Conclave @ MindSay

nothing is as powerfully moving as the simple honesty of an unwarranted confession, the sudden breakdown of social protocol, the uprooting of the stoic walls wherein are contained our own feeble emotional shortcomings, the irrevocable precursor to the "i love you's" and the "it's over's" and the "i'm sorry's". perhaps, like all beauty, it is only beautiful when contrasted with the overwhelming majority of our daily lies, the "fine, thanks'" and the "all right, how 'bout yerself's" and the "no, nothing's wrong's". much like a star's beauty is hidden in the daytime, so would be honesty's beauty be hidden in a world where honesty is the dominating force behind our nearly incessant communication. but, even then, would we better realize the beauty of a lie?

the key to the serious undertaking of really enjoying life is to love all of it, and to find beauty even in the things which we daily experience.
__________________________________________________________

i was running home and i saw this chain linked post so i tried to hurdle over the chain but my trail leg was too low and it got caught so i fell onto the cement and now my jaw hurts and my hand hurts and my shins hurt because my hamstring was pulled 2 days ago when i drove my bike home real fast in the middle of going to The Block because i left my wallet at home. oh and i went to conclave today. i wanna post some pictures but i don't have any.
___________________________________________________________

i like my camera.
good times




angela's post-its went to good use


cindy


i doodle when i'm bored. "c" for CONAN.


my new dali print


so i heard that sleeping in front of the microwave gives you extraordinary radioactive brain super powers.

now i think....how would a guitar made outtah chocolate look like?....


what dah?! wow. mmmmm sounds sweet and tastes sweet too.
now.... how would a guitar made outtah gummy bears look like?

It's finals week; I am busy studying and handing in term papers. There are so many things going on all at once. Last week was a blur with my brother, sister-in-law and her parents here. Thursday night was especially fun as Paola, the lady that owns the apartment they rented, cooked for us. She brought her friend Laura, her son Federigo and his fiancé Amara with her to help. They made delicious fritto misto, gnocchi, pasta amartriciana, carciofi, and pollo patate al forno. We washed it all down with three bottles of their homemade wine. I was the most stuffed I had ever been in my life. I couldn't even sleep on my stomach that night. In addition to eating so well, we all had a great time talking in our broken Italian and broken English. I wish I would have met them sooner.

On Friday we all took the train to Florence and enjoyed the art and history of the Renaissance and the food and wine of Tuscany. We were all pretty exhausted on the ride home, but I was happy to hear my brother say it was one of the best vacations of his life. Saturday they flew back home and I got back to school work.

Important events continue to occur in Italy. I am stunned at all that has happened since I got here. Right now the Berlusconi government seems to be falling apart. There are even calls for the Prime Minister's resignation. Meanwhile 115 Cardinals are busy deciding who will be the new Pope. Conclave began yesterday and the first signs of smoke are starting to billow from the Sistine Chapel. I'll keep you posted on developments in both.

I am looking forward to getting my finals done. My last few days here will be great without the burden of school work. This Friday I hope to fly to Palermo and spend some time gazing at the Mediterranean from a Sicilian Beach. I need some time to contemplate this amazing study abroad experience as its end quickly approaches.

It is 6 pm and I think a new Pope has been elected. White smoke is coming from the Sistine Chapel. More on this later, I have to go to St. Peter's.