Ice Sculptures

In January I headed to Plymouth, MI with Jordan to see the "world-famous" ice carving festival. It was during the excessively freezing cold streak when temperatures soared to 10 degrees F during the day. It was probably somewhere between 5-15 degrees + wind when we stepped outside our car into the frosty, biting air.

We descended from our parking structure with a blast of wind onto the street before the veteran's park, where the festival was taking place. My senses were bombarded by the sights, sounds, and smells of the festival: food stalls, hundreds of people walking around in the illuminated night scene, multi-colored beam lights, and music.

This cold wasn't even good for the ice sculptures, and many had already cracked and begun to break. I managed to get some beautiful shots, anyway.

Enjoy!

No surprise there

I just can't seem to stop writing/writing about feminist critiques of pornography. Here I start my third school assignment on porn. Shouldn't even be a surprise anymore, and if you need me, I'll be in the porn section of the library. (Yes they have one, but not in the way you think).

Books to read and re-read over winter break

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
I've read this book probably three times, but still find it a quite enjoyable 4th or 5th read.

Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger
I read Franny last semester and hope to finish the short novella by reading Zooey. I heard Zooey Deschanel was named after this Salinger book; I don't know if it's true.

Waltzing Again: New Interviews with Margaret Atwood

You Are Happy (poetry) by Margaret Atwood

The Collected Gwendolyn Brooks (poetry)

A Widow for One Year by John Irving
Been working on this one for awhile. I love his frank style.

Let's see if I can finish all these half-read books by next Monday!

Obama-rama

I went to the Obama rally at MSU yesterday. Saw a lot of cool things (except Obama). I got some interesting pictures of the crowd and the McCain protestors who were screaming in my ear the whole time. Classy.

I'll post pictures soon!

A poem

wrote using spartan-themed magnetic poetry words.

Hug.
starving,
sleeping --
having dream
like a bad kiss.

Unedited pictures of Butterflies

From the Mackinac Island Butterfly House. It's quite pricey, but if you're a photographer, it's a dream to work on your moving-insect skills.

Travel blogging

I've recently come to the conclusion that I now suck at being a travel blogger because I never go anywhere. But I guess I was on the decline in France when all I would do was post pictures and maybe write a brief summary of how fun/unfun it was. At this time, I've come to the conclusion that I need to change the way I write this blog or abandon it altogether. I'll make my decisions in the next month.

I think one of the main things is I'm just so lazy when it comes to blogging. I didn't used to be. In Ireland I'd write 4 page long descriptions of exactly what I did and where I went when I would travel. Now? It's all about the pictures. I love visual blogs, but my pictures are not appealing enough to stand on their own. And I have to remember that above all I want to write.

The summer has been wonderful. I forgot how beautiful Michigan can be in the summer (before the droughts set in). I've been thankful not to be in Dublin weather again -- a constant stream of rain clouds, puddles, and hair that will never just stay straight.

The coming months I'll be in for a lot of life changes while everything seemingly stays the same. I'll try to keep up with senior year as best I can.

Hopefully I won't lose sight of this blog. I thought about talking about books more, as I have in the past. Right now I'm reading A Widow for one Year by John Irving. I love his frank and perverted style.