michigan + summer + jolly ranchers = ...

It was hot today. And humid too. That's what you get this time of year in Michigan. A friend of mine one said that this state has only three livable days per year. An exaggeration? Of course, but I did notice that today was so humid even the Jolly Rancher on my kitchen table was squishy. I know you don't believe me, but I promise this is the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help me God. I think I should propose a new state slogan ...

"Michigan: So humid even a Jolly Rancher would be squishy."

The Trout marks 100,000 miles

Yesterday my car, aka The Trout, marked 100,000 miles. I called my dad to share the moment, since he loyally changes the oil anytime I'm home and calms me down when something goes wrong under the hood of this now 11-year-old car.


The Trout and I thank you for everything, dad.

relax-O-mation

greetings on yet another Eleventeen Degree Day. i've enjoyed the extra time off this weekend, and aim to enjoy every last minute of it before calling it a night. but before i return to this relax-O-mation evening, here's a few brief updates on my Memorial Day ::

1. i finally and completely finished Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov--and ahead of my June 1 goal by an entire ...2 days. this speaks volumes to my high opinion and enjoyment of this work. seriously. this was one of the best books i've read. ever. maybe The Best Ever. if i'm ambitious i'll offer further thoughts in the near future...

2. i went with my roommate renae to her family reunion. we ate lots of casseroles and plenty of baked beans... in a church gym. i met aunt betty and cousin martha and prayed for henrietta who was in the hospital. then we played with the kids on the playground. then we all passed out from heat stroke.

3. later we bbq-ed (read cheezy brats, watermelon and push-pops) at John Ball Park with friends. here are two photos compliments of kate and curt. you provide the captions.

253degrees and a declaration to rememberance

it's hot. 253degrees to be exact. my house is hotbox, and i feel like i'm right back in the middle of last summer. ...last summer at this time i was working at Frederik Meijer Gardens as a caterer and bartender. I'd also been waiting tables at Heroes Bar and Grill for two months. in addition, i was listening to "Silent Alarm" by Bloc Party.

i hated my jobs. i'll never forget it...barely making enough to pay the bills, wondering what it would take for me to find a job i could get lost in, feeling embarrassed in my McDonald's-style cap and polo as i bussed dishes and wiped down dirty tables and chairs...i'll never forget how terribly i wanted to give myself to work that i cared about.

and i shouldn't forget where i've come from. i've noticed when i do i start taking things for granted, even in the short 4 months i've been at my new job. and as soon as i start taking success, money and influence for granted, i get numb. and so here's my declaration to remembrance. there was a day not so long ago when i scraped half-eaten sandwiches into ToGo boxes, wiped up spilled soup and took out trash bags of rancid leftovers. and i wanted to make a difference, but all i could do was bring a miller lite, a bud light, maybe a corona. ...yes, the weather brings back memories. and i'm still listening to Bloc Party, but this summer i'm listening to "Silent Alarm Remix."

on a related note, i looked up the weather in western europe, and it's about 70degrees during june, versus an average of 80degree in grand rapids. then i started wondering why. so i looked up latitudes for comparison. keep in mind that the higher the latitude, the farther north a location is.

grand rapids :: 43degrees N
interlaken :: 46degrees N. keep in mind the base elevation here is 2000ft...so it's cold. 30s and 40s cold.
paris :: 48.5degrees N
prague :: 50degrees N
london :: 51.3degrees N
berlin :: 52.3degrees N
amsterdam :: 52.5degrees N
mackinac island :: 45.5degrees N. so every single city we'll be in this summer is north of mackinac island. so basically i'm spending 3weeks in the equivalent of Michigan's UP. minus the cows.

and on another related note, i bought a $10 watch from Target this weekend. it looks like something my brother would have been fascinated with in the 2nd grade. afterall, it goes underwater up to 50m. my thinking? i won't have my cell phone to keep time while in europe this summer, so why not buy an ugly watch to help me out?!?! ...and since i don't plan to use the watch here in the States, i just set it in CEST (Central European Summer Time) for +6 hours. i wore it around for 20 minutes or so this morning...ha! i guess i'm a little excited. Did i mention the watch has a blue light-up face?!?!

the River Bank

saturday, may 13, 2006. 8.10am.
i forgot to mention that my final time for the Fifth Third River Bank was 26.31 minutes. i'm looking forward to running faster in my next race later this summer or fall.

me and the sibs on mother's day

brooke, 12 years old, eats a chocolate muffin.
this chocolate obsession derives from her eldest sister.













nick side-lit like an angel. enjoys taking long walks on the beach with girlfriend jessie and studying biochem and business at Calvin College...minus the part about studying.













moi. here demonstrating modigliani-esqu neck posture.













my katerina ivanova (catherine). ...becoming old enough to be not only younger sister, but friend.

















sister pic

















modigliani

family band

mother's day brought the family together, as mother's day is known to do. we took a stroll across the pearl street bridge to the vanandel museum. ...i swear, it was just a family get together. not a band practice. ...but we look like a band, don't we?!?!

we might be brit pop from the looks of it... if it weren't for my dad's tucked-in, button-up shirt and slicked-back hair.

yes, a band. in which my mom is the lead singer. and my 12-year-old sister is the drummer peaking from the background. my brother is lead electric and backup vocals. i'm keyboard and my dad is bass.

that makes my 17-year-old sister, who's took this picture, the band manager.

hm. if my family were truly a band, i'd have to strongly suggest that we call ourselves Homeschoolers Unite...or You're Weird but I'm Weirder... or maybe just Homeschool... how embarrassing...ha...

tomorrow night

thursday. 9pm.

king kong (1933)
dir. Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack

runtime :: 104 minutes

a true classic. don't miss it.