But Call Me Betsy

I believe this is my 15th birthday. Please note the giant glasses eclipsing half my face ala the lead in Tootsie . I do remember that top I'm wearing because I liked it a lot and my mom made it for me. This was at the age that I would wake up half an hour early to be sure to curl my bangs and hair. I do think my eyebrows are cute though.

We're reading one for class tonight; "Man, Woman, and Boy." Just reread it in the car yesterday and realized it would've fit much better under structure. The story runs backwards in time for a large part of it and the opening is a realistic scene of two people splitting up, but that's just something the narrator is imagining happening. The story goes back and back and back like this downward spiral staircase, uncovering what has gone wrong that day and the day before and the day before to bring this couple to what might be the end of their relationship. How does he do that? Well, first he explains how the opening scene didn't happen at all, except in his head. "They move backward, she to the couch, he to the chair. They never drank coffee, never made it; never had that conversation." Then to the current moment: "They're both reading, or she is and he has the book on his lap." The next time shift backwards to explain their trouble happe...

I missed the show on Monday b/c of my class, but luckily, they are replaying it tonight and I have no social life. How about if we just end the show right now and let her end up with Roberto. We love Roberto. Robert can speak 17 languages, but, mostly importantly, he speaks the language of la amor or el amore or ove-lay. They have the first one-on-one date and must take a helicopter to a skyscraper and then walk across a tight-rope to have a cheesy dinner on a rooftop and then end up a tent? Who put this date together, Evel Knievel? Aw, but the cutest thing is that they have their first kiss while floating in mid air, possibly about to tumble to their deaths. Together. I want to like Frank, but he can't make up his mind if he should or shouldn't wear his glasses. I would say shouldn't, but without them, he has the pinched squinty look of someone who really should put his specs on. Group date. Lots of hair gel and crappy t-shirts. OMG, the Bare Naked Ladies have shown up und...

A little late in putting these photos up. But look at these two charming boxers, ready to rip your head off if you come any closer to the window. I liked the artistic arrangement of these flowers. I could never have this in my house because the cats would knock them over and roll in the dirt in about 14 seconds. What's not to like here? White cat = good luck, plus she's wearing a pink collar = extra good luck. You'll notice a blur in the picture. This is from the yogurt I was carrying in my bag. A Gothic yard in the middle of South Philadelphia. High-five. Fish art and tear drops. This my view when I walk across the Walnut Street bridge on my way to Penn on a foggy morning. Four Virgin Mary's in a row. The first sign of the Apocolypse. I like this door, though it also remindsme of a penitentiary. The Owl (made of seashells) and the pussycat. Greek architecture. I love the colors of this door and the giant door knocker.

I'm certain you will not ever be able to get enough of this. I know I can't!

You will have to suffer through more of my amateur home video crap. Here is Jenn Bing, acting like the super star that she is: And a short video of what my every morning is like:

I didn't walk a ton this week, but I have some photos to showcase. First, please see this bit of architectural detail conveniently labeled for your clear understanding: And though it is not Easter, you may enjoy this lovely Easter egg tree. If you look closely at this photo, you will discover an animal perched somewhere in the vicinity of the branches. It hangs out there on nice summer days, causing a ruckus. Cat who looks like a fatter version of Ernesto. My charms won him over. On Memorial Day, we took Luke to a canoe park. Ten points for me for spotting the first turtle. I made the mistake of jokingly telling Luke that I had a twitching problem and might rock the boat. That made him tell me every 4-5 minutes to sit still. Don't rock it, Aimee! It didn't help when I dropped an oar in the water and almost did capsize us reaching for it. Shortly after this photo, Luke accidentally (?) hit me on the back of the head with an oar. Dan did most of the st...

During the morning subway ride, people are mostly quiet and sleepy. It's different after 5 PM, when everyone is on their way home and chatty-ish. I like it that way; I'm not really up for anything that requires much energy or attention before 10 AM. But today, this woman got on and she was very friendly, talking to both the men she wedged between--I couldn't tell if she was friends with either of them or not. She wasn't crazy-crazy--I mean, she didn't have that unhinged look or vibe; she had her briefcase and her lunch, etc. But she was noticeably upbeat and talkative. And then, she pulled out a bottle of bubbles and blew a bunch of them into the aisle while singing a snippet of a Disney song, "Dreams really can come true!" The girl next to me was smiling at the woman, I started at the ceiling, unsure of why this was making me feel uncomfortable--maybe b/c I was embarrassed for the lady or because it seemed just slightly too much. Then I got on the trolley...

On my way home from the gym, saw this white lady lean out of her car and scream, "Watch it, you dumb Chink!" because the other driver didn't let the screamer go when it wasn't her turn. I thought briefly about stopping and asking the crazed woman if she was on her way to the hospital or like the police station--because otherwise, why is it so important that you get to go first at a four way stop? Where was she racing to? Acme? I believe they're open late. And what was amazing about this was that the slur was just right there--right at that second, totally accessible to her which suggests that she has perhaps used it before. Here is my new favorite website: Project Rant . They make videos from real posts they find on Craig's list. The one I just watched was called "To the Guy who Farted in Queen Soopers." Since I just bought a Flip camera that I don't need, I have to come up ways to use it, aside from filming the cats who don't really do any...

Don't judge too harshly. We did this in 10 minutes after the show was finished. Quite obviously. Will try to improve in subsequent posts.