For fun

Here's an old picture of me from August of 2004. Not only did I have hair, but I had BLONDE hair! Strange...

Music I Want/Need:

1. Rilo Kiley: Under the Blacklight (and More Adventurous)
   
2. The New Pornographers: Challengers (yes, I have embraced the pornos)
   
3. The Smashing Pumpkins: Zeitgist
4. Lori McKenna: Unglamorous
5. Cursive: The Ugly Organ
6. Julie Doiron: Woke Myself Up
7. Okkervil River: The Stage Name and Black Sheep Boy
8. Interpol: Our Love to Admire (actually, I need ALL Interpol)
9. The Shins: Wincing the Night Away
10. Tegan and Sara: So Jealous and The Con
11. Feist: The Reminder and Let it Die
    

Getting to know me better

Some of my favorite foods--in no particular order:

1. Panang Curry with Tofu
2. Chicken Tikka Masala
3. Juicy Oranges and Peaches (and Nectarines)
4. 6 oz. Filet Mignon with sauteed mushrooms
5. Ahi Tuna seared rare
6. Crisp, crunchy salads
7. Pesto anything
8. Tomatoes
9. Falafel and Hummus
10. Apple Crisp
    

Reconsidering my hair

After perusing recent photos of myself I realize that I have two options:

1. Always wear ultra-feminine clothes, accessories, and plenty of makeup
or
2. Let my hair grow out so I don't look like a boy

Seriously, there are WAY too many pictures out there of me looking seriously butch. Perhaps it is time to bring the curls back? I think maybe it is--as I doubt my ability to follow through with option #1 above.

You are officially warned. I will look like complete crap for about a year. My head will become an unruly mess of curl full of bobby pins in a desperate attempt to look civilized or 'normal'. I may require headbands and other contraptions. At some point, I am likely to need physical restraint from maneuvering my tresses into baby pigtails.

Your understanding and support will be appreciated ;)

Who am I anyway?

I've been thinking lately about how well I know myself and am loyal to myself. In recent years, I seem to have adopted dreams for my future that are drastically different from what I've always thought. For example, I have always dreamed of getting married, owning a home and having children. With Mister, this was not going to be possible for many reasons--mostly his personal happiness. So, I revised my dreams to include NOT owning a home, traveling lots, and NOT having children. I like the idea of traveling lots; however, I don't think that I really ever felt that having children and a house negated the possibility of travel.

It scares me how readily I would have altered my life dreams just to satisfy Mister's dreams and beliefs. I wonder now if I was just so stubborn about making this marriage work that I didn't see ending it as an option? I've cried and felt heart-broken plenty over that past two months, but now I see that I was crying more about having to start over. I think, deep down, we both realized that we would have to make major sacrifices in our dreams in order to make our marriage work. I, apparently, was willing to try to make these sacrifices. Mister was not. I could be mad at him for giving up...but I think I'd rather thank him for giving me another chance to find that life that I would like to live.

Our divorce papers were officially filed on Monday, July 9. This means that sometime in the beginning of November, I will be a Sprinkle again. I will be free to follow my quintessential American dream--regardless of how quaint it might seem to some. Thank you.

Independence Day

I got stood up by Nathan today, on my (and the country's) Independence Day. What else does a spurned and angry, estranged wife do but go to the coffee shop and think of divorce terms? That's what I do.

I still can't believe that it has been almost two months since he decided that he wanted a divorce, he has been moved out for a month, and we STILL have not done anything to make this thing official. He still has keys to my apartment! I'm sick of waiting. I want this thing over with for good. The more time goes by, the more I see that he is not the right person for me. This doesn't make him a bad person, just bad for me, perhaps.

So terms. I'm thinking, $400/month from August 07 until August 08 to assist with living expenses during my last year of graduate school; $20/month in cat support fees to assist in the purchasing of food and litter and medication (for Cheeto); either a lump sum of money equaling one half of what he spent on the camera, tent, kayak and dry suit OR a replacement tent and camera of my choice. This is what I have so far.

thanks to braino.org and digi-hound.com for the images

Queen Bee

My new favorite song is "Queen Bee" by Taj Mahal. I know that this is an older song; however, the first time that I heard it was at the wedding that I went to with Jenny in Indiana, PA. I was really dreading going to a wedding--given the circumstances of my life--and then I heard it. It was their first dance as a married couple and they looked in love and happy and like they were having fun. That is what I want. I loved how non-traditional their choice of song was---and how perfect for the moment and the couple. I felt that, although they were strangers to me, I understood them after that 4 minutes and 41 seconds. It stayed with me.

Then, a few weeks later, I dropped into my neighborhood coffee/wine joint (Barriques Wine Cave) and heard it again. This time, I went up to the staff and begged them to tell me the song title and/or performer of this luscious little ditty. They had no idea. I decided to email the bride. Oh yes, I did. She replied in less than 24 hours informing me of the version that they played and other versions that were, in her opinion, inferior. I then bought it on iTunes and requested the album from the library.

It's funny, you would think that the song that was chosen by an in-love husband and wife at their wedding would make me feel sad or lonely. It doesn't. It gives me hope that there is someone out there who will get me like that and enjoy me for who I am. Maybe I just haven't met the person that will think I'm the Queen Bee and love me for it. Someone who I can "rock to their soul"--and who rocks me back.

I sure hope he's out there.

Lake Mendota is Funky

I wish that I had taken pictures.
Here is one from virtualviz.com:



The funk on Lake Mendota today was horrendous--seriously.

They have posted the warning signs about blue-green algae along the shore outside the Memorial Union.

My favorite part in the warning is about the chance of seizures and convulsions in pets if they ingest the water. Nice.

And yet--this exists. It is a strange world we live in.