a quest of questions.

well. my new year starts jan. 15...and so i have a little longer to finish my last book to reach my goal. AND why not start the new year right...which has left me with the question...to master cleanse or to not master cleanse?

happy christmas.

xoxox.

.erin.leigh. + chewbacca

ten. and counting.

happy ten year anniversary to me, blogger and blogging! we've come such a long way: from the cryptic days of figuring out html, posting useless quiz results, over-sharing too much teen angst, dominating college and now swimming my way through adulthood. here's too many more years!

ps. what does this mean that my longest and most meaningful relationship has been with a website? not awkward...

bossly advice.

upon presenting me with a gift card to a restaurant with a pretty hefty balance, my boss said:

"now you can find a guy YOU want to go out with and take him there. you get to be in control of who you want to go out with and flirt with now."

thanks mike. now i just need you tell me where to meet these guys.

2012 folks. 2012.

anytime. anywhere.

yup. definitely power fist pumped and wagged my sassy finger through this number in my car while driving this afternoon. 

i cannot guarantee that i kept my eyes open the entire time while i belted out this number. 

no regrets. 

zero apologies. 

it's never too late.

whenever i hear someone say this phrase, this is what i am thinking about (and not listening to the words that follow your statement):



no apologies.

d. byrne.

knows how to cure my weary soul.



...in other news..just a friendly thought that if SOPA passes today, this page and perhaps my entire blog will be blocked by our money-lined pocket elected officials...seriously...CALL YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS IN DC AND MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD ON THIS ISSUE. how? click here.

thank you. i will step down off of this soap box now.

prepared.

upon further reflection and also reminding myself of my problem with chips and salsa, i decided that perhaps it wasn't the smartest idea to suggest tex-mex (read: unlimited chips and salsa) for a first date. in order to prevent an embarrassing overindulgence at dinner, i made sure to eat plenty at lunch.

...but don't worry...i will still eat PLENTY of chips and salsa at dinner...i think i may have a problem...

those a-ha moments.

today at the club, i went from hanging out with a teen while she tweeted her thoughts to kim kardashian, justin beiber and rhianna...to exploring google maps, which led to me showing a roomful of teens google's driverless cars.

little did i know the amazement that filled the room. suddenly i had a group of teens surrounding the computer while we watched the ted talk on the subject matter. it was this grand "a-ha" moment shared amongst a group of the kids where they were able to see the potential of technology. it led to them asking me how this man came up with this idea and how he was able to get his ideas turned into a reality.

it was quite magnificent to see their faces light up at the world of possibilities and also to help them realize that the future of technology lies with them and their ideas. we then looked at a number of other ted topics and their fascination was clear.

don't worry, we ended this high note...on an even higher note...on repeat:

swaaaaaaaaagggg.

apparently i learned a lot of life lessons yesterday at the bgc. when referring to my first car as "cute," i was quickly corrected that when i describe a car it is most appropriate to use the terms: "fly," "fresh," or "swaaaaggggg." needless to say when i raised the roof, that didn't go over so well either.

believe it or not, they taught me something about the internet...trust me, i didn't think this would be possible...

i present to you baby kaely...i guess all the kids are singing it these days...and her tunes are still stuck in my head...

dating.

yesterday, at the bgc, a group of teen girls and i talked about dating. here is what i learned:

• they've mastered the art of hard-to-get, and plan on showin' me their skillz.
• old-fashioned dates include going for walks to the gas station, because they love it there. 
• they dream of getting taken out to a restaurant...not just fast food...but a real restaurant.

i have so much to learn.

yup.

this is perfect at describing my life right now.

i have spent the day smiling and anticipating my future beginning in june. the whole wide world really is in the palm of my hands. can't beat that.

PERU. 06.2012.

hey. mr. postman.

a) since when does the postman deliver mail after 6 pm?

b) i am starting to take it personal that the only two pieces of mail that have ever been important to me have fallen lost at your hands. seriously. are you against the greater good?

c) if you know what is good for you, you will deliver what i am anxiously awaiting for monday. 

in the meanwhile...i went and saw the muppets last night. i laughed. i cried. my heart was overjoyed. see:

day of rest.

in the last week i have been to my heartland, hiked on mt. rainier and less than 48 hours later hiked in the canyons of big bend. saw parts of texas i've only dreamed of. spent much needed time with one of my closest of friends. slept in a yurt. experienced marfa. got chased by wild turkeys. saw the marfa lights. experienced chianti. felt like a local. visited my family heritage. learned about the art of pigeon racing. dominated at mexican dominoes. released seven months of mounting up karaoke and dancing. and said one very sad goodbye.

my black friday will be spent in my t-shirt and leggings paired with mismatching christmas socks, while watching korean soap operas and crafting and ANXIOUSLY awaiting the postman.

seriously. how has it not arrived yet?

oh. and how could i forget. IAMGOINGTOSEETHEMUPPETSTONIGHHHHTTTTT!!!!!

timing is key.

i awoke to an email this morning, which stated that my future was mailed to me yesterday.

i am quite excited about my forthcoming back-to-back adventures this week, but a part of me wants to stay home to greet the mailman until it arrives.

needless to say...some exciting news will be announced soon....!!!!!!!!!!!

tyop.

i accidentally just wrote:

"happy birthing cuzzzzzzz!"

to my male cousin who turns 27 today. luckily, fb lets you delete said typos. whew.

ps. happy BIRTHDAY, perry. here's to many more years of adorning matching puff-paint sweatshirts together. 

today.

coliniscoming! coliniscoming! coliniscoming! coliniscoming!
coliniscoming! coliniscoming! coliniscoming! coliniscoming!
coliniscoming! coliniscoming! coliniscoming! coliniscoming!
coliniscoming! coliniscoming! coliniscoming! coliniscoming!
coliniscoming! coliniscoming! coliniscoming! coliniscoming!
coliniscoming! coliniscoming! coliniscoming! coliniscoming!
coliniscoming! coliniscoming! coliniscoming! coliniscoming!
coliniscoming! coliniscoming! coliniscoming! coliniscoming!

things that make me happy #374.

glancing at my inbox and having an email with the subject line:

"confirmation for your 12/28/11 new york trip."

hellllzzzztothebellllzzzz yeah!

nyc4nye.

happy halloween.

this makes the nerd in me so happy.

late leigh.

oh. hey. life has been splendidly busy and full of adventures. here are the highlights:

zoooooooooommmmmmmbbbbbiiiiiiieeeeeeeee waaaaallllllllkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk:

 zombies are nothing but patriotic:

the most delightful reunion (not pictured, mr. ammon):

this reunion overjoyed my heart.

i celebrated libby's tattoosday birthday at the state fair of texas with big tex:

i took the most romantic sunset ride on the tallest ferris wheel in the western hemisphere:

i went on a deep-fried food tour, which began with deep-fried bubblegum, and let's just say it left much to be desired:

the delightful fellow fair-goers:

the sole reason i went to the fair, which we wandered hours for...deep-fried chips and salsa...and it was well-worth the search:

you must be meet the minimum height requirement to visit guest relations:

hallow's eve 2011: devo.

i spent the first half of the evening reciting "whip it," hoping to trigger people's memory of this iconic 80's band. when i attended my second celebration, i was greeted with numerous people singing the hit single. i was also kissed by a dallas cowboy football player (we are using the term loosely)...only dreams coming true, folks...dreams coming true...

other delightful happenings:

• a gashlycrumb evening spent with the loveliest ladies. it was an evening of autumn treats (you have got to love root and squash vegetable season) and my annual viewing of "eyes without a face." it's still just as scary as the years prior.
• a fireside given by david byrne's doppleganger.
• country dancing and twirling around the dance floor. such a delight. it's moments when i catch myself dancing around a saddle bejeweled like a disco ball, suspended high in the air that i love texas. 

this makes me happy.

i seriously have a list of blog posts that i need to write. this weekend. this weekend. life slows down this weekend.

gratuitous blog post dedicated to usher.

this week is panning out to be a craft master crazytown week. but don't worry, i believe in balance in my life. hence, this blog post dedicated to my main man...usher.

it's no secret, he is probably my highest trending blog subject, but we are overdue on some usher:

an update and delightful pictures on the most delightful weekend are forthcoming!

thank goodness.

dharma karma.

class was canceled, so i actually got home before the sunset for the first time in more than a month.

i forced myself to yoga and delighted in the fact that my teacher has a dharma initiative tattoo. awesome.

what. what.

upon sharing the delightful news that imri would be venturing out here for the week of thanksgiving, my dad beaming with excitement proceeded to raise the roof.

awesome.

ps. i think my dad may be just as excited as me, if not more excited about imri's impending visit.

358.

sometimes i miss the ghetto love chariot. however, listening to npr on full blast is a great substitute.

calendar of events.

i do best when i keep busy. and the next six to eight weeks are leaving me pleased as a peach:

• oct. 15: zzzzzzzzzommmmmbbbiiieeeee waaaallllkkkk
• oct. 16: jendar! + austin!
• oct. 21: a gashlycrumb affair
• oct. 22: the good ol' state fair o' texas
• oct. 29: halloweenie magic
• nov. 4-6: collin visits!!!!!!
• nov. 18-20: a twilight weekend of mystery
• nov. 21-26: marfa, tx or bust with imri!!!! 
• dec. 3: baby brother grows up. 

oh man. my heart is overwhelmed with all the excitement of events, and especially the visitors. seriously. 

ps. it looks like i am free the weekend of nov. 12...any takers????

camping.

finally the weather has cooled enough to spend time in the great outdoors. last night i even had the pleasure of sleeping under the stars (my favorite). i even had two brave souls who were willing to join me. after an evening of delighting in the constellations, we awoke lakeside to a nice, cool breeze.

texas/oklahoma, you're starting to grow on me...

re: nawa

UPDATE: i have since moved on from listening to otjiherrero music to xhosa music. partly because it's so happy and partly because it's fun to make the clicks when you sing along...

acceptance.

i think we can all agree that we want to feel accepted. i finally feel like the kids at the bgc have accepted me. sure, i may have allowed the 10-year-old girls do my nails to achieve this. sure, i may have bright red nails with hot pink french tips. sure, i may have allowed her to also paint hot pink flowers. and you better believe that she will be doing a final layer of glitter as my top coat tomorrow evening.

now, let's just hope that my boss doesn't have anything to say about this...

dads know best.

upon hearing about my plight with apples, my dad ventured to various stores and finally found some honeycrisp apples, which was a delightful surprise to me this morning as i packed my lunch.

thanks dad. best ever.

texas spanglish.

tonight, in order for our teacher to get the class to understand the concept of "vosotros," she ended up having to explain it as "y'all."

apparently being texan makes understanding the spanish language structure easier....

nawa.

i have been on an otjiherrero tunes kick lately. as a result, i have been missing these people:

and yes, even him....

everything is nawa.

short list.

my short list of who i want to have as my bff's:

• jeff bridges
• elder jeffrey r. holland
• stevie wonder

now. let's make this magic happen.

climatized.

today i drove to work with my heater on...

...it was 66 degrees outside...

tradition. tradition.

today i am missing my traditional slumber party. today i am going to miss brunching over homemade eggs benedict and "vegetarian" bacon that came from bacon.

this weekend i have been missing taking over my small living room with my favorite people, where we tease one another if the other falls asleep.

our last general conference brunch:

note. we had to go out last time since i had already sold my table and everything else in my apartment. ohhhh ch-ch-ch-changes....

odd man out.

old news. i'm not eating meat again.

however, what i did not anticipate was the difficulty in my dad grasping this concept. note the conversation that took place this evening, after i had just explained how/why i am not eating meat (might i also mention i broke the news yesterday to him as well):

d: i think i may cook tomorrow. cooking on the grill would be nice.
e: oh yeah, i love grilled vegetables.
d: grilled chicken sounds nice. do you like grilled chicken?
e: well i am sure i would, but i'm not eating meat right now...
d: oh. yeah. just how long do you plan on having this last?....red beans and rice might be nice. perhaps i'll make that.
e: i love red beans and rice.
d: oh yeah? okay, i'll make that then. how do you like them seasoned? how about with some sausage?
e: .............................................except that then it would include meat.
d: you can always eat around it. seriously, between me and champ here, you are odd man out.
e: yeah. but there are so many delicious dishes we can make without meat. let me cook tomorrow!
d: yeah, i don't do well with your kind. i like my red meat.

i get it. i am in texas. not eating meat. i knew that this day would come. in fact, i plan on bringing my own sandwich to the church lunch tomorrow. why? because i am odd man out.

but really, that conversation just made me giggle. i love it. i love my dad.

too excited (maybe).

you can only imagine my excitement when i walked outside only to realize that the city doubled the size of our recycle bin. seriously. i did a little dance and squealed with excitement.

dream.

my favorite talking heads song? dream operator.

in other news, i am back to being vegetarian for a while...not surprised? me either. however, i did dream about eating a bacon avocado sandwich last night, and not because i love bacon.

i still feel guilty about that dream and the idea of eating meat still makes my stomach churn...

watering holes.

what does it reveal about me that i have frequented more than half of the PI's top 20 bars in seattle? oh, did i mention that i don't drink?

p.s. it's official. i've been invited.

differences.

lesson learned. buying apples in texas, hoping that they are just as delicious as their fresh, ripe counterparts in the majestic state of washington will always be a disappointment. first hint...the stores here don't even sell your favorite kind of apple...honeycrisp apples, anyone??!!?! texas?!?!?!

lesson learned. living in seattle, spoiled me with fresh produce.

and now i begin anxiously awaiting my surprise box of honeycrisp apples that one of my avid seattle readers will send me....(not so subtle) hint, hint...

sunday. sunday.

wearing red lipstick and riding around in a masarati. not a bad day. not a bad day.

lady in red.

fall is here. and so are fall colors.

i've decided that i want to incorporate more colors into my palette. the result? red lipstick. we shall see how that goes...

as a result, mina from the chanel makeup counter and i are now bff's. 

realidad.

liam and i went for mexican food the other night for dinner. i, of course, explained what most of the dishes were, but when it came time to eat i just asked for a box to go. why? because i ate too much CHIPSANDSALSA. seriously. when will i ever learn???

never. never.

lack thereof.

dear world,

watch out. i have been getting much less sleep than usual this week and i can't seem to catch up.

you may be asking yourself, "how is this my problem?" well, i am still driving and my skills have dissolved to the level of a teenager who just received their permit, or the level of a 98-year-old man who stubbornly refuses to retire their keys.

countless curbs, my parking garage entrance gate, the pedestrian cop and even a pillar have all fallen victim to this.

you may be next. so please accept my apology on advance.

xoxox

chi-town. (127).

sunday school. (127).

imri and i were avid sunday school attendees. see: