wow.

I'm outside at the Raging Sage eating a piece of Lemon Chiffon Cake with lime buttercream frosting and blueberry accents, drinking a Cubano - all while sitting under an umbrella because its raining and only 73 degrees outside....

wow.

the Rillito is a river

Monsoon season has commenced!

It started about a week or so ago, but between yesterday and today, we've gotten 3 in+ of rain!!!

Tried to go get work done on my tattoo but it didn't work out, so instead we went to University and sat and absorbed the Irish pub feel in the pouring rain...trying to make it feel more like actual Ireland, ya know?

it was wonderful :)

Then we went down to the Rillito River - it might be wash (because does anyone know if wash is just a dry bed or a seasonal river?) and it was RAGING!!! At least 2 ft deep and moving so fast!!!

So dang beautiful.

Was thinking of Isaiah 41 and Isaiah 43

Such beautiful passages...I'm so grateful that's what God's doing in my life: healing, bringing water to help my needs, making rivers and streams in the desert - I'm very grateful for his physical, tangible proof that it can be done :)

oh the beauty of summer

it's FINALLY been raining. i'm so dang thankful...

And now that my roomie's back (YEAHHHHH!!!!!), we went to see a show at Plush - and it didn't matter if we got home early! Woohoo!

Check him out - Nathaniel Rateliff --


The band was exhausted and ill, but they played their hearts out and it was fabulous. They talked to us after the show and it was a lovely, chill, summer evening...

:side note for the musicians: the electric guitarist played a harmonica and miked it through a reverb pedal - very cooool

moving...

there's a lot of moving happening.

i, with awesome help from a friend, moved my entire classroom from either my house or my old classroom into my new classroom. It took about 5 or so hours. WOW.

Laelia is moving to St. Louis.

Coleen and Corey are moving to Seattle.

Cori is moving to Seattle.

my brother is moving to Ohio.

...

there's a lot of moving happening....

in Columbus

Hanging in Columbus, OH, was great. I love that city. Here's some things we did which I highly recommend if you're ever there...

• Go to North Market - HUGE farmers market with flowers, boba tea, coffee, and food from every area of the world. I got Indian food, then some coffee, and a piece of AMAZING rosemary-garlic foccacia bread to go :)
• Eat Jeni's ice cream - with flavors such as Salty Caramel, Thai Chili, Kona Stout, and my personal fav these days...Pistachio & Honey. A Columbus tradition
• Pistacia Vera - the best friggin' Parisian macarons you've ever had (and yes, they spell "macaroons" with one "o". Has been featured on Oprah and utterly amazing...
• Go to my sister's museum! - the Columbus Museum of Art
• Go hang out and walk by the Olentangy River - there's a path that runs along it
• Check a really cool area of town called German Village - really cute shops and authentically German!
• Good coffee - Staufs and Cafe Brioso - so dang good...

This is one of the only cities I could live in if I moved back to the Midwest...

i finally finished

reading all 6 jane austen novels. woo!

with books, i have to be in the zone - if i want to read it and it hooks my attention, then i'll likely read it almost straight through in a short amount of time. however, if it's not particularly engaging, then it will take me eons to read it...i'm not really a "reader"...

Sense & Sensibility was the last one i had to read. I started reading it last night and as the book diverged from the movie, i got more and more interested to see how it ended.

the two sisters in Sense & Sensibility - based on Jane Austen and her real sister, Cassandra

I particularly loved reading this one, as it's written focused on the oldest 2 of 3 sisters. Their demeanor and temperament always reminds of my sister and i - the older more calm, rational, and focused on duty; the younger more emotional, dramatic, and uncompromising in her passions. Both sisters have things in common and sense, but very different - so much like my sister and i!!! so it was fun to read :)

When I finally looked up at the clock, i was so shocked to see 4 am! AHHHH! But by then i HAD to finish it, so i ended up getting into bed around 5 am...the time i'll be getting up once school starts in 2 weeks...

ugh.

And since i've digressed from playing and walking everyday, here's a little report:
Today i played my guitar and mandolin (plugged in, no less) for the first time in a long while...thanks God for a little motivation.

I didn't walk...unless you count walking around Target, and walking downtown to and from the car :) it's just too hot!!!

Setlist revisted

Edit this setlist | More The Swell Season setlists

The show in Tucson was a blend of these two setlists, so I thought I'd post them both. If you go to the actual website, you can see videos of most songs that people posted. I wish I had this for Tucson! If you find it, let me know!

Rivers of Ice

Rivers of Ice

This is a really amazing exhibit featured by the Asia Society. Check it out! Look for the interactive things - really cool, but really sad...

Day 3 - Indy to Columbus, OH

Day 3.

We arose at our hotel in Indy, had breakfast with my parents, and went out to see the city.

It was very nice to be there again...Indy is such a beautiful city. There's a big Civil War monument in the center of downtown and here is one of Laelia's pictures from it

We went to the capitol building and saw this window - gorgeous right?

We hung out for a little while then headed off to Columbus, OH, where my sister lives. We hit some pretty intense rain, but made it there! It was good to be in a semi-familiar city where we could at least stop for a few days. We spent the next 4 days here.

my cat is covered in beer

It was an accident! Sort of...

I was sitting outside eating dinner, when a LARGE, black bug landed just in front of my cat.

Of course, she lept at it and got in her mouth and claws.

If you recall my tale from a few days ago with the tarantula hawk, I didn't know what to do, so I threw my beer on her knowing that she would let go because she HATES to be wet.

Sadly, my cat is now covered in beer...

Oh, and it was a Palo Verde beetle - not a tarantula hawk.

...poor Afton...

i also cut my hair

Here ya go Katrina!

i haven't done many drastic things with my hair - i was nervous, but excited about the change

i also dyed the bottom medium brown

i haven't had bangs in over 10 years - a little scary but I think turned out ok...and if not, my identity is not in how cool my haircut is - right Eric? :)

The Swell Season is freaking awesome

The show was utterly amazing!!! This is a video from last night's show...Glen goes on to say his guitar doesn't like the dry air and the air conditioning...

It was so fun to be there - even the waiting in line part was fun! (We got there at 5, doors opened at 7, opening act at 8, Swell Season at 9)

One of my fav parts is just watching Glen's facial expressions, and the facial expressions of the band in general when they look at each other for ques or to know what's going on :)

They played BEAUTIFULLY and it was friggin awesome...

Songs they played that I can remember (not necessarily in order):

• They opened with a song I didn't know, just Glen and Marketa
• then the whole band - Low Rising (Glen played a SWEET open body Gibson electric)
  
• Back Broke
• In These Arms
• Lies
• Falling Slowly
• What Happens When the Heart Just Stops
• Leave
  
• This Low
• I Have Loved You Wrong
• When You're Mind's Made Up
• If You Want Me
• Say It To Me Now - played unplugged - so freaking awesome!!!
• Gold!!! - I couldn't believe they played this! It was so beautiful!!!
• Into the Mystic (Van Morrison cover)
• Bruce Springsteen cover (forget the title)
• Fantasy Man
• Ended with an Irish folk song :) YEAH!!!

There might be more, but that's all that I can think of. The thing about the Swell Season is that Glen is just such a PASSIONATE performer - the man pours his heart, soul, and body into the music and it's just such an experience to be at their shows...especially when you're leaning on the stage or railing like I was both times I've seen them - heck yes :)

Tiny Desk Concert from NPR

Another Swell Season video to get you in the zone :) This is one of my favorite videos of them



plus, I love hearing Glen talk and seeing his personality in this one - oh Irishmen :)

bummer

NOAA Predicts Drought Conditions in Southwest U.S. to Worsen

July 16, 2010

NOAA’s National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center released its seasonal drought outlook today for the period from August through October. The outlook indicates already dry conditions across parts of Arizona and New Mexico are likely to worsen in coming months. The official outlook calls for current severe drought conditions to persist across north-central portions of New Mexico and northeast Arizona while developing across much of the remainder of Arizona and extreme western parts of New Mexico.

High resolution (Credit: NOAA)

Through mid-July, the summer monsoon has started fairly weak and little rainfall has been observed. The monsoon typically peaks during the month of August. Official Climate Prediction Center precipitation outlooks favor below average precipitation in these areas August through October.

“If the monsoon remains erratic during the next few weeks, then the drought development area may be expanded on the updated outlook scheduled for August 5,” said Wayne Higgins, director of the NOAA Climate Prediction Center.

Factors leading to the forecast of enhanced chances for drier-than-normal conditions in the Southwest during the above periods include coupled ocean-atmosphere global climate forecasts and historical conditions during the late summer when transitioning from El Niño to La Niña.

“Beyond this time period, expected dryness associated with established La Niña conditions may bring further expansion of drought conditions in the Southwest during the 2010-11 winter season,” Higgins said. La Niña may also provide wetter-than-normal conditions in the Pacific Northwest during fall 2010 and winter 2010-2011.

Other important areas highlighted in this outlook include continued severe to exceptional drought conditions across many areas of Hawaii and forecasts for improvement across moderate drought areas in the mid-Atlantic and severe/extreme drought areas of the upper Great Lakes and lower Mississippi Valley respectively.

NOAA’s mission is to understand and predict changes in the Earth's environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and to conserve and manage our coastal and marine resources.

50 New State Songs For the 21st Century :: Blogs :: List of the Day :: Paste

50 New State Songs For the 21st Century :: Blogs :: List of the Day :: Paste

This is a really cool article! - so fun :)

random day

today was a VERY randomly awesome day...

here are the day's big events:

• God blessed me with being able to be in various friend's houses with AC - random, i know, but very wonderful this time of year if you have swamp...

• i played with a super cute 2 year old and i haven't got to be around kids this age 1-on-1 in a long while
• a cute houseplant now graces my desk's presence
• i dyed my hair (half of it)
• i had dinner with most of the Senecans! which is miraculous these days as they've on vacation, out of town, house sitting...and the like...
• i went on a bike ride at sunset - GORGEOUS
• took a dog walking with Emily b to Cori's house, who wasn't actually there
  

But the winner! - the most random, weird event of the day is once again connected to my pets.

i had just got back from my bike ride and the door was kinda open. i often leave the storm door closed, but the main door open so the air can come in. the cats started acting weird and looking under the couch and i thought, "Oh maybe there's another Palo verde beetle like the one they dragged into my room (yes, very gross)"

then a few minutes later i hear one of the cats who can't really meow making weird noises, which she only does if she's chasing something. So I go out into the living room and I see her standing on the edge of the couch attempting to attack this...


and yes, it was that big... It's wings were closed and it was crawling up the blinds with my cats jumping after it. AHHHHH. So I get the broom and usher the fella outside. THANK YOU GOD that it did not fly around.

Then i look it up to figure out what it was and i find this...

"The tarantula hawk is a species of spider wasp which hunts tarantulas as food for its larvae. Up to two inches (50 mm) long with a blue-black body and bright rust-colored wings, tarantula hawks are among the largest of wasps. The coloring on their wings warns potential predators that they are dangerous. Their long legs have hooked claws for grappling with their victims. The stinger of a female tarantula hawk can be up to 1/3 inch (7 mm) long, and delivers a sting which is rated among the most painful in the insect world."

OH MY GOSH.
i should mention here i HATE wasps. HATE...

And i found this about the sting of the sucker -
"Commenting on his own experience, one researcher described the pain as "…immediate, excruciating pain that simply shuts down one's ability to do anything, except, perhaps, scream. Mental discipline simply does not work in these situations." In terms of scale, the wasp's sting is rated near the top of the Schmidt Sting Pain Index, second only to that of the bullet ant and is described by Schmidt as "blinding, fierce [and] shockingly electric"

i should also mention that i hate bugs in general and tend to act like a total girl, becoming very irrational and somewhat paralyzed...good thing i did not look up what it was beforehand, and THANKS SO MUCH GOD it did not sting me or the cats.

Gross, right???

John Goraj

I saw him play at Plush tonight.

Unlike other shows I've seen there which the artists play on the stage, John just played in the lobby. So I got a beer, sat down on the fun couches and just sat for 2 hours and listened to him play :)

I happened to sit on the couch right next to where he was playing, so when he took a break he introduced himself, and i told him i just bought his record and it'd been fun listening to it over the last several days.

So then when he played a song off the album i just bought, he dedicated the song to me :) never has that happened to me, and i've been to LOTS of shows, so tonight was a fun little gift from Jesus...

here's the song:


sorry it's kinda far away. it's the only video of this song on youtube

i thought it was rather ironic (or God) that the lyrics go "sing, sister, sing" and the name of the song is "Possible" - what are you trying to tell me God??? :)

go Thursday night!

Cinema La Placita: Singin’ in the Rain

Cinema La Placita is a long-standing Tucson tradition. is there anything nicer than seeing a movie outdoors on a Thursday evening? This week, come and watch Singin’ in the Rain, starring starring Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds, Donald O’Connor, and Jean Hagan. Plot overview: A silent film production company and cast make a difficult transition to sound.

I don’t know how true it is, but I heard once that Gene Kelly was so sick when he was performing his most famous dance routine that he almost collapsed.

Quick reminder . . . these Thursday night movies are an important and wonderful part of Tucson life. If you have a chance, please come out a little early to help the volunteers set up chairs. Or possibly stay a few minutes after the movie to help tidy up.

(Posted from Tucson on the Cheap)

Day 2 - to Indianapolis

After picking up my dad in Houston, eating at some amazing HUGE crablegs, and staying at his AWESOME hotel, we drove - for 19 hours...

From Houston to Indianapolis. in one day. and yes, it was long.

Driving this day felt MUCH longer than driving the day before, but I think it's because the speed limit for most of our drive the day before was 75 or 80 and this time it was 65 or 70 and there was LOTS of construction...

Highlights of the day:
-Drove through Arkansas and listened to one of my favorite artists who is from Arkansas while in the state
-Seeing tons of water
-Experiencing Midwestern farm land again - it's crazy the things you end up missing when you move from the place you grew up
-Laelia playing her recorder while we were at a dead stop in a construction zone in Missouri or Illinois with really pretty evening lighting

guess who i finally got tickets to see...again

sorry i keep changing the background

i'm not sure if there are too many people who notice, but the background keeps feeling too busy, so i keep trying to find something i like better...

...we'll see if this sticks :)

musical interlude

So I will continue the trip ramblings tomorrow...

Today I actually sat down and wrote a few songs - shocking, i know.

Thanks for the motivation Jesus - seriously, it was all God. I have had absolutely NO motivation whatsoever to do anything musical this summer. none. AT ALL.

I've been telling myself i should pick up my mandolin, and i played my harmonica for a second last night, but nothing was stirring my fancy.

Then today, I put on Bon Iver's For Emma, Forever Ago and just SOAKED in the album - i bathed in the haunting vocals, i looked up the lyrics to every single song to see how he wrote, i even researched Justin Vernon's (main guy) life which caused him to produce such a beautiful album (this is what summer is about for this teacher - woohoo)

all in all - it helped get my inspirational juices flowing. And while I definitely didn't write any songs nearly up to his caliber, it was nice to finish a few songs i'd started and actually work out some that had been up in my head for a while.

maybe i'll even post them one day - but not yet :)

here's the song I had on repeat most of the day. he doesn't really play it live, so all that's on youtube is the album version with a picture of him.

the Trip: Day 1 - Tucson to Houston

Well, I seem to have found enough gumption to start writing about the trip. it's been rougher getting back into the swing of things, but I think I'm ready!

So here we go....

DAY 1:

This day is not dependent upon pictures, because mostly we drove through Texas. Arizona and New Mexico breezed by in the first 6 hours (ish) and the other 12 hours driving were spent in Texas. And it wasn't exactly picturesque....

My dad works for a company that is headquartered in Houston, TX, so our first day's travels sent us driving to Houston to meet my dad.

Here was the basic view of the drive:


Except it looks less hilly...and there were signs every 50 miles or so saying "Please Maintain Your Vehicle", as if you say "You'd better keep an eye on your fluids, because if something goes wrong out here, ain't no one gonna find you and you're probably going to die in the heat".

To support that theory, the post speed limit was 80 mph - seriously.

Here's the map of the day's drive:


And we were off! From 4:30AM Pacific time to 8:30PM Central time, to Houston we went...

no pictures yet...

so I'm gearing up to post about the trip...

In the meantime -

It's been absolutely wonderful settling back into home here in Tucson. I utterly love this city and soaked in its beauty today.

I woke up this morning and felt compelled to work in the yard so I hung the shade cloth to protect my roses, weeded, moved some rocks with my new shovel (thanks Mom), hung some lights, and pruned the tree - and then, for some strange reason, wasn't tired so I cleaned part of the house....crazy, I know.

But it was just so nice to be outside, outside in Tucson, with the lack of humidity (though today was more humid than normal, still doesn't come close to Midwestern humidity), and to be in my own garden.

Then I finally got tired so I bummed around the house looking at the clouds and watched a movie.

Deciding to go get some coffee, I stopped by the Sage and read the Tucson Weekly - yet again soaking in Tucson :)

And since I was on Campbell, I thought why not drive up til it dead ends and watch the sun set. It was gorgeous. I love driving up in the foothills, seeing the silhouettes of the creosote, mesquite, and saguaros as you drive...I have greatly missed being home....

The sunset was lovely with pink-fringed clouds fading into a deep red glow above the mountains.

Not sure why I rambled about all that, but I just thought I'd share today's events because I love this city, and I was very grateful to spend the day with Jesus as we enjoyed the city together.



view of uofa, not from today, but it's a storm and I'm hoping today's monsoon-ish weather will actually start coughing up some rain!