Fifteen Minutes of Scrawl

Some more poetical attempts. Your name is not lauded in any printed stories, even though you fell to save another, but I promise to speak of you. I hoped to see you again, I thought I had time. But the sand slipped through the hourglass. Now you're just ---. Parents are meant to take care. Hair entangles fingers, but appears voluminous. (Prompt by me) Image source

I'm liking this format. Be who you needed long ago. Dream of ideas you will need. Scratches can either satisfy or scar. Food isn't all that sustains you. It's going dark. Hold my hand. (Prompt by me) Image source

Still trying out all different kinds of short poem forms! Chalk covers hands and coats boards. Popcorn is tasty but isn't dinner. Cookie aroma fills homes with joy. Pain will linger if you allow. Anxiety runs amok, as do I. (Prompt by me) Image source

Another 15 lines of poetry. My soul mists away from my body, eyelids blink away its remnants. The spirit observes the husk, ponders how they were one united being. Were they vibrant? Did they love? Or, ever, live? Stones and bands glitter, showing assumed unity, and a hope for joy. Salty and greasy snacks delight me for a while, but then what happens? (Prompt by me) Image source

Gonna keep doing these for a while I think. How I want to sneeze, I wish I could get relief, but nothing--achoo! I feel a back ache, a ball under my shoulder blade longing to be free. Heat. Sweat. Drip. Gross. Wipe. Inside. Relief. Damp. Cold. Change. Neutral. Comfort. Sigh. Muscle memory can prevent idle fingers and thus Devil's work. Sugary sweetness bequeaths a moment or two before it leaves you. (Prompt by me) Image source

Another way to do 15 lines of poetry. I hope I'm doing these right. Slumber only comes when eyelids fall soft, but hard, limbs' aches are absorbed by softness and calm. Travel far away from all that you think you know so you can find others who know even more. I itch, but not my skin. Something more layers down twists and pricks sensations in me. I scratch. (Prompt by me) Image source

Still trying to dip my toe into poetry. Shiny and brindled, curled into a soft pillow, my lovely pup waits. Televised drama distracts from the personal but what a relief. Smell the roses they say, but what if your fields are bare, and no rain mists down? I have blemishes, picking at them does little, but how else can I heal? Fuzzy moss covers slick, shiny, and off-white rocks. Time to grab bristles. (Prompt by me) Photo source

I'm really trying to try poetry. That's what matters, right? Are they tiger stripes? Angry purple ravages? Or are they just skin? The evening is dark. Cicadas chirp quietly, but thoughts scream and whirl. Sun shines and then burns. Sand exfoliates then irks. Heat warms then sweat pours. Joints crick and crackle. Hair thins and turns to silver. Oh, how time goes on. I am behind me, watching my life unwind/fold. When will I join in? (Prompt by me) Courtesan playing Shakuhachi by Suzuki Harunobu (circa 1725-1770). Page from: Ehon Seiro Bijin Awase. Source: Portrait de courtisane (musée Guimet).  https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Portrait_de_courtisane_(mus%C3%A9e_Guimet)_(15516789331).jpg

I've now finished the season, so here are some more thoughts. Steve's character development is great (I am stealing this point from my friend Jeff). Look at him from the beginning of season 1 to where he is now. He even progressed from babysitter to friend and mentor. He also finally got past notions of 'cool' when considering people. I guess we just gave up on Kali? I kept waiting for us to summon the other magic teen, but El never did. El has the ability to find anyone in the world and when we need more help, we don't get her? Or we don't even consider getting her? Sigh. Are Joyce and her kids moving in the middle of the school year? If it's about three months after July 4th, it's early October...why are they moving then? It doesn't make a ton of sense to move Jonathan in the middle of his senior year. Where's Murray? Is he alive? Is he imprisoned? Did he move his bunker? I got more attached to him this season and so I wanted to get at le...

Why don't I try and write some poems? Here are 15 lines of pure poetry. Alligators and crocodiles and caimans are the best creatures. Curly hair, freckles, soft skin, and big hazel eyes try to see beauty. Itch. Scratch. Pick. Peel. Bleed. Anxiety, across my skin, leaves its marks and scars. How can days begin when every day before it came to its dark end? Pin pricks in ink sky, illuminate above my head, bringing a vastness. (Prompt by me) Image source

I have now only seen one more episode, but I still have more thoughts. El's outfits are very fun. I just have to say that. Did we have to have three torture scenes in one episode? I have a fix for Steve's torture scene. I think it could have actually been funny if the Russians were just menacing and Steve just spilled everything he could. Then he just faint at some point. The Russians would lock Robin and Steve in a room. When he wakes up, he could tell Robin that he really toughed it out. Then the Russians could give them water or something that is laced with whatever they injected Steve and Robin with and then they could be drugged and spill their guts. I did like the conversation that El should be the one setting El's limits. Joyce and Hopper FINALLY decide they should call their children. While I'm glad they finally thought of it, but like it took days. Smug Hopper sucks. Did the show take money from the cigarette industry? We sure see a lot of product name...

Okay, admittedly, I have only seen through episode 5, but I had some thoughts that I needed to get out. The kids continue to be amazing actors. Oof we made Hopper so much worse. He threatens Mike's life cause he and Eleven are KISSING. He also asks Joyce to dinner as just friends and then gets mad that she talks to other men and accuses her of being scared when he asked her on a date...when he said it wasn't a date. He also gets mad that she's not over her previous boyfriend who died saving all of them.  Did El and Max have to have that shopping montage? We're acting like El hasn't before tried to pick out new clothes which she definitely did last season. We're also acting like this is who Max is, which it isn't. Why didn't they go to the arcade? Why doesn't Max have El help her with some awesome skateboard tricks? They did finally start to read comic books so that's a good start. We could've accomplished the Max and El adventure in a m...

Ate bananas together Pushed him on a swing Tried to steer his stroller so he could see a heron and more ducks than I first saw Read books and rated them on eatability Kept him from playing with cable cords Got his lunch all over me (his fault, not mine, but I'm not mad) Rolled a coffee tin back and forth Babbled in response to his babbles and also treated his babbles like they were sentences Kept him from eating a leaf...and a shoe Took not nearly enough pictures Partnered with my mom to change his diaper because he has gotten too strong Fought the urge to check on him when he didn't instantly fall asleep Attempted to keep his socks on and mostly succeeded Only changed his outfit once (huge success) Washed broccoli out of his hair (Prompt by me) Photo source

I love the sims and am looking for new ways to play. Here are some I've found. 1. Black Widow Challenge: Marry a sim Have a party and locate a potential love interest Invite your love interest over and get caught Kill off the spouse and wed the new love interest Repeat 10 times 2. Rags to riches Put your sim on the biggest empty parcel in your world  Take away all of their money, which should be possible with the cash 0, in the command bar that you get by pressing shift+ctrl+c Your sim will live off of only the land around them, while additionally exploiting their surroundings, for example, public parks and different territories  There are different approaches to win cash, which you should do to finish this challenge. For example, collecting and looking after plants in parks, (you aren’t permitted to plant anything on your own parcel,) or painting with an easel in other public offices.  You should play in an exceptionally dubious style to help your d...

In each set of three, two are true things about me and one is a lie. Can you tell the five lies? I have ridden an elephant. I've hugged an alligator. I've kissed a camel. I saw whales on a tour in Iceland. I walked an alpaca in Ireland. I saw porpoises in San Francisco. I've dyed my hair with henna. I've made a hair dye with Kool-Aid. I've used spray dye for my hair. I used to collect peach pits. I used to collect beads. I used to collect rocks. I was quoted in an article about local fox sightings. I was photographed for an article about a midnight screening of the final Harry Potter film. I interviewed for a job at the ACLU. (Prompt by me) Photo source

Maybe it's because I have two adorable baby nephews now, but I've started to think about baby names I like. So here are some. Opal Hazel Coral James Olive Ivy Willow Luna Aurora Jay Rebecca Rowan Jude Riley Isaac (Prompt by me) Photo source

If I ever get a dog, here are some things I would consider naming them. Nymeria Shrek Tribble Wicket Parker Hoban Spirk Malec Braime Andorra Claddagh Orchid Hagrid Thundersnow Marvel (Prompt by me)

We have so much stuff! The giant dictionary my grandparents used to settle arguments about pronunciations. A plush troll. More plastic animals than I knew we had. Posters promoting breastfeeding in both English and Spanish. A rotary telephone. More copies of The Onion  than you want to think about. Two hieroglyph translator wheels. Copies of the grammar books my mom wrote. Awards I don't remember Cory winning. A Jimi Hendrix poster. Fake caution tape. More bits of a vacuum cleaner than I think we need. A silver mirror where the glass part detached. Several little treasure boxes filled with a variety of doodads. A very creepy puppet that my mom insists is "artistic." (Prompt by me)

I've been doing some interviews for jobs lately, so here are a few tips I have. If it's a phone interview, have your resume open so you can easily refer to it. It can be easy to forget to mention something key if it's not in front of you. If it's an in person interview, have copies of your resume to hand out. Not all places will need this, but some places will definitely forget to ask you to bring a printed copy. Look over a company's mission statement beforehand and try to work key words into the interview somewhere. Think of a few questions to ask beforehand. It can be hard to be on the spot, but it's easier if you have thought them out already. When in doubt of what to ask, I think it's generally good to ask about work culture and how the digital age is affecting the company you're interviewing at (it's hard to find an industry that hasn't been affected by our rapidly changing technology). If you have any questions about the job postin...

Today my mo m and I took a quick trip to the MCA. Fun fact, it's free for IL residents on Tuesdays. A farmer's market. Now this was outside the MCA, but it was cool to see. Really cool hanging lanterns with plants coming off of them. An exhibit about the works of Virgil Abloh. A very cool netting thing that goes from the very top of the museum to the very bottom. I thought it was beautiful and it's an easy way to link all of the floors together. An artistic mixing of a photo of Michael Jordon and a painting of the crucifixion of Jesus. Three seconds of Michael Jordon celebrating a slam dunk played in a loop so that it looks like an endless scream. A really great summer camp for preteen boys that included counselors who were able to really engage the boys in the artwork. A 3D rendition of the photograph of Gordon, an ex-slave. A large cutout of a version of the Hulk in black to challenge what people perceive as a monstrous form. Photos of an inked hand of an unid...

We found so much stuff. My doll that does somersaults. She's not that good at them anymore, but I did think she was so cool. A set of photos my dad took that were mostly in NYC post-9/11, but also included two photos of me wearing fangs. A forgotten alligator toy. Three copies of a newspaper from 1/1/2000. A turn table. Paintings my mom did. A letter my elementary school sent home on 9/11. Silver things that I cannot figure out a use for. My great grandmother's undergarments. Way too many Christmas lights. So much smushed wrapping paper. A horrifying yarn doll thing I made that my mom has now put with other creepy things that she insists on keeping. My mom's baby blanket. A rocking horse that's seen better days. Cups and saucers designed by Rockwell Kent. (Prompt by me)

If all goes according to plan, I will finish up my portfolio tomorrow! This certainly calls for celebration. Go to a nice dinner. Eat a fancy dessert. Get off of my schedule just a bit so I can sleep in as long as I want. Get people to go to drinks with me at Bibliophile. Buy a piece of jewelry to commemorate being done. Find time to read again. Get a massage. Keep working on my game. Take some time to regain my creative energy. Maybe throw some sort of book party. Maybe share some of my work with others. Maybe get my hair done. Maybe buy a new dress. Get new shoes. Give out a ton of high fives. (Prompt by me) Photo source

I'm sure I'll learn more. My grandma sowed a ton of stuff. I knew she sowed some stuff, but the amount we found was just truly incredible. Hopefully she wouldn't be disappointed at my extreme lack of skills in this area. My mom used to draw moody pictures. Not that I never imagined that my mom had emotional times, I just never knew she drew out her feelings. Don't save magazines. You don't really want to save them all, you just don't. Parents love their children's artwork more than the children do. My mom would not let me get rid of a mask of my face or a partially destroyed ostrich that Cory had made. Bags and boxes are not the best filing systems. Get boxes that seal because your basement will flood at some point. Making a map of a disorganized closet does not help. Label boxes with tape because, chances are, that you're going to change what the box is for. If you don't label with tape you end up with boxes labeled: TO SELL, $, C.P. Aaron...

Now we're far from done, but here are some things we've unearthed. Little tins commemorating the marriage between the Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer. A mask of my own face that my mom won't let me throw out. Pretty much every cover of The New Yorker  from the 1990s. An unopened birthday card for me from a friend of my grandmother's. A tray and matching coasters from the House on the Rock. Too many doll arms. My mom's typewriter. An unopened Polaroid camera with accompanying film. A machine my grandmother used to splice film. Linens embroidered for the Smith side of my family. A still wrapped Christmas gift for my brother. More troll dolls than I knew my mom had. Various gifts from one of my mom's old boyfriends. My grandmother's pattern book. Two very dusty keyboards. (Prompt by me)

I really enjoy board and card games, so here are a few I'd like to play and, possibly, have. Splendor Game for Fame Trivillennial   If You Had To... Quick and Dirty The Voting Game Card Game Do You Know Me? Unsolved Case Files Sinonyms   Simply Suspects Death Wish Unstable Unicorns Ravine Mansions of Madness Last Will (Prompt by me) Image source

Seeing the Blockbuster or Hollywood Video  logos Drinking Sprite through a straw Listening to early Dixie Chicks Playing my recorder The feel of my plastic dinosaur toys Putting Legos together Seeing anything Neopets related Looking at old photos Holding my stuffed animal Tiger Kitty Walking through Build-a-Bear Eating Cookie Crisp Eating Gushers Watching old Cartoon Network shows Walking into a Claire's Holding my Beanie Babies (Prompt by me) Image source

Please note that I don't mean to suggest that now is the first time that action has been needed (because clearly change has been needed for a very long time), but if you're feeling like me maybe you want to think of ways you can do something now. I know that not everyone can do all or even some of these things and I am far from an expert, but if your'e looking for ideas, here are some places to start. Be sure you're taking care of yourself. I know I can get caught up in thinking that other issues are more important, but the reality is that if you're not taking care of yourself you are not going to be able to give as much as you'd like. There's not point driving yourself into the ground. Now this can mean a lot of things, but right now I'd say to figure out what kind and how much coverage of the shootings you want to engage with. Perhaps it works better for you to read articles rather than see footage from the shootings or maybe it means taking a break ...

Is it too early to do this? Maybe. But I usually end up waiting until the last minute to think of one, so maybe this will help. Karen Kilgariff from My Favorite Murder . This would work best if I could get a friend to be Georgia Hardstark, but mostly it would just be fun to be allowed to talk about true crime the whole night. Chance the Snapper. Never turn down a chance to be an alligator/crocodilian. Lizzie Borden. I think I'd pretty much just need a fake ax and then creepily say the rhyme in people's ears. An alpaca farmer. I saw an inflatable alpaca on Amazon and I want a reason to buy it. Nailed It  contestant. I have a Nicole Byer shirt (well I will when it arrives) and then I can put on an apron, a gold baker's cap, and carry around ugly dessert. I think I'd be quite popular. A nightmare. I think this would involve dark clothing, creepy makeup, and a pillow. Impeachment. Not 100% sure what this would look like, but maybe I could carry around a bunch of pe...

Always a nice thing to think about. These are in no particular order! Getting my portfolio done. I will feel so relieved once it's done. Going to my friend Leah's wedding. It's in just over a month!!! Going to my brother's wedding. I'm so happy for him and so excited to get a new sister-in-law. One of my nephews' first birthday party. I should be able to go and it will be one of the cutest things in the world, I'm sure. Dogsitting. Puppy and I are getting some quality time soon. Planning a Halloween costume. I don't have ideas yet, but I'll think of some. More episodes of Are You the One? . Just a delightful reality show that I look forward to every week. Trying some new recipes. And really, mostly just eating the food that I make. Reading some books I have stacked up. I have so many books stacked up. Getting a job. It's gotta happen sometime, right? Throwing a murder mystery party. No idea when or where, but I want to do another. L...

So I sometimes have trouble falling asleep, but this means I've developed a few ways to try and ease that process. Go through the alphabet. I don't just mean saying the alphabet in my head, instead I pick something and try to list an alphabet of them. For instance, I've done animals from ant to zebra, or countries from Argentina to Zimbabwe. I find this a calming way to distract my mind. Clench and unclench my muscles. I was told this trick as a kid and I do find it helps my muscles relax. Tell myself a story. I'll be honest, this is often fanfiction, but it's a way to distract myself and sometimes influence my dreams. Put a pillow between my legs. This helps me get into a more comfortable position so that I can fall asleep. Take my socks off. I don't know why, I just love the feeling. Listen to something familiar. Familiar things are calming to me and that way I know if I fall asleep, I've heard it before so I'm not missing anything. Change my ...

I've just started thinking about throwing another murder mystery party, so here are themes that I think could be great. Greek/Roman gods and goddesses. There are so many gods and they all have beef with each other, how does that not equal drama perfect for a murder mystery? Sadly, the person killed would likely have to be a favored mortal... Zoo. A ton of donors have come for a big party, but someone is found dead! Who dunnit? Donor, staff, or animal? Mine. What if a miner is found murdered deep in the mines? Only those down there could have done it, right? Wedding. Weddings can bring out a lot of tensions and again you have that limited set of people who could have done it. Fairy garden. The fae are known to be petty and vicious when they choose. Seems like the perfect recipe for murder. Morgue. What if a new dead body ends up in the morgue? Who killed them? Was it a staff person, a grieving family member, or someone who was only pretending to be dead? Spaceship. The most...

So I fell into an Amazon alpaca hole last night and here's what I found. (I kinda want all of them) The fanciest stuffed alpaca An inflatable alpaca Alpaca onesie The cutest alpaca backpack The super festive alpaca Christmas sweater A hilarious alpaca mug An alpaca swimsuit because when you think of alpacas, you think of pools An alpaca jewelry holder (I should get some kind of jewelry holder) An adorable alpaca hat The most useful alpaca succulent planter Delightful alpaca cookie cutters The cutest possibly alpaca clips A squishy alpaca stress toy An alpaca case for a camera (I did not know this was a thing) The second best salt and pepper shakers I've seen (there are alligator ones that beat it) (Prompt by me)