See shale

Sally sells sea shells down by the sea shore.

Sell me something sally, s'il vous plait.

What is it about them that makes you so intrigued? What about lifting each and every abandoned exoskelton to your ear for a hopeful glimpse into your past, longing for the ocean we say we can hear. I had a basket of them, mostly broken into pieces and none of which pretty to look at and suddenly I discovered seven beautiful faces starring up at me, begging to listen into my fantasies.

"Can you hear it?" they ask innocently. I smile and pretend they still hold the same thrill, the same fascination.

Why is it these are useful?

"Exoskeletons, as hard parts of organisms, are greatly useful in assisting preservation of organisms, whose soft parts usually rot before they can be fossilised."

My grandparents collect them. Every winter when they migrate like the birds and return like cats with their prices from their mouths. When they leave forever, their shells will still remain.

"Throughout the history of humanity, shells of many types and from many different kinds of animals have been popular as human adornments. The Moche culture of ancient Peru worshipped animals and the sea and often depicted shells in their art."

So it all boils down to this. Our past, our lives, whatever we leave behind will all be recycled in the great play of life until we're nothing but a necklace, a bead, a button.

Backaches

I think he just made it worse. Every Tuesday, for free, come get it, come one and all, for the snap crackle pop of your lifetime.

Play practice ended at 12:30, but my back ache will go on forever.

Why did I see that chiropractor, even if it was free and sounded good?

Recipes

Fun in the sun
Prep time: your lifetime
Cook time: 10 seconds
Ingredients:
-1 lime
-1 coconut

Directions
1. You put the lime in the coconut.
2. And shake it all around

I have been typing up recipes for my sister. I generally just clean her apartment, water her garden, prepare small appetizers for her meals, and hand wash her laundry, but recently she has pulled out a large Victoria Secret bag worth of recipes which she wants typed up and organized. Two words can describe my experience with this: In-tense.

So we fire up our stove and gather all our friends. Spend some time in the kitchen and on the table and in our cupboards. There's a reason we call it the kissing closet after all.

Bereft

What is it like to have your life plans change? To try so hard, to slip and discover you have not just scraped you knee, but you have fallen off the cliff. Who knew you were so close? Something so simple where you can't even look into people's eyes. You can't tell your friends, but you can't hide it. I wonder what that would be like. I have a cousin who is pregnant and due in September. She's keeping the baby, but has already lost her respect and her parent's acceptance. I have a friend who has been bulemic, anorexic, and addicted to drugs since we were 14. She's lost plenty of pounds but gained lots of problems. And what would you say if you were them, it's not so bad, it's horrible, it's no one's fault, it's mine, it's my parents, it's over, it's only just begun? What would you say if you knew them? What could you?

Healing

It's still there and it aches sometimes, mostly when I remember it and go over it again and again, just to check. However, it doesn't constantly pain me, reminding me I've been hurt every time I move, every time I eat, everytime I breath. Things do heal. Vitamins, exercise, de-stressing, and mostly time have set the process in motion and now I'm on my way. I'm not sure if you ever know when it's over, whether you realize it or not, usually you've stopped thinking about it. But when you realize you're healing, all you can do is anticipate, whether it's cold sores or old loves.

Dancing around in Sequence

I climbed a mountain and now my calves hurt.
I ate falafel and now I smell like garlic.
I met a Peruvian and now I'm looking at plane tickets.

Discoveries

I have a cold sore. It is in my mouth. I do not love it like I love French toast. I do not love it like I love fresh tomatoes or garden peas. I feel it though every time I talk, every time I smile, it's the aftertaste to my orange juice and I can't resist from sticking my tongue to feel it every couple of minutes. Every minute. Every few seconds.

– An uneasy conscience is a hair in the mouth.
Mark Twain

except it's a cold sore.

It's not even cold outside, the sun is shining, and we went to Mimi's for breakfast, the first customers. Although I do work in air conditioning. No, it is still not cold.

I am not particularly sore either. No exercise beyond normal, no bitter feelings, no soreness. Just in my mouth.

At least it's not contagious.