Looking forward

I know, I'm doing it again.  I have a slight obsession with planning things ahead of time, and as a result my mind often exists a few months in the future.  Right now, in my head, it's at least April.  But given that in real life it's only the very end of February in Wisconsin ... I think I'll take it for now.

My March, April, and May should be whirlwinds of activity.  Perhaps they won't match last November, but it'll be a close call from time to time.  I was going to lay it all out here, but there's really no point - you'll hear about it as it comes.  Occupying the most space in my thoughts for the past week, though, have been two trips in particular.  I actually booked both flights on the same day, in a near-unprecedented flurry of spending.  But there's no time like the present.

Wednesday morning, I booked this one:

Maine!  Beginning of October!  It's far away now, but - barring anything unforeseen - a long-threatened long weekend will finally become a reality.

Wednesday evening, on the phone with my intrepid travel companion, I booked this one:

(Photo by jpereira.net)

Senegal.  Yes, Senegal.  Africa.  End of May.  A friend of a friend is living there, and we're going to visit her.  Unlike Maine, Senegal wasn't even on my radar until very recently.  I'm still slightly giddy about the speed with which this trip was arranged.  I mean ... holy crap.  I'm going to Africa in less than three months.  Africa!

June, July, and August are still more or less open.

Snowflakes break through the atmosphere

Saturday was a quintessential winter day in Wisconsin.  Wilco was playing the Overture Center that night, and I had big plans to make the six-hour drive to and from Michigan to attend their Sunday show as well.  Unfortunately, the weather had other ideas and I was forced to concede in the face of a snowstorm.  Lucky for me, then, that the Madison show was enough fun to tide me over for now.

Penpals: The T-shirts, Book 1

In December, I introduced The Penpals: the series of books Allison and I wrote in elementary school.  Now, as promised, I present a list of every saying I put on a t-shirt or sweatshirt in my illustrations.  Like I said, I was waaay into that as a fashion statement.  After words, I list who wore the shirt.  Because the names are half the fun.

In order of appearance in Book 1 (4th grade):

Uncle Arthur's Bedtime Stories: an introduction

At a recent estate sale, I found myself perusing a box of old books down a dusty basement.  The books in question were all cookbooks, and they were artfully displayed - as recommended by Elle Decor - on a sagging bed near the washing machine.  


One slim volume caught my eye.  Perhaps better described as a pamphlet than a book, I noticed it because it didn't seem to contain any recipes.  The cover read Uncle Arthur's Bedtime Stories (Sixth Series).  A quick glance at the first pages and translation of Roman numerals told me it had been published in 1930.  Though it would become clear that the stories originated in England, this edition was printed in the U.S.A. by The Review and Herald Publishing Association in Takoma Park, Washington, D.C.  The inside cover boasted a promisingly splendid and rather inexplicable illustration, "Jesus in the Carpenter's Shop at Nazareth."  At ten cents, clearly I had to buy it for more detailed perusal...

Typical Monday

On Monday, I just wanted to get home from work.  I'd been feeling slightly ill all day.  Early that morning I broke a fingernail, and it turns out I have no nail clippers in my purse or desk at the office.  It was a very busy day work-wise.  You know, typical Monday.


The workday finally ended.  On the way home, I made a pit stop at the local family grocery to grab a container of Cool Whip Free (which I enjoy on Jell-o.  Shut up.)  Due to the aforementioned broken nail, I was wearing one glove and holding the other as a sort of shield against the cold steering wheel.  I parked, removed the keys, had a brief debate about what to do with the glove I was holding, and decided to leave it in the car.  I grabbed my purse, got out, locked the door, and started walking toward the store.  Then I realized I was still holding my other glove after all.  Which meant ... OH HELL NO.