a f u l l d a y .

today has been a full day. lesley and i love breakfast foods, but every sunday the wait at every restaurant is ginormous. we opted to cook this morning. i had bacon left over from when i made corn chowder the other day, grits in the cabinet, and we made some biscuits from scratch. we even took on the task of making gravy, a true southern breakfast (my momma taught me well.) it was delicious and extremely unhealthy.

this morning, my computer charger also kicked the can. i had to go to the apple store today to purchase a new one. i sucked it up and went to the one place i hate, the mall. eighty-five dollars later, little arthur is charged and back to surfing the internets.

next came sonic happy hour and the dog park. today was the second nice day after a string of misty, overcast, cold days. it was chilly but fun to get out and run around with slick. plus, you can't beat a large cherry coke for ninety-one cents.

now, i'm watching the sag awards and i made some mashed potatoes and peas for dinner (the grocery store is calling my name.)

i've also been watching many many movies:

kinky boots
sweeney todd
interview
manufactured landscapes
ten items or less
breach
the ten
dreamgirls
chalk

there are still so many great new movies out right now that i need to watch.

here is a website my friend brooke introduced me to today.

love letters

i'm hooked.

another one that i love:

visual thesaurus

today was an excellent day.

i'm not even sure i want to elaborate because it might ruin it.

lately, i've been loving the idea of going back to paris. i can't stop watching films that are somehow tied to the city. here are some recent additions:

avenue montaigne

love in the afternoon

i seriously have to get to watching the films up for awards. i feel so behind since i was gone for a few weeks. however, i just finished reading harry potter and just started persepolis and collapse. i'm very excited about these two books.

this album has captivated me for about a month now.
scout niblett - this fool can die now


along with beirut's the flying club cup and iron and wine's this shepherd's dog.

i re-read my journal from tctw the other day. it shed a lot of light on my life at that time and how i have changed for the better since that summer out west. it's funny to recognize the exact moment i embraced the trip and started to let it change me. it happened in san francisco and the days after. during the steve seskin concert at the palms and the following days at yosemite and grand teton. i want to make that trip again. i want to go back as staff.

i received a lot of cook books for christmas. two of them specialized in soups. yesterday i prepared a roasted garlic and potato broth/soup. it was so simple yet so tasty. i renamed it the poor man's soup. for the next six months i'm going to be completely broke due to fixing my busted vehicle. wish me luck in my new life of eating homemade soups and watching movies. not to worry though, it's awards season!

december boys
eagle vs. shark
apres vous
the bourne ultimatum
the nanny diaries

costa rica was beautiful, amazing, eye-opening, and so many other great adjectivies. many tears were shed, life was evaluated, goals were made, fun times and great conversations were had, and many many intriguing and amazing people are now my friends. i would say a great vacation.

on the first day of my vacation i finished the book into the wild. this book spoke to me in volumes. i think the time and place in which i read it was perfect. i can see it meaning less if i wasn't about to depart on a journey in a country which i'd never been to before to rediscover myself and figure out what i'm doing in life. on the last day of my vacation i watched the film version. emile hirsch says a line in the film during his portrayal of chris mccandless that really hit me. he says "The core of mans' spirit comes from new experiences." i will remember this whenever i'm feeling stagnant and stuck and it will breathe the life back into me.

i watched many movies upon my return to the states and seclusion in north carolina.

diggers
the kingdom
no country for old men
enchanted
fracture
the pursuit of happyness
pirates of the caribbean: at world's end
we are marshall