the sticks

1800 miles, 3 days, 4 states, 38 chapters of war and peace. one of the best road trips ever!

santa faux

after the grand canyon, we drove to santa fe and spent the afternoon there.

a game of pegs at cracker barrel somewhere in arizona
some nail puzzle jse got for me, which i separated on accident and could not get back together.
st francis basilica
the mysterious stair case at the loretto chapel
tada, two hours later

the grandest canyon

after the wedding, jse and i drove to the grand canyon and hiked on the kaibab trail for a few hours, really beautiful, much different than i remember as a kid (my only salient memory as a child is feeding the squirrels fritos). then we hiked back up after dark and almost ran out of gas.

from the rim
on our way down

majestic

incontinent
from cedar ridge point

get around get around i get around

a few pictures from kateigh's wedding in pasadena this past weekend...

bridesmaids getting ready, she chose these floral wreaths in lieu of bouquets.
taking pictures, check out that dress, heck yeah
jse and me at the reception
with kristen, the maid of honor

my weekend

my dad got married on sunday. ruth flew in and drove down from austin with paul and kristine. i am not a good photographer, i think too sequentially and miss good opportunities. i think i'm also a little timid, so obviously not a good candidate to be a paparazza. but this is the best i could do, i was obviously focused on my dad or my nephew, sorry everyone else. jse was a good sport, he was by far the tallest and whitest person in attendance.

this sign says a union between benjamin kim and eunice lee.
the happy couple
exchanging rings
the special song (this woman had serious pipes)
the recessional ( i was having some aperture issues, sorry)
paul and my FAVORITE shifty eyed mousekateer, evan (he looks like he is pretty close to having the muscle control to flip me off, he's definitely paul's son)
after the wedding, jse and i went to a ranch near saguine so he could work cattle the next morning. if anyone has already started a christmas list for me, please add this, i could use one when i'm stressed out:

evan i hate you

i am actually starting to have feelings of disgust/being pissed off/sort of violent because this kid is so freaking cute. i have to suppress my screams. look at that crazy right eye and microscopic nostrils, i can't take it!!!

p and k, i'm sorry if this is alarming to you. i am trying to manage myself.

some days you feel like a nut

a few weeks ago, i was desperate for a new phone. heavily influenced by one of the greatest iphone proselytizers in central texas, i took the iphone 4 for a spin. i really did try, but as cool as it is, it's just not me. i can go into all of the reasons, but what i mean to say is that now the blackberry shaped hole in my heart is now filled. i told jse this exact thing, and this is his reply:

"now you have a hole that looks like this"

hilarious.

technology and the rise of man

my favorite typo is when i type "fro" instead of "for". makes me laugh and picture weird things every single time.

my new bed.

i would rather be without than have something that i feel mediocre about. for years, i have been sleeping with a mattress on the floor because i never found a bed that i truly loved. antique french iron beds are my favorite, but they don't come in a queen size, and it rubs my principles in a weird way to make something into something that it's not. anyway, i decided to make my own bed. jse said that if i figured out all of the measurements and bought all of the right pieces, he would build it for me.

the pieces

so for weeks, i had measuring calipers in my back pocket, pipe fittings scattered around my house, and my trusty sheet of paper with all of the measurements, revisions and notes was with me at all times (jse said i should use google sketch up, but i never did).

well, that didn't work out. too complicated, too many pieces, too much. so i pared the design down, bought the pieces and jeremy made good on his promise.

cutting the angle iron to make rails (note the trailer beside j, also a recent project)

the point of attachment for the bed rails

little muffins, dingo and pistol, watching

"welding is hot"

i really didn't want any welding involved. i wanted the whole bed to be threaded. and my theory worked, except for getting the last piece in. i thought about it a million different ways, but the one that worked the best compromised strength. it would have to be welded in one spot (jse thought of it in a moment of brilliance). but i won't tell and i don't think you could find it.

8 hours later, the completed frame

put together

i used s hooks so that i could attach things to the foot board rather than throw them on the floor. and then i took duck cloth with some buttons i had collected over the years (i have a very soft spot in my heart for tufting) to my seamstress and had a headboard made.

i love it, i think it's a great blend of pragmatism, elegance, quirk and austerity. it looks modern but like it has history too. i'm not sold on the headboard yet (feels a little cottage-y), but i am going to live with it for a while and see what happens...

*like the wine bottle to cup making project last winter, i put in about 7.5 minutes of physical effort.
**all but the last three pictures were taken on the iphone 4. if you are curious as to how it lives up to the hype, have a look...

what's up doc

this is my new friend, he lives at my neighborhood tractor supply. i don't know his name but it doesn't matter, he lives in the main aisle between to the hexnut bolts and multi-pack agricultural syringes. when i saw him, his cage was behind the stack of discounted dog food.

you know how dogs do that weird bobbing thing with their heads when you scratch a certain part of their back and they get a glossed over look in their eyes? well this rabbit does that! i think that's why he keeps his rear in the corner like that. man he really likes his back being scratched.

he lives in this crazy amazing set up, the cage has three floors and separate compartments for day naps and also one that's covered for getting more serious shut eye. he lives a good life, even though he has to look at tarps, canvas overalls (which i am starting to warm up to) and trailer hitches all day.

i asked the cashier whether he goes home at night. she said no, but that they sometimes play with him after close. i wish i could take that bunny camping with me.