it was a pippin of a day

actually, it was a pippin of a week.

or, if you prefer it, a corker.

one being English, the other Irish. I don't mind which you use. just don't say, it was a fine day, a swell day, a beautiful day, a great day, a nice day, or anything else drolly American that comes to mind. when we can steal, or rather, pinch, such wonderful expressions from our English-speaking ancestors, why use our boring, bland ways of complimenting God on the weather?



I'm feeling extremely happy. any signs of depression, or even momentary unhappiness, have fled with the rain. summer is here, and I'm entirely ready for it! would you care for a brief outline of my week?
all of last weekend I spent in Seattle with my good friend Lauren, because it was her birthday week. on Friday I got my ears pierced, and almost fainted ten minutes later while walking through the mall. this isn't a good idea and doesn't feel good so don't try it. on a happier note, I have lovely little crystal, "diamond" studs that aren't infected, so that's good. then Lauren took me to a music store on the way home and we spent...'just 5 or 10 minutes" sightreading a new book I want. okay so more like 15 minutes....
Saturday in Seattle, we did the Underground Tour, ate at an Indian place for lunch, hung out at the Center, and ate at the Crab Pot for dinner. the Crab Pot is amazing, if you haven't been there, because you order their feast, and they bring crab, oysters, clams, mussels, sausage, corn, and potatoes, and cook it all together, then dump it on butcher paper on your table. they give you a bib and a mallet and say "Go for it." amazing. we looked in some little shops in the big barn-type building on the waterfront, including an exhorbitantly overpriced Asian/African/Indian gift shop, and an all-pirate parephenalia store that was amazing. got ice cream and watched the seagulls. took a billion pictures, including one of Marc calling his mom in Pittsburgh to tell her "where he was now" (he just moved here six months ago....slightly excitable around new sights ha-ha). we got back not too late, and Lauren and I watched the first half of Nicholas Nickleby - as long as she could keep her eyes open. we finished it Sunday morning.

Sunday evening we had some friends from church over. they have four kids, the oldest is 8 and 1/2. I'll just leave it at that; it was fun, but not something to do terribly often.

Monday I was in Seattle again, because the Paramount was having a Silent Film Festival which we attended. First though, we went out to lunch with my grandmother, who works for Microsoft, then took a walk with her and a fellow employee. Afterwards we had a few hours to kill (Monday was also a pippin of a day), and I suggested Pike Place Market; one of the stops we hadn't been able to squeeze in over the weekend with Lauren's family. we found some not-too-expensive parking about a block away and meandered slowly towards the market.
there's something about Pike Place that just does it for me. I've only been three times in my life, but it feels like home more than anywhere else in Seattle probably. more than the library, or my grandparents' house, or the poetry rocks at the Centerhouse. there's something about all the people, all so content and - happy isn't really the word - joyful I guess. all there for a good time on a beautiful day in the most wonderful city in the world, and right on the water too. just outside the first Starbucks ever founded (which sports the original Starbucks logo that you won't see anywhere else) there were five black guys all singing and harmonizing with each other, and it was so perfect for right there. a big group of people were around them listening, and mom gave me some change to put in their bucket. it was like a Gospel choir or something, and they had so many harmonies going it sounded like there were instruments playing; they were really quite good too. they were selling albums and everything.
then we passed a girl playing violin, with her case open for donations. she had a sign that said she was a music graduate paying off college debts, and was playing something from a book of Bach when we walked past. soon that was all lost in the sounds of vendors and customers, more specifically the fish market. it's so much fun watching the guys throw big hunks of raw fish back and forth to each other, and never missing or dropping!
we found a really cool music store, with every odd type of instrument you could think of, but not many "normal" instruments. that was neat but extremely expensive, of course. I made friends with this cool Indian guy who has a little tiny Indian shop on the lower level, and sells incense and idols and bangles and henna. I asked him what this Hindi word meant on one of the henna packages, and we hit it right off. unfortunately the bangles were WAAAAY overpriced (considering what they cost me in India lol), but I really wanted to buy something from him since I spent a while talking to him, and he gave me some really good advice on how to make henna stay longer and darker. Mom found some awesome henna stencils and we bought one that looks like Celtic knotwork sort of.....so that's really cool. I'll definitely visit him again next time I'm at the Market.
I bought some hot, fresh-roasted market cashews for us to split, so even though we went into the Starbucks to look around (it is the first one, after all) we didn't get anything there. also bought Market Spice Tea, which mom says takes her back to her childhood because her parents used to buy it when she was little. she doesn't like tea but I'm very fond of this kind, though it has a little kick to it. I'll say this though, it's not very good iced. they had samples and when iced it's really gross. of course, I don't like iced tea anyway......(so that may have something to do with it.)
after listening to the singers for awhile longer, we had to get back to the car because we were almost out of time on the meter, and it was near time to meet my dad for the silent film thing. we had to go somewhere to eat first, and finally just went to a McDonald's and got some fries and things. I was really sad because they advertise a new strawberry mango milkshake, but their ice cream machine was broken. see, I'm trying to acquire a taste for mangoes, because that's pretty much essential if you live in India. if you know any good recipes I can try, for mango drinks or fruit salads or anything like that, please send them my way!!!!!!

the Silent Film we saw, the Gaucho, was fantastic, and so was the organist playing for it on the amazing old Wurlitzer. The Gaucho is all about this famous bandit in Argentina (The Gaucho, of course), and how he's basically like a Hispanic version of Robin Hood. there's one scene where he is put in prison, and tries to dig his way out, but finds underneath the flagstone he's lifted that there's a stone foundation about three feet down, and he can't get out. then next thing you see, his guard is rushing for help yelling that he's escaped, and they all run off to get more help after searching his cell, and leave the door wide open. The Gaucho then procedes to get out from under the flagstone, where he was hiding in the area he dug out, and makes his escape through the open door. though not really cute by todays standards, he was so cool and smooth that he almost reminded me of Psmith in some scenes.



I believe it was Tuesday that I started Persuasion. I worked Tuesday, and found out I'm not working at all in July. rats. :( I talked to my boss, had a pretty good conversation with her, and we decided that I'll be on call basically until we move, just if she needs some extra help all of the sudden. although a little disappointed, for I love my job, after thinking this over I'm glad. I'm gone too much this summer for a steady job, and when I am home, it leaves more time for reading my huge list of summer books, and getting together with friends.
so....if you're around in July.....

oh never mind. I'm not. ha-ha almost forgot about that.....

Wednesday. I can't remember Wednesday. I think we went somewhere, but then again we may not have. maybe just for a walk. skip Wednesday, it's not important.

Thursday I started golf lessons again. with a left-handed instructor. (be honest, how many of you laughed?) he's actually a very good teacher and it's nice having a lefty, because I can mirror him doing it correctly. it was a good lesson and I'm looking forward to the next four. then I drove dad to his office, and was gonna take his vehicle back for youth group (Mom was out and it was really confusing with the different vehicles and all, 'cause I don't have my own yet). but then Mom got done early and ended up picking me up instead, but making me drive her car back to Enumclaw. most of the kids from Jr. High youth group were gone on their mission trip, and a bunch of kids from Sr. High who are their leaders went too, so it was super-small but mostly we just hung out and had fun. we did some serious sort of stuff too, but that was later and was really a pretty good discussion because of the small group. I got home not too late, and watched The Secret Garden, which I hadn't seen in years and just got from the library. it wasn't as good as I remembered it, but I was surprised how much I did remember as I was watching it, and I still enjoyed it quite a bit.

Friday, yesterday, was an excellent day. my mom went walking in the morning as was gone when I woke up. I'd had my hair in French braids for two days, since my haircut on Wednesday (that's where we went Wednesday!), and I took the braids out but left it all super-curly and pretended I was Irish all day, quoting Far and Away. I got my chores done quickly, before Mom got home, and read a little more of Persuasion. I hadn't been too hungry when I woke up so hadn't eated breakfast yet, and Mom is a late breakfaster so she didn't eat before she left either. when she got back, we were both fairly hungry, but noticed that there wasn't much in the pantry or fridge either of us were in the mood for. actually, there wasn't much at all. I suggested, half-jokingly because I didn't think she'd say yes, that we go to The Kettle, which is a fabulous place not far from out house. as an example: they make skillets/scrambles that all three people in my family split, and still bring home leftovers, for only ten bucks. their pancakes are as big, if not bigger, than the Black Diamond Bakery's. and cheaper too, by quite a bit. we go there when we can for breakfast, or sometimes dinner (breakfast served all day), and my dad bought mom some gift cards for Christmas last year.
long story short we did go to The Kettle, and split one of their breakfast meals (and yes, still had leftovers too). then we headed over to church to help at the firework stands, since all the fireworks had just been delivered and we needed to take inventory and set up stuff. that was a lot more fun than expected, because the other guy who showed up to help with his two sons was hilarious, and has a voice made for radio. the funniest part was that all the boxes were numbered something like G-072, or C-375, and we would call them to my mom to mark off the list as we unloaded them. well with his announcer's voice it sounded just like a Bingo hall, and we kept making and hearing jokes about it all afternoon!
we got home and soon got a call from my aunt Nancy (the one I went on the first trip to India with, and who Lauren and I are staying with in Portland). she told us that she and uncle Richard were coming up that night to get a cat from my other aunt (the one who breeds cats), and wondering if they could stay the night. so we hurriedly and overjoyedly fixed up the guest room and cleaned up a little around the house. then we were able to get those amazing hammocks out and read in them for awhile. until it got qutie hot. then we came inside, and waited.
and waited.
and waited.
what's for dinner?
well....dad's golfing and will be late. how about pizza?
let's watch the second half of Pride and Prejudice. okay!
hmmm......*plays some piano for a while*
let's go play badminton.
*impatience*
can I call them....pleeeeeaaaassssseeee????
stupid Seattle traffic. another accident, as usual, and five hundred cars backed up to Olympia. but they finally did arrive, and we made chai and stayed up really late talking.

then this morning we got up really early to spend some time with them before they left at about 10. afterwards, I took a shower and got ready, and read Persuasion for an hour or so before helping mom get a picnic together to take up to the Carbon River for the afternoon. we listened to Leave it to Psmith on tape, my fourth time now (hey, it isn't due back at the library yet, why shouldn't I listen to it again??) while getting the picnic food ready.
AND YOU THOUGHT WE LIVED FAR OUT????? try the Carbon River. how anyone can camp longer than one day with no bathrooms though is really beyond me. it's a beautiful place, but really. I mean, come on.
anyway, aside from all the carpenter ants that hatched two weeks ago trying to eat us alive and crawl on our blanket, we had a really good time. good picnicy-type food, and then we waded around in the freezing glacier river for quite awhile, splashing each other and playing weird games and singing half the lyrics of Disney songs....all that we could remember. finally we decided it was about time to go, and came back home. then - our agent called.

and it looks like this time we really are getting an offer on the house. the people who originally wanted it, who had a contingent offer on it, got an offer on their house. and now they're going to put one on ours. unfortunately, it's for a lot lower than before. but we'll just counter and tell them it has to be more.
and then it'll all go like clockwork and they'll say yes, and we'll move in a month, and I'll be gone and won't even be here to say goodbye. :(
I swear my parents are going crazy. my mom keeps grabbing me really quickly at totally random times, freaking me out, and then it's all just to say - we might be moving in a month! it's finally happening!

yes mom, for the 20th time, I know.
*sigh* I will survive....*starts singing*

so guess who spent the next two hours using the library's internet to look for houses? not me...oh no, I stayed home and finally got to finish Persuasion!!!!!! great book too. of course I looked at all the pictures of the houses when my parents got home, and we talked about the ones we really liked, but then we all settled down and dad made popcorn and we watched a movie.

then they stayed up some more and looked at houses. I'm staying out of this.....they can do the broad searching and I'll help narrow down the field a bit. I think that's the best for all our happiness and sanity, all around.

and with that, this wonderful week and sleep deprivation last night have made me quite tired. I'm going to bed. good night to all my dear, dear friends! I hope your week had as nice weather and enjoyments as mine!

summer days/drifting away.....

Summer!!!!!!!!!!!! It's here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
seriously. I know it's not officially summer yet (Saturday!), but I finished school today, and tomorrow and the rest of summer I get to stay up as late as I want and sleep in as long as I want. I always knew that it's not what I do during the day, but when I get to do it that matters. I've got a ton of 4-H stuff still to get ready before Fair, but even that doesn't make me depressed because I can sleep till ten and stay up past midnight doing it. and that's my happy time.

and I have lots of Hindi but if I do it late at night when I'm awake it's so much better.

*sigh* life is good.

and my dad just got home. so I have to go. I need to do chores and call five people and make zucchini bread and.....I know there was something else dang it.

sorry. didn't sleep well last night. dum de do de do........



this summer Lauren and I are going to Portland. by ourselves. yeah, seriously. we're staying with my aunt and uncle, and going to the church I went to India through, and meeting with Mike, and going tax-free shopping, and hopefully dinner with my cousins, and going to Powell's!!!!!!!!!!!!! all in one weekend. that's next month, the 11th-13th. I am SO excited!!!!

*deep breath* Soooo......

.....I'm getting my ears pierced.

Yes, seriously. for real. Lauren says she'll hold my hand.

So now you can all buy/make me earrings for Christmas, and when you're in Claire's trying to remember "does Kacy have pierced ears???" you can think about this blog post, and how she said she was getting her ears pierced and hoping it wouldn't hurt too badly, and then did it sometime back in June, and most definitely does have pierced ears, so you can buy/make the earrings.

I figure I need to do it before I go back to India. All the girls there pierce their ears as babies, and it's really awkward if you don't have pierced ears. Lauren is getting a piercing soon, and told me I should go with her and we'll do it together.

rats. why am I doing this???

anyway, yeah. that's it.









oh and, btw, you guys need to keep up. I'm actually finally posting again and hardly anybody's commenting!!!! *whines* okay never mind.


PPS
Father/Daughter Camp starts Friday and I'll be completely out all weekend. no e-mail, no phone, no texting, yeah. and Monday I plan on being sick with my mom, but I guess if it's an emergency then it's all right (like you just couldn't stand not hearing my voice anymore or something. or if you get caught and killed). I don't know if I'll post again before that or not, but expect a hefty post afterwards that will make you all want to come next year!!!!!!







today I drove to piano by myself, in my mom's car. i'm still alive and so is everyone else involved. this falls under the good news category and that's why you didn't see it on TV.