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.