Falling Into Autumn

I had forgotten how beautiful the rain was.

I hadn't remembered the magic of water, pelting down from the sky, sprinkling your hair and reminding your skin that it's alive.

I had forgotten, as so many have, the wonder of accepting the fact you're going to get wet, of the release of knowing your clothes will be damp, but they'll dry out, and in the meantime you can enjoy the drops that smell so sweetly of life.

It is such fun looking up into the sky, feeling the rain on your face... such fun in the simple pleasure of knowing there is something here to enjoy, of holding your head high and walking through the downpour, when so many people scurry past, heads down, ducking from cover to cover or hiding beneath giant umbrellas, never meeting your eye, trying to escape.

There is something to learn from this, I think.

Take your time, in life, in love. If you forget your rain jacket or umbrella, accept it for the opportunity it is - the opportunity to experience something that so many people never do. Greet every moment as the chance to look around, to find something to look at, something to become interested in, rather than treating life as something that must continually amuse you.

"The cure for boredom is curiosity; and there is no cure for curiosity." (- Ellen Parr)

Live each day seeking, rather than waiting, for the things that interest you, that excite you, that bring you joy. Life is too short to wait for living to happen.

The Collective

Completely ingenious way of putting it.
"The Oak Beams of New College, Oxford"
http://video.stumbleupon.com/#p=o05e8xnxmv

I love how I didn't see the absolute skill coming... it completely surprised me, and was awesome. Also, German really is a beautiful language when spoken by natives.
Amazing Hammer Skills


Reminds me of a certain scene from The Court Jester... but this is just excellent.


I would really like to sing this. It's a great accapella tune.


Wow. That's just... wow. I feel so cushioned.


I will no longer let anyone profess the keyboard an inferior instrument. Also? Why is anyone this weird so FREAKING TALENTED?


This is SO MUCH BETTER than video games!! I really want to do it!


Fireballs. Need I say more?


Okay. Honestly? NO ONE should be able to do this and have it come out awesome.
"Spray paint art"
http://video.stumbleupon.com/#p=nf6c81n6bb

It's Like A Disease

Oh. My. God.

I don't think there's anything cuter on the face of the planet. Makes me want to be a park ranger, quite honestly.

Chip Pics

Sample:

Research and Development

Basically I really want one of these amazing action figures. And normally I'm not one for toys, but this one takes the cake for best action figure. It's really a work of art. It's just freaking amazing.


See?

In other news, you can apparently make a fairly adequate solar power generator for less than $300. Something to think about.

Good Day

Today I went with Tracy on my bike (which I love!) down to a gorgeous park, where we essentially spent the entire day between biking there, biking around the area, and biking back. We even took a dip in the lake while we were there. It was LOVELY (though soggy, as I forgot Douglas Adams' invaluable advice). Dinner was good too, the Chinese restaurant we stopped by was quite delicious.

By the end of the trip we had biked a total of 28.5 miles. As I have not biked in years, and never biked seriously, I was surprised at my stamina. The fact I have a great bike totally helped.

So now I'm all showered off and sleepy and ready for bed, and I have a nagging suspicion that I'm going to be incredibly sore tomorrow morning. Sigh.

On a related note, bikely.com is a great resource for biking routes if you don't know any. The number of miles vary (though on the site it's listed as km, meaning you'll want to check out Google Calculator if you're used to miles), so you can tour the entire Seattle area or just the small town of Forks.

Bike

I am now in possession - and apparently have been for some time - of an incredibly cool bike. A Univega Shimano 600, circa 1980 or so. Fabulous bike. Blue, with California road licenses on the frame, and almost exactly like this one. An old road racing bike.

I've cleaned all the rust off of the chain and the spokes, and now all it needs are some new tires.

I really like this bike.

Univega is still around, is apparently a German bike company, and has some really cool bikes. You should go take a look.

I'm going to use this bike. I'm not sure what for yet, but as I suck so much at driving cars, this might be my saving grace. We'll see.

City Life

It's so loud, here, in the city. I open my window at night, and hear the white noise of the freeway and the impatient blaring of horns. The dirt in the air, kicked up by thousands of tires daily, coats everything in dust and grime, even up to a mile away.

It's not right. I want to hear the wind through the trees, smell the pollen in the evenings. I don't want to look up at night and see the orange lights of the city reflected off the belly of the clouds, or diluting the shining arm of the Milky Way. I want to have a black night, without the grim orange haze of streetlamps at every corner, nor waking in the morning to the sounds of lawn mowers and construction. I want crickets and frogs to make my nighttime lullaby, and birds to be my morning alarm clock.

It's A Wonderful Night, You've Gotta Take It From Me

It is such a beautiful night outside. It's easily room temperature. One could sleep out there if one could find a good solution for the mosquitos.

I wish that I didn't live in such close proximity to the city. What I wouldn't give to see the unadultered stars adorning space. I want to see the stars so badly. It hurts that I can only see the few brightest on such a gorgeous night.

I want to live in a place without mosquitos. Then I could sleep outside in a hammock on nights like this, with nothing but a light blanket and a pillow, and fall asleep admiring the moon. I could awaken with the dawn and the sparrows.

*sighhhh*

I need to stop dreaming about things like this. It makes for a sour heart when you realize how far you are from the dream.

Nature Is Pretty

... in case you were unaware.

Went for a walk in the park the other day... Look who modeled for me.

Le Fleurs

Spring has sprung... Along with the Princess Bride.

"The SOD has spoken!!" ;P