the end.

scheduling reflection feels a bit artificial.
but so is the internet, and things are coming full circle around here.
and i am always nostalgic as shit.

so here we go!


this blog has been, at times, decidedly impersonal.
it is at once a blog both about and not about my actual life.
often it has been quite useful for communicating information, or humor, or even emotion. i am well aware that in the past i have been difficult to draw out, could be unyielding in my ability to keep things quiet.
but this has been changing, and i welcome it.

it is why i want to tell stories, why i want to read and hear them from other people- my friends, my family, people on the bus, people i'll never even meet- because we all want the same things.
to know and be known, to ask questions and receive answers.


and so, i'll see you all tomorrow:

http://jcattwentysix.blogspot.com/

love,

jc, 25 for today

day three hundred sixty-five.

some parts of this year were defined by weirdness and uncertainty.
but a lot of it was pretty great, and that is what i wish to remember most vividly.
here are 3 awesome things to come out of the year 25:

1. my job

for reasons both humorous and educational. i've learned a lot from working in children's lit, and enjoy all the people i work with very much. i don't know if this blog would have sustained itself quite so well without it. rock on, snazzy literature.

2. i got a tattoo in may

huh?

i wondered if i might get sick of seeing it every day, but it has just become another part of my body. a part that i like a lot.

3. DC

interning for the summer with the department of transportation was a great opportunity to live and work in one amazing city. it was my first time living outside of illinois and made me want to never ever return to my home state (not completely, but DC is cool, guys). i cataloged stuff about concrete, saw crash tests, went to incredible museums, made friends with cool library people, ate a lot of great vegan food, and had a fun visit with my sister beth.


it is also where i met the inimitable intern jeremy.
so we'll make that 4 awesome things.

4.

tomorrow: the end of twenty-five.

day three hundred sixty-four.

 Annette Lemieux

Weight, 1990

 

i visited krannert art museum this afternoon to catch a few exhibits before their closing this weekend.
while i couldn't take any pictures inside, i did make a stop in a particular bathroom on the way out for reasons both practical and curious.

KAM is connected to the art & design building, wherein emotional undergraduate painting majors often get contemplative in the stalls, fully equipped with writing implements.

you might remember this image, from way way back on day seventeen:

well it's still there, albeit with a few adjustments:

and some more:

lylas.

day three hundred sixty-three.

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

(i like you guys)

day three hundred sixty-two.

sunday travel scenes

 (light rail)

(shades)

(you are here)

(hail decatur, rest stops)

day three hundred sixty-one.

i spent my new year's eve with a grape juice toast, fresh bread, and the sounds of fireworks.
(gunshots?)
happy 1/1/11, ya'll.

day three hundred sixty.

and so ends the year 2010, and with it, the blog edition of dance friday.
i'm saving my best of post for next week, as this site considers my birthday to be the beginning and the end of everything (on the internet).

a happy new year to you all.

day three hundred fifty-nine(-ish).

an early birthday night out at the rather grand powell hall.

 

chaplin was a dream.

day three hundred fifty-eight(-ish).

 early morning frostiness on the car

colored windows at the stl amtrak station

i finished reading the graphic memoir stitches, by david small, while i was on the train.
the 300 some pages left me wanting more, but in the good way.

my seatmate was a girl about my age.
she read decision points.
to each her own.

day three hundred fifty-seven.

i got a new driver's license today.

it has holograms and expires on my 30th birthday.

holidays, you've done pretty well for yourself.

heading out before the sun rises tomorrow morning.

but i like trains and watching crowds of people and hearing them talk about serious topics in public, and sometimes saying them to me, because a stranger will tell you all sorts of things when your elbows are nearly touching for 5 hours at 100 mph.

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.

food coma.

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-three.

happy dance xmas.
love, jc
(and buster)

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 fifty(-ish).

let's pretend it's tuesday:

friend katie took me to the st. louis galleria, for sparkly fun librarian times.
santa was there and i think he had a cold.

then we ate thai lunch:

and hung out with a trolley car:

 then it felt a little like (luda)christmas: