Week Forty-Six: Fall into Things

This week brought to you by Autumn. Because it is finally here. And while I don't necessarily look forward to the onslaught of rain that is an Italian Winter, I'm so ready for a change. And for Warm Clothes Weather. Sweats and hoodies and jeans and coats.

Day 1 (316): 20th of October
Gosh I love not having anywhere in particular to be. At least not in anything like an early fashion. There is something blessedly nice about being able to meander about in the most literal sense of the word. Work will wait. Alright. Really, work will go on, but it won't be me doing it, and that is just fine. I love what I do, and most days am good with the place where I do it. The simple truth is that I know I do a good job, and those who work for me do so as well; there is no need to be there 24/7/365. Doesn't change that I'm a bit masochistic about my work, but I can be zen about things happening in my absence. Time off is not a bad thing (when timed appropriately). I seem to have a thing for patterny building facades.

Today I stood on a corner taking pictures of many things. Such as this.

And in black and white.

And this. So v London.

All so that I could sneakily photograph this without looking too fansessive. But honestly.

Final shot looks rather like one from last week. Probably because it was taken from the same vantage at the same train platform (Blackfriars). Just a different time of day.

Day 2 (317): 21st of October
Rather a strange day. Some people in Life are rather skilled at putting everyone around them in a strange mood. Particularly when all parties are forced to spend their time in close proximity. The Dark Side is strong with them. Thus the odd photos. Not sure at all about this.

Not sure about this, either.

Day 3 (318): 22nd of October
Wednesdays are lovely. Work actually tends to get done, thanks to the generally uninterrupted time spent in the presence of said Work. Found some rather entertaining entries on one of the few Tumblr things I read. A Political Science student at Tulane summarised his or her thesis as "Democrats and Republicans agree that they hate each other, disagree on everything else." Could not have put it better myself. Gets to the heart of why I dislike all political parties. Today I give you My Gertie. Mostly I give you my repair jobs on Gertie. The passenger window is busted and I've not taken the time to take apart the door and fix it, so gaffer's tape is the answer. As it is to much of Life.

Life's other great tool is electrical tape. Useful for holding closed glove compartments that no longer close themselves. How classy am I?

Here. This is a bit less unsettling.

Day 4 (319): 23rd of October
Who does this? Going from Sticky Hot all the time to really Rather Chilly at night is a desert move. Not to be confused with a night move. Italy isn't so much Fan Central for the Silver Bullet Band. All that said, when I walked out of the building today I got really rather excited, because it finally smells like fall. There is a smell (you probably know it) that is difficult to describe, but is just so autumn it makes me smile. This is Vesuvius in Autumn Light.

This is the worst airline in Europe. To be avoided at all costs.

Day 5 (320): 24th of October
A few more entries on that silly Tumblr I mentioned before. From another PoliSci student, this time at American University submits, "Literally every single study done in this field is held together by spit and the prayer that nobody looks too deeply into their methods." And in a similar theme: "Global network infrastructures are held together by duct tape, spit, and prayers," says a Computer Science student at Harvard. Got to hear the song "St. Elmo's Fire" on the way home. God I love the 80s. Also love days where the photos need zero editing (except a bit of a crop in this case).

No edits needed here at all. Autumn sunsets.

Honestly. I love it.

Day 6 (321): 25th of October
Bless the soul who invented Whiskey Fudge. Dawn is lovely. One of the perks of getting up in the early hours.

Like yesterday's shot. This time taken early in the day.

Day 7 (322): 26th of October
Final to take today. Must do that. Will take many hours. Morning shots again, in order to get this done before tucking in to schoolwork.

Morning dandy, but with no dew.

Closing with more entertaining summaries of thesis work. So glad I don't have to write a thesis.
Socrates is bad at inducing moral growth and I don't want him or any characters from The Tempest at my birthday party. -Philosophy, Loyola University Chicago
Twilight was a really bad book. -English Literature, University of York.
Plato was a bad influence. -Epistemology and clinical psych, Hampshire College.
What if, like, adding one hair to a bald man's dome could make him immediately not bald, but we could just never know? -Philosophy, Vassar College

Week Thirty-Three: A Better State

Damn. Damn. Theme? Central thought? Forgot my notebook again, and as such have forgotten all the neat thoughts I wanted to get down in this thing this week. I think the indulgences of being on leave for a second week are the only unifying details. Be it indulging in more food, more channel surfing, more dowhatibloodywant-ing, or more equine time, all was truly marvellous. Does much for improving one's state of mind.

Day 1 (225): 21st of July
Nothing can bring me closer. Nothing can bring me near. Where is the road I travelled, to lead me here? Oh, wait. Nevermind. Found it. Sing at someone else, R.E.M. (though I do love that song). One thing on that road is my silly filing cabinet system of memories. Some have been damaged by fire and other natural disasters, and others eaten by Brain Mice. Those that remain are in decent condition, and cause the occasional fit of nostalgia. Can't be helped. Lookie what I found in the Ancestral Home. Still works (and yes there is still a small collection of tapes to play in it). And the time is not flashing 12:00, but rather is just flashing the : part. 

This guy is there, too. We call him Old Bill. He was a gift to my Dear Father for his time as a Cav Officer in the US Army. He was also tragically dropped many years ago and painstakingly glued back together (most of his scars are in the lower boot region). Tough old guy. 

Day 2 (226): 22nd of July
Oh I wake in the morning and I step outside, and I take a deep breath and I get real high (not like that), and I scream from the top of my lungs, "what's going on?!" Then it turns out nothing really much is going on and I'm just a nutter shouting at the world (which we all know doesn't make it better). Does make one feel better, though. Like looking at a chicken.

I AM A CHICKEN! SEE? LOOK AT ME!! HEAR ME! Got any watermelon?

Allow me to introduce you to Blindy Tim (nee Tiny Tim, nee Nameless Bunny #12). He is a couple months old, is blind in both eyes (see the cataract?), and has a gammie left hopping leg (Ma probably stepped on him as a wee kit). Notice the tongue - even adorable bunnies get awarded the awkward candid shot. Timmy here is the softest, chillest, coolest little dude who almost died twice as a tiny thing, but just wants to live so much we have to oblige. And when I say soft, I mean that there was a serious possibility that I'd pet his coat straight off him. 

Day 3 (227): 23rd of July
Oh there is a... deeper river... flowing through the... Treasure Valley. It doth call me, to come and float it. For heat is all. For heat is all. What was that? Blame the Boise River. Like some form of Martian water monster, it got in my brain today. Such a delightful way to spend an afternoon. Lolling about in a tube with one's arse dangling in the cold river as the current takes one along is a special experience. It is also one I've not had in many moons. The River Gods giveth and taketh away, however.  My friend lost her rainbow wayfarers and I lost an earring. A small price to pay for happiness, no? Look at this flipping sky. This is what it normally looks like (i.e. sans yucky smoky ash face). 

If ye've not noticed, I'm inclined to take photos of my favourite animals being less than picturesque. Mid-yawn is a great time for a kodak moment. 

Or perhaps I shall take the shot whilst this other poor fellow is mid-roll.

Day 4 (228): 24th of July
Everybody wants to rule the world. Well, perhaps not everybody. I'm perfectly happy doing my thing. Today was originally scheduled to take place in the great city of San Diego. Due to unanticipated circumstances, however, it has been moved to the Treasure Valley. Specifically the northwest-ish part of Boise where it turns into Eagle. High on a hill, there are some ponies. And a great view (still not smoky!!) of the lovely valley. So nice. 

I take many pictures of ponies. I know this comes as a total shock. Sometimes they come out pretty passable (pony go sideways...). Dear Reader, this is Legolas.

Other times adorable (happy boys grooming each other - it had to be monochrome). 

Sometimes a sweet face emerges. (This is Electrum. He says hello.)

And sometimes the motion is just right. 

And finally, there are the times I cannot help myself. I'm such a child. 

Day 5 (229): 25th of July

Take my breath away (on that highway to the danger zone). Turns out there are still people in the world who have not seen TOP GUN. I have sorted one of them. All after the great Madhuban Feast of 2014. There may have been food left on the buffet table after we were finished, but it was not for our lack of trying. Nothing quite compares to wandering thrift stores with a food fetus that feels like twins. And this is coming from the girl who has single-handedly eaten whole sheet cakes, multiples of cheesecakes in a row, and multiples of large pizzas in a row. By now you can see I have a thing about buffets / AYCE / people daring or offering money in exchange for eating insane amounts of things. But on the way home from PT (which was no picnic with said fetus still cooking) I saw these wild sunflowers and leapt into the ditch (in my truck - I'm not a complete idiot) to take their photo.

Aren't they just rather jolly flowers? 

Day 6 (230): 26th of July
Dance your cares away. Worries for another day. Let the Music play. Down in Idaho. One thing for which I find myself longing more and more is the ability to properly dance again. It's so hard to hear the music and not get down with my bad self. The boogie wants out and it does not take kindly to excuses about how it hurts and oh not now thanks. As am again not at SDCC (quit whinging, Rodeo) the father and I went to the Basque Festival (for St. Ignacio). Amazingly enough, I didn't see a single person I knew.

There we enjoyed the beer and music and dancing and people watching and watching a mad man with a grand pan make piles of paella. As there is no scale, I'll tell you the pan is about four feet across.

A wander showed me how much this little town (only 205, 000 or so) has transmogrified in the past few years. For a good portion of my teen years (maybe all of them) there was a great gaping pit in the middle of Downtown - the result of failed development project after failed development project. Now stands in the Hole the tallest building in Boise. Seems a bit much for little old Boise.

Not far off from there is the plaza that featured in many an evening, afternoon, and really any other time of day when I was younger. A great bistro used to be here (now it's a seafood place), we built christmas trees for charity here, and there is a concert place / hockey arena / arena football field here as well. The fountain also has long been entertaining Boiseans of all ages on hot summer days and nights. 

Day 7 (231): 27th of July
Only the lonely (dum dum dum dumby doo wah) know the way I feel tonight (ooh yay yay yay yeah). Why is that in particular the song that popped in my head? It has no relevance to the matter at hand. Which is what, you ask? Well, the matter is just that. Confused? So am I. Let's move on, shall we? Lovely morning for my last full day in the Home Place. Poor Stu Bean has no idea I'll be abandoning him on the morrow.

Nor do these two trees (though I imagine they will be rather less traumatised, being trees and all). Why the odd border? Who knows.

Ooh look! Leaves on another tree! With drops of water from the sprinkler! Wow!

Have I mentioned my dreams have soundtracks?

Week Thirty: Rhymes with Smilight

Realised I completely missed the fact that I hit day 200 last week. One of those moments that seems momentous and deserving of celebratory social media. But really not. A quiet "good job, old girl" to myself I think is more fitting. In tune with realising that I am fully on the downslope of this madcap project (yes I'm giving it more credit than it's due), I did all my photo-taking in the waning hours of daylight. Not just sunsets, mind you (not yet ready to re-resort to that tired old trope). Just worked on getting the light right for some rather domestic outdoor-y shots. hip hip.

Day 1 (204): 30th of June
Sometimes necessity truly is the mother of things. Like invention. And ingenuity. And photo themes. Brain death led to nearly not taking photos, so I figured on keeping things dusky. Not using the other word for the end of the day because unintentionally seeing the film by that name scarred me for life. And almost ruined my region of choice (the PNW). Sparkly vampires my arse. Stroppy metal fence design agrees.

Certain Felines. V needy, this one is. I go outside and have an instant shadow.

Flowers have it too easy. They just look nice all the time.

But even weeds can look nice in the right light... no?

Day 2 (205): 1st of July
New month (again... how do these things keep happening?). No new thoughts on matters. Not yet, any rate. Life seems to require Decisions. Big Decisions (thus the big D). Decisions that seem simple in concept but terrifying in possible execution. Curse being a Grown Up.

Check out these purple things. Notice the subtle subject change.

Seriously. Badass purple things (probably weeds).

Day 3 (206): 2nd of July
This day is a turd. I've not been sleeping much this week and as such have been ignoring my string of alarms and forcing mad dashing in the first thing. At least that worked in my favour today as I knew I'd be at the Work until rather late (thanks, meeting set around the schedule of People in the States). At least that did fit with planned late evening shots. This time focused on neighbour property (they weren't there, so I was a bit less dodgy).

Vineyards everywhere.

Really everywhere.

Day 4 (207): 3rd of July
Murphy's Law still ruleth the land. Get stuck with a 12 hour watch on the day before a four-day w/end (wherein it follows everyone leaves early). And it was another of those days that lead a body to think she has become Doreen the switchboard operator. You'd think people would be wise enough to leave their silly questions until after the long w/end. Spare those of us stuck answering them. Ah well. Block checked for another month or so. Here are photos of palm trees.

Alright, really just palm tree trunks. But ooh light.

Day 5 (208): 4th of July
Feels like a Saturday. About as productive. But only if you then subtract any productivity at all. I really ought go back to carrying a notebook for all my deep and/or brilliant and/or amazing thoughts. I know I have them, but somehow when it comes time to prove it to you, Dear Internet, I come up short. All I can tell you for certain on this my home nation's birthday, is that there is officially no sexy way to get out of a hammock. If one wants to use loafing in a hammock to seduce someone, that someone best not see one get in or get out. Witnesses should only see the portion where one is doing the loafing. If a cat is capable of laughter or ironic thought, I was quite the show for one today.

Happy American Independence Day.

Or Happy July 4th, if that is more your speed.

Day 6 (209): 5th of July
Really too unmotivated to provide excess commentary on this set. My lawn is in rather desperate need of a mow (reference yesterday's photos).

Plant part. Please note cat hair from cat that walked by just before I pressed the pickle button.

Day 7 (210): 6th of July
Painted my self in a bit of a corner with this theme. Means I have to wait till late to take the last photo. Thus a late publishing of blog. Mostly because it takes so bloody long for my fool internet to upload huge photos. But I'm having a gas playing country music at great volume all day; some while I was being lazy, some while working on my Great Shit Purge of 2014 (minimal progress so far). Finally, as the sun sinks lower, the only self portrait I will risk.

Do I mean Skylight? Highlight? Lo-fi-light? Bauxite? Lite-Brite?