let the games begin

Lately I've found myself emoting, usually sort of in an outdoor voice, something like: "WHAAAT" after a person in my company does or says something A. particularly cool, B. particularly funny, or, C. surprising. That way my companion and everyone else around knows something special is happening, and is in turn more engaged with what is happening.

It also works with people you don't know very well, because it's a grand response strategy to use when you have nothing else to say. "WHAAAT" as in, "PLEASE CONTINUE." I'm not sure when or why I started doing this, but it has worked for me thus far in many varied social situations. Also of note: a smile goes a long way! So why fix what's not broke!?

To break it down: One week from today Samstag will be one week into our first paid design gig. Two weeks from today I'll be flying on a jetplane to New Orleans to meet my family and have some real Murphytime at our friend Joe's wedding. Three weeks from today I will be driving from Louisiana to Chicago (through Memphis!) with my brother Ben. And a little over four weeks from today I will be getting ready to drive my Ford from my parents' house in Glenview, IL back to Seattle with Lizzie and Wilfred.

WHAAAT.

I will literally be all over the United States in June. How enchanting! I have a lot of things I've been daydreaming about, and if they don't happen on this trip I am going to write stories about them. Copied from the journal vault---


NOTES TO SELF:

stay out all night in New Orleans

GRACELAND!?

goodwill. EVERYWHERE. esp. the South

swim in Lake Michigan, alot

go to St. Paul, MN*

pancakes

America's Largest Ball of Yarn

use all Holga and Polaroid film

karaoke bar

karaoke bar**

converse with an official at Yellowstone National Park with and casually reveal that I was inducted into the Rocky Mountain Rookie Rangers in 1997, and see what happens



*My German great-grandparents worked as costume designers there. No joke!
**Not a typo.