111. elm street.

 this map of europe was in my closet when i moved in.

i decided to continue the tradition.

so long, c-u

it took a last minute uhaul trailer to get everything out, but all is well.

nice to be home for a few days while i get ready for the trip.

lots of errands to run, laundry to wash, and people to hug.

110. freedom fries.

a happy 4th to all!
i'm celebrating my country by packing up my apartment and feeling sentimental/sweaty.

i've also set up a tumblr to use for all things mongolia, so this blog will be down for the summer after next week.
right now it features a few pictures and musical stylings as i get ready to depart.

http://mongoliansummer.tumblr.com

109. fancy feast.

did i mention the food?
because oh my gosh the food.

 this cup housed club soda mixed with homemade ginger syrup.

chopping ginger made my fingers all tingly.

 

pictured: fresh baba ganoush, caprese skewers, tomato/olive tapenade on endive boats, and cake balls (that's balls 'o cake dipped in dark chocolate and covered in gold sugar sprinkles)

sorbet cake!

a big high five to robyn b., as usual

108. signs of the times.

last night was my going away party, hosted by lovely friend robyn.
we did some decorating of the apartment beforehand, complete with artwork following the themes of mongolia and 4th of july, with additions by friends.

107. july, july.

i went to work this morning, but the drive i needed to perform the essential functions of my job were still like, meh, we're gonna stay down again today even though you only have one more day of work after this. then my breakfast was moldy.
the universe was all: go back home for awhile, jc. it's nice there.

so i did. instant success!
there was a package waiting for me, i watched several episodes of veronica mars, exercised, and made some packing strides. i also took a walk this evening and it was breezy and warm.

and the people of the world were happy, and it was good.

106. she loves you, yeah yeah yeah.

IT issues at work today. left early after reading the latest news on hammocks and mongolia (but not hammocks in mongolia) for approximately 3 hours, ate popcorn for lunch, and took a nap. oh, summer.

now packing and hand washing my clothes to the sounds of the 1960s-70s.
it is finally feeling real that i am moving, and traveling, and being a vagabond in the very near future.
i. am. excited.

105. dude.

a little friend for laura and i at the office, found tucked in a book:

lest the backside be ordinary:

104. lou.

last trip to see jj in stl:

food adventures 

movie watching

packing up

rasoi lunch buffet

outdoor seating for nice breezes and people without bike locks

work day surprises

 apop records' discount bin

newsies making tunes!

don't worry, i looked it up for you:

see you, cates avenue.

you'll be missed, but there are other continents to explore.

103. treasures, three.

mantras by emma, november 2010:

she sent them in an email, acting as my therapist at the time.

i wrote them on a little post-it and stuck it to my computer.

(sometimes words can help)

102. treasures, two.

the best thank you note, via ashley & keith earlier this spring

someday it will sit in a frame

101. cheese it.

a bright spot about working on fridays is that sometimes (this time, anyway) there are piles of surprise pizza brought in for the whole office and placed right next to you:

and then it takes over your desk!

100. i speak because i can.

 

(church, urbana)

99. treasures, one.

as i am beginning to clean up and pack my home of two years, i am finding some interesting and memory inducing items.
i do not have fancy, expensive things, but i do have a lot of paper, scraps, and oddities.


apartment treasures, reveal yourselves!

presenting: amber, class of 2004

provenance:

oct. 08, 2010

found in: Disney's America on parade

c1975

(at work)

 and rediscovered tucked inside:

zoetrope

guest editor: pj harvey

98. doors.

lovely binding from work today, c1871

textured and printed like heavy wood, gold stamped

97. light.

i'm just gonna go ahead and leave this here...

96. fortune.

"you will find true love on flag day."

95. tired feet.

a busy, fun weekend in the north.
a rehearsal, a dinner, a fancy morning, a wedding, a reception.
nice to see so many people i like all in one place.

 kt made me some clip-ons for the occasion

veg plate: pasta with roasted vegetables

i wish my dress had allowed me to eat more of it!

a lincoln by the bathroom

 

94. ulaan means red.

cool breezes through the windows, paint under my fingernails, and a project that took roughly death cab for cutie's entire discography to complete.
i'd call that a nice way to spend a thursday evening.


also, my sister is getting married on saturday!
fanciness: on.

93. summertime eats.

mango salad, quinoa, tofu.

peppermint.

 

black bear bakery vegan brunch.

my apartment is the same temperature at 9:00 pm as it was at 9:00 am: 90 degrees.
drinking diet coke in front of a fan (heat makes things heavy).

92. eye chart.

i prefer to think of this not as breaking things i like, but having less to pack when i move.

(or, everything i own should be made of plastic.)

91. now that it's june.

the past few days have felt very much like summer.
besides work, i've watched two movies with friends, drank fizzy juice, listened to she & him on repeat, eaten a tofutti cutie, and had an eye exam (an activity for all seasons, really).

oh, and another small thing:
i bought a plane ticket to mongolia
:)

90. chicago, in three parts.

one:

npr knows!

(second city)

 two:

a conneticut yankee in buckingham's court

 three:

 the simplest, best dinner

(not pictured: cookies!)

89. fixed.

PC laptops have dumb, blinking, bright lights on the front, all up in your eyes when you are trying to watch or read something on the screen. in the past, i have covered this with a pad of post-it notes, my cell phone, an eraser, a usb drive, my checkbook, or a postcard. none of these things are terribly useful if one desires to use the keyboard.

the other night at robyn's, we did crafts and ate delicious pie. other than a happy stomach, i also solved my biggest light-related life problem. by sewing a tiny cushion:

world: at peace.

laptop: lookin' fly.

88. magic.

The danger, he thought, was that these children had arrived at the brief interregnum between gullible, wondering childhood and the know-it-all watchfulness of adolescence; that they would view his act from the implacable middle stage where their own innocence and lack of understanding had begun to seem a burden to them, and a program of deceptions practiced upon them by a strange adult could inspire feelings of oppression.

87. dedication.