i wish i had a river

i have 77 days to finish my new year's resolutions.

resolutions i've accomplished thus far:

-learn to play the saw
-fix my bike
-ride my bike
-learn seattle geography
-find cheap happy hours
-become a little more hip (done by wearing fewer skirts, more skinny jeans)
-floss regularly
-join a book club (made book club--even better! double points!)

still need to do:

-learn to use sewing machine (in process...sewing bag for my saw)
-stop complaining (but is ridiculous expectation, as is so subjective/impossible!)
-go camping (definitely, and sadly, not happening)
-go to rainforest (sigh. again, not happening)
-make LED hula hoop (almost did this...then burned bridge)
-re-learn spanish, brush up on zulu, learn somali (ha! ambitious, becca)
-write more letters (maybe should go on first list. more than what? must not be so subjective with resolutions)

not bad, not bad. but as you can see, so much to be done. i'm trying to focus so hard on finishing 2008, but can't help but thinking of new ideas for 2009 resolutions...

i've been playing my staring game more lately. my staring game just involves...staring. i make eye contact with a stranger and maintain it until one of us looks away. whoever looks away first loses. this might be unfair, especially since the other player isn't aware of the rules. but sometimes i don't win. it's easiest to find another player at crosswalks when the light is red. my favorite, though, is when one party is on the bus and the other outside standing at the bus stop. whenever i play that way, i feel like they're really vulnerable and transparent, like i'm seeing something i'm not supposed to be seeing. and vice versa. so i usually get goosebumps and lose.

there are only two seasons in seattle.

joni mitchell is not helping me write this.

do you know what a scotcharoo is? i still haven't met anyone here who knows what a scotcharoo is. i feel sort of like i'm from outer space and sort of like i miss something about people who know what scotcharoos are and sort of like if i meet someone who knows what they are i might have to leave and go somewhere else.

there is some secret i'm hesitating to tell you. this isn't it: shana (with whom i formerly shared a wall) and i are saving up to buy a home planetarium projector. we'll lie on the floor and watch meteor showers when it starts getting dark at 4 o'clock.