Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Like a band of gypsies...







I took a little trip today to look at some apartments near school. Upon seeing the building conditions and the neighborhood (The Dallas Police Department refers to this area as "Five Points"), I decided to widen my circle. I found two places where I felt I would not get stabbed walking to my door and where I could wake up each morning without wondering if my car was still in the parking lot and intact. They are just a bit more expensive, but at least I'll be safer.
After my trip, I trollied down Greenville Avenue, near the "M" streets. This is one of my favorite places in Dallas. Most of Dallas feels upscale and pretentious, but this area feels almost hippie-like, probably due to the fact that it is the college neighborhood. I decided to stop in at The Corner Market.   This place has great sandwiches and it's adjoined with a cupcake place that sets out free samples! Today I ordered a grilled portobello with spinach and brie slathered with spicy Dijon mustard and a side of homemade sweet pickles for about $7. I added on a bottle of Pepsi made in Mexico; my fav because it's  made with REAL sugar. While at the cafe, I worked on my research paper: organizing my thoughts and scribbled notes. Later, my friend from school, Bernardo, texted me so I went to hang with him at the school library for a while. We talked about cute guys but didn't meet any.
And now, home again, home again, jiggity-jig.


Monday, January 21, 2013

this was not Quad City DJ's train....




I decided to ride the trains today since I didn't have class or work. So on this rare occasion I wrangled my friend Jerrad, who was happy to go with me. We goofed off mostly: me pretending to fly in the breeze at the depot while wearing his batman hoodie and him pretending to slide down banisters. We changed trains at some point downtown where I spotted a large (homeless? working?) woman who I'm not sure if she was wearing any pants. She had on some sort of girdle looking peach-colored slip thing, striped socks (no shoes) and a sweater. I pointed her out to my travel buddy and he said "ugh! It's so hideous, I can't look away." I did not get a picture of her, although I tried on the trip back, but she had moved on. I did get some pictures of the bricks at North Lake College stop and a shot of the reflection while going through a tunnel. Good times today, if only for a short time.

Enjoy these pictures!

wondering why these names are in the bricks at the college stop...maybe they study these guys there?



Hey! I studied this guy. He's the father of color theory, he invented the color wheel we use today!

playing around with reflections in window while going through a tunnel

my favorite painter

the light at the end of the tunnel!

Thursday, January 17, 2013

Hat like a Roman

my Christmas hat from Cathy!
Let's see, where were we? Oh, right. Classes and what not. So far I'm having fun. My homework is not difficult, there is just a lot of it. Last Thursday I had my first Typography class with Mrs. Bryant. She is unique, to say the least. So that we all know where we stand when it comes to writing, she gave an enormous history lesson starting with the people of Mesopotamia all the way through to the fall of the Roman Empire and the stone tablets that they all kept track of their wheat on. I felt like I was at an extended story time hour, which I was completely enamored by because I love history. Most of my classmates did not feel the same. I could tell by the way their heads bobbed toward the desktops. She talked about how the ancient Greeks had somehow figured out how to make gold pliable for the jewelry they wore and that this recipe was recorded but through out the course of wars, it was lost. Lost forever and we will never know how they did it. I suspect it was alien activity. How else can something we can't repeat be explained? I did't tell her my theory though. I didn't want to make her angry; she was having such a good time with her stories.


In my writing class, the professor asked if anyone did anything exciting over the weekend. I, of course, did not. That made me think, "Man, I'm slipping. I need to stir something up. Stupid work, getting in the way of my leisure activities again." I have decided on my research paper topic: "what are you doing here?  americas immigration laws and how they compare to those of other countries. "
I'm going to use the movie "A day without a Mexican" as a jumping off point. I think it will be a fun perspective on this subject.
Aside from school, I also have been thinking of a cookbook: cheap eats and their fabulous leftovers for the single person. I know there are tons of cookbooks out there that claim they are for one person, but they lie. Mine is solely for eating on your own, by yourself. Not for when you have friends over or when you have to take something to the office potluck. Not for single mothers with kids. Not for single people that have access to a lot of cash and can afford ridiculous ingredients that will only be used once in their lifetime. Actual single people! I know that I'm living with friends right now and so a lot of the time I am cooking for more than one, but there are days when the Mr and Mrs take the little one and venture out and I'm left to fend for myself. I don't mind, there are two refrigerators full of groceries to choose from. But, when I move out on my own, I will barely have one fridge and then what? Then that's where the stories for my cookbook will come in to play.
I would also like to note that someone told me they do not enjoy reading blogs, but they do enjoy looking at mine. I suspect it's because I'm cool and groovy in my subject matter and don't drone on and on and on and on about shit nobody really cares about.
Am I right?