Heimweh

I've been spending a lot of time lately looking through old photos and planning imaginary trips. I get in moods every once in a while where I really miss Berlin and the slightest thing can make me homesick (if that's the correct word) and close to tears (dramarama!). A while ago it was a particularly fragrant shrub that took me back immediately. Sometimes it's the smell of certain brands of cigarettes or beer.

If only I didn't have such limited vacation time. I feel like I'm not really cut out for the working world. Or maybe being an adult in general. Definitely not my strong suit.

Lately

I've stopped eating dairy and have been enjoying these delicious vegan cupcakes. They're extra good with a strawberry on top!

Despite wearing glasses since January, I still forget to put them on now and again and have left home several times lately without them, which leads to me missing my bus as I return to get them. Not a good way to start the day. This note hasn't really helped.

The weather has been rather horrible lately. Or rather it has been oscillating between nice and sunny and horrible and super rainy. And when it's rainy I just like to stay in, light my candelabra/chandelier thing and listen to music.

And speaking of music, I'm looking forward to listening to Xfm's live broadcast from the Japan Benefit gig tomorrow! I only wish I could be there in person!

on cats.

A sketch I made for a card for a friend. I wish I could make my grandma's cat wear a sweater like this. But maybe that wouldn't be such a good idea. I've been feeling a bit down lately and seem to have taken to drawing motivational cats...
I know cats seem to be all the rage these days, but to be honest, I was never much of a cat person. I had known cats that were nice, of course, and I think cats are awfully cute, but since meeting a certain new cat, I have a new-found appreciation for them.

San Francisco.

Last week I went to San Francisco fora few days. It was nice and sunny, but very cold. The highlights (neither of which I photographed):
- Chips (or fries or whatever you want to call them - I call them Pommes) with Curry Ketchup and a super delicious salad at Frjtz in Hayes Valley
- The multiple Kinokuniya stores in Japantown! I only had a backpack, so I had to exercise considerable restraint and not buy tons of stuff
Also: the cute sourdough bread in the shape of turtles and bears! Except I wouldn't buy one because I didn't want to bite their heads off...because I'm a baby like that.

A new shirt from Out of Print. They donate a book to a community in need for each shirt sold.

I knew I had to have this as soon as I saw it. The Catcher in the Rye is one of my top three favourite books (along with Homo Faber and To Kill a Mockingbird) and has been since I first read it as a teenager. I still remember quite vividly the summer I read it for the first time. There's nothing quite like discovering a very excellent book. Except maybe discovering a very good record. But that's a whole other post.

I got a new radio and I love it. It doesn't get AM, which is a pity, but you can plug your ipod into it, which is nice. I've been listening to it a lot since it came last week.

I've also been playing guitar a lot, which I find very relaxing. I really lose track of time while I'm playing. Last week I even missed my bus in the morning because I was playing a bit before work and wasn't paying attention to the clock. I guess I'll have to be sure to play only after work from now on.