This is a Stick:

 

Boggle the Owl

 

I have *always* hated the term “a cry for help”.
It’s demeaning, dismissive, and in the end? Utterly UNhelpful.
This comic is right on the money.

Migrations:

 

One January morning, about six years ago,
I woke up to quiet.

But not a peaceful quiet.
An empty quiet.

My friend Ruth was gone–packed up for her home and family in Wisconsin,
and our apartment was so lonely without her.

Every morning, before she left,
there was music playing from her room–
weird stuff I had never ever heard before–
Andrew Bird and Amanda Palmer and I think Radiohead
and definitely Poe.

We bought this wonderfully hideous red velvet sofa together,
and spent a Saturday hanging pictures of Paris on the walls,
along with a white iron candelabra that I still have now.
We pierced our noses together,
danced at a very silly piano bar in very silly costumes,
and talked about books and music and boys and philosophy–
and shoes, because SHOES is why.

And then she was gone.

I have missed my friend.

…

She’s moving back to California now,
which fills me with So. Much. Joy!
But I also know how hard this is–
her family is staying in Wisconsin,
and she’s leaving so much behind–
books and furniture and a family home,
and her fuzzy weasels, Wesley and Brodie
(because California is Stupid about ferrets, yo).

(and hedgepigs. STOOPID.)

I want to squeal and bounce around because she’s coming back,
and we get to have more adventures together…
but I know, I know
it’s not all awesomeness for her,
or for her folks.

What I would like to do is get on a plane
and land in Wisconsin tomorrow,
and stay with her to help pack and plan.
And also go get drinks at her favorite bars together,
just for a bit of a last hurrah.

…

June is going to be more difficult
than exciting for her.
And I wish I could bear that burden better,
with packing tape, a U-Haul, and a sneaky compartment to
weasel weasels over the border.

…….

But she’s going to be here.
In a new job,
a new adventure,
and I am so immensely grateful to be a part of it.

Now,
go give my girl some love, and tell her that she’s awesome.

‘Coz she is:

 

This girl. I tell ya.

 

Copyright Higher Vision Photography, All Rights Reserved

 

Look! WE ARE THE CUTE.

A Girl, A Boy, A Dress, A Scarf:

 

Copyright Higher Vision Photography, All Rights Reserved

 

Our amazing photographer and friend, Josh Premako, put together a little sneak peek of our wedding–
I cannot WAIT to see all the photos he caught!

Married!

Yup.

We is.

 

Just wanted to assure you all.

Oh, Holy God:

 

I have four days before our wedding.

DO ALL THE THINGS:

 

In the meantime,
here’s a picture of a hedgepig,
hedgin’ it up:

 

“They said there would be cake. It was a lie.”

Of Hedgepigs:

 

“The Hedgepig is Concerned About the Weather”

 

I painted this just after Christmas,
sitting on the couch with my fiancé.

It was a nice sort of a night.

I Didn’t Expect:

 

My wedding to involve quite so much spray paint.

 

Make Your Own Mercury Glass. Take that, Pinterest.

 

Just call me the Matrimonial Tagger.

 

Spray all the things!

 

Who Has Two Thumbs and…

 

Got a $310 pair of handmade Italian shoes for $78 last night?

THIS GIRL.

WUT UP.

 

Lambent Knot Heels by Something Bleu, from BHLDN

Yesternight’s Workout:

 

Oof.

It’s been a while.

We’ve been kinda sporadically doing Crossfit,
what with crazy 12-hour workdays and all.
I’ve been doing my own workouts every day at the office–
tricep dips, knee balances on the yoga ball,
pushups and situps and handstands when no one’s looking…
But I really miss doing Crossfit regularly.

 

x4

(Rotating stations for first three exercises)
5 pistols (each leg)
10 20# KB Swings
45 Single-Unders (for the life of me, I can’t get the rope to go fast enough for a double-under)
10 toes-to-bar
20# KB 100m Relay (FUN! And soooo tiring!)
5 Single leg balance extensions (each leg)

 

That last one is *awesome* because it challenges
your balance, coordination, and it strengthens your back muscles,
which we all need.

 

I had a breakthrough in handbalancing on Monday night,
which was good, since the rest of class was PAIN and JOINTS and PAIN:

I finally got a solid one minute belly-to-wall handstand,
AND I was able to kick up into a handstand and forward roll out of it,
on my own!

*phew*

Thought I’d never get through the mental block I was having for that latter bit–
I’m always afraid that I’ll fall on my face,
break all my teeth,
and end up dead and homeless.

(All disasters end this way for me: Bounced a check? Dead and homeless.
Didn’t get a lunch order right? Dead and homeless.
Forgot to feed the dog? Yup. Death and also homelessness.)

 

I’m sorry I haven’t been around much, lately.
The new job, which I am grateful to have, mind you,
is eating me alive.

Usually,
by the time I come home,
I just head straight to bed.

I’ve been forcing myself to work on wedding stuff when I get home,
which means I haven’t been enjoying it very much–
instead of being a welcome, creative escape,
it’s become just another thing that I have to do,
just another task that is keeping me from collapsing into bed.

I miss my friends.
I miss my fiancé.

We cram everything into the weekends now,
which also diminishes how enjoyable those are.

I’m not going to lie–it sucks.

However,
our friends have been amazing with the wedding stuffs–
coming over on a Saturday last month to help cut out dozens of felted leaves,
helping me think through logistics and delegation,
flying to LA before the wedding to help with anything that needs helping,
taking over tasks–we are surrounded by truly incredible friends.

…

I just wish I had a little more time to be with them.

 

This gig ends in May.
I think some serious changes will be afoot for me after that.

And that’s a good thing.