And it's something quite peculiar

aaaaiiiieeee, thunderstorms!

2008-07-24T02:14:06Z

I love them. :D It was starting to get cloudy when I got on metro in DC to come home, and when we came up above ground again in VA the sky was black and ominous and magnificent. It just started to rain when I got off metro. I got my bike unlocked and was going to go, but it was raining more so I thought I'd wait it out at metro. I don't mind riding my bike home in the rain, but storms can be a bit much depending on how much wind and rain there is. So I stood just inside the door with some other people waiting there and the wind picked up and it started pouring. The wind was blowing the rain a good fifty feet or so into the corridor and everyone kept backing up because they were getting wet. It got pretty bad so I was glad I decided to wait it out instead of trying to ride home right away. I don't think I could've ridden in that. There was a transformer or something that blew outside with some really bright blue flashes and the lights went out at the metro station. Fun fun. :) The rain finally let up so I went outside and found my bike blown over but otherwise ok. I had a lovely bike ride home with light rain and lots of spectacular lightning.

I've been sleeping funny lately. Yesterday I woke up sometime in the night with cramps in both legs. I get them fairly often in one leg or the other and I have to get out of bed and straighten my leg to get rid of them. They're painful enough to wake me up on a regular basis. But I don't think I've ever had them in both legs at the same time before. I must have been sleeping in an odd position, because when I finally woke up that morning I felt like someone had been sitting on my chest all night. It's still been aching on and off since then. I was having weird dreams too. Right before I woke up I dreamt about a friend who was a combination of people I've known in the past. She was skinning live ferrets and rabbits in front of me. O_o I can't remember what I dreamed about last night, but I woke up with a similar morbid feeling.

do not want

2008-07-18T02:19:58Z

I thought I was going to have a relaxing half day at my branch tomorrow. Nope, I'm being sent over to Brookland because they need extra help there (I think they need more help than I can give them). At least I'm done working Saturdays there, but I hate going there so much and thought I wouldn't have to go back. It's not like any other bank I've ever seen. Customers show up forty minutes before the branch opens and wait around. Who the hell does that? On a Saturday morning? Yeah, that's how I want to spend my weekend, hanging around at the bank. There's usually always some crazy person outside muttering (or shouting) crap that makes no sense. And they don't seem to be talking to anyone but themselves. Hopefully tomorrow I won't need to have the security guard escort any of my customers from the branch. That was a bit much.

Also, does anyone have any tips for how to handle hot, humid weather? I'm just about dying here. It's bad enough being a dirty, sweaty, exhausted mess any time I try to go somewhere, but I'm really worried about heat stroke. I'm not used to this at all. I'm ok making quick trips to work usually, but if I'm outside in the sun for more than a half hour I start to get really overheated and unable to cool down. I end up sort of lightheaded and confused so I don't think that's a good sign. It takes me at least another half hour in air conditioning to start to cool off again. I'm not sure if I simply have to get used to it or if there's something I should be doing to keep cool. Bleh. I still prefer it to -30, but it makes me miss the nasty, evil coldness of MN just a little.

finally doing some art

2008-07-14T02:40:23Z

Um...I wanted this image to be finished for Halloween last year but obviously that never happened. There's some idiotic babbling about it here: http://shimmerhawk.livejournal.com/79232.html I fixed the muzzle on the closest horse because it was driving me crazy, and am working on some other smaller changes. Technically on a real carousel the horses would be closer together, but I guess I'm using some artistic license there. Still a lot of work left to do here, but I'm finding my muse again and getting my rhythm back for making art. It's all about feeling. Imagine that! :P Furry art didn't make me feel anything; it was for fun and had no substance, which I think is why I got tired of it.

I'm also working on an ID for DeviantArt but am waiting for my mom to mail some plexiglass so I can transfer it. I won't put that one up until I at least get the inks done.

Oh, and I got to meet wampus_cat this weekend! It's so fun to meet other therians/animal people/whatever you want to call it. We went to Eastern Market so I could get a mirror made of ceiling tin from an old building: http://www.oldegoodthings.com/ It makes me want to cry that these buildings are being torn down, but it's neat that people are salvaging the materials and making things from them. Anyway, it was good to get out and hang out with someone instead of working constantly.

AAAAAUUUUUGH!

2008-07-07T22:47:51Z

I'm having one of those days where I feel like complete shit and want to find a dark, quiet place to hide until I feel better. I think it's hormones. I always get depressed and moody like this around that time of the month (or every two months, or three, whenever it decides to show up). Stupid fucking female hormones, I don't want any. Why can't everyone be genderless and asexual? I don't even want to get started on gender and sex. I hate all of it.

Work was so stressful today and I'm not entirely sure why. Just a bunch of stuff on top of my foul mood I think. I kept getting all these deposits and couldn't keep up with strapping the money as fast as it came in. I don't like it when my workstation is in a state of chaos and I have so many things on my mind that I don't know what I'm doing anymore. And all this shit came up that I'm not very familiar with like a night deposit discrepancy, because we've never gotten night deposits before. And then one of my pre wrapped rolls of quarters from the shipments we get had a freaking dime in it, leaving my cashbox short 15 cents. At least I didn't have any psychos yelling at me today or drunk people passing out at my window. On Saturday I was at Brookland for hopefully the last time, and I had this completely insane lady trying to withdraw money without an account. The ssecurity guard finally had to make her leave. Oh, and we have the auditors coming tomorrow, which I'm dreading. Banks are highly regulated, and these people make sure we're doing shit the way we're supposed to. I've heard that getting grilled by them is no fun.

Also, I've been in DC for 10 months now (holy shit, that long?) and I have no local friends beyond a couple acquaintances, no place of my own, no car, etc. I feel like I can't even support myself and my life is a failure, and I don't even have anyone here to support me through it. XD My social anxiety, low self esteem, and general disgust for most people really get in the way of socializing. I feel like all most young people want to do is sit around and drink. That was fine in college, but I'm really tired of it now. Not to mention I quit drinking because of the awful migraines I was having. I'd rather be out exploring and seeing neat things or doing something active and fun, or working on creative projects. It's hard to find people with similar interests. *misses Northwolf*

I was going to disable comments because I just needed to vent and didn't want anyone to waste their time. But I like to hear from people if they have anything to say so I'll leave it. I like to reply to all comments, but I'm not sure if I have the energy for it right now.

On a more positive note, I saw the most amazing dog this morning. Don't know what it was.

it must be Lord Voldemort

2008-07-04T04:53:51Z

Chesapeake Bay skull: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/20/AR2008062002896.html

shimmerhawk @ 2008-07-04T00:29:00

2008-07-04T04:30:56Z

You Were a Fox

A good observer, you often watch others while remaining unseen.

Cunning and courageous, you also have a gentle side.

What Animal Were You In a Past Life?

shimmerhawk @ 2008-06-29T19:37:00

2008-06-30T00:43:47Z

Stolen from moonvoice
01) Bold what is true about you.
02) Underline what is half true.
03) Italicize what you wish was true about you.
04) Add one true thing about you to the end of the list.
05) Tag five LJ friends.
06) Ask me anything about the bold/italicized/underlined.

• I miss somebody right now.
• I don't watch much TV these days.
• I own lots of books.
• I wear glasses or contact lenses.
• I love to play video games.
• I've tried marijuana.
• I've watched porn movies.
• I have been the psycho-ex in a past relationship.
• I believe honesty is usually always the best policy.
• I curse sometimes.
• I have changed a lot mentally over the last year.
• I carry my knife/razor everywhere with me.
• I have broken someone's bones.
• I have a secret that I am ashamed to reveal.
• I hate the rain.
• I'm paranoid at times.
• I would get plastic surgery if it were 100% safe, free of cost, and scar-free.
• I need/want money right now.
• I love sushi.
• I talk really, really fast.
• I have fresh breath in the morning.
• I have long hair.
• I have lost money in Las Vegas.
• I have at least one sibling.
• I was born in a country outside of the U.S.
• I have worn fake hair/fingernails/eyelashes in the past.
• I couldn't survive without Caller I.D.
• I like the way that I look.
• I have lied to a good friend in the last 6 months.
• I am usually pessimistic.
• I have a lot of mood swings.
• I think prostitution should be legalized.
• I slept with a roommate.
• I have a hidden talent.
• I'm always hyper no matter how much sugar I have.
• I have a lot of friends.
• I have kissed someone of the same sex.
• I enjoy talking on the phone.
• I practically live in sweatpants or PJ pants.
• I love to shop and/or window shop.
• I'm obsessed with my Livejournal.
• I don't hate anyone. I dislike them.
• I'm a pretty good dancer
• I'm completely embarrassed to be seen with my mother.
• I have a cell phone.
• I have passed out drunk in the past 6 months.
• I've rejected someone before.
• I have no idea what I want to do for the rest of my life.
• I want to have children in the future.
• I have changed a diaper before.
• I have a lot to learn.
• I am shy around the opposite sex.
• I’m online 24/7, even as an away message.
• I have at least 5 away messages saved.
• I have tried alcohol or drugs before.
• I have made a move on a friend's significant other or crush in the past.
• I own the "South Park" movie.
• I have avoided assignments at work/school to be on Livejournal.
• I enjoy some country music.
• I would die for my best friend(s).
• I'm obsessive, and often a perfectionist.
• I have used my sexuality to advance my career.
• Halloween is awesome because you get free candy.
• I have dated a close friend's ex.
• I am happy at this moment.
• I’m obsessed with guys.
• Democrat.
• Conservative Republican.
• I am punk rockish.
• I go for older guys/girls, not younger.
• I study for tests most of the time.
• I tie my shoelaces differently from anyone I’ve ever met.
• I can work on a car.
• I love my job.
• I am comfortable with who I am right now.
• I have more than just my ears pierced.
• I walk barefoot wherever I can.
• I have jumped off a bridge.
• I love sea turtles.
• I spend ridiculous amounts of money on makeup.
• I plan on achieving a major goal/dream.
• I am proficient on a musical instrument.
• I hate office jobs.
• I went to college out of state.
• I am adopted.
• I am a pyro.
• I have thrown up from crying too much.
• I have been intentionally hurt by people that I loved.
• I fall for the worst people and have been hurt every time.
• I adore bright colors.
• I usually like covers better than originals.
• I hate chain theme restaurants like Applebees and TGIFridays.
• I can pick up things with my toes.
• I can't whistle.
• I have ridden/owned a horse.
• I still have every journal I’ve ever written in.
• I talk in my sleep.
• I've often thought that I was born in the wrong century.
• I try to forget things by drowning them out with loads of distractions.
• I wear a toe ring.
• I have a tattoo.
• I can't stand at LEAST one person that I work with.
• I am a caffeine junkie.
• I am completely tree-huggy spiritual, and I'm not ashamed at all.
• If I knew I would get away with it, I would commit at least one murder.
• I've cosplayed or know what cosplaying is.
• I have been to over 15 conventions.
• I will collect anything, and the more nonsensical, the better.
• I enjoy a nice glass of wine with dinner.
• I'm an artist. I like to draw.
• I am ambidextrous.
• I sleep with so many stuffed animals, I can hardly fit on my bed.
• If it weren't for having to see other people naked, I'd live in a nudist colony.
• I have terrible teeth.
• I did this Meme even though I wasn't tagged by the person who took it before me.
• I have more friends on the internet than in real life.
• I have lived in either three different states or countries.
• I am extremely flexible.
• I want to own my own business.
• I smoke.
• I spend way too much time on the computer.
• Nobody has ever said I'm normal.
• Sad movies, games, fics and the like can cause a trickle of tears every now and then.
• I am proficient in the use of many types of firearms and combat weapons.
• I like the way women look in stylized men's suits.
• I don't like it when people are displeased or seem displeased with me.
• I have been described as a dreamer or likely to have my head up in the clouds.
• I have played strip poker with someone else before.
• I have had emotional problems for which I have sought professional help.
• I believe in ghosts and the paranormal.
• I can't stand being alone.
• I have at least one obsession at any given time.
• I weigh myself, pee/poo, and then weigh myself again.
• I consistently spend way too much money on obsessions-of-the-moment.
• I'm a judgmental asshole.
• I'm a HUGE drama-queen.
• I have traveled on more than one continent.
• I sometimes wish my father would just disappear.
• I need people to tell me I'm good at something in order to feel that I am.
• I can speak more than one language.
• I can fall asleep even if the whole room is as noisy as it can be.
• I would rather read than watch TV.
• I like reading fact more than fiction.
• I have pulled an all-nighter on an assignment I was given a month to do.
• I have no piercings.
• I have spent the night in a train station or other public place.
• I once spent Christmas completely alone because there was a miscommunication on which parent was supposed to have me that night.
• I've been married and am now divorced.
• There have been times when I have wondered "Why was I born?" and may/may not have cried over it.
• I like most animals better than most people.
• I own a collection of retro games consoles.
• The thought of physical exercise makes me shiver.
• I have hit someone with a dead fish.
• I have written/read erotic stories.
• I am compulsively honest.
• I was born with a congenital birth defect that has never been repaired.
• I have danced topless in front of dozens of complete strangers. And not been ashamed.
• I have gone from wishing I was a boy to reveling in being a girl to feeling like a boy again in the span of five minutes, and not cared a whit for my actual sex.
• I am unashamedly bisexual, and have different motivations for my desires for different genders.
• I sometimes won't sleep a whole night or eat a whole day because I forget to.
• I find it impossible to get to sleep without some kind of music on.
• I dislike milk.
• I obsessively wash my hands.
• I always carry that something significant around with me.
• Sometimes I'd rather wear a wig in day-to-day life than use my own hair.
• I love talking about myself to the point where I need to be stopped.
• I often sing whenever I can and I'm good at it too.
• I have experienced some type of traumatic abuse in my lifetime.
• I've experienced visions and dreams which I know/believe are from my past life.
• I have deja vu so vivid that I feel faint.
• I love Harry Potter.
• My parents are not together.
• I don't believe in love.
• I hate people who walk incredibly slow.
• I have extreme contempt for the vast majority of people.
• Sometimes I don't shower before work.
• To me, procrastination is like a disease!
• I want to sleep now.
• I enjoy watching two guys kissing each other.
• I am a typical Gemini born.
• The more I searched the less I've found.
• As a child I was a huge crybaby.
• I'm feeling alone very fast.
• I'm living in a fairytale and I'm the noble Princess, who saves the day!
• I always have to spell my (real) name.
• I want to die in my sleep.
• I have a strange laugh.
• If they let me, I can sleep 12 hours in a row.
• I wish I could transform myself into a boy every now and then.
• I dance in the rain and don't feel like a fool.
• I have a favorite stuffed animal that I will not ever get rid of.
• I sing 80's hair metal songs into my hairbrush on a daily basis.
• I have a speech disorder.
• I'm infatuably attracted to men with long, blond, curly hair
• I sometimes have the urge to take a shot of whiskey or open a can of beer at odd times in the day.
• I have a weakness for guys with nice bodies.
• I plan to move to another country at some point in my life.
• Ever wanted to be a certain fictional character.
• My dreams are so vivid, they feel real.
• I'm a huge geek, the comic-book and video game kind, not the smart kind.
• I can get jealous easily!
• My computer and harddrive are pretty much my most prized possessions.
• I prefer to buy CDs than download music, free or otherwise.
• I haven't had my first kiss yet.
• I have had teeth pulled.
• I listen to music in at least five different languages.
• I think boys/guys/men are icky.
• I prefer dim lights or candlelight to bright lights.
• I fully acknowledge that I love lame jokes, because they're lame.
• I get happy when I buy food (especially meat) on sale.
• I can find beauty and something to love in anything around me.
• Desperate to find where I belong.
• I am a home-owner.

I didn't add anything because I don't know how to make the little circle point things in front of them. I'm so hopeless with computers. But if I were to add something, it would probably be "I take public transportation to work" or "I ride the subway every day" or something like that. If you use this, please add it.

I tag everybody, like usual.

shimmerhawk @ 2008-06-24T17:42:00

2008-06-24T23:24:26Z

Thank you God! I don't have to work at Brookland anymore on Saturdays, at least as far as I know. I called today and told them I just couldn't do it anymore because I was working every other day of the week at my branch. I haven't had a day off since Memorial Day and I'm completely wiped out. I'm still sick with a cough and sore throat from that cold I had at the beginning of May and I think it's because I'm so exhausted from not having a day to rest each week. And this was after working all of May with just a couple days off. I still don't have full time hours at my branch but have been working thirty five to almost forty hours a week between my branch and Brookland. That's not bad by itself, but what really puts me over the edge is the three to four hours I spend commuting every day, seven days a week. The commute time turns even a half day of work into a full day away from home. Hopefully I'll start having a few days off now and can rest up.

The 4th of July is coming up and I realized this will be the first time in a long time I'm away from North Dakota and all the wonderful exploding things you can buy there. I always used to stock up on fireworks with my friends (preferably big fireworks), drive out to the country, and set them off. I'll really miss that this year.

There are so many fireflies here where I'm staying in VA. I'm scared of bugs, but when I'm riding my bike home in the evening after work, it's magical to see these little lights all over. Nice to know there are at least a few bugs that I don't entirely dislike.

I was finally able to buy a Windstone white male dragon on ebay. A few years ago they were out of my price range, but now the prices are lower for some reason. I've wanted one for ages.

And...I think that's all that's new, or at least all I care to take the time to write about here. I may do a therianthropy update in a while.

miss you guys!

2008-06-05T02:29:23Z

I've been too busy to do much online lately. I really miss reading through everyone's journals and poking around on various forums. The only thing I'm even attempting to keep up with is DA, but I'm falling behind there too.

I think I've got both my theriotypes figured out or at least narrowed down really closely. It's funny how being away from the internet helps with that, and I wasn't even trying anymore. They just sort of showed up themselves after I had given up and decided not to settle on any specific species. I'm not exactly just those two animals; I feel that my spirit takes those forms or similar forms or somehow manifests as those animals while being something more, something tied in with certain kinds of energy. I'm not sure how to explain it. But that's ok, because I don't have time anyway.

I have some photos to post too. Not sure when I'll get around to it.

and now for something completely different...

2008-05-20T02:41:47Z

Well, not completely. But sort of, no DC photos this time at least. I've been whining so much in my journal about how homesick I am for Minnesota so I thought I'd try to show why. These are actually old prints that I scanned quite a while back to try to edit and put up on flikr, but the magic of digital editing eludes me and they look like crap. They're all blurry and have dust and stuff on the scans. But they should at least hint at why I'm feeling so homesick. A lot of these are more than a decade old and were taken with my old film camera. The prints are decent looking.

Can you get digital images made from negatives? It would be a herculean task to try to find these old negatives, but it would be worth it for good quality images.

Clouds and sunset over Shagawa Lake in Ely, MN. The colors got washed out by the scan. I was with my ex at the time who was dragon kin, and we saw the reddish colored dragon shaped cloud (him) and the grey wolf shaped cloud (me) which was an amazing experience at the time. The cloud shapes were pretty broken up by the time I took this photo. All I can really see here are the McDonald's arches in the water. ;) I have other photos where the shapes show up better. I'll have to dig them up sometime.

My favorite place on earth. No kidding. It's a fairly small lake outside of Ely where I have years and years of some of the best memories of my life.

Like I said, it's a special place.

Palisade Head on Lake Superior with fog. That's Shovel Point in the distance.

The same scene on a clear day. I think this was taken years earlier with my mom's Kodak 110 camera, heh.

Canoes on the shore. This is the same lake as the earlier photos.

Duluth lighthouse.

Superior lighthouse, right across from the Duluth lighthouse. I'm not sure of the actual technical names of these lighthouses.

My friend and I found a baby snapping turtle that we brought into the cabin. I'm sure my mom was thrilled.

Fall foliage in Tamarac Wildlife Refuge. I think this is a sugar maple. A lot of the color was washed out in the scan, sadly.

Outside of Grand Rapids. There's still some ice on the lake. I absolutely love this photo.

shimmerhawk @ 2008-05-13T21:21:00

2008-05-14T02:03:45Z

Why the hell am I so homesick? *kicks self* All the sights and sounds and smells of northern Minnesota are swirling around in my mind. I want to be standing on the edge of a lake right now with the cool breeze off the water blowing through my wings. On still days in remote places every sound echoes over the water. It's so beautiful. Northeastern MN especially has a really intense energy in the ground that vibrates up and mixes with the lakes and trees and flavors the entire landscape. Everything there resonates with the rock and water and forests.

And probably no one has any idea of what I'm talking about. XD

My dad got me a dream interpretation book with a Christian perspective so it's been more meaningful to me than one without that perspective. I have one dream that I feel is particularly important that I've been working on. I don't expect anyone to be interested in it, but if anyone does read through feel free to give input on what you think it might mean.

The first part of the dream is fuzzy. I remember being in the attic, upstairs, or a tall open room that extended up to the roof of a home or structure and having pages and pages of maps that I’d printed out to help me know my surroundings and find my way around. I do this in real life, keeping maps printed off from google. There was another person involved who possibly could have benefited from using the maps I had and I was offering or telling them about the maps. I’m not sure who this person was, but I think they were a young person like myself. The structure in this part of the dream is hard to remember, but seems somewhat similar to the old wood house in the later part of the dream. I don’t think it was the same house.

The later part of the dream is much clearer. I was in some sort of very neat old house, all brown wood with an Arts and Crafts feel from the early twentieth century. It was old and slightly run down, but all original and I liked it. It was larger than an ordinary house. It wasn’t ornate is a flowery sort of way, but had neat decorative design elements with angular lines in subdued earthy green and orange (earth tones). These lines were about an inch thick and were painted on various surfaces like walls and floors. I had to use the bathroom or wanted to go to the bathroom for some reason, so I went up one flight of stairs to get there. The bathroom had matching design with the rest of the house and had a sink and toilet. There was a hole in the wood wall of the bathroom, and I saw straw or hay in there. I remember being surprised that they still had the old straw insulation in the walls, and that it possibly wasn’t good or safe to still have that. I left the bathroom and I think there was someone else who was also looking for the bathroom or needing to use it, a benevolent stranger.

There’s another fuzzy part involving being outside of this house, but I can’t remember it. At this point in the dream I’m with a group of people that includes individuals from other times in the dream, both male and female. They are people I know and they seem to be people my age, probably friends and acquaintances.

The next thing I remember is being in a first floor or half basement of a large building, newer and more commercial than the old house. I got the impression it was an art gallery on that floor, but I don’t remember seeing any art. It was a carpeted, white walled, newer looking sort of building and the ceilings were not tall like they were in the old house. I was with a slightly different group of people and we were there together on some sort of task or mission looking for something. I don’t know who the people in the group are now in real life, but I knew them in the dream. There were Harry Potter characters involved or there was a Harry Potter element to the people. Near the center of the building there was an elevator that went up. It was modern looking and mostly imbedded in the wall, a fairly small circular tube shape rather than a square shaped elevator. The outside of the tube where the door was was painted white like the walls but with a light or medium green stylized serpent creature silhouette painted on. I was trying to hurry and wanted the group to take this elevator or felt we needed to. One girl protested by saying that she was Gryffindor and couldn’t ride in the Slytherin elevator. We crammed into the small cylinder and I remember that Snape was standing being me and I thought that was pretty hot. He only seemed to be present for the elevator ride and I don’t recall him anywhere else in the dream, but he had been with our group. We went up in the elevator, but I’m not sure how many floors. I don’t think it was more than one or two. Where we got off there was a room that felt more like something from a house than a commercial building. It felt like a bedroom and had a closet, but no furniture that I can remember. There may have been an old trunk or chest or something similar in the room. It was dim and mostly dark and fairly empty and sparse, and one member of the group was moving around a lot and boldly shining her flashlight around. She was short and stocky with short, curly blond hair and had a background in police or security. I told her to stop because she was going to get us seen or caught by whoever was there on that floor of the building. Apparently there were people there that we were afraid of or were somehow threatened by, and it had something to do with our reason for being there. Sure enough these people showed up in the doorway to the room that led out to a dark hallway. They were two males, at least one of them a young male, and he had a large spherical mechanical eye that he used to see us. It was about the size of an orange, clear glass but had gold colored metal trim on a lid that moved up and down to ‘open’ and ‘close’ the eye. He held it in his hand. Then I woke up.

There wasn’t a specific real location to this dream, but it definitely had a more Midwestern than eastern feel. It wasn’t a bad dream and didn’t give me any really strong negative feelings even though the group of people I was with was in some sort of peril in the end.

Symbols:
Attic – Mind: thought; attitude (good or bad); learning; spiritual realm.
House – Person or family: individual; church. When naturally interpreted, it means a dwelling place.
Old house – Past: Inheritance, e.g., one’s Grandfather’s or Grandmother’s religion, ways, or temperament; established tradition. An old house in good condition = God’s ways, righteousness; diligence. In bad condition = our sins or the sins of our forefathers. Needing revival (when in need of repair or remodeling); untended (when unpainted or the property is grown over with weeds); neglect; unusable (when beyond repair); ruin.
Map – Directions: Word of God; correction; advice.
Wood – Life: temporary; flesh; humanity; carnal reasoning; lust; eternal (as in “a house made of cedars”); spiritual building material.
Brown – Dead (as dead grass is brown): Repented; born again; without spirit.
Green – Life: mortal; flesh; carnal; envy; inexperienced; immature; renewal. Evergreen = eternal life; immortal.
Orange – Danger: great jeopardy; harm. Bright or fire orange = power; force; energy; energetic; danger.
Bathroom – Desire or cleansing: prayer or repentance; confession of offenses or sins to another person; passion; strong lust.
Stairs – Steps (as in a process, sometimes including the concept of time): promotion; ambition (self promotion); procedure.
Wall – Barrier: obstacle; defense; limitation; unbelief.
Hay – To bundle: prepare; gather people together (as a church) in the name of the Lord but with wrong (selfish) motives; carnality.
White – Pure: without mixture; unblemished; spotless; righteousness; blameless; truth; innocence.
Elevator – Changing position: going into the spiritual realm; elevated.
Snake – Curse: demon; deception; threat; danger; hatred; slander; critical spirit; witchcraft.
Bedroom – Rest: salvation; meditation; intimacy; privacy; peace; covenant (as in marriage), or an evil covenant (as in natural or spiritual adultery); self-made (harmful) conditions (as in “you made your bed, now sleep in it”).
Light – Manifest: revealed; exposed. Lights turned off = without understanding or manifestation. Flashlight = personal knowledge or understanding; guidance. Dim light = without full knowledge or understanding.
Police – Authority: natural (civil) or spiritual authority (pastors, etc.), good or evil; protection; angels or demons; an enforcer of the curse of the law (because of transgression or an evil covenant).
Eyes – Desire (good or evil): Covetousness; passion; lust; revelation; understanding; the window to the soul (thus revealing what is in the heart).

There are some symbols not listed in the book that I think might be important, such as the hole in the bathroom wall. I think that entire part of the dream is pretty important, and might have something to do with my desire to work on my faith but feeling uncomfortable with some parts of organized religion that I don’t necessarily think are true or right. I’m not sure about the rest of the dream and there were a lot of possible symbols that weren’t listed in the book. It’s probably meaningful that it’s an empty art gallery and might have something to do with my lack of motivation to make any art right now. I also think it’s meaningful that the young man was holding a mechanical eye. I’m not sure what any of the Harry Potter stuff means. I’m kind of a silly Harry Potter fan. I had trouble fitting the people in the dream to anything listed in the book. At any rate, I think this dream was pretty important in terms of having meaningful symbols even if I haven’t quite put them all together yet.

shimmerhawk @ 2008-05-08T17:08:00

2008-05-08T21:58:21Z

I miss the northwoods so much. Every once in a while I see a picture or read or hear something and it makes me homesick. Something about the energy there makes me feel so alive, especially in MN with all the lakes and along Lake Superior with the waterfalls and such. The woods here and getting lush and beautiful, but they have a very different energy. And now that I'm here without a lake around every corner, I realize how much I miss the lakes back home and that I really took them for granted. I lived in Detroit Lakes for a while where we had over 400 lakes within a 25 mile radius of the town. But I simply can't tolerate winter there. Even my mom is talking about maybe retiring someplace warmer like Jacksonville, FL. That really caught me off guard because I know how much she likes being in northern MN and that she finds winter beautiful. But the winter was so bad this year that now even she's sick of it.

I came down with a cold yesterday on my birthday. Such perfect timing. :( The people at work got me a birthday cake, which totally blew me away. I wasn't expecting that at all. And the lady I'm staying with got me a cake as well. Two chocolate cakes, can't beat that. I'm somewhere in the middle of my three weeks working without a day off. I'm sure that's why I'm sick. As soon as I start getting a stretch of time where I'm not getting at least eight hours of sleep a night, I get sick. It happens every time without fail. Throw some stress in there (in other words, working at Brookland on Saturdays) and I'm pretty much screwed.

Thanks to anyone who gave me advice on my last entry about bedding and photos! I think I might have my mom mail my old comforter out here. It's large enough and would be cheaper than getting another one. Then I'll just have to get some larger sized sheets to fit this bed. I have a long silly story about that old comforter (it has an astrology themed design) and how weird it was that I came to have it, but I don't think I'll post it all here. XD There's actually sort of a photo of it in my DA scraps: http://shimmerhawk.deviantart.com/art/white-wolf-head-pictures-42966165 *is a dork*

I'm probably rambling incoherently. I really need a decent night's sleep.

shimmerhawk @ 2008-05-05T22:55:00

2008-05-06T03:24:29Z

Does anyone know a good place to buy reasonably priced bedding? I'm looking for something unique, well designed, and antique looking. Anthropologie has some stuff I really like, but it's out of my price range.

I got some nice nature photos when I walked to metro on a rainy day, and also a few from when I arrived in DC and walked to work. There are a lot of pictures but they're all itty bitty.

So many flowers everywhere here!

I like how all of these came out and can't decide which to put up on flikr.

More flowers.

And more.

An alternate route I take to metro. I don't usually ride my bike this way, but if it's rainy I walk here.

Can't decide which photo I like best...

Rain on the water.

Canada goose. I wanted to get more photos, but it was suspicious of me and walked away.

Thomas Circle. I really like both of these and can't decide which is better.

14th Street.

Rhode Island Avenue.

I love the details on this Logan Circle home.

shimmerhawk @ 2008-04-27T21:26:00

2008-04-28T03:01:59Z

I don't think I have a day off again until May 18. :(

On Friday we had a big celebration at work for the one year anniversary of that branch. There was free food, a prize wheel, a caricaturist, and a guy on stilts making balloon animals. It was fun, though we had to be outside trying to encourage people to open accounts. I'm too shy to be much of a sales person. The funniest thing was that a couple people walked into the bank that morning and told us they had seen a big rat wandering around inside the bank during the night, just hanging out and making itself at home. We just sort of laughed and said we already knew about it.

A couple days ago (must have been Thursday) I was backing my bike out of the shed so I could go to work and this baby squirrel came jumping up to me. It was so cute, I just wanted to pick it up and cuddle it. But I didn't know if it was maybe sick or injured or who knows what. It kept coming up to me and I have no idea why, but when it got too close (within a couple feet) I would back away because I didn't want to be bitten or anything. I did finally run inside to get my camera so I could snap a few pictures before I had to leave for work.

shimmerhawk @ 2008-04-24T21:48:00

2008-04-25T02:00:27Z

Haha, look at those neuroticism and agreeableness scores! I can't say I'm quite as awful as it makes me sound. ;)

My Personality


Neuroticism	98
Extraversion	5
Openness to Experience	38
Agreeableness	1
Conscientiousness	49

You often resist any cravings or urges that you have, but sometimes you give in, however you tend to lack energy and have difficult initiating activities. People generally perceive you as distant and reserved, and you do not usually reach out to others. You prefer the security and stability brought by conformity to tradition. You are not affected strongly by human suffering, priding yourself on making objective judgments based on reason. You are more concerned with truth and impartial justice than with mercy, however you believe that a certain amount of deception in social relationships is necessary. You are guarded in new relationships and less willing to openly reveal the whole truth about yourself. You take your time when making decisions and will deliberate on all the possible consequences and alternatives.

Take a Personality Test now or view the full Personality Report.

The best UGG Boots.

Neuroticism
Overall Score 98
Anxiety 99
Anger 84
Depression 98
Self-Consciousness 83
Immoderation 53
Vulnerability 98

You feel tense, jittery, and nervous and often feel like something dangerous is about to happen. You may be afraid of specific situations or be just generally fearful. You feel enraged when things do not go your way. You are sensitive about being treated fairly and feel resentful and bitter if you think you are being cheated. You tend to lack energy and have difficult initiating activities. You are sensitive about what others think of you. Your concern about rejection and ridicule cause you to feel shy and uncomfortable around others. You are easily embarrassed and often feel ashamed. Your fears that others will criticize or make fun of you are exaggerated and unrealistic, but your awkwardness and discomfort may make these fears a self-fulfilling prophecy. You often resist any cravings or urges that you have, but sometimes you give in. You experience panic, confusion, and helplessness when under pressure or stress.

Extraversion
Overall Score 5
Friendliness 1
Gregariousness 6
Assertiveness 13
Activity Level 63
Excitement-Seeking 23
Cheerfulness 12

People generally perceive you as distant and reserved, and you do not usually reach out to others. You tend to feel overwhelmed by, and therefore actively avoid, large crowds. You often need privacy and time for yourself. You tend not to talk much and prefer to let others control the activities of groups. You lead a moderately paced life. You like some energetic activities, but also like to relax and take it easy. You get overwhelmed by too much noise and commotion and do not like thrill-seeking activities. You are not prone to spells of energetic high spirits.

Openness to Experience
Overall Score 38
Imagination 64
Artistic Interests 81
Emotionality 45
Adventurousness 14
Intellect 47
Liberalism 13

You are a moderately imaginative person who enjoys a good balance between the real world and fantasy. You love beauty, both in art and in nature. Sometimes you become easily involved and absorbed in artistic and natural events. Generally you are not considered to be an emotional person, however you are aware of and in touch with your emotions. You prefer familiar routines and for things to stay the same. You can tend to feel uncomfortable with change. You enjoy a certain amount of debate or intellectual thought, but sometimes get bored with too much. You prefer the security and stability brought by conformity to tradition.

Agreeableness
Overall Score 1
Trust 14
Morality 1
Altruism 14
Cooperation 17
Modesty 31
Sympathy 32

You generally see others as selfish, devious, and sometimes potentially dangerous. You believe that a certain amount of deception in social relationships is necessary. You are guarded in new relationships and less willing to openly reveal the whole truth about yourself. You do not particularly like helping other people. Requests for help feel like an imposition on your time. You are not adverse to confrontation and will sometimes even intimidate others to get your own way. You feel superior to those around you and sometimes tend to be seen as arrogant by other people. You are not affected strongly by human suffering, priding yourself on making objective judgments based on reason. You are more concerned with truth and impartial justice than with mercy.

Conscientiousness
Overall Score 49
Self-Efficacy 21
Orderliness 68
Dutifulness 19
Achievement-Striving 26
Self-Discipline 55
Cautiousness 75

Often you do not feel effective, and may have a sense that you are not in control of your life. You are well-organized and like to live according to routines and schedules. Often you will keep lists and make plans. You find contracts, rules, and regulations overly confining and are sometimes seen as unreliable or even irresponsible by others. You are content to get by with a minimal amount of work, and might be seen by others as lazy. You have a reasonable amount of will-power and are able to follow through on tasks that you feel you need to complete. You can be distracted however and have been known to procrastinate. You take your time when making decisions and will deliberate on all the possible consequences and alternatives.

a whole lot of shit that probably no one cares about

2008-04-25T01:43:44Z

Clearly this is one of those weeks where I can't just have a normal day.

We've been having problems at work with a rat in the building. A few people have seen it. There was a big hole chewed in the bathroom wall, and chewing on other walls and on cabinet doors. Yesterday I finally saw the thing and it was huge, bigger than my hand and all brown and scruffy looking. It ran from the kitchen area to the store room and went under the door. I let the manager know where it was and they blocked off the crack under the door. The exterminator came in today and said he found another hole in the wall in the store room where the rat was getting in, but he said it was so large that we shouldn't be calling it a hole, it was more like an explosion of dynamite in the wall or something like that. Made me laugh anyway. I don’t like that the rat is damaging the property and making a mess, but other than that I’m getting a kick out of this whole thing.

When I woke up this morning the power had gone off. Luckily I have a backup battery in my alarm clock that still keeps the alarm working, although the time doesn’t display. I couldn’t set it to go back to sleep for a while. With no power there wasn’t a whole lot I could do out of my usual morning routine so a little time for extra sleep would have been nice. But the clock wouldn’t show the time or do anything, so I got up around five as usual and ate breakfast and tried to get cleaned up a little in candlelight. I wanted to shower so badly, but a cold, dark shower would be terrible and I wouldn’t be able to dry my hair. So I decided that I would have to be disgusting for a day and did my best to wash up in the dark. Just as it was about time for me to leave to ride my bike over to metro, the power came back on. I had to take a shower and stuff, even if it risked making me late for work. Somehow I was quick enough to get to work on time, even though I had to skip my usual stop at Whole Foods for a bagel/pastry.

I came home to another bee in my room tonight which I killed with Lysol and Raid. I feel completely brain dead after the fumes. I can't figure out if the bees are coming in through the windows, the ceiling, or coming in the doors when they're open and then ending up in my room. They’re big and awful and disgusting and something about the shape of their abdomens really grosses me out.

I’m not sure if I fit in very well in Washington. So many people here, especially the young women, are horribly snotty and obsessed with fashion and all this bullshit. I haven’t really gone off on that in my journal yet, sort of been holding it inside even though I’ve had plenty of bs to rant about. I prefer to wear plain, practical clothing, not overpriced status symbols and things that are overly feminine or inhibit my movement. That’s just idiotic. Still, I would feel better if I at least looked like I sort of knew how to dress myself. ;) And I’m flexible and willing to try anything in regards to clothing as long as I like it. Aside from that, the bottom line is that I can’t afford a place to live here. I’m only working 30 to 35 hours a week right now, but if I get full time I still can’t afford even the cheapest apartments around here. In order to be affordable, rent shouldn’t be more than 1/3 of your income. Even if I get full time hours, I’ll be making just barely enough to pay about $600 per month in rent. And that doesn’t take into account deductions from my pay for taxes and insurance. There are virtually no apartments here for $600 a month. And with my current part time income, I could only afford maybe $450 a month. The cheapest efficiencies in the area start around $800 a month, and I don’t want to live in a slum either (I’ve heard quite a few horror stories). I’m appalled by the lack of affordable housing in and around DC and can’t imagine how people can pay for their apartments. Most efficiencies are $1000 and up, many easily $1400 or even more. I’m certainly not getting rich at my job, but I’m making almost twice what I made back in Fargo. My pay would still have to double in order for me to reasonably afford the average efficiency apartment here. It’s fucking crazy. I’d love to be able to afford to have my car too, but at this rate I would pretty much just have to live in my car, lol. Thank God I’m able to stay with a family friend right now.

Everyone says ‘get a roommate,’ but having roommates is not an option for me at this point in my life. I desperately need my own space, privacy, and peace and quiet. Most people don’t understand that, but I can’t be crammed in an apartment with another person, especially someone my age. Maybe in a house, but that’s out of the question. Or with someone I get along with really well and totally trust, which I doubt will happen. I could move back to MN where housing is more affordable, especially in Duluth, but then my pay would also drop for doing the same work. Plus the company I’m with is faring pretty well despite the economy, and I’m not sure how well other banks are doing elsewhere. And I just like this bank.

long rambling update

2008-04-22T01:49:46Z

What a weekend. Working on Saturday was the only thing that went well, pretty much everything else was a disaster. When I got home from work Saturday evening I found that someone had stolen the light off my bike. Nice. There's $25 down the toilet. The worst part of it is how it makes me feel. Really bitter and frustrated and wanting to get back at whoever did it in the most vicious way possible, while all the while I understand that's a very unChristian way to feel. I've always been that way though. *shrugs* I'm quite patient and tolerant until someone pushes my buttons in just the wrong way. I get more and more worked up because I don't know who did it and so I can't really get back at them and get stuck in this cycle of anger and frustration at my inability to do anything. I can try to push some or all of that negative energy out and hopefully towards whoever pissed me off, but that's about it. Anyway, I've got a new light now and I'll keep an eye out for the one that was stolen.

After having my bike light stolen I came home Saturday night and found bees in my room. Anyone who's ever been around me knows that I'm absolutely terrified of bees and other large flying insects. I was too scared to swat at them so killed them with Lysol and vacuumed them up. They seem to be gone now and I hope no more show up. I'm not sure how they got in my room, since I'm down in the basement and don't open the windows.

Sunday I went to Target and stocked up on fly swatters and Raid. Summer's on its way so I'd better be prepared! The bugs here seem bigger and nastier than the ones back home. I'm also starting to pick up some things for my room because I can't stand not to make a space my own. None of the furniture is mine though, and the room is full of someone else's books rather than my own. But I'm getting some lamps and some plants and trying to make myself at home. I just wish my Windstones were here. It doesn't feel like home without various gryphons and winged critters perched all over the place!

So Sunday was shaping up to possibly be a good day. I had just gotten home and was starting dinner when I lifted my can of soda up, saw my arm there, but didn't feel it there. MIGRAINE. Perfect end to a perfectly shitty weekend. My left arm and the left side of my face got numb and tingly and I started to get blind spots and my eyes got all fucked up with sparkly things. I took some Tylenol and the headache didn't get too terribly bad. It was really a minor migraine compared to the full blown ones I get which pretty much leave me unable to see, talk, or move. I laid down for a while and that helped. I usually feel almost hung over the day after I get a migraine though, so I don't feel too great today. I've been having weird red meat cravings for the last couple of days too. I take iron supplements to try to help with that, so I don't know what the deal is. I think it must all be related to my cycle.

My journal could use some therianthropy updates, but as usual I have no idea what the hell is going on there. My bird side has been coming on stronger again, and this time with the energy of a real species. I'm not sure what to make of that. I'd pretty much given up on being able to find any real species underneath the vague, fluid impression I get of myself spiritually. The canine side is still in the "what the fuck is that" catagory. I'm really just sitting back and enjoying the ride now instead of trying to make sense of it all.

shimmerhawk @ 2008-04-16T23:53:00

2008-04-17T04:07:17Z

Took some new photos: http://flickr.com/photos/shimmerhawk It's so lovely here in spring.

I also have some art that I made for a DA ID but I don't know if I'll use it. First off, it's not very good and the anatomy sucks. Second, it's not really finished, but I don't have my painting supplies here so can't do anything with it. Third, I don't have my usual scanner here, and the scanner I do have totally slaughtered it and washed out everything.

shimmerhawk @ 2008-04-12T22:29:00

2008-04-13T02:35:23Z

Your Slanguage Profile

Prison Slang: 75%

Aussie Slang: 50%

British Slang: 25%

Canadian Slang: 25%

New England Slang: 25%

Southern Slang: 25%

What Slanguage Do You Speak?

shimmerhawk @ 2008-04-10T17:15:00

2008-04-10T21:20:22Z

I think I took this before and got a different result. Can't remember anymore, I've done so many of these things.

You Are a Hunter Soul

You are driven and ambitious - totally self motivated to succeed

Actively working to achieve what you want, you are skillful in many areas.

You are a natural predator with strong instincts ... and more than a little demanding.

You are creative, energetic, and an extremely powerful force.

An outdoors person, you like animals and relate to them better than people.

You tend to have an explosive personality, but also a good sense of humor.

People sometimes see you as arrogant or a know it all.

You tend to be a bit of a loner, though you hate to be alone.

Souls you are most compatible with: Seeker Soul and Peacemaker Soul

What Kind of Soul Are You?

my head hurts

2008-04-07T23:18:55Z

I was offered more hours at the Brookland branch, so now I'm working Saturdays there. That means I only have one day off a week. Love the neighborhood but I can't say I enjoy working there very much. I went there Friday morning to get my cash box and get started and then worked all day Saturday. It was CHAOS. It's so busy there compared to my branch. We had people waiting in line for well over twenty minutes. The branch is really old and they don't have the supplies needed. I didn't even have a garbage can at my station. There were no envelopes, no teller stamps, no bins for my work, and I couldn't even get verification on a suspicious deposit because the fax machine was broken. I can't stand it when things are crazy and disorganized like that. It makes it so hard for me to work. Worst of all, I feel like the people there don't like me. The people at my branch are pretty much all mature adults, but this branch has a lot of college students working there. I think that I may only be there for two months. I hope that's the case, even though I really need the hours. It's just too stressful. Really makes me appreciate my branch a lot more.

Sometimes I feel so homesick and wonder what the hell I'm doing here. Other times I wander through some of DC's magnificent older neighborhoods and don't want to be anywhere else. I don't like feeling pulled in different directions like that. I still feel like part of me is stuck here and part of me is elsewhere.

I can't remember what else I was going to complain about. I have a little bit of a migraine and am not thinking very clearly at the moment. I don't know why I'm getting them so much more frequently now. At least it's not a full blown one, otherwise I would be completely wiped out and in bed.

shimmerhawk @ 2008-03-30T17:05:00

2008-03-30T21:10:41Z

Advanced Global Personality Test Results

Extraversion	\|\|\|\|\|\|	23%
Stability	\|\|\|\|\|\|	23%
Orderliness	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	63%
Accommodation	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	36%
Interdependence	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	56%
Intellectual	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	70%
Mystical	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	76%
Artistic	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	76%
Religious	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	70%
Hedonism	\|\|	10%
Materialism	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	70%
Narcissism	\|\|\|\|	16%
Adventurousness	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	43%
Work ethic	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	63%
Self absorbed	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	50%
Conflict seeking	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	36%
Need to dominate	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	63%

Romantic	\|\|\|\|\|\|	23%
Avoidant	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	56%
Anti-authority	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	43%
Wealth	\|\|\|\|\|\|	30%
Dependency	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	50%
Change averse	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	63%
Cautiousness	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	70%
Individuality	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	43%
Sexuality	\|\|\|\|	16%
Peter pan complex	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	50%
Physical security	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	56%
Physical Fitness	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	57%
Histrionic	\|\|\|\|\|\|	30%
Paranoia	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	70%
Vanity	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	70%
Hypersensitivity	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	83%
Indie	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	50%

Take Free Advanced Global Personality Test
personality test by similarminds.com

Stability results were low which suggests you are very worrying, insecure, emotional, and anxious.

Orderliness results were moderately high which suggests you are, at times, overly organized, reliable, neat, and hard working at the expense of flexibility, efficiency, spontaneity, and fun.

Extraversion results were low which suggests you are very reclusive, quiet, unassertive, and secretive.

trait snapshot:

depressed, introverted, neat, needs things to be extremely clean, observer, perfectionist, not self revealing, does not make friends easily, suspicious, irritable, hates large parties, follows the rules, worrying, does not like to stand out, fragile, phobic, submissive, dislikes leadership, cautious, takes precautions, focuses on hidden motives, good at saving money, solitary, familiar with the dark side of life, hard working, emotionally sensitive, prudent, altruistic, heart over mind, unadventurous

Fairly accurate. I think it's interesting that this doesn't always show on the internet, but pretty much sums up how I am in real life.

cherry blossoms and kite festival

2008-03-30T19:14:05Z

This is my first spring in DC. Apparently it's the time of year when cherry blossom fanatics and tourists overrun the city for the Cherry Blossom Festival and hundreds of people fly kites around the Washington Monument for the Smithsonian Kite Festival. Naturally I couldn't resist checking it out.

These photos looked perfect on my monitor after I resized and saved them, but somehow photobucket seems to have fucked them up. I don't know if it automatically compresses the files or what. I hate computers. Nothing ever works right, and there's all this automatic shit going on that you don't want. So sorry for the poor quality. I spent six hours fucking with these photos and fighting with photobucket and I'm through. Large versions of the best ones will be up on my flikr page. Hopefully those will look ok.

Here be dragons! And other strange flying things...

It was really magical to see all these kites floating in the air around the monument. It gave a better idea of the space and scale that you wouldn't notice so much without the kites.

There were so many people EVERYWHERE. Just about drove me crazy. Good thing the trees gave off such a relaxing and dreamy vibe, otherwise I might have lost it.

The Jefferson Memorial in the distance. Some day I'll have to go down there and rent one of those paddle boats. It looks like fun. :)

The Washington Monument and Jefferson Memorial across the Tidal Basin.

This photo isn't very good, but I love the bridge. It has creepy faces on it.

The Capitol is off there in the distance to the left.

I can see why people love these things. It's like walking in a fluffy pink cloud.

The blue green color of the water didn't end up showing in the photo. It was so pretty in contrast to the blossoms.

Mallards.

shimmerhawk @ 2008-03-14T21:01:00

2008-03-15T01:10:04Z

Three entries in one day! I must be making up for lost time.

Got some inks from Huskie for a commission from way back when. Needless to say they're stunning.

shimmerhawk @ 2008-03-14T19:30:00

2008-03-14T23:31:36Z