Home

I've been home about a week and some change now.

Dad and I built and fenced and new garden, in which Mom and I then planted scarlet runners, shallots, tomatoes, basil, sweet cecily, salad burnett, radishes, carrots, beets, lettuce, peas, bell peppers, zukes, three different cukes, butternut squash, yard-long beans, and rhubarb. The ground has been frozen until recently, and then we got a ton of rain, so planting had to be put off a bit. My sister only helped when hollered at.

But I am looking forward to harvesting all the lovely veggies. and then pickling the cukes and the beans.
That's kind of my thing. Mom makes jam and cans other fruits, and I'm in charge of pickling things. Last summer we made three different kinds of pickles; dill, bread and butter, and wild child (really spicy! and tasty).

My sister is fourteen, and has a serious attitude, which clashes pretty heavily with me. She's convinced that I'm out to ruin her social life. But we had a nice chat the other day, so we'll see how things go from here.

And I started work at our local pool again. I'm upper-level staff, and until I went back, I hadn't realized how much I missed the people who work there. There is a certain level of camaraderie and repartee that is present here which is definitely lacking at the pool in Bellingham. They are good kids too, for the most part, and I've made a few very lovely friends, but I'll always love this little historical pool that I grew up in, swam on the team for, and and have worked at for the last 5 years. Sure, sometimes the staff irritates me. But it's worth it. And I have the best boss in the entire world here.

Calluses

So my hands are finally started to callus and I'm super excited about it. I know, that's a weird thing to get excited about. But callused hands are hands that do work. They get all soft in the winter and it makes me sad. and in the summer, they get callused again from hard work and kayaking and biking everywhere. So in the spring, when they start peeling off old skin and new, tougher skin comes in, I get excited.
Powerful hands.

 Also, I added another brother to the adopted family. This makes me very very happy.
Its a large family, and I love every single one of them.

Doesn't Get Much Better

That, my dear friends, is how you spend an evening.

You start at 5:30 at dinner with your best friend, make friends with dudes who pawned a free meal, and then get hit on by one of them who is at least a decade your senior.

Then you have a drink (or two) with your best friend after ditching the creepy old dude.

When 8:00 rolls around, you wander down to Boulevard Park and meet friends, walk the park at sunset, make loud inappropriate jokes, and walk home around 11 discussing the hipster-like qualities of a certain 80's-paint themed roadbike.

It was a lovely evening to spend outside with friends, though tomorrow begins the Era of Epic Studying before Finals.

thoughts before bed in a techni-colored overshirt.

augh. 
so much on the mind. back to the old bulleted-list standard....

• I have a lab final due very soon, and there's still quite a bit to be done on that. 

• I have chemistry that needs to be done asap. 

• I need to get a math project done, which I haven't started, and which by the sounds of it, will be very difficult. 

• One of my new guy-friends introduced me to his girlfriend today, and I'm still trying to figure out the dynamic. I can't decide how she'll take me hanging out with him. There was an offer to go have a drink, which I declined (surprising, right?) because I need to know whose head is on the chopping block first. I also think he's a really nice guy, and very funny, but I'd really just like to be friends with him without the over-looming drama explosion. and please, she's a freshman. and territorial, so I dont see this ending well. 

• I went for a run in the mud the other day, which felt fantastic. I want to go again!

• I have so much choreography running around in my head that its driving me insane. I couldn't concentrate on the rock wall today, because they were playing music and all I could do was think of choreography. 

• and I have a new love for button-down shirts worn open as overshirts. 

• I got into a research trip in the fall with my professor, so I'm thrilled about that. Hawaii, here I come!

• I was told recently by an adopted brother that he wasn't sure if I "peed standing up or sitting down" to which I said "thank you." I love it when i can dress however I want and still that question is asked. I suppose that begs the question of whether the concept of androgyny as it is perceived by others lies in appearance or in personality and actions. maybe a bit of both I think. thoughts?