400 Words In 10 Minutes

Today was a great day, I went to the Museum of Fine Arts with Ryan. He called me at 10:30 in the MORNING to wake me up, and I was like “Hells no” and fell back asleep for thirty minutes to have a freaky dream about Cher and Freddy Krueger. When I finally did get up it was time to shower, drive to pick him up and enjoy some free kolaches as a mid-day treat before we headed off on our big downtown adventure. My favorite piece of art in the museum is The Elder Sister by William Bouguereau because her expression is so soft and peaceful, yet there is a maturity and knowledge apparent in her gaze that is somewhat unnerving at the same time. It makes you feel like repenting, in a way. Like she’s scolding you. My favorite photographer as of now is Ishimoto Yasuhiro, a Japanese photographer born in 1921 and one of the most influential Japanese photographers of all time. I kept repeating Ishimoto Yasuhiro, Ishimoto Yasuhiro, with an accent, of course, to get Ryan’s goat. And it definitely worked, he started threatening me! But I put him in his place, and we moved on to the contemporary museum down the road a piece. The exhibit was by a photographer that focused on the alternative scene in Houston in the…90’s? Parts of it were very strange, like the head of a female mannequin spinning on a record player, and cigarette butts and beer bottles laying on the ground. There was this cool…gutted house or trailer in the middle of the gallery that was quite intriguing. We went downstairs and caught a glimpse of a new exhibit that opens tomorrow. The guy made art out of clothes…that’s all I could deduce. It looked really fresh, I think I’ll go check it out before I leave for Trinity on the 22^nd, which is in one week. Woah…anyway. After the art Ryan and I took a trip down Westheimer to Buffalo Exchange, which is an awesome vintage slash trade shop. We only meant to browse for a bit before dinner but ended up getting stuck there due to a torrential thunderstorm. Yay! We actually had a lot of fun trying on shoes (well…Ryan picking out ridiculous high-heels for me to stumble around in) and awesome glasses that make me look scene-chic. After that we ate at Niko-Niko’s! Yum!

I had a terrible time sleeping last night. Really, I think I only accomplished around three hours of the stuff. But, there's a bright side to this story.

It's early in the morning and something wakes me up. Guess what? Who: Jess. With her wet nose in my face, naturally. I grimace at the clock for 30 seconds before seeing that it's blessed 5:53 AM. I tell Jess to lay the hell down and leave me alone. I really am a peach in the morning. In fact, when she continues to stare at me, I grab the poor dogs legs and force her to lay down with my foot...perhaps on her head, I can't be sure. (Don't worry, I make up for my bad behavior soon). She stays down for a few seconds, but you know when you're trying to go back to sleep after being woken up early in the morning and your pet has an urgent need for attention. I don't even have to open my eyes to know that she she's staring at me again, waiting for her interest to infect my apparent lack there of. I shoot out of bed (which only happens when I'm pissed, have to piss, or late) and grumble this prancing energy demon down the hallway and into the backyard. Hurry up...go! Don't sit on my foot, you stupid dog, run in the yard! What the hell are you doing?! The poor neighbors, the lady behind us probably hears my bitching as she lets her dog out. It's still dark dammit...Mom's already gone? Wow. I don't know how she does it...oh yeah, bed by 8.

And then an amazing thing happens: I make myself a bowl of cereal for breakfast. To jump start my consciousness I flip through my neuroscience textbook while I eat my Chex, making sure to reread every sentence that failed to leave any coherent impression the first time. I think I'm going to like that class, it's all the stuff that I liked from the intro to psycho...psych...haha. That 3 hours is catching up to me. Anyway, I let Jess finish the milk because it's her turn and it will distract her from circling my chair. Sometimes she's just a creepy stalker dog. I wash my face to escape while she's preoccupied, but as I turn from toweling off there she is, mouth panting and gaping, tail swaying in happy expectation of whatever it is that she expects me to do. You know what dog...ok. Ok.

I take Jess for the first walk, with the intention of exorcising the excessive energy bursting from inside of her. But of course when we get back to the house, Buck and Tip so very much want to go for walks too! So I take ALL THREE of those dogs for a walk...SIMULTANEOUSLY (if I had been more cognicent I probably wouldn't have attempted such a feat.) However...they are remarkably well behaved on this walk. I have to detangle Buck (and myself) as Jess and Tip race back and forth, but all in all we arrive home feeling very accomplished. I then jog solo for about 30 minutes (actually jogging for most of that time! yeah, that's right, I'm getting stronger...watch it) and then Jess and I pay a visit to the horses (with carrots) and that sweet black lab. The first time around the horses just ignore me, but on the way back I catch the baby's eye (wink) and she comes over by herself! She gets to eat a few pieces of carrot before Mom catches on and nudges her out of the way. I pet them and sweet talk and it's a great, peaceful, flowerchild time. Then Jess and I leisurely hobble back home because we have finally run out of enthusiasm for walking. What a great, unexpected morning!

 I've never been one to obsess about my wedding...I didn't really start envisioning what it would be like (other than the obvious teary-eyed groom, eyes rivetted on me as I glide, no, sashay down the aisle) until today, when my mother brought it up.

http://www.priscillaofboston.com/dress_detail.jsp?gid=1&sfid=51120 (talked to Mom and this one is the definite winner!)

I like the shape and simplicity of this one. It looks like the bodice has lace on it? I wonder how hard it is to make a skirt like that...I especially like the v-back

http://www.priscillaofboston.com/dress_detail.jsp?gid=1&sfid=51082

More flowy, I like the jewelry look of it

http://www.priscillaofboston.com/dress_detail.jsp?gid=1&sfid=51056 

My favorite so far, I love the detailed lace and draping on the bodice and the jewelry around the waist.

I don't like the sheen of satin...I like silk, lace and chiffon.

http://www.priscillaofboston.com/dress_detail.jsp?gid=1&sfid=51047 

Love this a-line gown fitted through the waist with the wrapped look. You can buy jeweled rope instead of hand-stitching the bodice detail, right?

http://www.priscillaofboston.com/dress_detail.jsp?gid=1&sfid=50901 

I like the embroidery along the waist and the wrapped bodice

http://www.priscillaofboston.com/dress_detail.jsp?gid=1&sfid=50947 

Maybe a little more bodice so my breasts don't burst out quite so much...and scratch the sculpted belt. I love the english net/lace skirt

http://www.davidsbridal.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplayView?storeId=10052&catalogId=10051&categoryId=-49995498&subCategory=-49999486%7c-49995498&top_category=&currentIdx=5

 love the pleated skirt and detailed bodice...looks difficult to make, though

http://www.davidsbridal.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplayView?storeId=10052&catalogId=10051&categoryId=-49995498&subCategory=-49999486%7c-49995498&top_category=¤tIdx=9

<3 sweet

http://www.davidsbridal.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplayView?storeId=10052&catalogId=10051&categoryId=-49995498&subCategory=-49999486%7c-49995498&top_category=&currentIdx=19 

love the bodice

OK ENOUGH OF THIS

We were waiting in line to cover you with the forest floor

Bark medallions on your eyes

That conspicuous stiffness betrayed your strength

As I scoop handfuls of mulch and leaves to cover your eyes

And you smirked as I say "Goodbye love".

I used past and present tense on purpose. This all came from a dream I had last night. Of course, we were covering Ryan, for he is my love. =)

I love my mom a lot, too. Sometimes it frightens me how much; when I remember that one day she will die, I panic. My throat closes up and tears threaten my eyes. I don't like leaving her alone, even though she's a grown woman who naturally enjoys her privacy. Because I treasure her so she is fragile in my eyes, yet she is still strong, still my Mother. When I'm feeling vulnerable I just want to cling to her. I wish I was small again so that I could wrap my arms around her neck and be held, while, at the same time, I wish I was bigger so that I could hold her tight in return. How can I ever begin to repay her?

Today has been an excellent day. 500 Days of Summer was uplifting and warm, plus Joseph Gordon Levitt eye candy. It's a great movie for anyone who is in love or has mended a broken heart. Mom, Ryan and I watched Frost/Nixon (and ate more chocolate cake!), also a fantastic film. Superb acting, which is always appreciated even if the story itself is dull. Not that Frost/Nixon's story was dull...in fact, the superb acting made it rather gripping. I was stressed out most of the movie...but in a good way? Yes.

That cake is absolutely delicious! You should ask me for a slice.

I'm feeling strangely optimistic and lonely right now...lonely only because it's 2:30 and I'm still awake. I'm supposed to go running with Ryan earlier than usual this morning too...I'll suffer through it.

Currently The Shepherd's Dog By Iron & Wine Flightless Bird, American Mouth see related

Going to the dentist is an awkward social situation. I arrive to the office (which is totally inconspicuous, tucked in between other businesses in a brick strip mall...I want there to be a giant tooth rotating on a blinking tongue or something to guide me there) and walk up to the opaque sliding window. Why is there a sliding window? If it's for hygiene, all of my nasties will float right on in when you swing open the door to greet me...or even slide open the window. Privacy, perhaps? Well listen lady, I'm not interested in holding a conversation with you either, you go ahead and hide behind your ripply faux-glass plastic partition, I'll sit here dejected. For the first few seconds I sit there I gaze at the receptionist's hazy brown outline through the window and wonder, Can she see me? There's no bell...do I knock? Just as I'm about to raise my finger to timidly tap, she slides the window back and greets me warmly. Just take a seat and we'll be right with you! Smile. She does have a great smile. I guess...that's because she works for a dentist. I wonder, does the receptionist of a dentist get special dental care? Free whitenings? Should I be a dental receptionist? No, I should sit down and look at all of the great magazines as I wait. I never did read the article on sunscreen for your scalp...dang. 

The dental technician (is that what you call them?) was ready for me. Hello! Hi! How's your summer? Oh great...great...you? Oh yeah...it's hot, though. Hmm, yeah. Maybe we'll get rain this weekend, I won't hold my breath though! Haha...So what have you done this summer? Um...I had an internship...I've rehearsed what to say, I realized. I've said the same thing to everyone else who's asked me, and every time it feels more arduous. I don't even want to mimic it now, it's so tiresome.  

I think dental appointments have the highest rate of awkward silences of most occasions. Before the heavy work begins and you're unable to talk, don't you feel obligated to exchange some words? To make up for your catatonic social behavior during the cleaning? I never have much to say, though. I usually look around the room, as if I haven't witnessed this room once every six months for the past however many years, just to avoid eye contact. That's another thing, I purposefully avoid meeting eyes with this woman the entire time she's working on my teeth. She lays me down slowly (nice), the chair squeaks oh-so erotically as she slowly reclines me. I don't know about you, but I'm never sure when to open my mouth. At the dentist's you don't just open your mouth a little, you have to commit to stretching those jaws wide open. I wait until she has the scraper and mirror poised and moving toward my face, but I have to fight the impulse to open wide when she turns the light on. Why? Because that light means business. It's a fancy motion-detecting light. I guess I get intimidated and act in self-defense. Because...a gaping mouth is the best defense against impressive lighting.

Ok, so now's the time for scraping. Not too bad. You've been doing better with your retainer, I see. Been workin on that, yeah? Yeah...nod. That's a lie. I think a lot of lying goes on at dentist appointments, too. Been flossing regularly? Yes, every night. >.> As if you even do that every night, crazy...I feel like a criminal on trial with little chance of being pardoned going into a dentist appointment, and when I leave I feel like I got away with murder. Either they're ignoring my bleeding gums to be polite or it really isn't necessary to floss regularly. Flossing, though...ouch. That's the worst. I can drift off with my eyes closed (no eye contact) during the scraping and brushing, but when she whips out the floss I clench my hands together like I'm preparing for torture. Does she notice my brow clench and eyes tighten in pain when she slices into my gums? Mom says I have to toughen my gums by flossing every night. Why do I want to have tough gums? I consider my pink, sensitive gums as virginal and fresh, I don't want leathery gums. Why do I need a floss at the dentist's anyway? All I had was cereal this morning, and you know I already flossed for the first time in months before coming here.

Then the actual dentist comes in and does the final check on my teeth, I guess to see if she missed anything. What does he do all day if the technician's do all the cleaning? He asks the same questions he asked last appointment, and I give the same answers. How's your summer? Repeat. What year are you in school? You've got, what, another year? No, three. Oh! haha...where do you go again? Trinity in San Antonio...oh yes, of course. Then he lowers me softly again (nice), says hi to my molars and says Alright kiddo everything looks great! Have a nice summer.  When will I have your respect?! Maybe that's a slight jab for not really wearing my retainer. Or maybe I'm still really young to him. Or maybe he calls all 20 somethings kiddo...Yeah, that's right. I consider myself 20 something. 19 is close enough.

I feel bad. As I was leaving I thought Maybe I should go have lunch with Mom, she's pretty close. But I didn't. Because I'm lame. She even called to see if I wanted lunch, but I didn't see her missed call until I was home. LAME ME. =( I really wanted to get home to write down all the commentary in my head on the dentist's, haha. At least i'm writing again.