Monday, January 25, 2010

Namelho arrives

Hello, and oh my goodness,
so things have taken a turn towards the absurd! Two new things that have happened since we last spoke:
1. I am going to run a half marathon in May
2. I am now the lead singer, lead tamborine, and "front-man" of a band called Namelho

So, along with my associate Kelsey (Jelsew) I have started "getting-in-shape" for the half marathon. We need to be able to run a half hour without stopping by Feb. 22nd. Then the actual half marathon training starts. So we've been running twice and recruited several (sort of unmotivated but very supportive) guys to join us. Today J and I ran a seven minute warm up, stretched, ran 21 minutes solid, stretched and ran a seven minute cool down. The guys lifted some weights and we convinced one of them to join us for our cool down. Then we hit the hot tub (wooo!)

Jelsew is also in the band. She plays the mandolin. Our band is very young still, but will soon be fully formed and loved by many. (I'll keep you updated)

So a recap of my goals this semester:
1. Go to all classes/pass with flying colors
2. Become sufficient in outdoor survival techniques
3. Make authentic victorian era clothing (have picnic)
4. Run a half marathon
5. Have dinner parties
6. Have game nights
7. Have a flourishing and wildly successful band

Wish me luck?
xoxo Claire

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

New New

Dear Friend(s),
I have intriguing news and developments to share with you and I have done a bunch of exciting things in the past few days! First off, I totally went monogamous. Crazy right? So you must be thinking "who the hell is this guy?" yeah, well he's alright! (or pretty awesome -- he is with me after all...) Trust me on this one, I know a thing or two about it. So, he (Eric, aforementioned boyfriend) is totally into camping and is on board for wilderness adventures, and we've been sketching out a rough plan for the success of this recent ambition of mine. So far we've got the idea of building up to the actual trip with a succession of weekend trips and mini workshop type deals building skills and useful wilderness possessions.
Here is the list:
-Turtle catching and practice dressing in my apartment
-basket making from natural materials
-knot tying
-bunny hunting (and dressing?)
-hide tanning
-bunny moccasins
-fire building (mini-trip)
So that is what we've got so far, and we're mostly still in the research phase, but I think the more practical applications we throw in the more interesting it'll be. So in hopes of improving familiarity with dead animals, Eric and I helped my mother's boyfriend (Norm) skin a dear he hunted down. We then proceeded to remove the meat from the bone, and store in the freezer (I have to admit I really had only minimal involvement in the actual handling of the animal). Then Eric and I made chili out of it, which was DELICIOUS. So yumz (except the part where I got jalapeno in both eyes...) -- I've been considering making a new blog specifically to chronicle my wilderness adventure progression, sheerly for my own amusement, but I'll let you know if it happens.

I also got to see my brother's future house this weekend, which is really nice!! I am very excited for them, and I'm working on a house warming present for them (suggestions welcome). Additionally I got to hang out with my grandparents and we ate my absolute favorite meal ever (turkey, homemade mashed potatoes, homemade noodles, homemade stuffing, green beans, cranberries) and she even sent some home with me! So now I have massive quantities of amazing food in my apartment.

Today classes started. I had four today and they're all upper level classes with a colossal magnitude of reading "imperative" to the proper working of each. I really like three of them, and the other one, I sort of want to take, just as a personal challenge. Tomorrow I have two more lower level courses.

I think professors can be judged based on what they choose to do with the first day of class. Today I discussed sexual stereotypes of Scandinavia, the purported existence of King Arthur of Medieval England, and something best described by THIS. We didn't discuss anything in my fourth class. [what I wrote initially: My fourth class wasted an hour of my time, and managed to fail at any form of actual discussion, in which I seemingly impressed the professor anyway.] So from this I shall base all future judgements, and I hope they're content with their first impressions.

Miss you tons!!
Love Claire

Friday, January 15, 2010

babies

hey there!
So guess what?? I'm not pregnant. Oh man I really hope that isnt' a surprise to you. Bunches of people in my family be poppin' 'em out recently (or in the near future) though. three of my cousins are pregnant (two due in feb. one in april) and another just had a baby girl (Sophie!) three months ago! I think babies are adorable in burst of one or two hours, and I even had a dream the other day that I had a two year old son. It was the most awesome child I have ever encountered anywhere (reality or subconscious) and thats about par for my dream children (always awesome, always boys). But what prompted me to tell you all this was the celebrity Katy Perry's recent twitter response to pregnancy rumors about her, which is as follows:

"ur gonna make me cry, maybe that's my period tho. THAT'S RIGHT I'M BLEEDING. Face. Better luck next month peepz."

My favorite part of this succint response is when she says "Face." lol what? so great.

Sort of related... I told you my brother got married a while back right? Well he also got a new job recently, and bought a house DANG. So JJ if you're reading this I think you know what comes next *wink wink*

Kisses kisses love Claire :D

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

To make it more interesting

Hello!
I have several new life goals that I would like to share with you. These range on several different spectrums of life's brilliance and edges of obscurity, and I would like to invite you to join in the fun.

1. I would like to live outside with a minimum of "civilized" tools. I'm thinking of starting in short bursts testing out my skills and working in a team. Things I've thought important enough thus far to include: tent, sleeping bag, knife, flint, and steel pocket knife. Please don't hassle me too much about all the details in this one as I haven't worked out all the kinks, and I'm already a bit sick of people asking me how I plan on cooking a turtle.

2. Making authentic Victorian era clothing and wearing them around in large groups. I think this one would be most effective with a large group of girls, but a few guys couldn't hurt. I can imagine any ordinary activity would be sufficiently entertaining in such dresses.

Do you have any new goals I haven't heard about?

Kramar!
Claire

Advisory committee for making all the decisions necessary

Dear friends,
This is to a bunch of people I know that are going abroad next term. You're all leaving me at the same time and I can't believe such crazy timing, but good for you for making time for it in your life. I have two pieces of advice for you.

1. Do not stay in your room all the time.
2. Don't forget your friends at home

kisses Claire

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Smiles

Hey
How've you been? I've been doing alright. This picture, and this song. I feel that these two things pretty accurately describe how I am feeling these days. The photo was taken in Barcelona Spain at a playground outside the hostel in which my friend and I stayed (Dec 08). In addition to that theres a bunch of other things going on, but I'm not sure how to present them. I feel like its not out of the ordinary though, that life is basically like a juggling act where everything is constantly moving around and changing. I've been a bit nostalgic lately too, and the Jenny Lewis CD I just found somehow fits the mood perfectly. This may or may not also be due to the rereading of my favorite book (Vladimir Nabokov's Mary) which has an interesting perspective with consideration to nostlagia as a tool to memory, and the longing for an ideal that never existed.

"You are what you love and not what loves you back"
- Jenny Lewis (You are what you love)

Kisses kisses
Love Claire

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

2010

People are just people. Are we all really one in a million? I've heard that people are the same everywhere. Then why is it I can't go anywhere in the world, and find someone just like you? Someone as amazing and fun to be with? I search and search and no one comes close to being like any of the other friends I've made already. Of course I make new friends, and I always have fun, but its never the same kind of fun, the same kind of amazing. So maybe we are all that special, that unique. What I'm trying to say here is I miss you, and let's get together real soon.
Love Claire