Guitars, dogs, bikes, skirts, and smiles in the sun

I wore a skirt yesterday.  I shaved my legs, moisturized them, put on some cute shoes, and wore a skirt.  Because it was lovely out.  And the lovely weather draws people outside and it revitalizes this city in the most amazing way.  Although the streets get more crowded and walking is more difficult and my pace is broken more often, I can't help but love what sunshine does to this city.

I saw three times as many dogs outside yesterday, lying on the street outside cafes while owners casually sipped iced coffees.  I saw a man sitting on his front steps just jamming on a guitar and singing his heart out with whatever lyrics he conjured on the spot.  I saw a boy reading a book, sitting on the side of the street under the shade of a tree.  I saw artists sketching I saw children with facepaint and people with bunches of balloons, tons of joggers and loads of bikers whizzing down the streets.  With some good music on, I wanted my walk to last for hours.

I didn't wear a jacket.  I could feel the sunshine.  I walked along the Hudson.  I went for a drive with the windows down, and it felt wonderful.  I turned off my air conditioning and left my room windows open, sleeping under the breeze.

I don't have much to say about the weather, just that it was lovely and I smiled all day.

I. Love. Sunshine.  (taken from http://www.flickr.com/photos/virgomerry/11227682/) 

Get outside,
The A.S.S.

He makes me want to burst. Seriously.

I don't want to be alone any more.

I've been fine for the past few months after my last big rejection, and I decided, "Fuck it. I'm single and I can't change that right now."  And somehow, that worked and I didn't care about being single.  It was just what I was and that's how my life was.  No big deal either way.  But now, now that there is a prospect and there has been even the slightest form of reciprocation, I'm getting butterflies all the time.

I think about Drifter more than I should--we still barely know each other.  But we've had a few dates now and every time, the hours just fly by as we talk and tell stories and just laugh with each other.  Believe me, I know how corny and ridiculous I sound when I say this, but I honestly and truly feel that he and I have a deeper connection I've never formed with someone so quickly.  It was there as soon as I met him.  Right from the start, we understood each other.  And it took a lot of finagling and walking on eggshells to get the ball rolling, but it is now and I can't believe how I'm feeling.

I don't think I felt this way even when my first boyfriend kissed me for the first time!  He makes me smile constantly and I'm so incredibly comfortable with him--I tell him stories I would never tell a stranger and he reciprocates.  We're moving slowly, but there are definite steps being taken and my heart is flying.

I was fine being alone.  I was content.  I walked down the streets, singing the music in my headphones, and smiling for no reason.  Things were working.  But now there's this wrench in the situation--I smile wider, I play my music louder, I sing more strongly, and I dance.  I was fine being alone, but not anymore.  I just want to be with him.  I want to hear another story from him, I want to order him another cup of coffee, I want to hold his hands and turn them over as I trace the lines in them, study the way he sits in his own skin, laugh at his ridiculous stories, show him that scar on my shoulder, lose myself in his eyes, and I want to melt into his smile.  Even as winter approaches and the sun disappears into the haze, there's this new part of me that's shining so brightly I want to burst.

Yeah, he literally makes me want to burst with joy.  I won't say I'm in love, but I think this just might be the precursor to it.

Taken from http://porcelainteacup.deviantart.com/#/d2xkc2b

Dancing on clouds,
The Amplified Shadowed Side.

Rainbows Over Manhattan?!

Class today was great--we really bit our teeth in and dug into class.  We had a very intense and in-depth discussion of the material, scrutinizing and thirsting and analyzing and craving.  It was really pretty awesome, I can't lie.  So I left with a skip in my step and a smile on my face.

It was raining, but I had a raincoat and umbrella ready.  It was a calm but heavy rain; powerful yet soothing.  So, again, I was happy.  Then I looked up and I saw blue skies with a vibrant rainbow.

I've never seen a rainbow in Manhattan before.  Ever.

And then my shuffle-all brought up Gene Kelly's classic "Singin' in the Rain."

By gum, I was ecstatic.  What a wonderful concoction of good!  It's so rare that a million little pieces conspire together in such beautiful harmony--I was smiling ear to ear at this point.  I'm sure every person I passed was confused beyond recognition, but I couldn't have cared less.  The world, in that moment, on that walk home, was perfect.

And waiting for me on my kitchen table was a hand-written letter from my best friend.

It's the small things in life that make the best days.  No diamonds, no fancy dinners out, no winning the lottery, no "A" on a paper.  Just a text from you or the right song on shuffle.  The chance to pet a cute dog.  Just a good cup of coffee in the morning.  Simple pleasures--that's all I need to make me smile.

(This is not the rainbow I saw today--I got this one off of Google.)

Yours,
The A.S.S.

An Unparalleled Moment of Beauty

I am witnessing something incredible.  Something beautiful.  And I'm bawling like a baby.  This isn't a story from the streets of New York, but rather a story of the world and its onlookers.  The world and I are watching the rescue of the Chilean miners.  I watched the first three come out and I watch the last one surface now.  As I sit here, crying on my bed, I am flooded with this universal bond of inspired hope and moving admiration.  And I really don't know what to write about it other than the fact that I honestly cannot come up with the words to describe this feeling.  This moment.  This event in history.  It's...momentous?  Well, yes.  Historic?  Of course.  Inspiring?  Yes, but that's not quite strong enough and it seems slightly off.  Admirable?  At the moment, that's the best I can come up with.