Home Improvements: November 2009

So, news of the future!! I applied for this leadership conference, and I got wait-listed! but that is okay, because I was always a bit ambivalent about going anyway. Now I can spend that week working or sleeping and it will probably be just as useful. Also holidays are coming super fast and this semester is almost over! I can hardly believe it. I am hopefully going to make another homemade pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving. I love Thanksgiving most of all. It is 100% my favorite holiday. Food and family without the awkward feeling that there need to be presents! And also I love Turkey. And mashed potatoes. And stuffing. And pumpkin pie. And yeah. How is school going for you? Miss you tons!

puss och kram!

Claire

Canadian in America

Megan and Ian playing in the leaves in Iowa

Ian acting super Canadian and supporting PEACE

Sunset on the drive back from Iowa

Ian as American as apple pie

Posing with the concert tickets.

Ian, Annelie and I at the Jay-Z concert

Oh man! Ian came to visit. We drove to Iowa to hang out with Megan! It was good times. Then we came back to Champaign and did alot of things.

Some highlights:

Dinner with my dad, brother and sister-in-law!

Drinks with friends! (Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday)

Home-made apple pie

International Illini Pot-luck

Jay-Z, N.E.R.D concert (OH MAN SO GOOD)

Then Megan came to Champaign and we went out for fun times!

Overall good week :)

Saturday, November 7, 2009

instructions

Today I was going through all the documents on my computer and erasing the ones I don't need anymore (class schedules from freshman year, guide lines for essays due years ago, work regulations from places I don't work anymore) and I found one entitled "instructions" I opened it to see what it would instruct me to do, and I found this:

Could you see me tomorrow? After my final, we can go inside my apartment, draw the shades, and drink cocoa. We can talk about the truth. I want to hear something real. Something that isn't a lie. It's hard to be realistic. To not be in denial if no one ever says the truth out loud.

I love my life. And cocoa :)

Realignment

you ;)

So yesterday was really nice. It was also very awful. Terrible day. I tried to go to class, but I was 15 minutes late, because I wanted to sit calmly and drink some coffee. Then when I got there, the classroom was empty and incredibly hot. So I guess they moved? but didn't leave a note. There was no email cancelling class and there was a paper due that day, so I imagine if it had been cancelled she would have said something? So I went and sat outside and wrote a poem. I haven't written a poem in nearly 3 years. Its a lot different than my older ones, but maybe thats not bad. Then I did a whole bunch of laundry, and I despise doing laundry with all my despising ability. But now I have clean clothes so thats good. Then I went to Murphy's and it was mostly an amazing reminder of how much I can't stand that sort of atmosphere. I never have fun, and I don't know why I keep thinking that'll change. So basically yesterday was this whole big great reminder of all the things I love by being all the things I don't love. So now I remember and Tomorrow Ian will be in Illinois! and we are going to see Megan!!

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

This one.

Dear You!

Remember when we used to run through the words so early in the morning and I thought there were dinosaurs hiding out in the bushes (because Mary said there were) waiting for us? These days are a bit like those in a way. I stay up so late that the I always see the twilight before the sun comes up. Sometimes I go to the park nearby, and walk around all bundled up in the cold. Its pretty safe with all the drunks at home in bed by then and all the homeless still asleep. Sometimes I think I should run more, but I do other things now. I'm really enjoying a certain drive towards creative writing these past few days. I try to apply it to all the boring things I have to write, like new resumes for all my different applications, and book reviews about Norwegian immigration. Maybe its strange the way I love the night. Everyone else is asleep and it feels like I finally have some privacy in such a crowded busy world. I love grocery shopping, and doing laundry when no one is there, when the world is fast in slumber. I love baking and cleaning and when the sun comes back around it looks suddenly new and I'm always filled with such leaping joy at the transformation brought about by the light. These last few days have also been really sunny, making my daytime sleep super joyful, because the sun always makes me that way. I find it easy to sleep in the sunshine. Ian is coming to visit this upcoming Saturday and I wonder a bit about how I'll sleep when he is here, perhaps I won't do so well, but life moves on, and everything passes. I've so much to do before he arrives, with homework and cleaning, I'm not sure I'll sleep at all these next few days even. Anyway I miss you tons, and I don't think we speak nearly enough.

Love Claire

BZZZ

I was a bumble bee for halloween. It got a bit out of control! And the day after Halloween I went to my Grandparents house and they gave me all their left-over candy from trick-or-treat times. So basically I ate a ton of food. What were you for Halloween? I can imagine you looked very good.

kisses kisses

Claire