Day 9 - A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most

Rach and I were born in Sonoma, but we moved to Lake County when we were 5.  We spent the next 10 years going to school at the Middletown Unified School District, which is where we met Kat.  July of 2004 we were evicted. We were forced to move away from everything we knew that summer, and had to begin our Junior year at a rival high school.  Yay.  This little lady stayed friends with us throughout the whole endeavor.

We swore we saw aliens, and took a picture just in case we got abducted!

Oddly enough, this picture was taken three years before the previous picture. Apparently we've grown to be weirder over the years.

We still went to football games together, and dances just like always- in fact, now we had twice as many to go to!  She was even our prom date.  Yes.  WE took HER to our Senior Prom.

We were hot shit.

We were very alone and confused in China until we happened to exchange phone numbers with one Hou Jie, or Aaron as we've known him as. We met him on our first Thursday in China and spent so many hours with him from the next day on. We exchanged cultures and ate out and "studied" together. All in all it was three months of amazing good fun. But he helped us out a lot, too. He helped us when we needed new prepaid phone cards, or to visit certain stores in search of pants and so many other things. He helped us when the language barrier had us most helpless. His friendship while we were in China was priceless. Still is.

For the longest time we couldn't get him to let us take pictures so we had to find excuses.

Bry likes to photobomb.

Halloween 2008. Our first time drinking in a bar. 

Day 8 - A picture that makes you laugh.

Since there are two of us we decided we get two pictures that make us laugh.

The man decided he simply had to take a picture with us and at the last second some other man thrust his baby into the shot.

 The sax guy that insisted on the picture in the first place demanded we redo this picture because Bry looked at the strange man behind us.

Two of our favorite people. It's nice to see them enjoying themselves.

There are so many good (alternatively horrible) pictures of these two online that it was stupid hard just picking one.

Day 7 - A picture of your most treasured item.

My piccolo. See that metal thing at my feet? That's my most prized possession because my music teacher bought it for me. He said that each year he was going to buy an instrument for a student but I think it was just an excuse to get me one because the year after that my high school's music program was cancelled.

Not the first time this has happened, just the first time someone has caught  me in the act.

After much thought, I decided that my most prized possession is my memories. Every day I browse through the library of memories in my head and enjoy remembering tastes and smells and touches from years past. I greatly fear the day when I become so old I cannot remember these things any longer. This is why I take pictures and keep diaries.

I stopped Steven mid-hike up a hill and forced him to take a picture of this lone tree for me. 

Day 6 - A picture of a person you'd love to trade places with for a day.

Based on the two qualities that we admire most in people- and also aim to have ourselves- we have chosen these excellent examples:


Cuddly, friendly, docile, Yin. Here is us exhibiting these qualities:

Can you guess who is who?

To greater explore these qualities we would like to trade lives with these guys for a day:

Pretty panda pile.

Alternatively, we'd like to give these qualities a try: bad ass, independent, defensive, Yang. Here is a shot of us doing our best impression:

Sober St. Patrick's day.

To further explore being bad ass we'd like to trade lives with one of these guys for a day:

If you don't know what this is, this is star thistle. It will mess you up but smells lovely in the summer.

Day 5- A picture of your favorite memory.

Who can EVER pick one favorite memory??? No. Cannot be done. BUT here are our top three favorites in chronological order.

Favorite Friend Moment

Shortly after this photo op we all went to lunch and were harassed by a Chinese restaurant owner with a crab.

Favorite China Moment

It feels like we were in China so long ago that it legitimately should be in black and white.

Favorite Family Moment

We all swore we'd make a silly face... 

Day 4 - A picture of your night.

I really wish I could say our average weeknights look like either of these:

Cher, on stage being touched by hoards of dancers-
including the weird guy with the bicycle helmet headdress...

The ideal couple, no? A woman with a sewing machine and a man with a blender.

Or hell, even either of these:

Drunk photo taken by yours truly on our last night in Las Vegas!

Slightly inebriated cuddle battle taking up the whole couch.

But our average weeknights look exactly like this:

REALITY: We're in college and we like naps.

REALITY: Most of my couch time is neither inebriated nor spent with a human.

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Day 3 - A picture of the cast from your favorite show.

Babylon 5

While everyone else was watching Battlestar Galactica in 2005, we were watching reruns of this.

Memorable quote from the show:

[Londo and G'Kar are about to be pulled out of a bombed-out transport tube]

Londo Mollari: There, you see? I'm going to live!

G'Kar: So it would seem. Well, it is an imperfect universe.

Londo: Bastard.

G'Kar: Monster.

Londo: Fanatic!

G'Kar: Murderer!

Londo: You are insane!

G'Kar: And that is why we'll win.

Londo: "Go be the ambassador to Babylon 5," they say. "It will be an easy assignment!" I hate my life.

G'Kar: So do I.

Londo: Shut up!

Runners up for second place for our favorite show (in alphabetical order):

Dead Like Me

We first watched this show off VHS tapes our aunt recorded off TV for us.

Memorable quote from the show:


Roxy: [to Mason who is curled up on a bench at the diner and looking out the window] What's wrong with you?
[Mason blinks in her direction, eyes bloodshot]
Roxy: Are you stoned?
Mason: [looking very pale and sickly] I've got illegals in my bottom...
[referring to the bag of cocaine that broke in his rectum at the airport]
Roxy: [looking at mason shaking her head] Why do you do this to yourself?
Mason: [hand on his forehead whimpering] I don't know.

Flight of the Concords

We discovered these guys, long after everyone else, while we were in China. Thanks HBO.

Memorable quote from the show:


Bret: Can I please have a look at the lyrics? [Looks at notepad] This is another one of your weird songs, man.
Jemaine: In what way?
Bret: What's that about 'Sometimes I put a wig on you when we're on tour'?
Jemaine: Put a wig on you? No. It didn't say anything like that.
Bret: That's definitely a bit gay.
Jemaine: What is?
Bret: Putting a wig on me while I'm asleep.
Jemaine: I think, sometimes you hear what you wanna hear. It wouldn't be gay to put a wig on a man and pretend they're a woman. How could that be gay if you're pretending they're a woman? Not that I did it.

Red Dwarf

The first time we saw this show we were babysitting the four awesomest girls you could ever have the luck to babysit.

Memorable quote from the show:

Kryten: Name?
Lister: Dave Lister.
Kryten: Occupation?
Lister: [looks bewildered for a moment, then answers] Uh, bum.
Kryten: Sir, would you describe the accused [Rimmer] as a friend?
Cat: Take the Fifth!
Kryten: Sir, please answer the question. Remember you are under polygraphic surveillance: Would you describe the accused as a friend?
Lister: No, I'd describe the accused as a git.
Rimmer: Objection!
Justice: Overruled.
Kryten: And who would you say feels most fondly for him?
Lister: Well, I do.
Kryten: And there are no others who have shared intimate moments with him?
Lister: Only one, but she's got a puncture!

We're always open to suggestions for more awesome shows to watch. (Especially if they are on Netflix instant queue!)


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Day 2 - A picture of you and the person you have been the closest with the longest.

Step one: Cut a hole in the box

We opted to do History Day to get out of doing debates in English. Best. Decision. Ever.

Prom 2006: Who needs a date when you've got a Kat?

This is our Kat. We met her in sixth grade at the end of her driveway. Her new puppy peed at our feet and from then on we clung to her like moss. It's amazing to think that it's been over ten years since we met. We've stayed friends despite moving several times and are aunts to her adorable daughter Iris.

Yes, this is way old. August 2008. But don't we look awesome?

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30 Photo Challenge: Day 1 A picture of yourself with ten facts.

Does this sweater make me look old?

1. I feel special when animals or babies sleep on me or in my arms.

2. I love bad movies. I collect them.

3. I can't sleep with socks on. I just can't do it no matter how cold I am.

4. My usual nightmares involve losing someone I love or all my teeth.

5. I usually make funny faces in pictures on purpose for fear of trying to take a good picture and it turning out horrible.

6. I enjoy doing grandmotherly things like baking, crocheting and wearing silly sweaters.

7. I still have a crush on Shang from Mulan. 

8. I wish I were talented enough to be in musicals.

9. I love writing poetry but can only manage to produce something I don't hate every few months or years.

10. Out of all the characters I learned in China, the only four I write almost every day are "I really miss you".

Doesn't everyone play Air Piccolo?

1. My most embarrassing moment is from 5th grade, and it involves watermelon seeds.

2. I developed earlier than most of my friends, in that I got acne when I was 9.

3. I fell in love with Mozart- as in the character from the movie Amadeus- and learned flute so I could be a child prodigy... because no one explained how that was supposed to work.

4. My inability to master Mandarin Chinese is something that frustrates me everyday, and occasionally in my dreams as well.

5. The fact that I never got to mourn the death of our childhood dog, Buddy, (who was put to sleep when we were studying abroad) will always haunt me.

6. I feel extremely accomplished every time my cats come to their names- which is hardly ever, but still...

7. One of the happiest moments of middle school was the realization that I could now check out three books per week, and I would, even though I could never finish all three before they were due back.

8. My first interaction with "race" was when I was 6 and a black family moved in a few houses away in my gated community- I was fascinated.

9. The first time I saw David, I knew he was going to be trouble.  Despite agreeing to marry him, he manages to cause a little trouble in my life at every given opportunity.

10. I joined track to stalk a boy.  Stupidest. Mistake. Ever.

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Things That Cannot Be Unseen Part 2

I knew it would only be a matter of time before I'd captured enough bizarre pictures to make a second part to this blog concept. Perhaps these things only seem odd to me but here are some strange thing's I've seen.

Wait, that's not soap...

I found this in the women's bathroom in CR's Arcata campus. Perhaps this only seems odd to me but how many people dash to the bathroom with a lotion emergency?

It seemed fitting.

Maybe I'm just a jerk but this picture actually made me kiiiind of giddy. In case you've never peeked out of my bedroom window before, that building on the left is a church. One day, I looked out my window only to see a police car watching it. There was a policeman in the car watching the empty church. Wish I knew what was going on. And now a picture to clear the palate. 

Squee!

I find nothing odd with this picture. In fact, I wished immediately when I saw these shoes that I could buy them. As always, our opinions may differ.

How thoughtful.

One day I lined up to catch a southward bound bus only to see this flyer taped to the window. If I hadn't just broken my laptop power cord, I might have utilized this. Does anyone else find this awfully unnecessary, though?

Quick, before it gets away!

As with all sightings of supposed mythological creatures (Loch Ness, Big Foot etc.), I only managed to get a very blurry shot of this wild beast on CR's main Eureka campus. Unless I'm wrong, this is an adolescent Minotaur. This is what I imagine he looks like from the front:

If there's one in Humboldt County, there might be more.

Even more alarming than evidence of mythological creatures in out midst is this:

Innocent at first glance...

At first glance I saw this poster and simply saw a poster for Avatar. But upon further inspection I recognized something so horrible that everyone should arm themselves and get ready. When you see this poster do you also see this:

Shadow Vessels

The Avatar poster is proof to me that a Babylon 5-esque future isn't just a fantasy of mine but eventually a reality. The Shadows are moving behind the scenes to brainwash us. Beware.

A sandwich???

Whilst doing my part, and attempting to recycle something or another, I discovered this in our apartment's recycling bin. Yes. That is a sandwich. I get that they're biodegradable but since when have they been recyclable?

Sixty cents off from sheer awesomeness.

Bry got this from her old job. All I can say is wow. And lastly...

Approach with caution.

I have to give credit to this find to Bry. Bry managed to capture an image of a very rare and dangerous beast. Be on the lookout. This creature can be identified by its ridiculously long, pale mane, its creepy pasty white skin and its knack for stealing my jackets on cold days. Beware.


If you've spotted Bry, go here:

Things That Cannot Be Unseen Part 1

There are many times in life when you see something that you know you may never be able to forget, for better or for worse. It is because of a few things I've seen recently that I've decided to post some pictures and videos of things that just stopped me in my tracks and wowed me to the point where I had to record what I was viewing. I'm hoping to make this an ongoing thing because lord knows you always see weird things sooner or later. 

To be fair, I totally want these shoes.

I was having lunch when I noticed a girl wearing these. Really? Who wears stilettos at a JC? Later, I remembered I had taken this picture, looked back at it and heard clicking coming up behind me. I turned only to see her strutting through the parking lot. She looked just as silly the second time I saw her.

Honestly, he made my day better.

The next day, I saw this man on the bus. He was balding and had a mullet. Need I say more?

I seemed to be the only one on the bus to notice.

On the way back I saw this. Apparently, football is the devil. Who knew?

He actually has eyes behind those sunglasses.

I found this guy in CR's health center. He was actually pretty cool. I can't remember what his name tag said.

Finding them made my day.

I took this picture specifically to show Sarah but now I can't remember why. They had three little kids with them all wearing homemade clothes but I thought I might get attacked by security if I took a picture of them.

But also...