Jerzayyyyyy

Jerzay...has been pretty awesome so far, gotta say. I am absolutely loving the return to civilization, including Asian food (so much Asian food!), being around the people I love and my doggy (in the singular sense, since Honeycomb is back in the hospital for the second time this summer), and, of course, the mall! I have been probably the most hare-brained person on the planet these last few days, though - I accidently left my wallet in Michigan and therefore am without my credit card, ID, and driver's license! Oh, the horror. At least I have supportive friends and family who allow me to bum off them while I am without proof of my social existence.

Ok, now I have to go. I'm going to New York! To see Hairspray! Broadway, here I come!

The last few days

So the wind-down has begun - more appropriately, I think I should say that the real wind-down has begun. Today is Tuesday, and I leave Mackinac on Friday. And it will be quite bittersweet.

I won't miss being away from my family, or the horse poop, or the sheer effort it takes just to get to Pizza Hut. But I will miss how beautiful it is here all the time.

And of course, I will miss the surprisingly fruitful shoe selection.

My new shoes

Ta-da!

I know, I know, but look at how cute!

Graped Out

I bought grapes at Wal-mart last week. That means I have to eat them all, which means I am all graped out. In fact, I think I might have turned into a grape. Allow me to check.

No, I am still a person.

In addition to this, I've realized that I have a problem that involves over-shooting when I use my camera. When I cover events I often take upwards of 40 pictures. This problem is, in fact, hereditary, as my father must take seven shots of the same family photo and keep all of them despite the fact that the only difference is who's blinking.

In another interesting turn of events, Honeycomb, doggie extraordinaire, was hospitalized for several days over the weekend due to a torn ligament in his back leg. This makes me very sad and even more sad that I'm not there to cuddle and pet and treat him back to health. But I did get to see Lucky this weekend, which made me very happy, as his sweet, slightly dumb face was just as cute as ever.

Also, I'm quickly eating my way through a bag of Baked Cheetos. This is alarming.

Things I have learned in the past six days

A list:

-Chop suey is not confined to China, or even Asia. It is also made by little Polish grandmothers and served with egg noodles, though suspiciously resembling beef stew.
-Tons of people won't recognize that you got your hair cut. But when (and if) they do, they will be surprised and (hopefully) complimentary.
-A cucumber, sliced and dipped in honey mustard dressing, is delicious. And when you forget and leave the cucumber in the fridge when it was supposed to be your afternoon snack, you'll be very sad. But only until you remember that you have a cinnamon raisin bagel.
-Gas is expensive. But the whole country knows this.

This list is woefully short. Apparently, I have not learned much in the past six days.

A wonderful weekend, welcome water, and weather that's totally wack

So this weekend, my Tom came to visit me, and then his parents came to visit me, and it was wonderful. Poor, pragmatic, prosaic Tom, whose greatest literary pleasure is reading historical non-fiction, got dragged to two poetry events, one a reading, that filled his ear with the exact kind of metaphoric, similistic, and generally fantastic phrases he usually tries to avoid. (Is similistic a word? It is now.) But he was a great sport and provided excellent company. Plus he gave me lots of hugs.

One of the best things about his visit, though, is the gigantic 24-pack of aquafina he brought me that is sitting in the back room of the ofice, waiting patiently to hydrate me and make me oh so happy. And the water is very much welcome, and very much needed, because...

The weather is totally wack. It is hot, and not like a potato. This is more like chile pepper, Sonora Desert, Kokopelli hot, the likes of which I haven't seen since my desert days. Plus it's humid, so that makes things a little worse. Plus, it keeps threatening to rain but WON'T! What the heck is that? Rain already, and give us all a break from this stifling humidity.

On another, more random note, I have recently invested in the Mackinac Island Book Store, having purchased several tomes of edifying literature, among which are both Shopaholic Takes Manhatten and Shopaholic Ties the Knot. BUT! I DID buy To Kill A Mockingbird, so you can't laugh at me.

Much love, many hugs, mucho kisses,

Bernie.

Socks, and other contemplative thoughts

I have a philosophy of socks. Well, one that I just thought of. Socks are like relationships. They are soft and snuggly and cushion your feet and make it a lot easier to bear your burdens, especially the ones with the special weave that are supposed to help your arch or whatever. Sometimes you lose a sock in the dryer, and that's sort of how some relationships are, like elementary school friends. Sometimes socks get holes in them, and then you have to mend them or just take them off. Putting on holey socks over and over again is just bad for your feet.

Wow I am SO philosophical this morning. Really, this just stems from me thinking about the socks I am wearing and how the socks I wore on Friday developed a hole in the toe which really annoyed me.

Many hugs to everyone I haven't seen in a while. I miss you! I hope the summer is going well for everyone. May your socks always be warm, whole, and dry.

The Big Melt

It's hot. We are experiencing the Big Melt.

Not really. It's just going to storm soon, and so the air is humid, heavy, and feels like a damp hug from a wool sweater. Gross.

The other day, while putting my contacts in, I dropped one and searched for it for probably close to ten minutes before finding it stuck to my foot. And since it was my last pair of contacts, it's probably not a good thing. So I ordered new contacts. Hooray mail! Poo $$$.

I have a scab on my hand now. Scabs are nature's bandaids. I like bandaids. I have some at home that have Garfield on them.


More frivolity later.

Wow...long time no blog

Yes, indeed, long time no blog. I have interesting news to report - my camera is on the fritz. Yes, indeed, my camera! Pretty much my lifeblood! Unlike some people I know, who don't use their cameras very often, mine is almost always in my bag, ready to snap a picture - or nine.

The LSAT is also coming up - a scary and unthrilling prospect looming large on my horizon. Ew. Gross. Because my favorite thing in the world to do is bubble in little circles with a number two pencil that doesn't erase well early in the morning on a Saturday. Fabuloso!

On another note, Sideways = best movie ever. I seriously, honestly, absolutely love that film. Could it get any more fantastic? No, I really don't think so. Also, Twizzlers are the bomb, peaches are delicious, and Bernie is getting to the point where she actually is too busy to blog. So au revior, until next time. Hopefully, it'll be soon.

Ow

I became unbalanced while on my bike because of a stupid guy who was going really fast around a croner and almost hit me and knocked me off balance and i fell and skinned my hand. It hurts! I want my mom. And also a Tom.
And I put alcohol on it and it really stings!

This sucks.

Miss Clavel, orange gum, and the occasional grapefruit

Hi everyone!

I got an awesome doll from the Fourth of July kids table. Behold!



She is Miss Clavel from Madeline. Remember her? I loved her. I always wanted to live in an old house in Paris that was covered with vines, and be one of those twelve little girl in two straight lines, and she would rush up and down stairs putting on her wimple while I was having an attack of appendicitis.

Also, orange gum is amazing.



I know the Orbit commercials are kind of annoying and don't make any sense, but the gum is really delicious. And it manages to leave a good taste in your mough instead of the weird gross one you get from Juicyfruit or other such falsified fruit flavored chewing gums.

And I'm a big fan of the occasional grapefruit.



And in case you're suspicious, yes, that is indeed a grapefruit, not an orange. Trust me on this.

My Tom is coming to visit me!

My Tom is coming to visit me! Isn't that the AWESOMEST? Yeah, I know.

While indulging my slightly-childish-but-eminently-lovable penchant for soft snuggly things that are good for cuddling, Tom has bestowed upon me his favorite childhood stuffed animal.



Nicefur is a puppet dog whose nice fur has been mostly loved off. His eyes are chipped from numerous throwing matches and his ears are tattered from the tug-of-war tournaments held in Tom's youth. He has a vicious looking scar running up his back from where he was sewn up after a valiant battle wound, and a hole behind his ear that yields the soft pressure of his cotton filled head when pressed. He doesn't have a mouth, so he is silent.

Best of all, he's loved. And now, he's mine (well, sort of. I share him.)

Yeah, I know.

Back, and not really loving it

So I'm back from my wonderfully spontaneous Alpena weekend, and just to say, being away from a place where you have a comfy bed, plenty of food, and a readily available Tom isn't all that fun. Anyway.

I'm studying for LSAT as much as I can now, especially considering the fact that one of the most important things for me when it comes to law school is being able to go wherever I want. Ergo, high LSAT score. Which also sucks because it means I have to study a lot, but no pain, no gain, right?

Yesterday, I received a text message from the surprisingly technically cell-phone savvy Tater. Unfortunately, as I am neither technically savvy nor text-message experienced, I will have to resort to sending her a shoutout here on my blog.

SHOUTOUT TO TATER!!

An unexpected off-island jaunt

Wooooooooooooot!!!

I am being spontaneous and implusive and taking a quick off-island trip to see my Tom for the weekend, which means I will be away from my computer and cell phone for a few days. Say it with me now, people: Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.

To keep you occupied, at the request of my darling Amanda, here are some pictures.

This is Pudge, me and Tom in front of Fort Mackinac, and the cool fudge birthday cake Leslie got for me!

At last, an update

Sorry for the weeklong delay, although I'm not even sure if anyone reads this. oh well. It's good for me, at least, to get my thoughts out of my head where they seem to be rattling around on super-high speed.
Hmmm. I'm hungry. After I write this post I'm definitely going to eat something.
I have a bueaitful unch of flowers on my desk and they are so pretty, and made even prettier by the fact that I arranged them! Yes, I did indeed. They are pretty and pink and they make me happy.
Hopefully today I shall get a letter in the mail from a Tom. I think I will also send one today. Won't that be so exciting!? Also, i bought these really awesome markers at Wal-Mart the last time I was there and they are so cool. I'm afraid that they'll run out soon because I've been using them so often.
I still have a few stories to work on for this week. If I can get everything done today all that will be left for tomorrow is the Weather Channel and I can finish it and then relax because another stressful deadline is over.
Phew.

Posts, sporadically

Unfortunately, blogger has updated its browser requirements, meaning my shady computer at the office which is still running Mac OS 9.2 is unable to deal with the cookie system. Therefore, I can only post on my blog when I have the energy to haul my laptop down to the office, which is going to become more often since I plan on signing up for an online LSAT course. Woohoo. fun fun fun.
The LSAT is pretty much taking over the part of my life tha'ts not already taken over by work. I want to get a really good score, really good, and the only way I'm going to do that is if I study because this test is a bitch. A bitch! And I need (and want) a very very very good score. Like, breaking 170. So I'm going to study. I've already blown a vast amount of money on LSAT books, and I hate spending money on things I don't like very much. I think it''s poopy. Which, come to think of it, it certainly is.
I miss everyone. On Sunday i went to Alpena and got off of this rock for 18 hours, which was fun and fabulous because it was for his mom's surprise birthday party and I had a really good time. I ate lots of food.
Also I went to Walmart, that mecca of consumerism and a veritable nirvana for those convenience-shopping deprived loonies living on the Island. I bought lots of stuff and lots of food, including containers that are compartmentalized which I was SUPER excited about but then my yogurt leaked into my sandwich. Lovely. So now I'm mad at the containers.
Nothing else to report except that it's Lilac Festival here, meaning busy busy busy. I am busy busy busy. Send me love! Send me emails! Send me anything and I shall send you fudge.
Love, an Island-bound Bernie.

Ohhh I have such a headache

As you can tell from the title of this post, I've got a headache. And it's not pretty, either.

Also, I have just found out that one of my friends who lives in AZ has gotten engaged. ENGAGED, people. This is weird. People all around me are getting married and to be honest, it's kind of freaking me out. I mean, I am not freaked out about the potential or certainty that I may indeed one day be married. The freak-out factor stems from, I'm sure, the fact that these people are in the same life bracket as me and I am still studying for exams, worrying about papers, applyign for internships and law school and in this funky transitional period of my life that doesn't really jive with the whole settling down thing.

Perhaps I am simply fickle. My roommate and I are going to get icecream and it will be SO delicious. What flavor shall I get? I simply do not know.

Things are looking a little better lately. I have noticed a trend - I always get down in the dumps in the beginning of the week. It usually dissapates by Thursday morning. Coincidence? I think not.

The first month is ova!!!

Don't get me wrong. I'm having a great time here on the Mack. I am also not having a great time being homesick, Tomsick, and Chinesefoodsick. So I think things balance themselves out. I look upon this summer as a challenge. If I can make it through this and still have a good time, I can make it through anything.

The other day Leslie and I were singing Rent and there's a line that goes "New York City/The center of the universe/times are shitty/but I'm pretty sure they can't get worse/It's a comfort to know/when they're singing the hit the road blues/that anywhere else you could possible go after New York would be/A pleasure cruise." We think that it applies very well to Mackinac Island.
Nothing else is really happening in the life of the Bern.
What should I eat for lunch?

OOOH I remember what's new. In two weeks Tom is going to come and visit me again! How exciting is that!? I can't wait. I miss that kid so much.

Everyone else should come and visit me too. Ahem.

I...

bought shoes.

Me and my problems

...which are really little, but big in the tiny magnified world of Mackinac Island.

1. It's raining today and I wore flipflop sandals.
2. It's raining today and my umbrella has weird metal thingies sticking out of it.
3. It's raining today and I miss my Tom very much.
4. It's raining today.

Hopefully, my mood will be boosted by one of several things:

1. Getting a package in the mail.
2. Getting a letter in the mail.
3. Winning the lottery (not going to happen).
4. Indulging in some retail therapy...i.e., buying another pair of shoes. Because I'm wearing flipflops and it's raining and I need shoes.

Otherwise everything is peachy keen. I have decided that I am going to be sulky today. But only a little. This much --> .

There are also menacing little elementary schoolers tooling around on bikes. DANGEROUS. That's all I have to say.