Lake Girl

At both entrances to my neighborhood there are two big lakes. At the end of last summer I left for college and my trips home were mostly for holidays and the occasional weekend. This past semester as I pull into my neighborhood I drive past the lake I began to notice that there is a girl standing there listening to music. She stands on the corner by the bench and just stares at the lake and occasionally looks at the cars that pass. She’s probably in middle school or early high school, but come rain or shine; I can usually guarantee her to be out there when I drive by during the afternoons.

Now I am not the only person to notice this girl. My mom and my brother have also developed this weird fascination with this girl, coining her Lake Girl. Sometimes my brother will even declare when he gets home from school “Saw the girl by the lake on my way home” nonchalantly.

The other day I had fallen asleep watching T.V upstairs in my game room and I had left the doors open. So when my brother came home from school I woke up and just kind of laid there on the couch and I could hear my brother talking to my mom. All of a sudden I began to pay attention to what he was saying. Apparently when he drives by he always waves to the lake girl, and that day, she flagged him over. She asked if he had gotten a new truck and he said no. He asked her how she was doing and she said “good” and then a few cars were waiting behind him in the street so he had to leave.

I was shocked. My fascination with Lake Girl was suddenly renewed. I asked him questions about what their conversation entailed and “Why didn’t you ask her why she stands out by the lake all the time?!” he said he didn’t really think to and mostly because he didn’t have time.

I don’t know what it is but I like having something to daydream about. I like to have a routine, something that I can guarantee, no matter what, will always be there. Like the sound my fan makes at night or the way my mom’s car air conditioner smells when you first turn it on or how goldfish taste so much better after swimming. I don’t know what it is but Lake Girl has become one of those routines to me; I can count on her to be standing by the lake when I drive by. Maybe I should wave to her instead of watching her out of the corner of my eye when I drive by. Perhaps shed wave back.

alison

rainy day spent watching the french open with a nap somewhere in between.

best commercial ive seen in a long time btw.

a tuesday night

blueberry pie+ butterfinger hot chocolate + sleepless in seattle + going to bed early= the best night i've had in a long while.

pierrot le fou

graduation

Well it’s the first weekend of summer and I am back in Baton Rouge. Last night my cousin graduated high school and my dad and I spent good six or so hours of Friday driving/stuck in traffic.. The graduation was alright, about as fun as any graduation can be and I spent the better part of it recording it in the stands.

Afterwards my aunt had a graduation party planned for my cousin Stewart. I rode home with him in his new truck. He was proud to have a sun roof and we rode with it open the whole way back. I didn’t complain because living out in the country like they do the stars are much more visible. We were the first ones back to the house and Stewart did not want to have this party. His mom had a chocolate milk toast planned (his favorite drink) and other surprises. Perhaps the thing that aggravated him the most was a photo hanging by the food table. He yelled, “Brian look at it. Isnt it the gayest thing you’ve ever seen?! Brian, please, take it down. They won’t notice. Just take it down.” All the while I could not stop laughing. I took a picture so I wouldn’t forget it.



Whenever there is a food that I love that I don’t eat very often I tend to have the problem of overeating. Last night was no exception as I was presented with a plate of chocolate covered strawberries. I preceded to eat somewhere around 15 of them and promptly felt like throwing up everywhere. I spent the rest of the night sitting down and occasionally moaning.



On a side note I cut myself shaving last night right on the corner of my mouth and it hurts so bad. I cant yawn or drink orange juice indefinitely.

all time

1. this must be the place (naive melody) by talking heads
2. temptation- new order
3. ceremony- new order
4. just like heaven- the cure

those are the only 4 i can say for 100% for sure.

my life in an eighties sitcom (continued)

I live in a moderately sized house located on a picturesque street in the suburbs. Oak trees line the streets and we only have one set of neighbors (so as not to confuse the audience). The summers seem to only last a few episodes and the winters even less (we save those for the Christmas Eve show). Inside the stairs are always the same as every other sitcom along with the kitchen and living room.

My mom works and so does my Dad. We are upper middle class, yet everyone can identify with our life style. My Dad is really relaxed yet stern, while my mom is uptight yet loving. A few seasons in one of my parents will get laid off from their job and become a stay at home mom or dad, probably causing some sort of conflict with my younger sister. Did I mention her? Well she’s only a year or two younger than me and, man, do we not get along at all. She’s the most popular girl in her grade. A bit stuck up but every now and then there will be a heartwarming episode where we somehow become closer through some sort of conflict, somehow allowing our real personalities to shine. Who could have guessed she wouldn’t rat me out when I skipped school that one time?

Of course I have a younger brother and maybe an older one that’s off at college that we only see once or twice a season. My younger one is named some simple name like Billy or Timmy; always ending in a “y”. I’m closer with him than I am with my sister. Every now and then I’ll be seen teaching him how to play a sport, teaching him some trick that only older brothers know. He’d say something funny, probably beginning with the phrase “Well gee whiz…” then I’d smile and brush his hair with a wink.

What about me? I’d probably wear some sort of brown faded leather jacket. I’d come across as the semi popular, rebellious kid, but the audience knows that I’m secretly not. I’ll have a loveable best friend who’s pretty dumb and would act as the comic relief guaranteed to say something stupid in a bad situation.

In class I’d sit in the back, always slouching and a smirk across my face. My teachers all pretend to not like me but they all secretly love me. One episode I’ll fall asleep awkwardly on my book when I should have been studying for a huge test the next morning. I’d wake up and figure out my only option is to cheat. I stupidly write all of the answers on my arm and get caught in class. I’d get sent to the principal’s office and get a punishment no wear near as harsh at it should be. That’s not the point though; the audience learns a lesson about cheating, while being entertained at the same time.

A new situation is waiting in every episode; a new adventure that is never really that plausible. Everyone will be able to identify with at least one character so much so that they secretly think to themselves that if they were in this fictional universe that they would be that character.

The audience laughs loudly at funny situations and “aw’s” at the sentimental and no matter what everything turns out alright in the end.

*cue laugh track*

While the credits run the name of the show appears as the cast of characters take a picture and the screen freezes. Our theme song dwindles to a fade out ending.

FILMED IN FRONT OF A LIVE STUDIO AUDIENCE.