bout to get all serious on y'all

Hey friends.
{evie} is MIA so I guess all the pressure is on me to continue producing quality posts.  Uhoh.  Especially because lets be honest, {evie} makes a heck of a lot more sense than me, generally speaking.  But the show must go on!  Also as a side note, you may have noticed that the blog is much more active in the summer (aka, no posts not in the summer months).  I'll have to check with {evie}, but maybe we could officially make it a summer blog.  It's just, when college starts there is really no time to be doing extra writing... I spend enough time staring at a comp screen reviewing powerpoints and writing papers.  And {evie} is an english/french double major sooo I bet she writes 3 times as much as me (nursing).  As anyone who is in/has been through college, I'm sure the phrase "the struggle is real" is near and dear to your heart.

I suppose this kind of defeats the original "staying in touch" premise we started this blog with.  We  stay in touch don't fear.  Just not really via the blog.  I actually forgot the blog existed until {evie} reminded me one day when we were hanging out: "I had this dream about 'don't forget to draw in a hat' and your mom" and I was all like "OMG THE BLOG!!!!!!!!" so we started it up again as I'm sure you all noticed and promptly threw a fiesta.

My AP Comp teacher once told me never to use emoticons.  I'm sorry Ms. P (name shortened to preserve identity), but I have come to realize I use them multiple times in each post.  I hope that you followers don't mind.  The trend will continue, btw.

Now that we've taken care of some housekeeping details, time to get into the "fun" part of this post ;)  Hooray.

We are going to discuss some awesome places in the world, pictures and all.  DISCLAIMER: I'm bout to go back and cite all the URLs of pics/vids I've borrowed from other sources (in my other posts).  Not to fear, I want to give credit where credit is due :)  Esp. because I don't even have a camera or smartphone, I pretty much have to borrow pics.

My motivation for this topic came yesterday when my family visited The Basilica of Saint Mary.  Astonishing church... GORGEOUS.  If you ever visit the tundra that is Minnesota, this church should be #1 on your destination list (MOA can be demoted to #2).  I would also like to point out, how baller is it that their URL is mary.org?!  I have been to this basilica 4 times that I can remember and I forgot how incredible it was until yesterday I was sitting there wishing I could spend an hour just walking around and exploring.  A couple pictures:

Outside view

pic 1 http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6e/Interior_shot_of_the_Basilica_of_St._Mary.jpg
pic 2 http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7a/Minneapolis-Basilica_of_Saint_Mary-windows.jpg
pic 3 http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f4/2008-0705-BasilicaStMary.jpg/250px-2008-0705-BasilicaStMary.jpg

This also reminded me of one of my goals in life: visit St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.  It's right up there with my other life goals: take a selfie with Pope Francis, go skydiving, be at the Rose Bowl when the Badgers win, win a $1,000,000 giftcard to the Dane County Farmer's Market, and get over 23 followers on this blog.  St. Peter's Basilica is the largest church in the world folks located at the traditional burial site of St. Peter.  Peter was a martyr for the faith and crucified upside down because he considered himself unworthy to die in the same way as Jesus.  Here it is:

pic 1 http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7e/St._Peter%27s_Basilica_at_the_Vatican_in_Rome.jpg
pic 2 http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/eb/St._Peter%27s_Basilica_2013-09-16.jpg

The other place I would love to visit someday is Punaluu Black Sand Beach, Hawaii.  And just Hawaii in general, let's be real.  The sand is made black because of the lava flowing into the ocean, which explodes when it reaches the ocean and cools.  Can you imagine walking barefoot on a beach with black sand?!  Some pics below:

This last one is Kailua Kona, Hawaii - another spot in Hawaii i'd defs hit up.  and maybe they sell kona coffee for super cheap (kinda like you can get olives for cheap in greece).

pic 1 http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/19/Punaluu_Black_Sand_Beach%2C_Hawaii%2C_USA7.jpg
pic 2 http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/11/Punaluu_Black_Sand_Beach,_Hawaii,_USA5.jpg
pic 3 http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/54/Hawaii-Kona-Sonnenuntergang.jpg

These are some places I'd like to travel to.  How about you guys?  COMMENT BELOW!

steady rainin

*under construction.* HAVE A PLEASANT DAY. =)

in the works

I have begun to write again:)

Any writers out there?

Anyone?

Okay...how about this:

Any of you who would love to write or feel the impulse to write or desire greatly to write but may not have the motivation, time, or support to do so?

See, this is with whom I have always identified. I used to try to write as a little kid, but my older sisters more or less squashed this creative side out of me with their criticisms and I became too ashamed to write at all. Don't get me wrong--I love my sisters and I love criticism and I love their criticism, but as I little kid it was slightly depressing to have your older sisters make fun of everything you tried to write. So I stopped, yet always felt that writer's pulse within me. But now...

AT LAST! I AM WRITING AGAIN:)

I cannot tell you just how overjoyed I am right now. Of course, it is difficult, what with always having to interrupt myself with work and reading and everything else, but all the same...the words are a-coming. And there is nothing quite so satisfying as seeing your creative juices flowing into those neat little letters.

However...writing is wildly frightening. When writing, you watch your ideas take form and you lay them there in front of yourself, willing them to be criticized by present others, past works, and, that harshest of critics, yourself. It is incredibly daunting. I cannot help but disparage myself for even trying to write something--I keep comparing my stuff to the great works of literature. It is impossibly stupid for me to do so, but, as an incorrigible competitor, I can't help it.

Apart from this difficulty, there is also the massive struggle of just writing. Ever tried to write? If yes, you understand just how difficult it is to make sense of your mind and perform the osmosis of what you want to say into that scene or that story or whatever it is you are attacking at that present moment. George Orwell once described novel-writing as "a horrible, exhausting struggle, like a long bout with some painful illness. One would never undertake such a thing if one were not driven on by some demon whom one can neither resist nor understand" (Orwell). I cannot agree more, Mr. Orwell.

So there you have it folks. I have a new work finally actually in the process, a work more than two or three paragraphs long, and I have made the commitment to actually finish it. Let's see what happens.

In the meantime, enjoy this scene--one of my favorites from all of cinematic history. There is so much meaning in this one scene...everyone should see it. Breakfast at Tiffany's is not my favorite movie, but this scene is absolutely fantastic. I just love the ending of this movie. And Audrey Hepburn is absolutely amazing--one of my heroes:)

{evie}

Post-work post. holla.

Yeah. Check out the time I am writing this (2am folks). Impressive, huh?

I got out of work roughly and hour ago. I work two jobs at two different places: coffee barista and hostess. Where I work as hostess, I not only host but I also bus dishes. Just for those of you who have never bussed dishes before, it is a job in which one must be prepared to get rather dirty. For example, I spilled ice cream, meat sauce, sour cream, barbecue sauce, coleslaw, pasta, meat juice, ketchup, mustard on my clothes today. Yum.

So here I am, waiting for my clothes to get out of the wash--and I decided to write a post. Next I am going to shower and then I am going to finish Dante's Inferno and then I am going to sleep. I am unbelievably exhausted. 14-hr work day. HOLLA.

Gotta say though, I love both my jobs and I love working. No joke. I love having a goal and a purpose....just like studying! Believe it or not, I actually get joy from just sitting in the library and studying. For more fascinating news on my library habits, see my next post--if I ever get to one.

Okay--ciao for now. This girl needs sleep...and to finally finish Dante's fascinating trip through Hell.

For those of you who know of Odysseus, you may be interested in finding out that Dante placed this Greek protagonist in the eigth level of the eighth circle of hell--the place for "Evil Counselors". Yikes (this was pretty much here for Sierra).

{evie}

BACK AT IT 2014 #YOLO #SWAG

I have this candle that smells like a french baguette.
It's called, "French Baguette."
Gred often uses it to trick people into thinking he's Bred baking bread.  Because Gred likes confusing people.
Gred bakes cakes, though.
His favorite variety is German chocolate cake.
Unlike German chocolate cake, I am actually german :)
dontcha kno
By the way {evie},
I accidentally deleted your 1st post thinking it was mine, and I don't know how to retrieve it!!!!!!
I am very sorry. :'(

Post

I AM POSTING.

Bet you weren't expecting that.

Oh noooooooooooooooo.

Just as I was beginning this post, I checked my Wiscmail account and remembered: I have to complete AlcoholEdu >:O !!!!!!!!!

So I guess I will be doing that instead of blogging, dang.

Good bye friends.

{evie}




































HA just kidding, evie would never have actually posted that post
~S

p.s. gredforge

Okay: collaboration post because we both agreed we need to update the blog...first time in a month. Oops. So I, evie, will be writing in this shade of puce...and sierra will be writing in this other shade of puce. If anyone can tell us which is the true shade of puce, you are very, very wise.

Okay, so we really need to inform you, our loyal followers (anyone out there?), about our hyperlink "gredforge". Quite a back story there. I guess it all begins with Harry Potter--obviously (p.s. this is a hyperlink!!). It was our favorite series back in the good old days of freshman year...still is Sierra's favorite, but my heart has long since transferred its love to another series ;) (Sierra won't let me name it, but I am sure you can hazard a guess).

Hello.

Evie, why do I have to write in this color????? :(

>:(

see hp & the philosopher's stone pg. 202 in american edition published 1998 (love how specific we are?)

Honestly--why the heck did Sierra only type that much?! She did more with the creation of gred than I did...anyway, the point is, gred came about when we decided to do a spoof off Harry Potter. We knew we had to include fred and george, but, as there were only two of us, we could really only have one person for the both of them. So we combined them, you see, into just gred. He had one line in the entire spoof movie: "p.s. I'm gred". Solid line right?

Gred was so skilled at reciting his one line he acquired instant fame.  He is now world famous.  Here are some of his traits and special skillz (oh wait, he is skilled at everything.... hmmmm how should I rephrase here are his MOST OUTSTANDING abilities):

~Pond cleaning

~Pole vaulting (averages 200 feet)

~Cake baking

~Triangle section leader in marching band

~He is really fast

~Super skinny--he can hide really well (for example, easily hides behind the skinniest trees.. forge on the other hand...........)

~He also has special chips to give him energy.  One small chip contains 5000 calories.  He once gave these chips to Coyla.... not a good ending.

There is also Forge.

Hmmm....Sierra definitely skipped some important information regarding gred's growing existence....we basically thought his one single line was so hilarious that we kept making up the most ridiculous things about him. He became a sort of imaginary friend--except not always on friendly terms. We added his brother, forge, and friends, coyla, gabbe, and coyle (siblings). We basically just had a bunch of imaginary people we talked about. It is incredibly bizarre-sounding--and really is--but it is so much fun :). In fact, we talked about him so much around some of our other friends that we confused several people into believing that he was a real person. Of course, we clarified for them...but we kept up his legacy with some of our good buddies (pole-vaulting times...oh man).

To get a visual, Gred has red hair and freckles.

It should also be noted Forge is very good at making pencils but has no other abilities.  He just sits in his room making pencils all day.  He is jealous of Gred.  Of course, who wouldn't be jealous of such a classy, talented and charming individual?

So there. Now you know why our hyperlink is "gredforge". Good times.

Bye.

{evie}

~S