Peace
Ithaca Fact: Ithaca holds the unofficial record for the largest human peace sign. 6000 people made it in Stewart Park. It is also the unofficial record for the greatest accomplishment of the hippie movement.
The week before Joel and Andri came, one of the housemates I particularly liked, Tyler, moved out. Unfortunately, he seemed like a major source of cohesion here. But we had a good sendoff party with volleyball, grilling, a fire, and music. The next morning, he, Lily, and I finished off the firewood and baked bread on sticks over the coals, which I guess is a traditional German thing to do. (I Americanized mine by stuffing a not-dog and cheese into where the stick was.)
Every time a breeze came up, the cottonwood seeds filled the air like snow. I think Tyler left for Tibet.
Nick and Rachel, who made Joel, Andri, and I play a game with them, left this week. Nick was the dude who hooked us up with a free appetizer at the restaurant and they were always leaving amazing leftovers around (red cabbage coleslaw with horseradish dressing and capers!).
While Joel and Andri were here, they counted attractives: 111 girls/11 boys, I think. Joel and I said "Seneca" like a Mandarin-speaker trying to say "snake" - si•nei•ke. It was 80º+ a few days last week; today the high was 56º- the weather here may be even more bi-polar than Iowa's.
The floor of the PRI has been reinforced and the lights have been put back in place. I met my probable future employer, Judith, who has been at home with a new baby. She mostly came in to show him off, but took a few minutes to thank me for my contribution and said my going to Europe would not get in the way of interviewing/beginning work.
I've been seeing deer out my window almost every day, including a fawn sometimes. There is an abundance of other wildlife out there as well. The other night I heard a vaguely alarming screeching ruckus from the backyard. As I was going through a list of animals I thought capable of making those sounds, I caught wind of an unmistakable smell that narrowed my list considerably: skunk funk.
The week before Joel and Andri came, one of the housemates I particularly liked, Tyler, moved out. Unfortunately, he seemed like a major source of cohesion here. But we had a good sendoff party with volleyball, grilling, a fire, and music. The next morning, he, Lily, and I finished off the firewood and baked bread on sticks over the coals, which I guess is a traditional German thing to do. (I Americanized mine by stuffing a not-dog and cheese into where the stick was.)
Every time a breeze came up, the cottonwood seeds filled the air like snow. I think Tyler left for Tibet.
Nick and Rachel, who made Joel, Andri, and I play a game with them, left this week. Nick was the dude who hooked us up with a free appetizer at the restaurant and they were always leaving amazing leftovers around (red cabbage coleslaw with horseradish dressing and capers!).
While Joel and Andri were here, they counted attractives: 111 girls/11 boys, I think. Joel and I said "Seneca" like a Mandarin-speaker trying to say "snake" - si•nei•ke. It was 80º+ a few days last week; today the high was 56º- the weather here may be even more bi-polar than Iowa's.
The floor of the PRI has been reinforced and the lights have been put back in place. I met my probable future employer, Judith, who has been at home with a new baby. She mostly came in to show him off, but took a few minutes to thank me for my contribution and said my going to Europe would not get in the way of interviewing/beginning work.
I've been seeing deer out my window almost every day, including a fawn sometimes. There is an abundance of other wildlife out there as well. The other night I heard a vaguely alarming screeching ruckus from the backyard. As I was going through a list of animals I thought capable of making those sounds, I caught wind of an unmistakable smell that narrowed my list considerably: skunk funk.