helloooooo, gorgeous!

Current mood:quiet.

i took advantage of a day and a half off work and a free train pass and went to stl.

chicago was experiencing rainy conditions on tuesday, and i was glad i went back to get my umbrella before departing for union station. the station was packed and the train was sold out. i got a window seat and another girl about the same age as me sat next to me. we made excellent time. we kept a strong pace the whole way and didn't have to wait for passing freights. i really enjoyed looking out the window and watching the rain. i spotted two blue herons, one flying and one perched atop a telephone pole (very surprised to see it perched as usually i see them slowly sauntering through the water, their long stick legs like reeds). i also saw a lot of rabbits, and a deer! at one point when we passed over a creek, i saw three large birds dive-bombing together. i thought maybe they were hawks b/c of their size/build, but i have never really seen hawks travel in a pack like that. but they were definitely large birds of prey.

i arrived late on tuesday night, to the familiar thickness of st. louis humidity. i had not taken the train since the new station was opened back at the end of 2008. it looked really nice, like a legit depot. it is somewhat of a hub for metrolink, greyhound, and amtrak. it looks really nice. and its RIGHT under the highway. my dad informed me that a large chunk of 40 is still closed, so the explained why there was, like, no eastbound traffic.

the downtown looked gorgeous. i love looking at the buildings at night, and city hall on this evening, looked particulary elegant. that yellowish color to the stone seemed to glow in the dark, and the landscaping and planter boxes full of pink blooms were a pretty contrast. even the old keil opera house looked elegantly gothic and for the first time in years i took notice on the stone bears out front on the steps.

once home, i stayed up late with weiner dog, in the kitchen boiling some noodles.

on wednesday, i woke up and played the piano for about an hour. its crazy out of tune and some the keys stick, which drives me crazy, but i enjoy playing, and i went through all the old pieces i played for guild when i was younger--fifth avenue poodle, fur elise, turkish rhondo, gyspy rhondo, and zug der zwerge.

i drove my mom's car to her school to eat lunch with her. it was the last day of school, and i had a nice time seeing her class and also going to visit some of the teachers i had in high school and middle school, who i always make a point to stop by and say hello to when i'm back. my sophomore year english teacher is now a librarian and she told me that she had just finished a book and was sending it off to the presses this coming friday. i thought that was exciting!

my bro came over to the house and we went out on the bikes for like two hours. we rode out to the levee and encountered only four cars the whole time. it was awesome. the sky was magnificent blue and the wheat crop and soy bean fields along the bottoms were just starting to sprout and everything was green and lush. there was a lot of flooding and we saw a lot of wading birds. we had a good ride and had good conversation. i also gained some perspective and insight into my goal of pacific-atlantic that i am going to embark on next year.

i've been torn as to if i should go solo or tour with a group. after going out with my bro, i realize that i should solo. i also felt like group tour would be nice b/c of having to carry all the gear, but i can carry all the gear myself. i was also worried about pushing myself to hard to get finished, but when i rode w/ my bro, we just cruised along at a walking pace, and i didn't get tired. i know i could keep that up all day, day after day. we talked a lot about different fun outdoor side trips, like rafting.

on the way back home, we stopped at the pool in our neighborhood and cooled off. i thought that the water would be way cold since the pool just opened on monday, but the water was perfect. clear and refreshing. we mainly stayed in the deep end, treading and diving for this torpedo toy, and then we we got out, we let the sun/air dry us off as we reclined in the chairs.

once home, we passed out, only to be jolted awake to booming thunder! power went out three times, and once lightning stuck so close we thought that maybe it was in the backyard, but nothing was on fire/burned. storms all night long!

dad took my to the train station this morning at 430am. i didn't cry in the car, but i wanted to b/c i didn't want to come back up here just yet. luckily i slept the whole way back, and i went straight to work, where i was distracted the whole time.

the trip was too quick. i decided to visit b/c i needed a dose of familiarity and my mom and a break from my hectic schedule up here. i have felt so burned out. yesterday was great, i just wish it could have lasted longer.