When you realize you've stopped doing something you actually enjoy doing.

Things that are new with me lately:

-no longer do I just make quesadillas for dinner I make quesadillas with onions, peppers and ground beef in them.  My breakfasts are often vegan but my dinners tend to have more animal grease than the garbage disposal.

-when searching for personal fulfillment, I find it in lighting a good-smelling candle in the living room.

-why are books that need to be returned to the library so hard to return to the library?

-2 out of 3 days I get out of class at 4:30 which is convenient in terms of wine.

-I'm in the process of creating my website but honestly it's easier to make websites for other people because other people are able to tell you what they want while I myself am actually incapable.

-semester goal: use scanner at all time

Waves over the ashes from Otugen on 8tracks Radio.

Free as Fall

I found out we only have to take 3 classes next semester.  Somehow that makes it all seem like we're going to survive?  So.. more time to sleep or to learn how to make dinner for myself?  Or to try out more restaurants so I don't have to. Haven't decided yet.

I've been accepting the summer-fall transition this year more than ever.  As in I haven't sunken into the moodiest of depressions this time as my beloved summer months slowly left me.  Only reason I can think of?  With the click of your weather app telling you it's a high of 62 degrees, a whole new wardrobe appears in your closet.

Thanks to October's sunny/cool approach in contrast with the rest of the east-coast-year's extreme weather conditions, you can do things you normally couldn't.  Like wear the longest long sleeves with the shortest short dresses and the sturdiest sturdy boots.  All with the most amount of layers and the most intense textures.  Just walking into your closet is like getting a new menu at your favorite restaurant- but they're still using all your favorite ingredients.  Unexpected, but bold. And subtle, like a good surprise should be.  Oh, you wanted asparagus and truffle with your pasta? Now we're stuffing it into ravioli and putting it on top of this pumpkin butter sauce! Here! Wear it! Also try this Chianti we just brought back from Perugia. Good, right?

WHAT. I mean impeccable approach, Fall.  Really, I've never felt more empowered by your effortless cool.  You are gracefully chilly.  You make me close my bedroom windows at night and wear sweaters to sleep.  But you are served up sweeter than the frozen strawberry pancakes and flat champagne I've had for dinner the past 3 nights.  And that is sweet.

Swimming good so far

So I've been cooking a lot lately.  With all this free time I've really been able to just dive in to my hobbies and interests. Tonight we're having canned black beans heated up in the microwave with garlic croutons on top.  I mean buon appetito or what! So by "cooking a lot" I actually mean there's no one cooking for me on a daily basis.  I repeat, NO ONE IS COOKING FOR ME ANYMORE. WHAT. WHY NOT.  But really, from having our Pi Phi house chef to working in restaurants, I've never really had to hone my skills in the hunting/gathering department.  Unless you consider gathering all the wines from Trader Joe's a feat of survival.  But I think I was just born with that.  It's always very uncertain, what I'll be eating for my next meal.  Nachos, nachos, quesadilla, nachos, pasta?  The most nutrients I get are from the smoothies I make for breakfast.  I pack in handfuls of spinach and kale and goji berries and sometimes two greek yogurts because there's no telling when the next time I'll be eating anything other than bread will be.

Aside from the great strides I've taken in personal dieting,  I've made 4 commercials.  FOUR. Video editing software is like, my actual latest hobby and interest I mean it's just a whole new world of creating.  Now I have to figure out how to upload them to the digital portfolio.  Oh, did you want to see that?

shannonbrookssmith.com wassup

IT'S SUNDAY AND IT'S SO SUNNY

Why advertising is the best thing to do with your life, decided by me

Coming soon. No really, I'm going to update this as soon as I get a minute.

Also website is almost ready. (Louisiana Purchase stage.)

For now:

Here, we (I mean I) fail everyday.

And it's never felt so fulfilling.

To capture all the nice-tries and really feel the failure, I'm posting all of it. And moving! New website is under construction as we speak fail.  Which means I like to give myself as many reasons as possible not to have any free time ever. (That's just time we could have spent failing).  I'll still post over there, but you better enjoy this little outdated corner while you still can.

OH you want the link? One sec.

p.s. there's a soundtrack to it all, if you haven't noticed by now. here's the track for this chapter: