Who would have thought?

Today at work I was given one of the best gifts I have ever received... a Leatherman Tool.
I never would have thought a utility knife would make me cry (which it did). My Technical Director gave me an orange Leatherman Juice as a gift for being his set and lighting design assistant/ going away gift. I have been hinting at all of my family members that a multi-tool would make a great Christmas gift and ever so helpful down in Honduras. Though it was embarrassing to cry in the office, I am so happy that I will have something to remind me of NYC once I leave.

                                                 
Isn't it pretty?

EXCITING EXCITING

So this post is LONG overdue in two regards. First, because I have been an elusive blogger and gone missing for close to a month; and secondly because I have exciting news.

For months I have been waiting and anticipating the day that I would be mailed my official Peace Corps Invitation. You may slam on the breaks and say whaaaa? But I have been in trudging through my application since March, and I now have the official stamp of approval.

I am extremely excited about going but have about a million questions and no one to answer them,well aside from call the Peace Corps office and asking them to hold my hand. The one thing that I was expecting after receiving my invitation was to feel relieved and relaxed, but no rest for the weary. I now have the reality of sorting out my life here and making sure that it will be ok unattended for two years. I guess I can try and think of everything that I can, and whatever I miss will probably be alright in the end.

Well I think that my blog might have a slightly different flare from now on, but don't you fret it will still be me writing about what I see and know.

Things I hate on Novemeber 23rd...

After all of my posts about loving Autumn I thought that on this first winter-like day would list things that I cannot stand during this time of year.

Cornucopia's.

Why are they in a horn? Why do they sit in the middle of the table but you cannot eat anything out of it? Did the Pilgrims serve the Native Americans food in them?

I think they are ugly and pointless.

Random Warm Days

I would rather be warm than cold. Period.

But I abhor when you are expecting the winter to start and it is 65 degrees outside. I feel that once the season has decided to change it needs to stick to it.

COLD WIND.

I HATE THE WIND. ESPECIALLY WHEN IT IS COLD.

Christmas Commercials

I think the thing that I hate most during this time of year are Christmas Commercials. I actually yell at the television when I see them before Thanksgiving. I think there is a season for everything and that no holiday can supersede another.

And that is my rant for the day.

Paper Bags Laterns

It could stem from my love of Halloween, but I have always loved the look of brown paper bags used as lanterns. My favorite houses trick-or-treating always had these lining the walk way, with ghoulish faces cut out of them. I think that they are a simple quirky way to illuminate outdoor spaces, and could be chic enough to use at a summertime party. Above are some beautiful images of brown and white lanterns.

No rhyme or reason

peacocks are the most resplendent birds on earth

Waiting...

Waiting for the President

I have never really considered myself a patient person, things should be done quickly and efficiently. This trait comes from my Dad who always wanted the fastest turn around possible. Recently I have been placed in a situation where I have no choice but to sit and wait patiently, for months. I never thought that it would bother me as much as it does. Waiting does not actually stop you from doing anything, but it feels as though it is preventing you from doing everything. It just feels like your to do list perpetually has an additional item that cannot yet be checked off. I could just be me that gets an anxious feeling when waiting for things, but I cannot think of anyone that loves to sit and wait.

In actuality waiting gives you the opportunity to do things that you might not have had time to do previously. Like when you are sitting in traffic, you always remember to return the call from your aunt, or to schedule that dentist appointment that is six months overdue. It also gives you perspective on how nice it is to get an immediate response.

Where in the world is Carmen San Diego?

I know you all have loved my excessive ramblings about the Autumn season, but I think that I have said all there is to say about this wonderful time of year. So I wanted to talk about one of my other favorite things in the world... travel. I have been lucky enough to travel to some amazing destinations in my life, but it instilled this perpetual desire to keep traveling. Now some might say this is not a bad thing, however when you are in the lowest tax bracket travel becomes much more difficult.

So instead of packing up and shipping out to my fantasy vacations I am going to go on an image vacation.

Here are my top 10 places I want to go ASAP (or before I kick the bucket):

#10: Tokyo, Japan

#9: Melbourne, Australia

#8:Reykjavík, Iceland

#7: Agra, India

#6: Istanbul, Turkey

#5: The Shetland Islands, Scotland

#4: Cape Town, South Africa

#3: Auckland, New Zealand

#2: Cairo, Egypt

#1: Bora Bora, French Polynesia

All images via bing.com

HALLOWEEN

Hello. It's me the reclusive blogger, back to talk about my favorite holiday... Halloween.

Now I know what you are thinking, "You like Halloween? You must be into all that horror stuff," but that could not be farther from the truth. I love classic Halloween and Dia de Los Muertos, not this new Hollywood mutilated gore. I actually hate scary movies and being scared quite frankly.

I love Halloween because of Charlie Brown's Great Pumpkin, dressing up in whatever you feel like, eating candy until you are sick, and roasting pumpkin seeds. It's a holiday with no pretension, no pressure to be happy, it's a day were you can act and dress with whimsy.

BOO!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

mmm Autumn

Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns.
- George Eliot

On this horribly winter-like day I need to surround myself with pictures of an idyllic fall.

Yeah I know the last image is not "American Autumn" but the cat-tram combination won me over.

Hello God It's Me Catriona

I have been unable for so long to find the time/energy to read a blog, let alone post on my own. But rather than describe to you what I have been doing for the past 20 days I will give you a photographic chronology of my life.

I promise not to go missing again.

www.leaveyourcubiclebehind.com

http://nocbiovalleystudentsnetwork.orbius.com/Must-Visit-in-Philly.pg/Independence-Hall.page

www.monstersandcritics.com

all images via flickr.com (of course)

www.amazon.com

Staten Island Ferry

35mm slide dated March 1963 via flickr

Over Labor Day Weekend I ventured into a burrow of NYC that I thought I would never see, Staten Island. Now without offending any fans of the island, I was not impressed. However my free trip there and back was amazing. I have been on a fancy schmancy boat tour of the city, but I think that the Staten Island Ferry was far superior. Along with a better price tag, there was a lack of annoying jokes delivered by the brain dead tour guides, and far fewer tourists, all in all it won me over. Rather than racing to the right side of the boat, like the rest of the lemmings, I suggest getting on last and standing on the back of the boat. Here you will get stunning views of the bridges on the east side, the beautiful skyline, an up close look at Governors Island, and the Statue of Liberty. I would recommend a trip on the Ferry for all my NYC friends along with anyone who is coming to the city to visit.

These are a few of my favorite things...

I have always had an identity crisis when it comes to classifying what season I was born. As a child the first day of school = the first day of Fall, even if it happened to come in August. So I felt a kinship to the fall.

But as I grew older and learned about the autumnal equinox I realized that my birthday technically fell in the summer. I was not sure what to do about this conundrum. Do I betray my faithful fall season I had always felt allegiance to? Or do I fib about being a summer babe and stick to my guns about being born in the autumn?

Regardless of my pondering, here are some of my favorite images of fall.

(all in CO obviously)

all via www.flickr.com