i feel the earth move

[under my feet]

i was finally doing my piles of neglected dishes and then there was an earthquake.

maybe i shouldn't mess with the natural order of things???

this year

The Mountain Goats "This Year" from A Bruntel on Vimeo.

i stood willingly and gladly 

in the characters of everything - 

other people, trees, clouds. 

and this is what I learned, 

that the world's otherness 

is antidote to confusion - 

that standing within this otherness - 

the beauty and the mystery of the world, 

out in the fields or deep inside books - 

can re-dignify the worst-stung heart.

-mary oliver 

we miss colorado

the video is of eleanor demonstrating her excellent "doggie paddle" stroke. it turns out that she is quite the little swimmer! we purchased the kiddie pool this summer because the heat wave made it all the way to colorado, only it was worse there because most people don't have ac due to the typically temperate summers that don't usually require it . . . anyway, i just wanted to post some cute pictures of the cutest dog alive. back to the books!

xoxo,

kate and the little fish

right now

i am taking a study break with beer and ritz crackers and the colbert report. one of these days i'll need to go grocery shopping.

eleanor and i are pretty much back to normal. here's the proof . . .

walking the familiar streets, seeing the perennial and nostalgia-inducing zinnias, and tripping over those blasted apple things in the alley.

[ellie eats ritz, too. smart dog.]

here i am, you can find me here

here is back in dc, settling in and getting adjusted to the school year and trying to stay on top of things, instead of playing perpetual catch up. good luck, me!

first we celebrated michelle's birthday with peach picking and dinner, which was wonderfully fun:

then, the next day, we had dinner and the best froyo i've ever had at mr. yogato to celebrate the real birthday:

today little miss eleanor split the dew claw on her left paw which bled and hurt her so we went to the vet and paid an arm and a leg to have it trimmed back to the nail bed (poor baby! she had to have lidocaine and hardcore antibiotic shots too) and like the little sneaky pup she is, she kept chewing/licking the wound so she ended up in one of these:

we're accepting good vibes sent our way. hopefully she's feeling less sneaky tomorrow so she can have the collar off. 

we'll chat more later! i'm off to finish the rest of a $3 bottle of whole foods chardonnay!!

xoxo, 

kate and the bruiser

awake is the new sleep

so wake up. -ben lee

that is the theme for the new school year. i complain a lot about how i never did anything last year but study, but the truth is that the reason i didn't have much time is because i slept too darn much. all the sleeping took the place of other fun things i could have been doing, like seeing the city and spending more time with friends. so this year, i have to sleep less (no more than 8 hours, ever! or at least never more than 8 hours except maybe once a month because let's be honest sometimes a girl's gotta sleep in), study more, and do more. I can do yoga, and cook healthy meals, update my blog thrice per week and see my friends 1-2x per week, and [most importantly] excel in my studies. so there it is, friends. help me stay accountable. if you notice me slacking or not waking up until after 9am, call me up and say "hey loser, get your act together. it's called coffee and a cold shower".

ok, awesome. more later, i just had to get that off my chest.

in other news, i'm flying back to the district tomorrow [cue nervousness, anticipation, dread, and melancholy]. i can't wait to see my friends that i've neglected all summer though. i love you guys!!

xoxo,

kate and the intrepid traveler eleanor