fisheye, snowman edition

 There hasn't been snow around here for months now, just rain rain rain. And wind. And a little bit of sunshine here and there. The last time it snowed, the kids went out with their neighborhood friends and made this snow man. Not only is it creepy as fuck, it also was made to...poop. They dug a hole through the mouth and out the back and "fed" it pinecones. And named it "doo dude". I believe that's its baby (or perhaps dog) beside it.

You can't make this shit up.

These were taken in February, shared today.

It must be spring, and a lesson for bloggers everywhere.

I realize that the majority of my posts lately have been straight-up pictures and not much more. If you're like me, you read 45 trillion blogs and you wouldn't have even really noticed except for that I just told you. But for those few of you who are probably all like "oh man, that might-as-rella chick is so uninspired and I HATE PHOTOGRAPHY" I just wanted to say that I've been feeling really un-talkative lately, and really focused on real life. Sometimes blogging is a treat, and sometimes it starts to feel like a chore. 

Actually, let's turn this into a lesson for bloggers that I've finally learned after years of practice:

Always keep a week or two worth of posts lined up ahead of time. I try and schedule my 'things I love Thursday' and my 'music Monday' stuff like a month in advance, plus some other things as well, just in case I get a case of the negatives or some big personal event happens in my life. That way the blog still goes on as usual, and is fairly consistent. 

I've been in a negative kind of hating everything space for like a month. Finances are not working out the way I'd like, and that can really affect the way a girl feels about herself after a while. That kind of thing would feel good to blog about until the moment I hit the publish button, and then I would completely regret it. You guys really don't want to hear about me eating Mr.Noodles for the third day in a row no matter how empathetic you may be. Complaining is not what my blog is meant for. I love to share joy, humor and pretty things most of the time, with a side of ranting. Not the day to day doldrums.

Anyway, that's what's up. And I actually did take these next pictures just yesterday, so don't feel like you're getting stale ol' crappy pictures from three weeks ago or whatever. Same with the camera pictures, that did just happen a couple days ago...

And now back to my regularly scheduled post:

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You know how I know it's spring? We stood outside at work yesterday for like half an hour, half the city was drunk before 4pm and coming into the tattoo shop asking me if I had any condoms (?), and

the Cherry blossom trees are blooming... 
and covered with little notes hippies tied to them. 

Oh Japan.

All these earthquakes. I never comment on huge disasters because it's already being said all over the world: so sorry, we're thinking of you, get well soon...hope that whirlpool works out for you.

I can't imagine what it feels like to have a 6 meter high wall of black sludge destroy everything I ever knew. Terrifying doesn't describe it. No word does. Devastation? No. It's worse.

Imagine being in a building that wasn't built to code in an earthquake. And you're on the fifth floor. Also? It's on fire and there's a tsunami outside. I mean...from afar the photos of burning apartment buildings are touching but really put yourself in there. Desperate, panic, you and your family are going to die. How can we sit here and watch and say "I pray for you." and feel good about ourselves?

Oh, well I also updated my facebook status. You know, solidarity.You go, Japan.

I saw people on tumblr being all like "stop talking about this boring tsunami", and am disgusted with all of you who feel that way. We're sitting here on our asses, comfortable and safe, peering into the private destroyed lives of thousands of people. The least we can do is be compassionate. 

I don't know where I'm going with this. I just feel like I had to say something.

I am in no position to help, but if you are, please do. When these disasters occur, find a reputable place and donate your money. Donate your time, labor and love. I hear the Red Cross does wonders.

Thanks for listening.

icy fountain

 I don't understand what the city I live in is thinking sometimes...aren't you supposed to um...not have fountains running when the weather is below freezing? Or am I crazy? Well anyway it makes for some beautiful pictures!

Ice makes everything pretty. :)

Cuba Chronicles #2 - Snorkeling

(unless otherwise credited, all photos were stolen from my sister, dad and step-mom)

One day in Cuba, we met a man on the beach who we paid to take us away from the resort.

The weather was supposed to be kind of chilly-ish and this guy told us he knew somewhere nicer he could take us where we could go snorkeling. We agreed to meet him on a street corner the next morning and go across the island.

The next day him and his son showed up at our meeting place at the agreed upon time in two rental cars, we got in, and went to Cardenas, their home town.

We were there to pick up snorkel gear from their house...and then they started making phone calls and doing something under the hood of one of the cars, and then both of them got underneath the jeep we were riding in.

Were we having car trouble? Getting set up for something? No. They were disconnecting the odometers so the rental place wouldn't charge them 35 cents per kilometer to drive us around. Smart/illegal!

We drove for around an hour and a half across the island, stopping midway for a beer and pee break.

Then we were at the Bay of Pigs. And we swam there.The son came in the water with us, and the dad stayed behind and watched our stuff, because there was another group of scuba divers nearby.


Beautiful, right?

I have to tell you guys, I am terrified of swimming in the ocean, especially deep water. You just don't know what's around you, and there's just too much space. I don't know...anyway I was kind of nervous. Even with these really super cool life jackets and everything.

We started swimming around and just as I was calming down, what did I practically run face first into? An entire cloud of jelly fish! NOOOO.

Image from here.

They were little white ones like this, maybe palm-sized or a bit larger, and there were a lot of them. I put my head out of the water, my step mom was nearby and this was our exact conversation:

"I think I see jellyfish"
"Me too!"
"Let's get outta here!"

We swam hard and fast until we couldn't see them anymore. Once in a while one would suddenly appear in front of me and I'd just yell into my snorkel tube and flail around until I got away from it, but they were few and far between after the initial cloud. Later we found out they were harmless; it's only the ones with the hangy tentacle things that can sting you, but we didn't know!

My sister brought an underwater camera...best thing ever. We swam around and saw pretty much any type of coral we had ever heard of, and beautiful fish, and clear clear water everywhere. Oh, and a sunken ship.  Serious.

 

 

 

 

 

 

After like half an hour or forty five minutes everybody started running into too many jellyfish and panicking, so one by one we got out of the water. The guides packed us all up into the cars and we drove around ten minutes to our next destination. A cenote at Playa Giron, I think.

A cenote is an underwater cave. From above, it looks like a tiny little pond with some little fishies in it.

But get this: it's 80 fucking meters deep. Okay now swim in it about a black hole full of who knows what because it connects to the ocean somewhere down there. TERRIFYING. I was so scared that my teeth were chattering, but I played it as cool as I could and just swam around looking at the dark murky depths through my mask and sticking close to the edges where I could see some stuff, and thinking of the tv show Surface and trying not to totally panic. Here are a few photos taken in and around the cenote.

After the cenote we went back into the ocean and looked at more pretty coral and were surrounded by a school of really pretty striped fish in water barely deeper than our waists.

 

 

 

Then, our lovely guides drove us to their friend's house. She cooked us a crazy delicious dinner. She made lobster and ceviche for the meat eaters and I had all kinds of rice, salad and plantains. It was so good! There was even fresh-squeezed pineapple juice. 

 

Here's their Christmas tree!

And the scenery around their house.

It was an amazing day. By the time our guides got us back to the hotel it was night time. We paid them for our day and made plans for them to pick us up the next morning at the same spot, so they could take us to Havana! More on that later.

For now, here's a picture of me rocking out underwater. WOO!

Baby It's Cold Outside! (and rapey inside)

 Isn't 'Baby It's Cold Outside' the most date-rapey Christmas song you've ever heard? 

Have you ever paid attention to the lyrics?

Here, I'll show you.

Blue is the man part, red is the lady part, and the photos are my commentary.
(as always, if you click the photo you can see a larger version)

I really can't stay
(but baby it's cold outside)

I've got to go away
(but baby it's cold outside)

This evening has been
(been hoping that you'd drop in)
So very nice
(i'll hold your hands, they're just like ice)

My mother will start worry
(beautiful whats your hurry)

My father will be pacing the floor
(listen to the fireplace roar)

So really i'd better scurry
(beautiful please don't hurry)
but maybe just a half a drink more
(put some records on while i pour)

the neighbors might faint
(baby it's bad out there)
say what's in this drink

(no cabs to be had out there)

i wish i knew how
(your eyes are like starlight now)
to break this spell
(i'll take your hat, your hair looks swell)
i ought to say "no, no, no sir"

(mind if i move in closer)

 
at least i'm gonna say that i tried

(what's the sense in hurtin' my pride)

i really can't stay
(oh baby don't hold out)

both:baby it's cold out side

i simply must go
(but baby it's cold outside)
the answer is no

(but baby it's cold outside)

your welcome has been
(how lucky that you dropped in)
so nice and warm
(look out the window at that storm)

my sister will be suspicious
(gosh your lips look delcious)

my brother will be there at the door
(waves upon the tropical shore)

my maiden aunts mind is vicious
(gosh your lips are delicous)

but maybe just a cigarette more
(never such a blizzard before) 

I've gotta get home
(but baby you'd freeze out there)
say lend me a coat

(it's up to your knees out there)
you've really been grand
(i thrill when you touch my hand)
but don't you see?
(how can you do this thing to me?)

there's bound to be talk tomorrow
(think of my lifelong sorrow)

at least there will be plenty implied
(if you got pneumonia and died)

I really can't stay
(get over that old out)

both:baby it's cold
baby it's cold outside

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So basically, this entire song is about a girl who is trapped 

at a date rapist's house because of a blizzard. 

Real nice.