I want to put in the house I don't have yet

thing 7 (because I like that number) -

buy lots and lots of pretty dresses

the end.

like comin' back home again

VERMONT!

well, I didn't take any pictures of the houses and only about 3 pictures of people during my whole trip and none of them really turned out, so you'll just have to wait until the bajillion photographers who were there put something up for me to borrow :)

in the meantime, here are some things I did take pictures of:

the woodstock library

which was followed by a lovely stroll through town

and my only purchase of the entire trip - a $5 notebook, of course

the "grand canyon" of the east

essentially a pretty gorge

that was actually much deeper and prettier than it appears here

a view of the lake

a bit behind the snapdragon inn

which was a fantastic place

I want to go back and stay there !!

and you should come too !

no, seriously, it's an amazing bed & breakfast

in beautiful vermont.

everyone should go.

we missed the full leaf change by a few weeks, I think

but it was still incredibly beautiful.

and romantic.

it. was. SO. wonderful. to see andy.

the wedding was perfect - rob & leilani were so happy

and so everyone else was too

I am so so glad I could go

~

this isn't vermont.

this is just me and totoro :)

fools

um ... friends. this is good stuff.