Painting and Attire

Starbucks is a nice place. Some say that the products are overpriced. Last time I checked, this country is overpriced. In any case, Starbuckses have comfortable atmospheres, high standards, and cordial employees. Free wifi is quite the bonus.

Every day at my dayjob (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday), I go for a walk during my lunch break. One Friday a few weeks ago, I ambled into "The Art of It," a charming art gallery/store. (At least I feel it is charming. I've ambled into so few art galleries; I wouldn't know how to compare.) After wandering for about a minute (I feel like I wrote about this before), a curly-haired redhead named Amy appeared from a classroom/sideroom and invited me to observe the small lesson.

Loooong story short, I now visit The Art of It on my walk every Friday and chat with Jane, Joann, and Amy about art and life.

Last week (maybe the week before that), I learned about color and how to start understanding it. It just struck me that understanding color will closely resemble improving one's writing. To improve one's writing, at first, you must simply write more. Amy explained that some artists still buy and use premade colors, whereas the best way to understand colors is to have white, black, red, blue, and yellow – light, dark, and the primaries.

I'm looking forward to painting. Not today. Not today.

When did elastic pants become acceptable articles of everyday clothing? At the gym? I can understand that. At home? Do what you want. In public? Why? Just why?

I'm glad that Werbel's story is going to span across the lands; it's still going to be a lot of work to untangle the various disconnects and whatnot. Just write. Fix it later.

Dresses are pretty. Skirts are pretty.

Do you know what it's like to reconnect with your childhood? Some dear friends are visiting from Germany: Marek und Shelly. If you didn't know, my family lived in Germany from when I was 9 to when I was 13. I still speak German fluently, but I have so few opportunities to use it. Last night, I played Die Sternenfaher von Catan auf Deutsch der ganze Zeit! (Fast ganze Zeit; ich hab doch ein paar Worte noch vergossen.) Marek and Shelly are excellent people in and of themselves – full of kindness and wit – but it was an additional blessing to be able to speak German.

My dad's a psycho, but I wouldn't have him any other way. He and my mother are two of my very few pillars of reliable wisdom.

SHORT SHORTS! Please, no! Please!

Lady, please dress your children better.

Running track? It's all good. From the 60s? That was your time. A crazy hick? Nobody can stop you. Otherwise, why? Just why?

I'm half enjoying the aimless rambling, half avoiding Werbel. This past Wednesday, I broke through the barrier of unfamiliarity; now, I just have the cumbersome unknowns of his future. I suppose I'll just switch over.