some pics from my 30th surprise birthday party

an excellent talk

Elizabeth Gilbert on nurturing creativity-

http://www.ted.com/talks/elizabeth_gilbert_on_genius.html

i love my sony reader

i feel like such a nerd. but i got a sony reader (like a kindle but made by sony) for my 30th birthday from my sister and 2 cousins who all put in money for it. and i love it so much! i have never had such an attachment to an inanimate object before. it is the best. it's small and light, just like a day planner. i have only downloaded one book so far, a book called 'clutter busting' and it's so easy to read on this electronic thingy its ridiculous. i'm already up to chapter 2 and i just downloaded the book late last night. getting it onto my reader was tricky, but i managed. now it's like i can actually look forward to my commute!

also, another lovely new thing in my life is my new computer. i got one of those flat screen desk top ones and it is so amazingly fast! i marvel at the time that i save now because i don't have to sit there waiting for pages to load. and now there are websites that i gave up visiting before that i can go back to now without worrying that my browser will crash. it's so great! :) i couldn't stop thinking about it at work today, i'm nuts. i couldn't wait to go home and surf the net to my heart's content. and write emails to people in a fraction of the time that it used to take.

it feels nice to be able to treat myself, since it's something that i hardly ever do. especially with expensive things. for so long i felt guilty about spending money on myself. but i work hard and i deserve to have the best. it makes it easier to get up in the morning and go to work, knowing that my hard work has paid off in a way that i can enjoy my leisure time so much more.

it's kind of funny and ironic, because recently i wrote an entry in my regular journal about the evils of modern technology and how it robs us of really living. i guess i contradict myself, because i'm insanely entertained by my new techno toys!! next thing i need to get is a new computer desk, as the one i have is old and shabby. but luckily i got a mini bonus at my job last week, so i can use that towards the desk. my apartment is becoming more of a homey, comfy place by the day. and it makes me happy.

i love this idea

buy your next pair of shoes here and provide a new pair of shoes to a child in need at the same time!

http://www.tomsshoes.com/

i'm getting my pair this weekend, they are affordable and cute, espeically the booties

most creative when i'm delirious

mr. jaws

debbie harry once had a fish
named mr. jaws
she wore sunglasses on stage
held him up in a bowl
said she was working on the Blondie
character
once i thought i could live
like a child
like her in a world of make believe
-a magazine

where i'd sing something like
'she left me so hot'
lyric penned by men.
where i'd be on rooftops
wearing mini dresses, fringed bangs,
clothes made from pillowcases
looking disaffected.

i would wear reality
like a poem on my sleeve
and obscure my eyes
in a slick blue raincoat
still enough to photograph..

i'd wait for no one.
walking along in a long blue song

free summer day

didn't do much today but take a walk down to the salvation army thrift store here in town where i bought this print (pictured) for $1. it's not as huge as the picture makes it look, it's a bit smaller than an 8 x 10. i thought it was nice that it had a cardboard back so it's ready to hang. the thrift store isn't that big, but i was happy to see that they had a small book section in the back, i almost bought 'the power of now' but after reading a few passages i was getting a bit lost.

i guess now i'll finish reading 'how shall i tell the dog,' a free book i got from my professor during my last class. i also got a chance to grab this book that's going to serve as a companion to a movie called 'taking woodstock' that's coming out in august, i think the book is the shooting script. i'm nervous about my presentation for the last class, because it's going to be lots of work and very difficult. my 30th birthday is also looming, oh my. i'm going to have some ice cream, do some reading, and forget my worries.

last night i watched the memorial for michael jackson which was on like at 2am, an encore showing. it was very nice and free of theatrics. i half expected michael to jump up out of his coffin and reveal that it was all a major hoax to drum up publicity for his upcoming tour, but that would've been too cruel of a thing to do, making the world think he had died. my mind goes to some weird places sometimes. i have to meditate tonight. my whole vacation may pass me by without my doing so and that would be a shame. it's amazing that even when i'm off work there still doesn't seem to be enough time in the day for all that i want to do. even if i go to bed at 4am.