23. a photo of your friend as a baby

Lil Erika - Awz. ^_^

And yes, I am pretty sure that is a guinea pig...with one eye.

Interactive resume, HO!

So, the past 3-4 days have been chaotic, exciting, entertaining and utterly productive as I created an interactive resume that I could present to the Photojojo team.

I applied for this job. There is no doubt that this is my dream job. And I have been psyched about this for a while now - as those of you close to me have had to "deal with". ;) (I'm sorry - actually, no I'm not! - but thank you for all of your support!)

Yes, this means I would drop everything and move to San Francisco straight away (in my mind, at least). And that, too, makes me giddy. I have longed to be rid of this "small town" and have often spoke of moving to California (Florida and Washington were dually considered). It served me well - MTSU especially - but it is just time to go, and let go.

Although, I know a resume does not mean you automatically get the job, I worked oh-so-diligently and hard on this and, well, I did my damnedest! Now, I just pursue an interview so that I can woo them with this Jamie charm!

I am proud. I am proud of what I've done and, most of all, proud that my closest family and friends are also proud (and supportive). This means more than anything. Hands down.

So, thank you again.

You know who you are.

I love you, guys.

21. a photo of you standing up

Me & Marky. Old school thrift store kids. <3

17. a drunk photo of you

Apparently, this is a god awful picture of me.

But I love it; it cracks me up.

I am literally screaming at Jeremy, "I HAATE YOUUU!"

16. a photo of you at the last party you went to

Jamaal and I at Tillman's going away party.

This is my heart, bleeding before you; this is me down on my knees.

Sleeping last night was more of a chore than usual. I can't remember if I fell asleep this way, or if this is something completely different, but, nonetheless, it isn't fun.

I think getting up to use the bathroom three hours into my sleeping session was a mistake: I seem to have fallen off the wrong side of the bed this morning. And, no, that is not a figure of speech. I awoke with this...sour taste in my head, this pot is about to boil over and I am not looking forward to it.

A lot is on my mind; and none of it is happy.

I need my happy. Where can I find it?

My best friend won't talk to me anymore. And, despite my assumptions, will not tell me why. Apparently, ignoring someone almost completely is the best way to make someone feel like utter trash. That and being right. (Not expecting that one to make sense.)

Do you ever think about how many best friends you have lost [over the years]? Is it a lot? Three? Four? Eight? - Makes you feel a bit uneasy, huh? Yeah, I'm right there with you. Right. There.

Coffee break.

In attempts to find the perfect photo for today (re: 30 day photo challenge), I realize how alone I actually feelam...

I am stuck somewhere between fantasy and reality. I'm uncertain how this limbo came to be, but that doesn't change the fact that it's just that. Limbo. How am I to decipher between what's best for me and what I want most? Changing a huge part of your life isn't something that should be done on a whim...should it? I am trying to convince myself to do the right thing; I am trying to convince myself I'm doing the right thing.

What am I doing?

Excuse me, think I've mistaken you for somebody else: somebody that gave a damn, somebody else...

I can't do this anymore.

Can you?

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood...

This coffee is pretty amazing. And by pretty I mean fucking (but only in this instance...maybe).

Here I am, again: swimsuit garb, longingly staring out the window at the sun and the sky - silently threatening each cloud that appears, hoping it will get my drift and disappear.

I'm like a child. I've been living in this bathing suit - my skin slightly burnt, freckles all visible - all week. This is how it was when I was a child, as a matter of fact. I couldn't stay away from the water.

But, I mean, honestly, who doesn't like to swim?

Anyway, I will finish my cups of delicious coffee, apply more sunscreen, and head out!

Time to forget about idiotic people and the ridiculous things they do. Let the sun blind me momentarily to their shenanigans. Let the water wash away the negative emotions before I explode and do something [more than just] I will regret.

I don't answer to anyone. Especially you.

Shoo.

13. a photo of your best friend(s)

The two people who I will always love;

even if they don't love me.

^ Erika

^ Jon

xo

6. a photo that makes you laugh

This was after Serkan and I picked Cheese up from

his basic training for "family week". He is screaming.

And it is glorious.

The devouring of crab legs: Amusing spectator sport or horrifying insight?

Well, today was kinda fail. Apparently, no one in the 'boro sells grape leaves; and considering that is the backbone of the dolmathes...no dice.

However, I did get my sugar tooth hands on some delicious Japanese candy from Somboun's Asian Market! I currently can not stop gobbling it down either. Not only am I a huge candy fiend, but Japanese candy tastes even better!

Serkan and I went out with Eiji - one last time before his return trip home (Japan). Eiji really wanted to go eat crab legs at Chef Wang's before he left, so I ate at Panera first, and then we all went to Chef Wang's (I'm a vegetarian and Chef Wang's isn't very appealing to me).

Panera is my favorite. Always. But today, I was about to take another bite of my Mediterranean veggie sandwich when I noticed what looked like brown/black, bad lettuce. So, I peeled the top of the sandwich slowly off to investigate. It definitely was brown/black and gross. But it definitely was not lettuce. It was a straight up insect, kids. Wings, legs, body...just hanging out.

=(

Yeah, so...needless to say, I lost my appetite, got my money back, and was on my way. I felt bad because the manager and one employee felt so bad (they know me, I frequent there regularly...or, at least, used to when I had the monetary resources). I assured them it happens everywhere and it wasn't their fault, and thanked them for the refund and politeness.

Now, onto the adventurous part of the day/evening! Chef Wang's!

Oh. My. God. Watching those two scoundrels - I mean, Serkan and Eiji - enjoy their crab legs was such an experience. I mean, have you ever watched someone eat crab legs? Like, actually just sat back and watched?! It's a fucking escapade, let me tell you!

They're so incredibly excited about it: mouth watering, eyes wide, tools ready! They brought back piles upon piles of these crab legs! Talk about all-you-can-eat. They went up time and time again, plate after plate after bushel after bushel of crab legs!

I kept wincing, into the corner of the booth, afraid of these men with their teeny tiny forks and...nut crackers? - What the fuck? - I was waiting for the crab to explode, tiny pieces of shell flying into my hair, my mouth, my eye! I was mortified; and yet...could not look away.

The sheer victory they seemed to experience when successfully procuring the entirety of the meat from one leg made even me giddy! It was as if their hard work had finally paid off! Like they won the lottery! Like eating the crab legs in bits and pieces wasn't good enough; you're a fucking crab leg-eating failure - head hung low - until you get the whole thing out, completely intact!

They were champions (in a prehistoric kinda way)!

These guys were utterly neanderthal-esque! I half-expected them to rip off their clothes and start bathing themselves in the buttery oil, like their fellow crabs, picking insects out of each others hair and grooming themselves with their tongue.

Okay.

I need to stop.

Being a vegetarian, I guess I'm just not used to having to break my food out of a shell or wrestle it into submission; so maybe I'm just one of the very few who have never experienced this ordeal firsthand. Maybe that is why it amused, yet disgusted, me so.

It was a spectacle; I'll give you that.

Everyone should spectate such an event! Next time you're going out to eat, find some all-you-can-eat crab legs and let the amusement begin! You'll never see your friends in the same light again. Guaranteed.