Living La Vida Alpo

Momentum, where art thou?

My semester has been over for a week now.

I didn't get a report card; I got an evaluation full of phrases like "focus more on revision next semester," "excellent ideas about characters and situations" and an X in a box next to "The student DID satisfactorily complete the work of the semester."

Usually at the end of a semester it's the most delicious feeling to flip off the world of academe and read whatever the hell I feel like reading, trashy and formulaic as it may be.  But I get to pick my own books for school anyway, so that's kinda anticlimactic.

So... no GPA to crow over, no reading to sinfully indulge in... what's a girl to do?  Or, better, what's a "writer" *koff koff* to do?

Write? 

*insert whiney voice*  But that's something I doooo for schooool!

Crap.  MFA in what used to be my favorite thing to do?  Not such a brilliant idea.

And finally, quasi-acceptance?

Colin Meets Snow from Queen Alpo on Vimeo.

Skipping Step 2 and going straight to anger

Meet my winter face.  Get used to it.  It's staying on until April.

Brought Colin out for his first experience with snow.  I knew he was the perfect dog for me when he made the same face. 

That guy and snowflakes?  Not fwiends. 

No need humins aneemow.

Stage one: denial

It's snowing.

I don't understand.

Why is it snowing?

This is so wrong.

It shouldn't be snowing.

I've been staring out my window for the last five minutes trying to translate.

Is that really snow?

Could it be sawdust from someone's errant construction project?  Really slow-falling rain?  Did someone have a giant pillow fight?

I really don't get it.

Is that snow?

If so... shit.

But it can't be.

Read this...

because I'm too tired and cranky to say anything on my own today.

The only thing I'll say as introduction to this mystery link:  Ha-ha.

If you give a blogger a video...

The other day I posted something about the crow rave outside my window. 

Today I'm posting something about Colin saying something about what I said about the crow rave outside my window. 

Tomorrow I'll post something about Leah saying something about what Colin said about something about the crow rave outside my window.

Colin in Stereo from Queen Alpo on Vimeo.

"Dude, that was some QUALITY ketchup packet!"

There's a huge crow rave going on outside my office window right now.  I suspect it's because today was trash day, and we're seeing the ones too high on E to figure out that the party's over. 

This is a sampling of the ones on the ground, and obviously doesn't count the ones in the trees and in the air. 

They're not much to look at, but the noise is astounding.  Colin agrees.  They're driving both of us crazy. 

Crow Party from Queen Alpo on Vimeo.

I wish I spoke Crow.  Then I could annoy CK a lot more than I already do.

Wait a minute... *ponders logic of annoying deaf partner with incessant cawing in stereo*

Sigh.  Never mind.

November Dreamboard

You can see other people's dreamboards over at Suzie's portal, as well. 

I'm starting to get addicted. 

Soul Coaching: Energy Zappers and Juicers

Day 10, hello.  I liked today's assignment(s).  Level one was to list the things that zap your energy.  Level two, because it's more intense and time-consuming, was to list the things that juice up your energy.

Well, color me surprised.  I started level two and had to force myself to stop.  And all this time I've been thinking I was Tuesday's Child: full of woe.  That right there was a superjuicer all on its own.

Zappers:

• small talk
• crowds
• wasteful people/actions
• thinking about things I need to do or haven't done yet
• not seeing the sun or moon
• eating after a workout
• meetings that don't get anywhere
• when people ask me if I've been published or when I will be
• shopping
• cloudy skies

Juicers:

• yoga
• reading
• blogging
• writing emotional stories
• connecting with someone I think is cool
• watching CK, Leah, or Colin sleep
• having a neat desk or night stand
• dreaming about possibilities
• going to an event where I have something in common with people (grad school, book club, yoga retreat, hippie festivals)
• unexpectedly seeing wildlife
• getting to stay in a hotel room
• watching a live performance
• lighting the candle/incense on my altar
• breathing fresh air
• leaving the house (no, seriously)
• wrapping myself and my toes in a blanket on cold days
• spooning
• afternoon summer thunderstorms
• trying a new recipe
• sore muscles the day after working out
• having a real conversation