a new year

my week in utah with my family was perfect. i never knew how much i loved my family until i was away from them for seven freaking months. that won't happen again!

i turned 27 on saturday, and it was the first time in my life i felt "older." brighton high school is performing grease, and i can't help but wonder if enough time has passed since i did grease there. lately i've been throwing pity parties, and i'm the only guest. i wallow and wonder and wait for . . . something? why do we do that to ourselves? i realize now that if i'm going to throw any party, there better be some awesome people there to party with. those people are my incredible siblings, sophisticated parents, inspiring niece and nephew, and amazing friends.

my favorite times with my family were and are when we sit around and discuss politics. we are all fairly moderate (i am probably the most "out there"), so we can easily and intellectually hash out the issues and candidates. i feel lucky that none of us buy into rush limbaugh or keith olbermann's biases. i feel so inspired to continually present my point of view, but i want to be so careful that i'm always educated. i don't want to be someone that votes against something just because i'm unsure. i want to always be sure i know what's going on. this election was so wonderful to be a part of, and i am so impressed with john mccain's concession speech. i can't help but wonder why he didn't use more of that in his compaign...but i am excited that both he and barack obama encouraged all of us to come together as americans. it's been awhile since i've felt patriotic, so i'm trying to revel in this new found pride.

salt lake sweater

while i hang out with my awesome family and friends in utah, i will be furiously knitting this perfect sweater. now i'm off to see ya'll...

one week

i have been in here for seven days, and i am still completely in love with southern california. i have had some pretty amazing apartment prospects, but the job hunt is still a bit tricky. i am still reeling from my skagway work, so l feel fairly comfortable with not working for a little bit, but that's hard for some potential landlords to understand. while i am trying to fit into this new world, i am desperate for my family in the slc. therefore, i'm going home for my birthday! please, contain your excitement. i will be home from tuesday to tuesday (which is actually quite convenient, because i don't think salt lake county received my absentee ballot request, so i can vote in person! gobama! ) if you call utah home, let's do lunch!! can't wait to see you...until then, i will be working on a california tan (or at least a bit of color, so i don't frighten my niece and nephew with my ghostly appearance. meh. it's halloween...) XO!

"W"

see it.

i think i can i THINK i can

i made it! well, at least i made it to meredith's sweet place. my trip was saturated with love, excitement, food, anticipation, comfort, beauty, art, and true fear of the unknown.

2008 west coast highlights-

*sushi in sitka and mexican in ketchikan
*the "journey live" dvd playing in the ferry lounge
*pushing my gas pedal all the way to the floor on the I-5
*driving through the redwood forest in the middle of the night
*waking up in crescent city, california only to be shocked by the ocean just across the street
*coastal highway 101
*driving through a redwood tree
*the golden gate bridge
*sneaking into an art exhibit in san francisco
*eating sushi at 11:00pm
*all day breakfast diners (they don't have those in skagway)
*window shopping in union square
*sharing an elevator with miss jay from america's next top model
*meeting a real L.A. shmoozer
*swimming in a new age saline pool in beverly hills
*joshy
*meredith
*and the new addition to our love clan-aaron (meredith's love)

after this trip, i can't help but feel completely satiated. it's now time to find a home and a job. eek eek eek. i'm scared, and resisting the urge to quit and go back up north. setting up life on my own is undesirable, but i just must do it.

on the road again!

see you in LOS ANGELES! xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

when friday ends, you can play with your friends

can't wait to see-

meredith

sunshine

and the second city stage

top

my first exposure to the discussion of politics was in first grade. it was the presidential election of 1988-george hw and dukakis. my teacher, mrs. vanhorsen, made the entire class put their heads down and vote for president. i won't tell you who i voted for, but i will tell you that i have only voted for a republican twice in my life (yep, you guessed it-bob bennett).

four years ago right now, in ALL of my college classes, we were engaged in heated political discussions. these debates were about kerry and bush. tricky to find passion for your candidate when it's john kerry, but very easy to find that passion against bush.

i imagine the class room discussions for the barack/john election-
would you vote for a candidate based strictly on their gender or race?
do you think interest groups have too much influence on politics, or are you only concerned with the groups that threaten your perception of how things should be?
what are the most important issues when you choose a candidate?
do you think the president runs america or represents america or both?
do you think politics influences our morals or do morals influence politics?

oddly enough, the thought of these discussions makes me miss the crazy ideas that formulate when people collaborate. i am stoked for this super american collaboration that's happening right now. we are going to have some amazing art come out of this one...

nikki nixon and kiershta ashworth-snarr in top girls

weber state '06

(directed by me)

last bits

yesterday i walked along the skagway river all the way from downtown skagway to liarsville (where i live). this was just a three mile stroll through uncharted territory. i felt like i was in alice in wonderland or i felt like i WAS allison wonderland. josh and i came across strange abandoned campgrounds and chairs with firepits with absolotely no trail in or out. it was so fantastic to suddenly feel like i was experiencing something . . . new.



i leave skagway in exactly one week. ONE WEEK.



in one week i will spend one week travelling to a brand new home in sunny southern california. eek. i am so not prepared.

comfort

what to knit

a scarf with pockets?

a hat with flowers?

a sweater with bobbles?

ummmm. yes.

...all while watching the orange leaves fall quietly.