Got the stomach to stomach.

Last night:

Who's gonna drive you home tonight?

If you were wondering how Gertie's doing...

She's officially the size of a butterball turkey, a 14 pounder. About 12 pounds of that is cuteness and adorability, but those other two pounds of biting and crazy can sometimes outweigh the rest. But this is what a 4 month old puppy does, right?


Her biggest act of terrorism is definitely what she's done to the wicker love seat in the backyard. She's torn off the bottom part of it, but it's alright. Chelsey likes the way it looks now a little more.

Potty training is mostly successful. She has a few accidents a week, but nothing compared to most puppies I know. She's quickly approaching her 4 month birthday and she'll be getting spayed on October 1st. She's growing up so quick. I'm a little excited about it, to not have the chaos of a baby in the house, but I know I'll miss it once it's gone.

Chelsey and I are watching the MTV Video Music Awards right now, dissing on Kayne and loving on Taylor & Beyonce. The preview for Eminem's spng "We Made You" came on and Gertie started barking. Chelsey said, "That's right Gertie. It's a horrible song. It'll be over soon." Pretty classic.

So, I'm unemployed again. The temporary job, which I thought could make room for something more permanent, couldn't. Back to the couch once more, watching Maury. I am absolutely dreading the job search, but I'm trying to be positive and starting slow. I think applying for a job a day is reasonable. (I applied for 3 today.)

On top of job search, I'm taking an active interest in living better. Recently, things have just felt much more intense than usual. I have days where I'm just so excited about the options in front of me, it's overwhelming. And some days, I miss home so bad I can barely take it. Pretty sure that's just the reality sinking in. But something in that has made me want to get healthy. Chelsey got a bit of a scare when she got some blood work back this week, so her and I are starting a diet as recommended by her sister the nutritionist. I'm also getting back into the swing of exercising with taking Gertie for walks. She's starting to get excited about them, which is great motivation for me to do it. On top of that, I've been doing yoga in the mornings. I'm trying not to think about it in terms of weight loss, but it terms of wellness.

Hey, Jim Carroll died. If you love Rancid and the album ... And Out Come the Wolves you should be pretty sad.


On the east side of Oklahoma City, there are these huge towers. I'm not sure what they're for, probably radio, but they blink red all the way to the top at night. So instead of the Sandias, I get to use these as my guide. When I tell people back in New Mexico about them, they think it's sort of ugly and awful. But I don't know, I think I'm finding poetry in the symmetry.

Watching tail lights disappear.

Oklahoma's downright enchanting to me these days. The air's getting colder, the sun's setting earlier and I can finally get away with wearing a hoodie in the mornings. Fall in New Mexico is sort of like a week-long change, it's like one day you wake up and it's officially Fall. Oklahoma eases into its seasons and for some reason, it's absolutely intoxicating for me. I've been doing lots of driving with my window down, with ruins my hair since I need a haircut pretty badly, but I'm not really here to impress anyone.

On that note, Labor Day weekend was splendid, at least compared to Memorial Day. One things for sure, I ate like a champ. Sunday night, I went to Tyler and Laura's wedding shower and there was so much food, I might have gotten a little sick. But it was all so good! Other friend Murf moved just down the street and invited me and Chelsey over for chili potatoes tonight. It's been a long time since I've eaten so well, I've been on a mac n cheese/ramen budget these days.

Digital trinkets:



One thing's certain, this is Chelsey's pose of choice when the camera comes out at Edna's.


After the wedding shower, Tyler and Laura headed out with Laura's school mate Sa to a White Party, since you know, Sunday was the last day you can wear white. It got pretty intense and we bailed early, but we dressed for the occasion.

She's the best of everything.

I know, I know. Imma bad blogger. But I work a lot. About the only thing I want to do when I get home is eat. Then preferably see an amazing person that will let me whine about work for a few hours, then go to bed. It's 9:30. Guess where I am? If you said in bed, you're correct.

But, on with blog.


How I watched Obama Day.

If this picture does not indicate where I work, then... Bad New Mexican! Bad! No, actually working there is the first time I've been in the Capitol in years. WHOOPS. Did I type that?!?

New job is going pretty alright. People seem to want to give me fancy job titles that, in all actuality, don't mean a whole lot. I got "promoted" from what I thought my original job would be. That means I make more money, but I seem to have an almost identical job. People tell me that'll change in a month or so, but I'm skeptical. People always seem to tell me my job is going to be a lot more than it actually is. Am I really good at avoiding work or...?

I will tell you that's it's super awesome to hear the older women in this place talk about how excited they were to vote for Obama. Makes my heart glow.

Commute is still balls. The train's been on time, but that doesn't stop the fact I have to be up early. For the most part, I feel like early is early. If I've got to be up prior to 8am, it's early. But, 5:15am... that's a whole nother early. I guess I'll just spend the next two months of my life super tired. I'm not proud to say that Starbucks has become my morning BFF. I feel like butt if I don't have some kind of caffeine before I get on the train. And drinking Dr. Pepper prior to 10am just doesn't feel right.

BUT. HEY. What happens when you get trapped in an ice storm?


You drink a lot of Lost Lake. That's what.

I'll be honest and tell you that ice storm sort of ruled. I mean, I got an involuntary vacation. I got oh so lucky in getting stuck with Chelsey. She and I have pretty much the exact idea of fun, which is hanging out on a couch and watching game shows. Then, when you get bored with that, you throw ice balls at neighbors you don't like. Then, when you get bored with that, you walk to Walgreens and buy a Snuggie.


No really, we had a super good time.


This is what Ice Storm looks like.

Sort of. This is ice that's melted off a roof and crashed into ice that hasn't melted on the ground. Just imagine everything in your world. Now, put a sheet of ice on top of it. That's an ice storm.

This postsecret, as previously posted about, has proved to be one of the biggest catalysts of change I have ever witnessed. I think we, as New Mexicans, have all thought about it. Now, a lot of us seem to be doing it; sort of a mass exodus. It's really exciting and intense, the thought of leaving. But, I think coming home is just as big of a rush, regardless of how long I've been gone. I told Ashley tonight I was portable. It made a lot of sense.

Speaking of change, I decided it was time for some. Out of thin air, and a bit of luck, I visited Emily Stone at her first official day of hair cutting at Casa Verde and she took off a good six inches. I absolutely love it. I had no idea there was actual hair under all that death and damage. I also spent a lot of money on Aveda products, in an attempt to look, feel and smell better (that stuff smells sooooo good). AND I booked an herbal salt glow at Betty's. The point is, if I'm going to be working so much, I need to take care of myself. I feel better already.

Now. If only a museum would hire me...

Crippling Ice and Snow.

What has two thumbs and is stranded in Oklahoma because of an ice storm?

This girl!

I lucked out in that I got stranded at Chelsey's house. Last night to celebrate ICE STORM 09, we destroyed some Lost Lake (a ridiculously cheap pilsner from Wisconsin that I've only seen in OK) as well as an entire large cheese pizza. That delivery guy risked his life for our pizza. And for that, I am forever grateful.

So, not quite sure when I'll make it out. Probably won't be today. I haven't seen a single car try to tackle the road right outside Chelsey's apartment.

My interview went okay. I felt really nervous and unprepared. 2 minutes after I walked in the building to interview, the power went out. So, I did my interview in the dark. That was exciting.

This postcard was pretty much the only reason I made it out the door on Sunday. I was seriously considering blowing off the interview. I'm not quite sure what all this means now that I'm iced in...

Man. I'd do just about anything for a breakfast burrito right now.

Why Oklahoma ain't so bad.

Oklahoma and New Mexico are pretty similiar. Why?

One. They both hate Texas. That's a biggie.
Two. They're both home to legendary space chimps.
Three. Whenever someone says, "I'm going to Oklahoma" or "I'm going to New Mexico", they both get the exact same reaction, "Why?"


Being raised in New Mexico makes you see things differently. There's a beauty in the desert, but rarely is it the kind of beauty you just see, it has to be taught. It's a gradual appreciation. I've said it before. Learning to love home, especially New Mexico, is something you're only able to achieve over time.


New Mexico is my home and it always will be. My mom has lived in New Mexico for 31 years, and still she refers to New Jersey as her home (Jersey is also a lot like NM, but that's another post and a lot of Bruce Springsteen). New Mexico will be the same for me, I can already tell you that.


Home is healing. There's a big part of me that can not wait to come home, see my pink sandias and eat some Frontier. But, a part of me is so ready to leave it. That's what this trip is all about, seeing other people's homes and figuring out what makes them so excellent.


I took an instant liking to Oklahoma. I remember my skirt sticking to my legs and my hair poofing up instantly. Southern hair has nothing to do with Aquanet, it's all about the humidity. It just feels different here. That's the thing you'll notice driving across Texas from NM to OK, every time you get out your car, it's just a bit more humid. That's how you know you're close.


That and the sky.

Brian, the old trumpet player from Third Grade Scuffle told me once that he's never seen a bigger sky than an Oklahoma sky. I looked up and knew he was completely right. Oklahoma is open space, rolling fields. It feels so continous.


Oklahoma's got a completely different kind of history. The other day, Matt took me out to his family's farm for band practice. When I asked him about it, where it came from, and how long his family had owned it, he said, "Well, there was kind of this land run in 1889..." Something about that, knowing I was standing on a piece of land someone ran for and it's still in the same family really interested me. And yeah, I know all about how messed up the whole thing to Native Americans, but that was part of it. I've never been awed by standing on a piece of history the way that farm did.


But, what all of this has been taught to me, you see? Oklahoma is another place you must learn to love. But, once you do, it's in there.

In that, I think you can argue that every place is like that. Location is almost irrelevant, says the girl who grew up in Raton New Mexico and bitched about it almost every day. But, as I tell people now, who ask me about growing up in a small town, "Well, you can set shit on fire anywhere."

Just as much can happen to me here as anywhere else.


There are two things born into Oklahomians: hating Texas, and loving OU football. Oh, football. It's my secret reason for loving Norman, just as it was my secret reason for loving Friday nights in Raton. Sure, it's dumb. Sure, there's drug use, assholes, and probably a complete waste of time. But, here's the fact of it, something in that stupidity makes people passionate. Middle-aged men who care about nothing actually care about OU football. Even more than that, that silly little football field is a unifier for an entire state. Truth be told, that's pretty impressive.


With OU football, there happens to be this fantastic, little university (Matt told me the other day that most people in Oklahoma don't even associate OU football with a college. It's just football.). The University is almost a mirror of UNM, with nearly the same student body population (except it's a whooping 82% cacausian here). The big difference: funding. That silly, little football team, with all their ticket sales and hoodie sales rakes in millions of dollars each year. All of which must be shared with the University. And let's say it's yielded some lovely results. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful campus.


You see, it is beautiful here. Sometimes, you have to search it out and sometimes it's right in front of you.


Oklahoma makes me happy. It's not something anyone else can understand, just like most people would ever understand while such a cruel city like Albuquerque could be my comfort zone. But, a person's relation to space is completely relative, no place is universally adored. I kinda like that, having my own secret havens.



This whole thing excludes western Kansas, of course. There is nothing good about that place.

That place can suck a space chimp.