I cannot believe it has been 20 years.


I remember sitting in my 5th grade classroom at Maryvale watching the launch live. When it exploded all the teachers ran out into the hallway to discuss, they didn't know what to do. All us kids just sat quietly in our seats; we didn't know what to do either. We were supposed to watch the launch and then get a lesson from the teacher in space, Christa McAuliffe.

The great space race is over and so many people don't pay any attention anymore. I find space exploration fascinating! I'm always wondering what's shakin in the galaxy and what not. Therefore, I got up early on the morning of February 1, 2003 to watch Columbia land.

I was not going to get a front row show because I was in Corpus Christi, but Texas channels were poised to give us the best re-entry viewing we could get. Sadly, instead of watching the bird glide in safely, it disintegrated in a shower of flame over the lone star state.

Did anyone read about this new planet

Maybe it's just the adventurer in me, but how fascinating! I mean there is so little that we know about our very own solar system, let alone our galaxy, let alone other galaxies! How I wish I could transcend the space/time continuum and visit other planets, see what they are really made of, what life exists in what form, new compounds, new elements...anything, everything! Ok, I really need to get some legitimate homework done. Ciao.


andromeda

I made my nephew a few onsies for Christmas. My sister just sent me this photo. Seriously, this little guy is going to have great fun with his Auntie Mika! He looks too cute with his little baby mowhawk. Ciao!

(e:Jason) and I went to check out the Albright-Knox Art Gallery today because it says it's free after 3pm on Fridays. I can't remember the last time I was there, maybe I was 9? I didn't realize just how small the place was. It looks pretty sizable on the exterior but not so much inside. As I looked at some of the art though, I couldn't help but think some of it was just crap. No, I'm not an art snob. I really do appreciate art in so many forms and mediums; but nothing really moved me. Then we were looking at one piece and this guy totally snubbed us. He turned to his kids and said, "Look at those weird people looking at art". I was like, WTF??? I figured it must have been my hair. Some folks get so bent out of shape over fun hair.

So, we couldn't seem to read the map correctly and kept missing what we really wanted to see, the Chinese contemporary exhibit. Then we realized we missed a staircase, got excited that we had finally located it, only to find out it wasn't actually free and we had to buy a ticket. I thought, ok, maybe it's a few bucks for the special exhibit...not so much. More like $12. I was disappointed. (e:Jason) thought he might be able to charm the pants off the old ladies working the ticket counter, but we just gave up. We did get to the see the main hall though, which consisted of foam blocks creating the Great Wall, and these transparent tapestries hanging all around the room. I thought they were some kind of rice paper at first, but we discovered it was actually human hair.

Ever have those days when you suddenly become the most productive human being to walk this rock? Of course you have! Today I had the privilege of being one of those human beings. Honestly, I think it's because my boss is gone on a trip and for once my phone wasn't ringing off the hook all day. For the first time in a long time I woke up entirely motivated to get things done. I scrubbed my bathroom from floor to ceiling and got up the shower curtain liner I'd been meaning to hang for ages. As a side note, I think I'm allergic to bleach. It causes a horrible reaction. I get near it and my eyes turn red and leak, my lungs seize up, I can't stop coughing and my nose starts running profusely.

Next I tackled the mountain of laundry on my floor. Granted, it had already been washed, but putting it away was a chore for which I cared not. So at last all the shirts are hanging together in the closet, socks all snuggled in the drawer. Then I changed my sheets. Hell yah! Who doesn't LOVE clean sheet day!? If you say you don't, you're a liar. Everyone loves clean sheet day. It's the best night's sleep you have in [insert frequency of your own sheet changing here]. Is there a greater comfort than the smell of fresh fluffy sheets to caress your body and cradle you to sleep? Well, maybe someone to snuggle with....mmmm.

Then I vacuumed my apartment and dusted every square inch of surface space. I put away the lingering holiday decorations, re-organized my storage bin, and organized all my drawers...[break into song and dance of your choice here]. Oh happy day!

You see, even the simple things of every day life mean something. If you can't take the time to enjoy something so small, yet so great, such as the splendor of clean sheet day, I pity you. It's taking time to enjoy these small elements of day to day life that make you feel alive! So keep posting estripers, this IS what it's all about.

So the Kamikaze Raspberry has had it's run. It had gotten to a point where it just looked gross. I needed to take action. I thought about just revamping the pink, but I really only have 6 weeks left to have 'fun' with my hair. So - I topped it with Huckleberry Blue. It resulted in a very interesting purpley-blue colour. It reminds me of that car colour that changes in the sunlight. It's a little darker than I had hoped for, but I like it and that's all that really matters. Ciao.


before


during (i tried to save a few streaks of pink, but i screwed up)


after