the sandstone city.

so today was my first true day of experiencing oxford, yet it still hasn't hit me that i'm in a different country. but i shall start from the beginning for all of you who wanted the step by step details of my day. so it all began with the planes.

amsterdam. the first european city i was able to see from the small window on the plane. i was awestruck upon first glance for what i first saw of the netherlands was their progress of wind farms in the north sea. i look out to see what resembles fields of wheat or another crop in the united states, but they are ten by about twelve rows of enormous white windmills, the contemporary style of course, miles from shore providing wind power for the nation. beyond words explaining their magnificence, these monstrous sources of power made a cargo ship or barge beside seem to be two inches long. when we finally flew over land, the windmills continued every quarter mile or so, yet their appearance did anything but mar the landscape. the most amazing thing to me was seeing the countryside overtake the land. i knew that the netherlands would be expansive and undeveloped in most areas, but before the airport i was able to see seven cow pastures. the cows appeared tiny from my window, but because i could see the brown and white patterns on each cow, i felt like i was there on the ground with them. the pastures came up and bordered the runway in amsterdam and immediately felt at home. in fact, it still hasn't hit me that i'm not simply in a part of the united states i've never ventured to before. the actual amsterdam airport was so foreign to me though. they had a casino, attractive looking security checkpoints, and it was furnished by ikea. from here we flew to heathrow on a small plane. the flight is the same length as the one from jacksonville to atlanta, but the experience was completely different to anything i would have expected. they gave us small european cookies, produced by kraft, but they put american food to shame. it gave me so much hope for trying new things while i am here. when we taxing to our gate in heathrow, the pilot, in a very sad voice, announced the score for the england/germany world cup match, and upon his declaration of germany being up a goal, the entire plane except for our group let out a unanimous moan of disdain. from here, the next adventure was customs which was a breeze. then came leg three. the train.

we took a free train from heathrow to paddington station on a luxurious train that marta look as if it was made one hundred years ago and never maintained. we had wifi, luggage holders, and tinted windows for the fifteen minute ride. when we arrived at paddington station and bought our tickets for oxford, we had around a half hour to kill before our train boarded. i was extremely tempted to by a real paddington bear, however i think i'll save that for my next trip to the station when we arrive in london for the last bit of the trip. the train to oxford was less modern and up kept, but it was still first class compared to anything american. one has to push a button to both open and close the doors saving both power and letting the conductor know when the train has filled. the ride was an hour in length, and this is where carly and i met sophie. she was fourteen, looked eighteen, and resembled keira knightley in a staggering manner. she, a very well educated individual, told us what we needed to experience with a great emphasis on shopping, and what she loved about london. she made me question if i was that approachable when i was her age, and if i, now, sound that intelligent and formal when i speak. when the redding stop came, she and her parents left, but not without a friendly goodbye. soon thereafter, we arrived at the oxford train station, met dr, collins' colleague, and walked to our accommodations at venneit close. they are flats with fully stocked kitchens, a washer and dryer combo, and, most importantly, absolutely no hot water. apparently it is just the room duckie and i are in, but it was reported to the head of oxford university's housing, so it is supposed to be back on here shortly. we have two foreign roommates, a young man from asia that does not talk and stays in his room, and a really friendly young woman from the netherlands named ester. after getting settled in our rooms, we went as a group to this amazing restaurant near the heart of oxford called giraffe. the food was amazing, all natural, homegrown, and tasted incredible. i had a salmon filet on wasabi rice and steamed bok choy paired, very nicely of course, with the most beautiful mango and lime daiquiri i have ever seen. we then split as a group where a few of us stayed out later and got the feel of the town, and it was here i discovered it. the crunchie bar. the most amazing thing i have ever tasted. it is a candy that tastes like a heath bar without the sticky feeling that leaves in your mouth. it is a chocolate bar with a wafer center, in fact it may be the same wafer used in a twix, but this wafer comprises the entire bar and is the same thickness as a three muskateers in depth. the middle of the wafer has been injected with some sort of honey mixture thus giving it the sweet factor, quite simply put, it's amazing. oxford does have other amazing aspects however.

one, most everyone here walks or ride bikes. i love this. if i could, i would live like this forever. i love actually being productive and leaving little environmental impact simultaneously. thankfully, dr. collins has gotten us all gym memberships which will be nice the next few weeks.

two, there is actually green space. everywhere. everyone appreciates the landscape.

three, the people are extremely helpful and accommodating. you do get the occasional person who is rude to you because they expect you to be the same, but most are very nice.

lastly, the vehicles are so practical! most are hatchback, two doors, and only seat four people. they all look alike, but they are not ridiculously big like vehicles in the united states. i have seen one suv while being here, a two door burgundy land rover that was probably one foot longer than our old ford festiva growing up. however, i have become somewhat homesick because of them though. especially when i see the hatchback honda civics. why is this? it makes me miss josh and his stupid little black car. and most of the cars are loud just like his. and to think i never thought a hatchback civic was still manufactured.

today has been incredible though. i woke up, got ready for the day, and happened to meet dr. collins in the hall in between our flats on my way to finding breakfast. we ended up going to a cafe called "coffee republic" and got incredibly egg and cheese bagels, but tomorrow i may stop for a croissant. we had a short class period, and when it ended and the lunch break started, i didn't eat but came back to my room to nap. after feeling refreshed, i made the twenty-five minute walk back to the school building where we had two oxford professors come and lecture to us. the first, an elderly gentleman and a ppe major (philosophy/politics/economics) talked to us about the oxford school system and the make up of england's politics. apparently, students going to one of the thirty-six, i believe that's the correct number, campuses which make up oxford university are not required to attend lectures, instead they meet their tutors, what they call their teachers, for a one on one or two students-one tutor meeting once a week. it is a fascinating system, but i think i would miss the dynamics of a classroom. the second gentleman, also an oxford tutor, spoke to us on what makes up the spirit of oxford. i was intrigued by his lecture for he talked mostly on his specialty, music. he then introduced me to a composer named ralph vaughn williams and led me to a particular piece which has completely blown me away upon listening to. i will most likely dedicate an entire post to it, so i won't indulge in its beautiful acoustics or complementary soft, flowing movements quite yet. after the lectures we started our formal tour of the town. we visited jesus college, a welsh college founded with the help of queen elizabeth the first, exeter college with its remarkable chapel, and corpus christi, the inspiration for oglethorpe university. it was a completely oglethorpe experience including the petrel, which they believe is a pelican. each school only has three hundred to six hundred students, and each receive their own room on the campus. we then walked past christopher wren's first building, the bodleian library where we will be visiting tomorrow, and a remarkable school called all souls college. one is able to attend upon invitation only, and you must be a fellow, a graduate, from another school comprising oxford university. one is not able to apply, so it is considered the greatest honor an alumni can have. we then went to christ church, a beautiful anglican cathedral, however it will be tomorrow i'm most excited for. not only do we visit the bodleian library, the library with the most rare and extensive collection of books in addition to being a filming spot for harry potter, but i will also get to attend evensong in the cathedral chapel.

after we had finished our busy tour schedule, it was then time for dinner. and what did i crave? a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. the most impossibly thing to find in oxford. so instead of going out for food, i went grocery shopping. my entire purchase was only £12.83, and that is for a weeks worth of breakfast and lunch. and it was only upon checkout that i realized my obsession with berries. i bought strawberry special k, wheat bread, chunky peanut butter, raspberry jam, tortilla chips, milk, strawberries, and chocolate clusters for my sweet tooth. needless to say, i had the dinner my body wanted back at the flat. ester ate with duckie and i, however she had made an amazing looking and smelling pasta and sausage dish. we then proceeded to watch a show called "jimmy's food factory: second helpings" that was similar to dirty jobs, but instead of working at a variety of labor jobs, he works at food factories and then makes food, such as processed cheese, back at his flat. after an enjoyable half hour of watching this, thinking of josh every second, i was able to skype with him and then sleep until now. two am here, and it is now three so i believe i should turn in about now. but i will leave with an image of jesus college, the only one i was able to take before my camera died. more will come tomorrow, but enjoy this little glimpse of my current heaven.

days, weeks, months, all leading to a year.

time has passed since i have last written. feelings, seasons, relationships have changed. i have changed. i am now engaged to the person i would have never dreamt to be. i am still the same inside though. sometimes at the least. i have come to realize that not everything in life is planned nor is it set in stone. skin cancer, the one thing i thought i would never have to hear about again, has reared it's ugly head. thankfully, i have been spared, but one i love greatly has become its new target. the reemergence of forgotten pain and blocked memories has been staggering. morphine. one word. two memories. both equally powerful. one a yearn, a thirst needing a quench which would never come, and one a release, a literal flushing of small pills with a doctor standing over my shoulder. blinds. a recliner like the one which sits in my living room now, a recliner i despise. and then it gets fuzzy. i remember jeans, but were there slippers or white tennis shoes? was there the white t-shirt whose feeling and smell i can still sense? it has to have been, but five short years have caused me to forget. five years of school, boyfriends, failures, achievements, all causing me to force the only person who gets me through everyday further to the back of my mind. instead i remember simple numbers. no faces. counting. a maple tree, big green leaves. green the color of a crayola green-yellow crayon. his voice. my voice. but no more. but other things change also. it has gotten to the point where i almost feel no permanence in my life. is it cold feet already? not only for the upcoming marriage, but for my future in general. jonah and leah. are they real, will they happen, will they be mine? i fear not having them, never saying the names, but i fear saying them. i feel as if i will lose myself. and i know i will lose josh if they do not become part of our world in our future. my one security in life is failing me. my one lose cannon is what i cannot shake. i do not want the future that comes with it, but it is a future i dwell on, one i wonder if it would spare me some of the emotional roller coaster i ride daily and will continue to ride. images in my mind change. my photography does not for some odd reason. my music remains everywhere, but the passion holds true. my recent frequent attendance at symphonies has only strengthened my connection to the long forgotten past, and it is also what keeps me sane. i close my eyes and imagine i am once again five years old sitting in the front seat of the station wagon in the driveway while my dad is packing the car for the day. i hear the music the same way i did then. it filters into my consciousness as it did all of those times before. it is sectioned and colored, almost similar to the way dumbo sees the elephants when he is drunk. i see pastel colors representing what i am hearing. all because it is what he taught me to do. to listen and appreciate every level and tone the way it needed to be done. so i implore you, listen with your eyes closed to one that i have always loved. let the different movements dance before your eyes and across your mind. take what he shared with me, and share it with others.

some direction, much smiling.

let me start off by stating that the three posts directly before this have been incomplete drafts, however, they were published because they were emotions that drove me so strongly for so long, and it is a chapter of my life which has served great importance. hopefully, this will not be just a draft, but that i will have the will power to express what i've wanted to say, tried to say, and needed to say for some time now.

i can honestly say that i am truly happy for once in my life. it's a novice concept to me, and it is an idea which has taken quite some time for me to grasp. i denied a large portion of who i was in denying where i am now, what i am feeling, for the months i did, but now i see that everything that i had gone through during that time was for a reason, it has made me appreciate what i have now even more. hopefully the immaturity i feel like this may seem to embody to some can be overlooked for one slight moment and that the reasoning behind these statements shines through. i have taken a while to write because the words never seemed to mesh with my feelings at the time. however, these past few weeks have served as an eye opener for me, and for the first time in my life i feel like an adult. i can see my future, and i see the importance of portions that have come to complete me in said future. i can say that if five years from now, i am still with the person i am now, i would still be as blissful and comfortable as i am now. i don't feel as if i am missing out on anything by being with him, and quite frankly, as i managed to say in drafts but never formalize, i love him. i have yet to tell him still, but i think he knows it, i'd hope he'd know it by now, and i hope it is not simply an unrequited yearning. today for example, he was my knight in shining armor one could say. although i have been completely fine through two tattoos, i had to get the last shot in a series of three, and due to my fear of syringe needles, my nerves were completely shot. so he held my eighteen year old hand while the nurse gave me the shot, only to have to run for another nurse mere seconds after the shot was over because i passed out. we laughed it off, made fun of my peanuts band aid, and the way he pulled me in to his embrace and smiled into my hair telling me how silly i am felt completely natural to me. everything did. he laughed at me when i sat there one night, like an eager five year old, ate whopper candies and cried hysterically when ariel's mom died in the little mermaid: ariel's beginning. he laid in bed and read twas the night before christmas with me on christmas eve, continuing a tradition i've had since i was younger. the list of the little things that he does daily could go on forever, but then it's no longer my secret, my list of things that i love about him. the little things he do that make me smile and appreciate how lucky i am.

yet now i feel as if i have lost my train of thought, and i see no need in throwing things together hoping they gain direction. however, i do know that more writing is inevitable, and that this writing process may evolve into something daily. the words will come, be recorded, and left to share for earnest eyes to read.

pouring.

this is my method of release, of purging my system and telling all a little about me, so it's only right to let this out. i love you. to any who seem to be reading this, you may see this as immature, corny, or cliche. however, this is something i need to release because it has been an underlying cause of many mixed emotion days, torn thoughts, or false happiness. so let me reiterate this, i love you.

i regret not saying it, however, if i had i feel like it would be so much harder on us now. that simple, commonly overused phrase is a novice concept for me. i have realized it by denied it to myself at the same time. i knew i cared, so much, but i told myself it was not

^^^
draft published 1/7/2009

love/pain

it's amazing how two four letter words can be completely different in conception, but the same in feeling. love is supposed to be bliss, letting yourself become entwined with thoughts of each other, and is supposed to be dual. pain is quite the opposite. it's what makes you build up the wall that love will tear down. it makes your hurt in ways unseen, but not unfelt. however, the two have morphed into one these past few months, and quite frankly ties in the last four letter word i felt. fear.

^^^
draft published 1/7/2009

the days have been many since i have had anything to really share. true much has happened, graduation, prom, a small run in with a shovel resulting in a double digit number of stitches, but insight into my life has seemed to have halted. however, the past few days have caused me to think, to grow more as a person. my tastes have expanded, my cares have multiplied, yet parts of my life are deteriorating in front of my eyes. they aren't necessarily parts which i expected to stay in tact forever, but ones i thought i could always reawaken if needed in the future. it isn't specifically the pain of losing said pieces of "me" that bothers me, it's the fact that i have allowed them to slip through my grasp unnoticed, in a carefree manner. yet there are pieces of my past which have been waiting to reappear as if they have been silent embers without anything to ignite. and now they have found that other part to make the spark occur. of course i'm overjoyed in the return of some things, but other things were a struggle to extinguish and their reappearance is causing me to question much of which i believed to be true now. there are old emotions resurfacing and they are causing comparisons to be made. the comparisons are causing an additional flood of thought which has begun to overwhelm a great portion of my thoughts. however, i have the strength of both what i know and how i feel to hold me steadfast in how i view my current situations and how i will continue to live the life i have made for myself.

the strengths which have begun to surface are many in type, yet the inspiration given by them are equal. of course one of the ones that is recurrent is photography. while in massachusetts i had the privilege of a new landscape and willing friends and family to allow my creativity to run wild through. the pictures provided me with a new appreciation for what is around me and what i have begun to take advantage of. living in an area such as coastal georgia, i have grown accustomed to having the beach a five minute drive away and being surrounded by the marshes. this fall in atlanta i won't have the beach to go to and sit for hours in the middle of the night and think. yes i will have the privilege of seeing john mayer in august and coldplay in november, but that is on the opposite end of the spectrum compared to the place of serenity the beach has become for me. although i haven't uploaded the pictures onto the macbook yet, which has been unbelievable in aiding to my laziness out of sheer admiration for the fact this small machine has the capability to do what i want, when i want, and i don't have to leave my room, i will soon post them on my flikr account. there is one picture in particular of a common lily right after the rain that has caught me. the deep purple another such strength has been my new obsession with incubus. of course i have always loved their music, but now it seems like the perfect way to unwind and think is by listening to them. the music these five men have created is mind blowing. it's not just the way they perfectly blend every element of the song to produce a verse, a song, an album full of inspiration, but it's the way they can change the flow of the song, mid song, and still have it be true to them and their style. "anna molly" is one such song. not only is the song beautiful in it's characteristic lyrics, but the way the melody changes with the lyrics, "wait there is a light,
there is a fire illuminated attic,
fate or something better i could care less,
just stay with me a while,
wait there is a light, there is a fire defragmenting the attic,
fate or something better i could care less,
just stay with me a while."
this change throws the listener for a loop, and for myself caught my ear and heart in the same instant. it is for moments like that i live for, and those moments are the reason my passion for music is so great.

another passion of mine has always been the unique nature of objects. one of these objects is my most recent purchase, and my most youthful purchase. it can be summed into one word. moe. moe is not the band, is not a picture, and has a heartbeat. moe is a fish. he was a collaborate pick between josh and i with william and wesley's stamp of approval. he lives in a vase on my dresser with a bamboo shot and the glass stones josh especially picked out to match his navy blue and red coloring. this small beta has brought me much joy in our first twenty-four hours. not only was the trip to petsmart and the time spent there an adventure, but moving him into a spot where he would stay unharmed and happy was an important task. he stays under the wind and has more than enough water to swim freely and happily as long as he desires. moe is not just a fish. he will be the only living thing to follow me to atlanta in a month. it is going to be hard leaving everything behind, especially in a new relationship where i can say i've been happier than i have been. of course i'm not always ecstatic, i let my thoughts and comparisons get the best of me and feel the vulnerability i've felt in the past.

^^^
draft published 1/7/2009

realization.

do you happen to realize just how amazing your music truly is? not too long ago, it surprised me when you said that you had listened to it for the first time in a while, but i only wondered if you knew how many times it was still being played. not only do the songs please through their shear melody and harmony, the lyrics are seductive to the soul. the words are commonplace and tossed around in a frenzy nowadays, yet the context they are used in isn't cliche. the songs have a hidden depth and meaning, that, through it all, burns like a fire against the back of my mind. although i am an adorer of music for everything it holds, lyrics make the difference between a song i love and know all of the words to, and a song which constantly plays itself over again in my head. although i can never be sure, i know you for the passionate person you are when it comes to what you love, music, and i know that i'm not inserting emphasis on the importance you intended the words to have. though they are mere thoughts and emotions, they have become conveyed as strong forces which overpower the listener and cause reflection. however, you didn't allow your talent to become caged here. the instrumental flows flawlessly. the background is haunting. haunting however is not bad. it is an eerie good, the kind that if you hear it once, you never forget it, and you never want to. it has gotten to the point that if the same chords are struck in another song by an entirely different artist, your song plays in my mind.

do you happen to realize that listening to your music causes a tranquility? no matter the situation, if i turn my music on loud so that i can forget reality for one moment, your songs are the ones i blare and sing at the top of my lungs. your songs serve as an outlet for emotion for the listener as well as yourself. strangely enough, your songs also serve as an inducer of flashbacks. the returning memories aren't necessarily the happiest of times, but they are the most cherished, and therefore cancel out the negativity felt earlier.

thank you. you have provided me with a channel through which i have the ability to further express who i am and learn more about the internal kara striving to be set completely free. frou frou spoke to what i believe best defines music as the powerful in their lyrics "music is worthless unless it can make a complete stranger break down and cry", and although i am no stranger, know you have succeeded.

the only way to complete this post is to play to another passion of the amazing artist i was referring to earlier. today was a rough day, and through having your music on repeat my ipod, i was able to drive aimlessly for hours to clear my mind, lay on the beach from eight-thirty to ten and watch the stars from the dunes, and, most importantly, take beautiful, inspired photographs. so here my best from the day, signed but unphotoshopped. enjoy fine sir, and know that i stand true to what i said long ago, john mayer would be proud.

sunset arrow.


tree.

dock.



moon silhouette.


grass.


grass - b/w.


craters.

nights of joy lead to mornings of exhaustion.

my spring break has definitely proven to be an unforgettable one. the only way to do it any justice is to start with day one and push right through. so here the documentary adventure begins.

the first few days can be summed up relatively easily. i ate dinner with reed at the pearl, had morning bike rides with kristen, did the random things there are to do at night on the island, sat at outback at least five times by wednesday, and spent almost nothing. it was wednesday, the day of my eighteenth birthday that things truly started to pick up. at midnight, i was at the pier in the middle of a circle formed by meechie, jeff, ricky, lance, and josh. the conducted the yearly ritual of "birthday spankings" and then for some reason the entire group proceeded to waffle house. the next morning valarie and kristen "kidnapped me" as they say, dressed me up, and took me to dressner's for breakfast. it was after this my day truly began. kristen and i went on our morning bike ride to christ church, i came home, showered, and made my way to watson's. two hours after the time we had decided to leave, we finally made our way to jacksonville. first stop? inksmith & rogers. purchases? one labret for mike and a tattoo for myself. surprisingly, the pain was minimal and the tattoo looks amazing. cheryl however hates it. that evening when i got home, she was already mad because it was five in the morning and when i went back out after getting home i told her it would only be for about an hour, but on top of this, she saw the tattoo. she could only dwell on the size and tell me how i ruined my life. however, i told her it's me, and if i like it, it's all that matters. the tattoo and piercing extravaganza was not the end of the jacksonville evening. mike and i had jay stop at walgreen's so that he could get mouth wash and i could get lotion, he proceeded to call me shrek because i couldn't turn my neck so i had to turn my entire body to look at who was talking, and we managed to get lost while looking for freebird. when we finally made it to freebird, the concert was amazing. the opening bands i had never heard of before, but they both put on an extremely good show and played to the crowd. however, the sick puppies were amazing. i never realized they were an australian band, the band was only made up of three members, and the bassist was a girl. they were insane and were interacting with the crowd the entire time. the songs they played were their most upbeat ones, but as i discovered, they are extremely misleading. the lyrics run extremely deep and are controversial. "cancer" makes you question if you really are what you think you are or are you losing yourself to be successful in society's eyes. unfortunately, the only video that have is for "all the same" which is an amazing song. the lyrics flow perfectly with the harmony and melody, and the words are powerful and mirror "cancer" in that they encourage you to be who you are and to accept others for who they are. the message the song and video paired sends is beautiful in a sense of security in the underlying youth, pure joy, and unadulterated love society holds. the only way to truly experience this feeling and understand the emotions i am poorly attempting to convey is to simply click play and take out three minutes and watch the video.



the birthday celebration has continued through the thursday excursion to orlando, where i am now, and where i will be until this evening. this small road trip has been a great segue to the end of an amazing week. i've gotten to run through an extremely landscaped million dollar house neighborhood every morning, sleep well into the afternoon if i choose to do so, eat a balanced mix of both home cooked meals and restaurants which brunswick doesn't have, and attend an amazing concert. the concert was definitely a mini-trip inside the over-all one. josh, hannah, lance, and i met watson, mark, jay, patty, and brandon in the arena parking lot where we proceeded to tail gate for an hour and a half. this was my first concert with mark and my first time really having a conversation with him, so at first he was really quiet but by the end of the night, he had really opened up. when we first made it inside the venue, they were out of wristbands for the floor, so we were forced to watch atreyu from the highest level in the stadium, but during the break jay and mike bought two wristbands from people who didn't want them and came back to show me and run back downstairs to catch avenged sevenfold. however, i chased them, took their wristbands after they got through the gate, and snuck down to the floor myself. with the two wristbands, we managed to trade them off and get mark and lance on the floor as well. we were in the very back of the floor at first, so for avenged's first song i sat on mike's shoulders and took pictures for him. by the second song we decided we wanted to get to the front and at the fourth song's beginning we were about four to five standing rows from the stage. needless to say, i moshed, formed a "wall" with mark, danced and jumped like my life depended on it, and crowd surfed out on the guitar solo before the encore. i have to say that this far i have been extremely thrilled with the outcome of my spring break and birthday. tomorrow the fun continues with a three doors down and 12 stones concert in st. augustine, so monday will be the ultimate relaxation day.

i've finally begun putting some of my photography online, however it will take awhile before everything i really like is up. the link is http://www.flickr.com/karalewis . take a look and give me feedback, anything and everything is appreciated.

and the stress level has elevated yet again. i heard from boston university. i'm in. oh the joys of being indecisive.

orlando days.

this post comes extremely late compared to others, and will be short due to the fact i'm sitting at lance's dad's house waiting for him to get ready so hannah, josh, lance, and i can go to chili's. however, this will be a college and birthday update so hopefully i can cram all of the random thoughts into a short, sweet, and semi-logical order.

first college. i had been steady in my footing in terms of going to oglethorpe in the fall. however, now i have heard back from northeastern in boston and hampshire, umass amherst, and mount holyoke in western mass. all have given me nice, round figure scholarships so i no longer have a set course and direction in mind. and to think i believed second semester would be less stressful.

the birthday talk is now interrupted because we are ready to leave finally. know that it was amazing and elaboration is yet to come.

concert hell.

the past few weeks have been extremely intriguing. life has had a lot to offer and much has changed. i've tackled events such as my mother's sixtith birthday, valentine's day, and this past weekend which was made up of loryn and my mother's three friends from high school coming into town. however, there were positive aspects of those chaotic events. i bought my mother tickets to see her new favorite band, celtic woman, play tomorrow evening in jacksonville. let me elaborate on the obsession my mother has for this ridiculous group of irish women. for christmas this year, like every year, nicole, my mother, and i get presents from santa claus although nicole and i recognize the fact that it is just my mother and not some mythical entity which fits down chimneys in houses that don't exist and can somehow make it all around the world in that short timeline. however i digress. my mother fills her stocking every year, wraps herself gifts, and then pretends to be extremely surprised to see what "santa has brought her". normally she buys herself the yearly gifts of razors, lotion, oranges (note nicole and i get all three of these things also), and random gifts such as last year's sewing machine. this year's random "mommy treat" was the celtic woman christmas cd. the next three weeks of nicole and i's home experience were filled with christmas carols in both gaelic and english. due note that christmas was three weeks before hand which means my mother extended the holiday season well into january. now she has purchased their "regular albums" and the celtic torture continues. so flashback to christmas morning. cheryl unwraps her new favorite possesion

^^^yet another unfinished stream of consciousness. however, cheryl's birthday concert went well, minus a few setbacks.

3/28/08