day three hundred sixty-three.

friendly faces from a twenty-fifth year
(click to embiggen)

(i like you guys)

day three hundred fifty-six.

last night was cousin game night.
we played a 13 person version of the game of "things..."
in this game, one is given a question (like, "things you could get sent to the principal's office for," or "things you never remember," and so on) and writes their response anonymously on a slip of paper. the object is to match the responses with the correct person.
i played this for the first time on my birthday this year (or, as we call it here, day one.)

feel free to guess the questions associated with these:

 cousin erik thanks you for your time

day three hundred fifty-five.

christmas day in the suburbs

my sister katie got some glassware that came with chalk to write one's name on the side.

the same idea as those scratch off solo cups.

a few had been toyed with at the store.

"it says balls on your face."

 tomatoey.

 i let cousin patrick label my cup.

we did an ornament exchange with all the relatives.

this is my new friend.

day three hundred fifty-four.

 xmas eve at my sister's

 the tv was on fire.

 the table was sparkly.

my contribution to the table:

red quinoa, portabella mushrooms, and kale, cooked with olive oil, garlic and trader joe's spicy red pepper spread. a christmas miracle.

my dad made me vegan banana bread!

this will not last long.

day three hundred fifty-two(-ish).

thursday:

suburban shenanigans.

i finally finished food/gift shopping with my mom for the holiday and had lunch at green basil.

at casa earlywacz in the evening, we all gave letter grades to our year, as per new year's tradition (though i may need to chart out each month more precisely. or not.).

the holidays seem to have sneaked up quickly this year, but that is something people always say.

unless you are 8 years old and really waiting to see if you got aladdin on vhs.

then time just stops altogether.

day three hundred fifty-one(-ish).

let's pretend it's wednesday, the end of my root beer vacation:

trains, trains, and automobiles.

a very long travel day, highlighted by carbohydrates and the kindness of weary passengers.

at the end, my sister made me dinner and i indulged in 10 straight hours of sleep.

day three hundred forty-seven(-ish).

we will miss you, bailey dog.

i still remember the day we got him: my sister katie held him in the backseat, tucked partially into her coat to keep warm.

it was pouring in december and the roof of our car was leaking all over me on the passenger side.

i was cold and wet and couldn't have been happier.

day three hundred twenty-three.

so far today, i read the paper, my 5-year-old nephew explained the plot of 'how to train your dragon,' and i drank some tea.
now sorting through some books/pictures/clothes in my room.
instead of really deciding what to donate, i usually just end up reading on the floor until someone knocks on the door to see if i'm still awake.

day three hundred nineteen.

 

my sister took me to something called the "festival of trees" on thursday night.
there were lots of grown-ups and pretzels and shiny things.
i think it was supposed to make people excited for christmas things (as well as being a charity event), but it really just temporarily tricked my brain into thinking the semester was over.
a nice time with my sister though.

 boooooookkkkssssss.

 purple tree.

 (there's glass between us.)

day three hundred six.

a trip to exotic indiana!
not pictured: 1 snowstormy drive in the dark.
and though i was already cold, i was still pleased upon our arrival friday night when my sister katie put this beauty into my hand:

 (and what a nice complement to my room key)

 the wedding was saturday morning at notre dame's basilica:

someone must have really needed to sit down:

now that my travels across time zones and the end of daylight savings are done, it is back to business. the business of non-time travel. but next time, more huey lewis.

day two hundred eighty-two.

the suburbs:

 ghost fish

ghost art

it became dark so very early tonight.

the weather is mild, but the trees still know to change.

day two-hundred seventy-nine(-ish).

south dakota.

roots.

 

(i don't know who anyone is in this one, but i love the cavalier poses, the faraway barn)

day two hundred twenty-nine.

yesterday was my sister katie's engagement party, complete with 97% of my extended family and a stanley cup cake:

(i kept calling it a cup cake and i don't think anyone thought that was funny except me)
(i still think it is)
(it is)

one little boy couldn't believe that it was actually a cake, until...

oops.

(or was it ALIENS?)



and look, a cooler just for me

my 2 year old niece enjoyed playing with my camera and eating cookies

classes and my return to cataloging children's literature starts tomorrow.
for now, i'm listening to jenny lewis at the library and pretending i'm not hearing the person at the table next to me talk to her study buddy about what happened at a house party last night (but oh boy, things happened).

day two hundred twenty-three.

illinois, so far

i may have slept through dinner by about 4 hours my first night home, but bonus-dad neil was still looking out for me:

i ate it just like that, removed from the foil and at room temperature. it was the sweetest corn i've had all summer.

sunday: bridal store with sister katie (not pictured)


game night at the earlywacz residence

keith is stoked to be on my team
(team reunite the band)

maggie + the spice girls = pure joy

we played trivial pursuit 90s edition (my favorite of all editions) while listening to the postal service. summer isn't over until i say its over.


(which is like, tomorrow)

day one hundred ninety.

its tuesday night! which means i am naturally posting about sunday!

WARNING

the following post contains some items of a macabre nature

beth and i traveled out to walter reed hospital to visit the national museum of health and medicine. i've been wanting to go there since i arrived in DC, so i was very excited that it was also at the top of beth's list. it also happened to be beautifully empty of other tourists.

the sign is need of a little preservation itself

immediately when you enter the museum, it is assassination central:

hey beth

squares and a space chimp

thumbs up

this reminded me of harry potter (the bezoar part. not the stomach-shaped hair below)

still is.

salute to facial reconstruction

its pretty amazing actually what they could accomplish even during WWI

okay, so the prosthetic leg on the right was furtively fashioned in 1942 by 2 american inmates in a japanese prisoner of war camp for another POW with an amputated leg, from the remains of a leather belt and metal folding chair, whittled using only a pocketknife. WHAT.

dr. brennan?


visitor comments!
people are impressed/disgusted/shit just got real
(as always, click to embiggen)

we made our own sunday night dinner


burritos, veggies, and a day surrounded by diseased organs and bones
what could be better?