So, Ted and I went to the Dupont Circle Halloween drag races last night. Those ladies sure can book it in heels. It's great to see their flamboyancy celebrated. They had the spotlight that night. Even though it was raining, a good thousand or so people showed up for the races. I could barely see it. My favorite drag queen was the one dressed up as Ginger from Gilligan's Isle. He must have don't some amazing work with the makeup because his face looked just like the actress who played the part on the TV show. She also carried around a little cardboard steering wheel with "S.S. Minnow" written on it and used it as a frame for her face as he posed for pictures. It was a great time. I'm sad I didn't get to see the black school girl fall during the races though. Supposedly she was the 8 year winner of the race and was tied for first when she face planted into the street. She was fine, but full of drama as she got up.
The best part might have been the fact that Ted was in uniform. He had guys checking him out right and left. One guy, as he passed made the comment "don't ask, don't tell...." Hilarious. Ted also got attacked by two girls who wanted a picture with him. I think at first they thought he was a girl in drag and wanted a picture with a drag king. But I guess the military is just as good.

As I sit here, I realize: "why am I not overwhelmingly busy?"
I usually am. I am usually running around like a chicken with my head cut off. I never seem to have enough time. Why do I have so much time today? Yesterday? Why don't I have a lot of school work to be doing? I usually am swamped, cramming everything in my usual overachieving fashion. Basically, the only things I have to do right now are:

• draw lines all over a paper for my drawing class
• 2 on-going projects
• Navy Wife Research: I just finished reading another narrative and am on to my next book. The last book was SO entertaining it is hard to believe it was research. She was just so upfront about everything. Even sexuality! This next book I am reading seems much more reserved. She basically says: "Blah Blah Blah.... but I'm not going to talk about it because it is too private." Isn't that the point of a narrative? My new dilemma is figuring out if I really can use these narratives the way I want. They are edited. Nothing is just blurting out of their mouths by mistake, which is the fun part about real life research (that sounds a lot meaner than it is intended). Perhaps the fact that they are edited is what makes it important: this is the image that they want to be seen through.
• Internship write up. I'm getting credit this semester for an internship I did semester and over the summer. It's pretty cool. I need to write up a summary report and connect it to the field of anthropology. Shouldn't be to hard, it just means looking over the huge binder that I made as a sort of scrapbook of everything I did at Break the Cycle. I'm such an over achiever. I saved EVERYTHING and put it in that binder. It's quite silly. I'm way too organized for my own good. Everything is color coded and hole punched. The folders are all relevant going from the Soiree organization process to PR with Liz Claiborne and my involvement on the board of advisors. It's just amazing how organized I really can be. Now I just have to put that into sentence form. I'm dreading it but it won't actually take too long. I made a due date: November 11th. That is the weekend Ted and me are going to NYC.
  

Other than all that.... I really have nothing to do. And those are all long term projects that aren't due for over a month. That's just too far off for even me to get started on them.

Halloween is this weekend. I already have most of my costume together. I'm going to be a cowgirl. I already have a white cowgirl hat. And chaps (hey, I was a horseback rider...). I had boots too... they aren't over the top western but they have a similar style. I ordered some stuff on ebay too. The last package was mailed today. The first thing I ordered was a Boho style leather vest that really reminded me of Jessica Simpson playing Daisy Duke. I don't like Jessica much but the vest was hot. Then I got a cap gun (also pictured) just because I think it would be fun. Either way, I think the costume will work out pretty well. I'll look good and have a good time.

The Halloween party on Saturday should be a good time. I'm wondering what all of my friends will be. I don't really care what the other people will be because I don't know them and can't make fun of how ugly they are or how bad their costume is.

Today while scrolling through random blogs I came upon some of the most elegant photographs that I have seen in a very long time. And they were of bugs.

The Blog's owner goes by the alias of sillymango and is from Vancouver , Canada. The Blog's title is Verisimilitude (http://sillymango.blogspot.com). I don't know if the author was also the artist of these photographs, however, I still might as well give her credit since I found these through her.

I always find it interesting how people perceive beauty. Many people, looking at bugs, would not see something beautiful. Many people, looking at pictures of bugs, would not see something beautiful. However, I see beauty think that they are fantastic. The colors are vibrant and contrasting. The lines are clear and balanced.

Ted and I actually had a talk about our different views of photography. While at the AppleButter festival in WV a few weeks ago, we ran into a photographer selling his works. Both of us instantly respected the artistic capabilities of this man. However, we went for opposite photographs. I chose ones with the vibrant colors and contrasting focus. Ted chose ones based on clear and clean lines and subject. Basically - we chose opposite photographs. We both saw that the other had chosen something beautiful, but I just couldn't understand how it could be more beautiful that my vibrant photos. People have such different tastes in art....

On the flight home I got to truely dive into my next Navy Wife narrative: "Anchored Nowhere: A Navy Wife's Story" by Barbara Keirsbilck Bennett. This book is GREAT. I never thought I would truly be so inspired by a narrative. She reminds me of myself, mostly because nothing works out in her advantage. I'm actually excited to turn pages. Yay for Barbara!
The narrative is not only exciting and interesting, but it actually looks like it is going to be really useful for me. I really want to delve into the concept of "independance" and " flexibility" in relation to the navy wife lifestyle - and her life is a testamony to just that.
Very exciting for my research. Someone, somewhere, be happy for me.

So, I'm home. And i am busy pushing my parents around. They obviouslydon't understand how much we have to do. They keep saying we'll have time later... ah... "old" people. Don't know any better. I dragged my mother with me to Ithaca Bakery for blueberry bagels this morning. Then to the farmers market for samosas and fritters. Then she made me go home. No so much of a force thing as a "I drove the car home... we're home" thing. After a couple hours of forced relaxation, I got my parents up on their feet again, this time for necessary errands: go to the mall to get sneakers for myself and dad, get some halloween costume stuff for the emprisoned (sorry... naval) boyfriend; then downtown to go bike shopping (i need a bike); then collegetown to go bike shopping (I liked the bike pictured right); then a very late lunch; then me and my mother (my father was relieved of duty) went organic grocery shopping for necessary items I can only get in Ithaca, NY; then a massage appointment; then a movie with mom. Now I am sitting at home.
I think it was a successful and normally busy day. I think I killed my parents. Seriously... they are gone.


(So my little sister's computer, which is what I am using, has no word processing program. What is a high schooler doing with a computer that can't be used at all for school other than internet research? This is retarded. So I'm going to spell check this later.... Or maybe I won't even bother since I have an excuse and I never edit anyhow).