m.i.a.

Ok, so I haven't blogged in some time, and people are starting to send me emails begging to know where I have been and what I am up to these days. So here goes, I'll try to explain... I got back to Austin almost two weeks ago and moved into my new apartment: barren walls and living/dining rooms I am again starting from scratch. Waiting to see what my new roommates may have as far as furniture is concerned I quickly made 'home' in my half of the larger bedroom. With my new rich red spread and fluffy body pillows I was able to hunker down into my little bed after a tiring day of moving and unpacking and rearranging. Aside from my own personal move I have been coordinating and participating in a service project for the university and our club here on campus to help move in th 1,000s of incoming students. Basically I haven't been sitting near a computer with internet for sometime now,... which in one sense is great, I've even managed to continue to work on my tan (not hard in this raging hot weather... where the pool is most inviting even in the late evenings after the sun has goon down). Oh and then I was reminded that I can post from my lovely OGO... IF and only if they've fixed the 'outgoing' server service...here's to crossing my fingers. Sadly though I may have lost all my readers in this blog-draught. So in all honesty I have been so busy and will be for the next couple of weeks, but I promise y'all come back now a bit later and I will have some good reads, or at least some posts. ok. This, however, is as far as I can go right now, I've got to be out the door and down the street and around the corner to help some students with their mooooove-in. So moooover! I'm coming thru. ttyl -mlejane.

These words brought to you by Ogo. Find out more at www.ogo.com

reason

I've found the reason for me...

Text messages are cesspools for misunderstandings

Text messages are cesspools for misunderstandings. Why do I say this? Because one of my good friends just got 'dumped' by her bf via a text message. It's like any form of non-verbal, non-confronting communication... where people 'say' things and the other reads them however they like, with whatever inflection they deem worthy.. And wahla, a whole gamut of misunderstandings emerge. And the war begins. I'm mad at you because you're mad at me... Etc... Personally it's a chicken's way of communication... Allowingng one to say nearly anything, but always having the back door of claiming, I didn't mean it like that. (Which may be entirely true, but give me a break people, if you want to say something, do it to their face...Tell them in person. And if it can't wait, at least try a phone conversation where neither of you will hang up and both with listen and make sure each other realize and understand what is being said... Clear the air, so to speak).

ping ----

Often things done by yourself just seem to lose their luster.

Take ping-pong, for instance. Without someone to return your serve, what do you have? Just a lot of some 'ping... and then it gets rather lonely.

You know, it's like that with a lot of things.

home: where my thoughts escape me...

This morning I rose at 4:45am to leave for the airport. Upon getting there I waited in line to pass through customs only to wait another hour or so to board, then two flights, combined with a layover in SF and almost 9 hours later, I made it back to Portland. Way too much tired time to sit and think about things. Things I can't be thinking about... I even began a letter that I probably will not even send. How lame is that? Very lame I'm afraid. Grrr, I struggle to admit it, but Gracie, I think you and Anna are right. I just need to come home. Need to busy myself with some good things and everything will be alright. How about dem apples? huh? Unfortunately I am getting sick of flying and packing and layovers... I suppose I can atleast look on the bright side, I probably won't be doing any flying for quite some time after this flight. Strange as it sounds, this is my first one-way ticket to Austin. I am not looking forward to saying good-bye again to the beloved ones here in Oregon, but though the ticket is one-way, I don't think I will be staying away for too long... maybe a year... maybe less. Who knows. He does. He always knows. Meanwhile I've just gotta get home. Home: where my thoughts escape me. Home: where the music's playing... Home: where my love life's waiting silently for me... well, it's not. But it's a good song anyways.

simply 'a walk in the woods'

Today I noticed some strange parallels in my recent existence.

What do Bill Bryson's book "A Walk In the Woods," MEC, and Grassi Lake trail have in common?

"A Walk In the Woods" is a book that my dear TX best friend had recommended to me this past month as a must read. I began reading it just a day or so before I left for Canada and it's been a nightly ritual to read some pages/chapters in it after I have crawled into bed. And today I couldn't help but realize that Bryson's excellent writing of his backpacking the Appalachian Trail double-teamed with the ironic fact that United Airlines ripped a gaping hole in my newly bought backpack/roller-duffel bag and my hike today at Grassi Lake must have been what triggered the immediate search online for a genuine takes-a-lickin'-and-keeps-on-tickin' durable backpackers' pack to haul my things back home. I stumbled across MEC (the Canadian version of our REI) and found a simple fairly priced (in Canadian dollars no less!) pack in sage and black (for the fashion conscious). Believe it or not, just about everything (and yes, I forgot to pack light for this trip) fit into this pack, and without wheels but not without straps I can hook myself into this contraption and whala... I look like a genuine... nah, let's just say I look like I'm ready to hold a cardboard sign that say, "Austin or Bust" standing on the edge of a Highway... or on a bike or something close to that.

chewy chocolate chip cookies

Mmmm mmmm good. Oh and they were.

'tis the season

...to be running to hide in the women's restroom, apearantly, as I came across a young woman in my perusing of the blogosphere in that particular plight that most single gals find themselves at such events... I couldn't help but stop and share my stories... here's what I said:

Oh man, are you kiddin? I ham it up... even begin to bend my knees for a 'jump'-attempt and push my pretend sleeves up and make sure to give myself some good ol' fashioned elbow room... talk a lil' trash to the embarrassed female singletons lucky enough to be out there surrounding me... and THEN watch it fly past me into the arms of a girl way-to-young to qualify. WHY do they get to play anyways?! (when secretly all the 'qualified' are pleasantly relieved that the attention has finally be diverted from them to a cute 12-yr-old girl).

Actually I wanted to refer you to a secret weapon I have yet to use to ward off those pestering older folk trying to marry us off. Hope you will find it useful.

mlejane

go ahead, cramp my style

Why can't Aunt Flo just leave me alone!? Can't she see that I am on vacation? Dispite my efforts to lose her by taking off to a 'foreign' land, she's caught up with me. She's such a pain in the rass, maybe I can ditch her up here... they shouldn't have let her through customs that's for sure. She drives a mini-van with the license plate that reads..., so if you see it... make a run for it and call the pms-busters as they have been looking for her everywhere and never seem to get there in time before she runs off to invade another poor woman's life. They need to catch her and take a key and lock her up. I've had about all I can take of her.

(note to readers: I don't really have a relative named Aunt Flo, but all you female readers should know who or what I am talking about here).

everybody hates friendship fighting

I know I do.
Boy, am I so glad this isn't us. *hug*
Someone needs to tell them to put their stones away and talk it over like civilized people. Because 'sticks and stones will break your bones,..". And however it started, I vote 98-2 it was all a missunderstanding that is just aching to be re-understood. Thanks for helping to clear the air.

p.s. check your email

...because I'm not near a phone.

from now on - vol. 1

I will exercise for the wellness of my being.

I will exercise my right to a savings account.

I will exercise to keep in better touch with my friends.

I will exercise to seek understanding in the midst of a misunderstanding.

I will exercise to not think more highly of myself than I ought.

all my exes live in Texas

Ok, well not quite, but if I could figure out how to put this in my margin I would, but meanwhile I'll give it a little glory right here. That's right, Don't Mess With Texas, or atleast people who went to school there.

let go my lego

Legos have taken on a whole new world for me.
Still the photos are amazing. Just check it out will ya.

Thanks Rob.

jewelry by jean

The Lotus Collection Fall 2005

(pictures will follow shortly)

for orders please email: une_promesse@hotmail.com