day 158

one thing i like to do at my grandma's house, besides watch House Hunters and Say Yes to the Dress in multiple-hour intervals, is look at pictures. most are displayed on cabinets in frames or on the refrigerator but this one ^ i found in a dusty pile on what used to be the tv stand. i can't understand why she wouldn't want to display it... her four favorite impossibly beautiful grandchildren who all look like they woke up no more than 20 minutes before this photo was taken.

i flew home on this day. i've always loved flying on clear days- to watch everything below: bodies of water that stretch on forever, streaky rows of farm plots, each metropolis just an electrical circuit, the roads just tiny worms winding through the earth. i love to follow cars along the streets with my eyes, knowing that each tiny dot has their own wishes and worries that have absolutely nothing to do with mine.

day 157

another sample conversation likely to be had by Betty McMillan and a stranger of some sort, usually an employee at a store or a waitress but sometimes just a man who holds the door open for her. the conversation can start any number of ways but almost always reaches this point:

grandma: *huffing and puffing in whatever chair she can find, loudly exclaims*: i'm 97 years old!

stranger: ooohhh/ ahhh/ wow you look great!

grandma: *pause* ...and i live by myself!

stranger: oh wow that's amazing!! how incredible!

*my grandma proudly grinning to show what teeth she has left*

stranger: and here's your change, $92.41. (because of course my grandma paid with $100 bill)

grandma: ....and i'm a cancer survivor of 45 years!

any small act of kindness can set off this conversation/declaration of her age. this has been going on at least since she was 92.

day 156

VERY LATE UPLOAD.

on this day i went to oshkosh to see my grandparents (from my dad's side!)

and then green bay for a GARDEN SHOW hah

day 155

i'm back at starbucks for some much needed a l o n e t i m e

and wi-fi and iced tea and checking my bank account.

i think after this i'm going to walk over to the BEST frozen custard place. wisconsin has so many of these. culver's is good (the major chain) but i've always loved mack's.

my cousin and i used to take walks there while listening to aqua and tori amos on our walkmen. i know, i know, i have great taste in music.

it's one of my fave wisconsin summer memories y'all

tomorrow we're taking another mini-trip to oshkosh and green bay. usually i like car rides but not when i'm engulfed with the scent of old lady and when i can't really say anything without my grandma mishearing it and then repeating it to each and every relative.

luckily i have the following things to occupy me on the ride:

1. a giant word-puzzle book

2. two novels (and it's a really good thing i brought two, considering i haven't finished a book in at least a year, it's very likely that i'll not only finish one within just a week but also have time to start another one! glad i thought ahead!)

3. a magazine i just bought with megan fox on the cover. perhaps you aren't aware of my obsession with megan fox, but we'll keep it that way.

day 154

in a troll-themed city...

notable occurence on this day:

when my mom asked my grandma what she wanted to do with the rest of her sandwich, she replied "stick it up your ass"

day 153

greetings from starbucks in waukesha!

i had to come here to use the internet and luckily there's one very close to my grandma's house

(*$ taking over the world)

i just took this picture of myself in the lobby. i don't think anyone around me noticed.

yesterday i went to my cousin's house to hang out in her zoo (donkey picture ^^^^) and also meet my tiny new cousin luna!

she's adorable and slightly resembles a cabbage-patch doll.

staying in waukesha has been interesting.

my grandma, in her 97 years of age, has VERY selective hearing. when i first arrived (two days ago) i spent approximately 10 minutes explaining how our trip went, what we did in madison, etc.

then, she paused and said "i didn't hear a damn word you just said."

i've been conditioned to just not speak to her at all, because by the third time you repeat yourself, the words have lost any emotion that they might have once held.

generally, she seems very confused.

to demonstrate, here are some sample conversations::

grandma: you should see the size of that baby's legs! *indicates short distance with hands*

mom: i thought it was a really long baby

grandma: it is long, mary

and

where's that hanging basket?

i didn't buy a hanging basket mary!

you told me you bought a hanging basket from joan

i did, mary!

i'm really looking forward to a day-trip with my mom, grandma, and aunt donna to the mustard museum (yes, seriously).

my grandma and aunt donna do not, have never, and never will get along. they've both already threatened to not go if the other one goes.

okay i'm done with my tall soy no-water chai in a for-here mug.

i think i'll spend a few minutes looking up elephant skin disease and where to find kiehl's products in milwaukee, and i'll be returning to bluebird terrace shortly.

i'll try to not go more than two days without updating because then i forget what happens and don't feel like doing it and not finishing this 365 day project would be the ultimate failure

+++++

I FORGOT THAT YESTERDAY I DYED MY HAIR. it's lighter and straight for the moment.

day 152

downtown madison, wisconsin

drinking an aloha pineapple

holding my new shins record

AND THAT'S THE STATE CAPITOL IN THE BACKGROUND!