i can't really remember what i did last thursday? hmmm... friday, we went up to toronto to see andy c. It could have definitely been better but i tried my best to just enjoy myself... it was made difficult by much douchebaggery and guys shoving me around.... one even followed me around shoving me, it was ridiculous. the drinks were outrageous, i felt terrible. i should have just had beer.

we went to dinner at spring rolls before hand and that was really nice :) the food was yummy, but i feel like i should have had sushi. my dish was pretty yummy, though... (e:terry) and i order the same thing, it was basically teriyaki udon.

the next day, i had eggs natasha, same as (e:paul). but instead of bacon, i got avocado on mine. it was so. so. good.

driving is really stressful in toronto... big cities in general, i can imagine. i will never recommend it to anyone. i've never done it until when we left to go back to buffalo, and even what little i did drove me a little nutty. Terry did the brunt of the city driving... i've only ever taken the bus to toronto, or someone else drove who knew all the secret lots. i much prefer walking, bussing, or trains in toronto to get around, it just seems so crazy to find parking.

I drove the whole way back to Buffalo. I've driven a comparable distance before, from jamestown to buffalo and back, but this was way busier with more ridiculous drivers... it definitely wore me out. But i got us home safe and sound :)

Sunday was kind of a lazy day.... we went to the gem show and i did some light reading on the car ride. Game night happened and i learned to play dominion! i loved it. (e:heidi) and (e:bluevelvetjack) taught me my first round. I cannot wait to play again...

Today, i went home and was able to have a minor recharge. i went to cash my school check and booked nyc bus tickets, for when i go with (e:xandra) to see Kyary Pamyu Pamyu. then i booked my hostel stay in toronto for next weekend. so everything's in order and i had to use zero pay check to pay for any of it... phew! we're staying with my friend jenn when we stay in ny.... i can't wait to see her!

when did this happen?? i took the train today and there were these pylons? posts?

my only thought is that they block people from hopping though train links. i didn't know that was a thing.

Hello spring! you are here and thoroughly manic-depressive. you start out all pretty and then you go to shit.

Wednesday was gorgeous for most of the day... I slept in a bit. I tried to do laundry at my dad's but my key wouldn't work? So I went to my mom's around the corner instead and we watched terrible lifetime movies together while i waited for things to be done.

I forget how comforting it is to be a lazy couch potato with my mom... that used to be one of my favorite things to do. just laying around the house watching movies or listening to music, talking, or in silence with my mom. She's one of the few people in my life that isn't uncomfortable with silence. I really like being in silence with people.

To me it was never a lacking. silence is not absence. it's presence. it's fullness. It's bonding. and feeling, too, i guess. It's not that i have nothing to say, it's that sometimes nothing is as valuable to me as those quiet moments. With anyone. I like silence as much as i like throbbing music so loud your heart vibrates. (a lot)

I've been thinking of not taking my headphones with me all the time. I didn't wear them on wednesday for part of the day it was nice to actually hear the sounds of buffalo for once.

work was okay. The party i worked didn't show up in its entirety. 10 of 16 showed up, so it was pointless to have 2 people work it... but I got to work with Tracey, who i love to work with. because she actually does work.

i also finally got my kombucha back from my dad's house and bottled it last night.... it's quite vinegar flavored this week but it also has a bit of fruit... i guess it's similar to apple cider vinegar? but no as bad. I had (e:paul) and (e:terry) try it.... not a hit. haha! Next batch will be suitably dericious.

Tuesday has been, for all 4 semesters back at ecc, Spanish day. it was once very exhausting but recently it doesn't leave me so brain dead anymore. i feel like I've progressed so much. i can follow everyone in the conversation group without much problem and I'm able to participate with relative ease. i don't think I'll ever gain full confidence until i study abroad though... the implications of going away for an extended amount of time make me a bit nervous for various reasons ...

class went well... no one showed up, so i was able to participate a little better. i get nervous in front of native Spanish speakers, so i kind of clam up. i really liked the poem we read, La Higuera i really like the 6th and final stanzas...

group went well. it was my turn to read from La Casa de los Espiritus and i feel like a had the shortest but most difficult paragraphs to read. so much underlining happened.

interesting conversation and strange acquaintances popped out of the woodwork. it was mostly a good day. :)

pic dump!

monday was alright. It started off awesome, actually :)

after my first class, i went to the crane library and got some pretty good studying done before my test in social problems. I think I did reasonably well? I still haven't gotten the grade from my first test back? wtf.

i came home, cooked, then went to Jens' place to drop of the traveling thoughts sketchbook (https://ramblingsofanartist.wordpress.com/category/traveling-thoughts/). I can't believe i had it as long as i did! 3 months instead of 3 days. >_< he's going to draw in it, then send it off.... he works at fedex, so he gets a discount. We had a few beers and some good conversation, then i headed home.

I've kinda just been curled up in bed since... it's interesting how things can change so drastically from day to day. I guess it's all about perspective, huh?

My sister April has been so chatty lately. she went from never really being home or doing things with me to following me from room to room with unending chatter. it's so weird. last week when i clearly finished the conversation and indicated that was going to hole up in my room and study/internet, she continued talking to me in my door way - i had shit to do! i couldn't get a thing done. i don't necessarily hate it, it's just odd how much she's intereacting with me now. Before, i'd try to cook dinner or we'd make plans to have movie night together and she'd just be "too tired" or "not hungry" or just not come home that night. but now she complains that i'm gone so much... hmm.

tomorrow is a long day. i need to be in bed 3 hours ago.