And the drums and the drums and the drums

Above, is a picture of me right before my school's annual Labyrinth Festival. I am holding the lantern that was made for me to walk through the labyrinth with. All the kids made their own (much smaller) lanterns and we walked through the labyrinth under a full moon and sang songs, most of which I had not learned because I missed the rehearsal due to my trip to Chicago. I leaned over to one of the kids during the performance and said, "I don't know the words, I'm just following you because you seem to know them." She said, "Oh, no problem. The next song we are singing is Simple Gifts and it goes like this: Tis a gift to be simple, tis a gift to be free, tis a gift to turn round where we ought to be.. and then it goes..." I was unsuccessful in an attempt to interrupt her to say, "Oh, I know THAT song." Anyway. The whole performance was pretty cool. I work with a bunch of hippies and I mean that in the kindest, coolest, way. To illustrate, our school's music teacher is on a European tour with his band at the moment. How's that for street cred?

James and I had been told that we HAD to go to the Trail of Lights at Zilker Park, so on the 23rd, we did.
Walking through the tunnel was definitely the coolest part, though I didn't manage it without a bit of vertigo, and neither, apparently, did several of the dogs walking through it.

While overall, I give the Trail of Lights 3 out of 5 stars (the average rating is mostly due to the shameless product and character placement, but I suppose SOMEONE has to pay for the Trail of Lights, right?), there were some exhibits worth mentioning.
That one's for Rebecca.
Here you have ELF Scott Fitzgerald, ELFred Einstein, etc.
Austin's the only place I know with a cupcake stand, by the way. The cupcake is highly celebrated here.
And you always wondered how Santa reached all those houses in one night. He takes a space ship. Obviously.


Also, Texas may be the only place where even the armadillos get excited about the holidays. This display definitely made me laugh. Here we have armadillos in sombreros dancing in front of a trailor with a cow skull on it.

And this, well, there's so much to say about this! First, Mary. What is she doing with her hands? Directing traffic? Reciting the Girl Scout Pledge? Secondly, I know Jesus was the Son of God and all, but I had no idea he was such a large infant! Seeing baby Jesus this size, makes Mary seem awesome. Of course, she's not exactly small-boned, herself, according to this artist's rendering.

So, Christmas. We were spoiled, gift-wise. I have roughly 14 new books to read due to gifts and gift cards. I can now listen to my ipod again because I got new headphones for it. I have new shoes and piles of new tights. Gretchen sent me Fawlty Towers on DVD, and Rebecca remembered that roughly 3 years ago, I had seen a book in a bookstore I liked, and she sent that. (I miss my girls). My sister got me a blanket that I love. It's the kind of blanket that would be at the bed you sleep in at your grandma's house. The kind you would eat chicken noodle soup under if you weren't vegan.

On Christmas morning, we made cookies. Gingerbread cookies, oatmeal raisin cookies, chocolate chip cookies. We had to eat them for about a month because I forgot that the reason most people bake Christmas cookies is to give them away to friends. Since we don't really HAVE that many friends here, we had to give them away to ourselves, which took much longer to achieve, but was just as delicious, perhaps moreso.

Roughly a month after my mom mailed it, we received The Missing Box from her. Originally sent FedEx, it arrived with a UPS label on it. Upon closer inspection, it was obvious that the box had been opened re-taped, and some of the gifts inside had been opened, too. But nothing was missing! James's theory is that it was delivered to the wrong place, some kid was home alone, opened the box and started going through it, and was caught by his parents, who said, "What are you doing?! That's not for you!! You wrap those things back up RIGHT now and tape that box back up! You do not open things that don't belong to you!"Anyway, it arrived! It was like having Christmas twice! And, there was a hand vac in the package designed specifically for picking up pet hair, which would prove to be very important.

Is Chicago, is not Chicago

So, in early December, I went to see Chris, Steve, and AJ in Chicago.
It started snowing almost immediately, which was great, because I've been missing the snow this season (though wearing t-shirts in January may be worth the trade-off). We took AJ to see the "Santa Sing-a-Long," which I think even he thought was pretty lame. My presence at the Rudolph, Frosty, and Santa funfest got Steve off the hook, so there's that. Plus, the Boscos (even the smallest one) bring the party wherever they go.
I made Chris slow down the car enough for me to take this pastoral photo, which I call "Horses in the Snow."
I definitely got my snow on.
We sang karaoke, which is one of my very favorite things in the world to do. Like I said, the Boscos bring the party. And it's usually a karaoke party. I think my dance party with Steve made Chris laugh until she cried. I'm already plotting my return.

a boy, etc.

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

A boy, a girl, and a dancing cat

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

I've been to Vidal Sassoon

So, I've been trying to title these blog entries with relevant song lyrics/movie quotes, etc, so that you can play along by trying to identify where these lyrics/quotes are from. It's something to do, you know? So I haven't really been to Vidal Sassoon. But I have had a hair cut. And while it appeared that the stylist was looking at the picture I brought in as an example, I think she might have been examining the laminate on her countertop because the picture I brought in looks nothing like the haircut I left with, but whatever. It's shorter than I meant for it to be, but hey, that means I can save money by going longer between haircuts!

The evidence:
I like the tint on that. It makes me feel like I'm in a Hitchcock movie or something. Since as far as I know he never shot in blue tint, I don't know why I feel this way, but whatever. And if I look shocked, it's because my hair is like 3 inches shorter than I intended.

I've been feeling really badly lately. So tired I can hardly move, headaches the size of the state I'm living in, can't think clearly, tingling hands and feet, etc., etc., Same story, different day. The acupuncturist said my liver pulse is low, which translates to lack of blood, the chiropractor said I have "no blood", all this translates to anemia. I am trying to get in to see a Doctor (of the western sort), but it will be awhile. In the meantime, I'm taking liquid iron and trying to eat piles of greens and beans. But really. I'm over it already. Do I look pale to you?

(anemia anyone?)

That profile is my good side. I definitely have a good side. You? It also shows not only that my skin is nearly translucent, but that my hair is pretty darn short.

I took a few more pictures at school on Friday when we went on our Friday hike. The kids have named all the places we hike to, so this place is called Pecan Palace because there are three pecan trees between the abandoned hospital:
and the old State School building:

They like to play around these buildings. The Dia de Los Muertos celebration was held at The Three Trees of Alfalfa, for anyone keeping track.

Cheers.

Make the change, I'll meet you here tomorrow, Independence Day

So, I celebrated my right to vote this morning. My voter registration just came in TODAY, so no early voting for me. I had to be at work at 7:30ish and the polls opened at 7 here, so I rolled out of bed at 5 and was there at 6. The images of South Africans waiting in polling lines for TWO DAYS kept playing in my mind, so I figured I 'd better at least be an hour early if I wanted to vote. Two days, dying in the African sun, one hour at 65 degrees, I'll make the sacrifice. I expected to pull into the parking lot and be greeted with a 3 hour wait, at which point, I had planned to call work and explain that I would be late because my right to vote was just this important and Susan B. Anthony and Nelson Mandela and GOD all wanted me to vote. You don't want to get in the way of that triumverate. But, as it was, I pulled up, walked up to the doors where some ladies were pulling signs out of a white church van. Had my polling place been changed? Were they preparing for a potluck?

6am.
Me: Is there a line?
Church lady: Are you here to watch the polls or to vote?
Me: To vote.
C.L.: You know we don't start for another hour, right?
Me: Yeah, I just didn't know if there would be a line.
C.L.: Nope, no line.
Me: Can I start one?
C.L.: Sure.

I was really surprised. I waited for THREE hours to vote for Kerry, and in that election, I didn't even really like Kerry. I just didn't like Bush.

Austin is an interesting place. An example of how a pocket of like-minded individuals can become even MORE extreme in their views if they are surrounded by people that think differently than they do. I've actually spent a lot of time talking to my students about how just because you're a republican doesn't mean that you: hate poor people/love war/want to spread pollution all over the planet. And that even republicans can: go crazy over baby animals/eat organic food/need love too. These kids want to end the war in Iraq, clean up the environment, make sure people have healthcare, allow gay marriage.
What a paradigm shift. I never really thought I would have this conversation:

Kid: (after flipping a coin and having it land on heads for John McCain) Oh no! I'm evil! I'm evil!
Me: There, there, Johnny. We've talked about this. Just because you're a republican, does that mean you are evil? Can you be a republican and be a nice person?
Kid: Yeah, yeah, but I'M EVIL!

I've never seen a more progressive place. And I've seen a few.
I spent a long time today telling kids to Pay Attention. Stay up Late. My co-worker told them to Please Pay Attention. Make Your Future Selves Happy. This is Important.

So anyway, voting was fairly anticlimactic. Well, I'll say that waiting in line was pretty anticlimactic. Going in the voting booth and casting my vote (even knowing that I was in a red state, even knowing that my one vote wouldn't matter as much this election as it might have in the past) was pretty historic. It even felt historic. I spent awhile looking at the presidential candidates' names on the ballot, taking it all in. Knowing that someday, I would want to be able to tell other people what that moment was like. Pretty Darn Good. That's what it was like.

And, I got to rock this sticker all day.
They asked me if I wanted a sticker. They didn't ask me if I wanted a sticker printed in English. But I love it. It's not only, hey, I did this, don't forget that you probably want to remember to do this, too, if you have time today.

My sticker says, Stand Up. Pay Attention. This is Important. Make Your Future Self Happy. Vote, yo.

And we'll grow kindness in our hearts for all the strangers among us til there are no strangers anymore

So, I've made mention of my school. For any Lost fans, comparing it to The Dharma Initiative would not be inappropriate. It's the site of a former state school (read: rehabilitation/psychiatric/assisted living/orphanage facility) and consists of about 68 buildings. Our school occupies three of them, and about 5 more are occupied by other organizations. The other 60 are empty and include a hospital, a fire station, dormitories, office buildings, a paint shop, etc., etc. The state school was a completely self-sufficient community and had all the buildings/resources that such a place would need. During the Reagan administration, the school was shut down and it seems that people just walked out into the street leaving everything behind. The maintenance man/artist/ghost, Edward, took me on a tour of the hospital and showed me towels, clothing, etc., that was left behind. Hollywood loved the creepiness factor of the property and filmed parts of The Life of David Gale and The Return of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre in some of the abandoned buildings. Of course, when working in buildings that used to house very troubled individuals (many of whom are buried in the property's cemetery), people will say they've heard things, seen things, etc. Whether or not you believe in the supernatural, the fact that our school is on a hill overlooking a prison and that people have reported seeing wild boar on the property means that I don't like being the last one leaving at night.
This has a sign that says, "Maintenance Shop." You can see another abandoned building in the background.
I think the fact that no one bothered to change anything about the property (except for our school and a few other buildings) makes it really creepy to me. It's like people just walked away.

At any rate, the property made for a very beautiful and moving experience on Friday when we celebrated Dia de los Muertos. The students (about 300 of them) walked in complete silence from the school to the cemetery. On the way to the cemetery field, I saw Edward, in a sombrero, (see maintenance guy/artist/ghost above) sitting behind one of the old buildings, watching the line of kids. He was responsible for a lot of the "art" at our celebration and even though he didn't participate, it was cool to watch him watching us as we looked at his art (pictures following). The school's music teacher played a single drum beat as the students walked through the doorway, across the field, and settled in their spots. Most of the kids dressed as skeletons or in traditional Mexican clothing. After everyone was settled, the kids sang two songs and danced. Some of the teachers accompanied them:
Afterwards, we walked back to the school. (You can see the line of kids in the picture above). Overall, it was incredibly moving and beautiful. Having children singing and dancing in the shadow of a children's cemetery seemed very appropriate. Plus, Edward made these amazing shrines which were all over the field. It's amazing how well-staged found objects can carry so much meaning when staged in the right way and viewed with reverence (hey, wait, didn't I write my thesis about that?). Scissors aren't just scissors, they're scissors. And with 60 abandoned buildings at his disposal, he found a lot of objects to inject with meaning.Pictures to make my point:

The "shrine" at the doorway to the celebration. Edward painted this family portrait of skeletons and found a birdbath and the grill for a truck, and voila.
They aren't just phones, they're phones.

These paintings were in cell-like structures:

Even skeletons can rock out, albeit morosely. I think she's emo.
The doorway as you left the celebration. A chalkboard, some pieces of metal, some scissors, some dying plants:
Don't ask me where he found this, or what it is. Some people guessed a giant carrot? I'm not sure, but when I saw it framed by some branches, lying in the field, I thought it must be very important.
And this, a door, with some branches, and a tissue paper flower:
The main shrine, with the cemetery behind it:

And my personal favorite:
Yep, those are sinks taken from the buildings, and a bird cage with some paper flowers. They left up most of the stuff so we can see it when we take hikes.
And, just when you thought zombies weren't cat people, don't you worry about a thing:

Taste this, I think it's gone bad

A few weekends ago, on our quest to Discover Austin, we went to McKinney State Falls. I give it two thumbs down. We should have guessed when we passed a sign on the way in that said, "Water levels low, no refunds" that our trip to "see the falls" might come up short. However, I cling unflinchingly to a commitment to miss the obvious, so it should come as no surprise that I missed that, too. We saw many parched cacti:
This particular type reminds me of ping pong paddles. I have yet to see the sort of cactus that you imagine when you think of drawings you've seen of cacti (the kind that looks like a man with his arms raised), but I've seen plenty of this. And as someone who's touched them, I can tell you that yes, the spines are actually sharp (and if by touching you mean I can't feel this at all. It's really not that sharp, I mean even when I touch it like this it doesn't hurt. I can't feel a thing, see? AAAHHH! I'm bleeding! I'm bleeding! My finger is stuck on it!, then yes, I've touched one).

Speaking of cacti, that white tuna I posted about? We bought one to try it out and after an internet search, determined that it is a member of the prickly pear family. To enjoy it, cut off the tough skin and eat the inside. Rumor has it that it tastes like watermelon and that you just swallow the seeds. I guess it tasted like watermelon, but it's too labor intensive to eat because that thing was nothing BUT seeds. So there's that.

Instead of falls at McKinney State Falls, we saw many of these pools of water, nestled in pockets of limestone.
Pretty cool, actually. Our summary of the falls that day was that it was kind of like walking across the surface of the moon, if the moon were made of limestone and was very close to the sun.

Rumor has it that our class trip in May will take me here, a prospect which James and I are quite excited about.

we're all searching for a heart of gold

One of the things in the supermarket that I've never heard of. You can see that this spiky green object is neither white, nor tuna, but quite a steal at 5 white tunas for only one dollar. I tried to use context clues to help me figure out what it was. It was near the nopales and the coconuts, so I'm not sure what to make of that. Hey, for 20 cents, I'll pick one up next time.

Dia de los dinos

Today we went to Zilker Botanical Garden's "Dino Land". Thirty life-size dinosaurs. We saw this guy:and these baby dinosaurs in a nest in a tree:
We tried to take some "Help! I'm being eaten by a T-Rex!" pictures, but I think I look decidedly less afraid than I would if a T-Rex were actually about to sink his claws into my soft flesh, and I think that James looks like he's starring in Godspell. He's got the jazz hands down.


Of course, who knows what you would actually do if you were at the mercy of a dinosaur. Maybe you would start singing Broadway tunes (who is the land for, the sun and the sand for, oh yes, it's all for the best!)
Thus:
There's a really pretty Oriental garden there, too. We both want to go back on not a Saturday afternoon and find a quiet spot for reading and writing. (I'm currently, yes STILL, reading GWTW. I'd give it up, but you don't get 570 pages into a 735 page book just to STOP reading it. It's good, and I will be glad to have read it, but I wish it would BE OVER ALREADY. I've been living in that world for 3 months now and if it doesn't end soon, I'll be working the land in a hoop skirt). The garden:
Just as soon as I said, "This place needs a koi pond," lo and behold:


James said he wants to construct such a place in our backyard. By the time we get a backyard and have our very own zen garden, I'll be back from driving my carriage back and forth to my mills in Atlanta and will be able to enjoy it. (See GWTW above).

We don't have fall colors, sadly, but we do have pumpkins:
and while I miss the fall colors, we've both decided that the fact that James hasn't pulled out his hoodie yet and I'm still in short sleeves might be a fair trade.

I like this picture of James. He's a cute boy.
And just when you thought I had ceased to exist, here's proof that you're wrong:
I'm off to drink some acai berry tea. My accupuncturist in Asheville told me that it's good for my kidney pulse. What's good for my kidney pulse is good for me. Happy trails.