Whut Whut...whaaaat?

After a long graduation ceremony I feel it is necessary to present oneself for photos in the most "serious, professional" way. If you look closely you may be able to see that I am flashing a peace sign. I believe in peace.

In other news, if you would like to know what my current plans are after graduation, you can pick whichever of the following responses suits your fancy:

1. After being afraid of clowns for a number of years, I have decided that the only way to conquer that fear is to become one with the clowns. Therefore, I am currently researching circus application requirements.

2. I am hoping to work with youth this summer and then backpack through Peru. After that, the world is open for me to decide on location of stay and work.

3. I am job.

4. I plan to learn people, live love, love peace, and change the world, hopefully with some music included. I will fail at this many times I am aware, but at least there's Grace.

5. I feel my calling beckons me. What is my calling? Well, I'm still trying to figure that one out.

Okay, there are five answers. There are truths to all of them, but you can choose which response sounds good for the day.

In OTHER OTHER news,
Seriously, let's all just find a big area, move in, sing songs, eat food, learn to be more sustainable, maybe even garden and farm a bit, care about justice, spur change, make each other mad and then learn to communicate, exercise, form true community, seek Truth, and make the world a better place!

Let's Go

to yosemite.

I Could Very Well

be in love with Jon Foreman's music.

i also could very well be NOT studying for my biomechanics final which i am sposed to be taking very soon. in about an hour actually.

i also could very well be coming back to california in a little over a week. i don't know if it's ready for me...i don't know if i'm ready for it.

toods.

Blast from the Past

it's 2:37 in the morning right now. i have a paper to be writing. it is on my personal philosophy on health. it's only a three pager but i need to have at least five sources. i had coffee at about 10:30pm last night so needless to say i am wide awake. i spent six hours in the library prior to that writing an analysis of a soccer penalty kick for biomechanics. it felt like i was in there for days-4pm-10pm. i decided i needed a break before starting the next paper. it's been a long break my friends. haha!

i've been going through my hotmail account deleting old emails i've had since 2006. as i was going through them i came across some pictures. here is one from mimam's wedding. mimam's real name is miriam but affectionately i've named her mimam. we roomed together for a semester at WJU. after the ceremony there was a break before the reception so a few of us went to chevy's for some chips and salsa and such. in the parking lot there was a colorful chevy's van. of course i needed to scale it. note the tan. i forget that i can tan being here in chicago. i turn pretty ghostly in illinois. i'm such a goober. i'm also more muscular these days. alright. progress.

Art

I am amazed time and time again by the beauty that comes from artistic expression. The emotion, the expression of truth, the raw vulnerability that is evident by those who are willing to bare their souls to the world. I think there should be a night of artistic expression every month. A time for those who have dreams inside them waiting to be heard and seen to be heard and seen. A time for people of different backgrounds, friend circles, lifestyles, to gather as one even if only for an hour or two. That community may never exist exactly the same again, but for a night, just one night maybe, I think everyone could mold into one.

Better with Time

i like to say i get better with age. like a fine wine. buuut...after existing pretty much nonstop for 9 weeks...sometimes 12 hrs a day or mas...i fear that my fine wine may be turning into prune juice...shriveled plums turned into puree used to assist regularity. doesn't that sound super attractive? haha it's time for a break i'd say.

One Time Yet Again

so this one time i went with some friends to see a show in good ole san fran. one of my friends went to college with one of the musicians so it was fun getting to meet him and the band he was touring with. it was like hanging out with some new friends. sometimes i think performing musicians are intimidating...in the coolest sort of way of course. but still...a bit intimidating. i suppose in my old age i have become more bold as to talk to them though. ANYway, i remember that night chatting with the drummer from the band finn riggins for a short while. (u should check them out if u haven't heard of them before. they are really fun to see live.) i'm not gonna lie i thought he was a cutie...and i was actually talking to him. it was a little awkward perhaps at times but mostly just fun. at one point he said he was going to get a drink and asked me if i wanted anything...i said no thanks because i didn't really want anything to drink at that particular moment. (later, i was told u aren't supposed to say no if u are enjoying the convo....but i didn't know that!) anyway, after he left to get a drink we didn't get to talk much after that.

fast forward.....dooooooooooop...

so today i am looking at their music myspace and realize they have up some new pictures. i decided to take a looksy and realized i turned down a drink from THIS guy:

good one shan....good one.

Oh Roomates Oh Rrrrrooom

meet us on a friday night when exhaustion has taken over and u will get some pretty freaky interactions with keziah and i. i have this video i have been trying to download from this very night so u can experience a bit of it, but NO it doesn't let me. keziah whom i affectionately call keh-zie or keziuh is recently engaged.

here we have the four roomies and i on my birthday...well the day before. they planned me a surprise dinner with some close friends. it was cute...and fun. i was definitely taken by surprise. all four of us are so different that sometimes it is hilarious but at the same time, we work really well together. perhaps random roomating is one of the best ways to go...or perhaps i am just blessed and random roomating should not be a lifelong philosophy. i mean really, what if i went so far as to say random spousing. althoughhhh....it has worked for many people. betrothal.

Can We Say Sal?

i made a trip to whole foods yesterday. i needed to make a bank deposit nearby and had been craving some almond butter so decided i'd stop in. i need to be eating more protein. and iron, but anyway...

so i'm walking down the isles of the wonderful but expensivo delight that is whole foods when i came upon some canned tuna and salmon. i thought some canned sal on salad or with crackers sounded kinda good so i picked up a can. i have usually only seen salmon in cans similar to tuna cans, ya know, small. however, there was a can the size of a can of say kidney beans for a similar price so i figured, why not get that one? economy size. i should have read the entire label.

by the time i got back to my apt i had walked about 4 miles; having in my system no more than an apple and a piece of bread. some sally sal sounded pretty good. so i opened the can...and to my HORROR i found spine and skin and oh my goodness i thought i was going to have to give up fish! haha! i proceeded to sift through the can of mushy, spiney, skin meat thinking to myself that the can shoulda said SOMETHING about what i was purchasing. not just ready to serve. HOW WAS THAT READY TO SERVE? eventually, i finished separating all the body parts and had some fish, but with mixed feelings of course.

i really should have read the entire label before this morning because had i, i would have seen this:

in case the blurr is too blurry for ur reading, it says:"this product is made from wild salmon and contains skin and bones which are both nutritious and completely edible." hahahaha. economy size?...shannon u are such a freak.

A Plethora of Pictures

slowly but surely i am able to keep adding pictures. i dunno why but the computer decides after a picture or two that it no longer wants to upload any more fantastical images. haha. oh well. so from the top to bottom:

*here u have the roomies a roomie bf doing some stretching after i having led them in some different core exercises. i learn lots of different exercises and sometimes the roomates let me instruct them. it's fun for us both. they are doing the cobra stretch...but not everyone should try that at home. u can do it with ur forearms on the ground as well so ur back doesn't need to bend back as much.

*the snowy building is part of campus. when i get some better pictures i can include more. all the brick is nuts it's so pretty

*one of my jobs is working at the YMCA with kiddies. i get off of the paulina stop on the brown line. it is pronounced, paul-ii-nuh. i have a friend who works for the CTA on that stop (chicago transit authority=CTA). his name is zoltan, it's hungarian, but he goes by bill. on the really cold days he lets me stand in his little booth by the heater to warm up. nice friend.

*the brick building is my apt complex. i live on the 1st floor. i never have lived in an apt where u walk inside a couple doors, then go up some stairs and reach ur door. it's pretty cozy. one day i made some vegetarian chili....well...WAY TOO MUCH on accident, so i walked up the stairwell to both the 2nd and 3rd floors and delivered a tupperware of chili to our neighbors. we are all girls on our side of the building and i have developed some dear friendships with some of them. i like enclosed apt living...good times.

Cardio Kick

dear cardio kick,
i love the way u make my muscles burn and my back sore. please be my friend forever. when i thrust that upper cut into the hand puncher things understand that i am letting u know i am serious about our relationship. it is not one to be toyed with. cardio kick do not be jealous when i take other fitness classes and use other equipment. i am merely attempting to strengthen myself for our next rendevous. oh cardo kick, u are a gem.
love, shannon

Oh Blustery Day

temperatures below 0 degrees. crazy wind chill factor. the result.



oh and yes trina. i am ninja.

DoVe SaYs

"ur presence is often the best present."

-love, DOVE

HaPpY jAnUaRy!

happy january folks!

i hope u are excited for this new year. it's true what the "adults" always used to say. time really does fly. and it keeps on flying and flying and flying and flying.

i am hopeful for things to come this year. i have found that the pursuit of scary things are some of the only pursuits worth pursuing.

here's to 12 more months of breath.

Bean Pictures

So, the bean...which u can see in the video, is this cool sculpture that is like a giant mirror. all the curves of the bean make for some pretty neat photos. here are a few for ur viewing pleasure.

Live from Snowland

so, here's a little vid vid from when megs was with me in chicago. the date? saturday december 1st. we got to experience the first true snow together that saturday...before that...there were only minor flurries. what a joy. i was wearing inappropriate footwear that day leading to eventual pain in my soaking wet and cold toes...but it was WELL worth it darlings. well worth it!

Piano Man

i am continually amazed at the giftings humans have and how touching those gifts are. i have been blessed to encounter several individuals with a spirit about them...a spirit that runs through them. just the other night i was broken by music...but broken in such a beautiful way that the tears that fell were wonderful tears...feelings i could not justly explain. and at such a random time. i thought i was just going to be able to relax and listen as my friend practiced his jury pieces...but something shifted and with that shift came a rush of emotion...a musical piece that shouted something different...a piece that danced...and my heart danced with it.

i am so grateful for those who are open to sharing their gifts for through those gifts there is liberation. i pray i too will always be willing to share my gifts with others.

we are crazy people us humans...able to birth things we don't even understand.

Geetaring it Up

come to chicago tonight...specifically to north park university...then to java...and well....i will lullaby u for a while.

SnowBalls!

on tuesday we had the first "real" snow of the winter....or is it still fall? anyway, we got several inches and u know what else we got?....

TO HAVE AN AMAZING SNOWBALL FIGHT!

Megs!

meg is here visiting me. and let me tell u...it is amazing. we have been having a lot of fun goofing around the citay. our adventuring started right when we got on the el from the airport. we met a man from texas named richard. we talked history, politics, pizza, accents, different things. it was fun. and since then we have been nonstop. let's have a bit of a recap:

italian food restauranting
michigan avenue walking
store shopping
picture taking
movie making
stopping in hershey and ghiradelli stores for the sole reason of getting some free chocolate samples
snowfall fest
millenium park
bean sculpture
rainy slushy snowy mess
numb toes
chatting it up with a guy from the crunch fitness gym as he kindly searched google for directions for us
gigantic christmas tree admiring
strangers....yea....we have had some interactions with strangers....but really...is that a surprise?
classical music concert attending complete with us looking HOT:according to roomate Havs...and several other people
mcdonalds late night bonding....i know...i said it. mcdonalds....i don't like to eat fast food....but we got desserts so it's kinda different...haha
movie watching with friends
cozy tea timing
morning breakfast eating (i made french toast)
blue man group ushering and show watching for free! (it was extremely creative and awesome and crazy and megs got a blue man lap dance...okay well she was sitting and he was standing on her chair arm rests...shaking his groove thing...near her face....it was SO funny.)
blue man group staff conversing resulting in free cds from chad!
the grafton beverage and burgering to live irish music
walking walking walking
and we still have a day...or half a day of free time

i am so thankful to have megmegs here. it has been great sharing some of my life here with her.

u guys are welcome to come too.
COME!