Summmmerrrr Time

It's time to release my summer to-do list!  Kudos to Julie for kicking this stuff off.

Things to Attempt This Summer:
- Go to Cross Country conditioning, run a whole bunch, become a majorly in shape BAMF and join the team
- Try an edgy/alternative haircut and totally rock it
- Have a phenomenal time at Outside Lands
- Watch all of the Star Wars movies
- Babysit for mucho cash
- Spend more time at the river
- Go on a backpacking trip
- Achieve a summer romance... :)
- Perform at Java Jungle open mic night
- Get a legitsupercool black bomberleather jacket
- Learn how to play the bongo drums
- Get my health credit
- Take Driver's Ed
- See Moulin Rouge
- Get a second ear piercing
- Attend fun concerts
- Play an epic game of laser tag- Barney Stinson style
- Learn to drive in Michigan!
- Go bowling!
- Take more pictures
- Have bright red hair for at least a day (shampoo out style!)
- Make it out to Tahoe more than once
- Learn how to juggle
- Find a drive-in movie theatre, and watch a movie
- Make more friends!
- Have a musical jam session down town
- See Moonrise Kingdom
- Go to Recycled Records and spend money on vinyl/CDs
- Join a yoga class
- Swim across Clear Lake
- Hang out with friends I don't usually see
- Movie night at the park!
- Do interesting things at midnight
- Become better at identifying birds
- Sew my own pair of shorts
- River rafting the Truckee!
- Take the bus up to UNR campus and run around/play Humans vs. Zombies
- Spend a lot of time at Artown
- Help friends move houses
- Make a flower garden (too late...? hmm...)
- Re-watch The Emperor's New Groove and Where the Wild Things Are
- Trade mix CDs with cool people
- Play Fugitive!!!
- Learn at least one normal, awesome song on piano.  I'm aiming for Tori Amos/Regina Spektor status people!
- Host a theme party- full blown costumes!
- Watch Brave
- Go rock climbing
- Attempt the majority of things on this list.

How about you lovely folks?  What're you gonna get done this summer?  DO WORK!
nice summer songs:


Feel So Close- Calvin Harris

The Start of Something- Voxtrot

This Side of the Sun- The Star Spangles

http://www.myspace.com/thestarspangles/music/songs/this-side-of-the-sun-74557091

(personal favourite of the mix)

Summer Stuff I Have Already Accomplished:

Wandering around UNR

Changing in an elevator

A kiss that would make T-Swifty jealous!

Performances onstage at the Nugget

Roasting marshmallows

Attending Java open mic night

Seeing what's up at River Fest

Waking up early to go running

Staying up very late on the phone with people I care about!

Spending time with my grandparents

Buying something from Etsy

Creating a chalk mural

Knocking a hole in a wall

Making new friends!

and that's all............................................................................................ for now.

This Is How I'm Productive

Sometimes I really don’t like writing.  I don’t want to make up mediocre stories, I don’t want to face the lack of creative inspiration that is writer’s block, and I don’t want to watch people summon fake smiles to tired faces, pretending to enjoy my pieces.  I don’t want to put up with other writers or hear about how immensely talented they consider themselves to be.  The endless narcissism that so often accompanies these liberal art-y types is exhausting, irritating, and definitely a mood damper. 

I do enjoy reading.  I enjoy big words, I enjoy getting lost in a book, and every now and again, when a particularly marvelous stroke of genius comes to my pathetically tired brain, I love writing my own little stories.  However, this is not always the case.  Right now, for example.  Right now I would love to be at home, passed out on my couch, getting much needed sleep.  But this is the real world, where you don’t always get what you want.  So when life gives you lemons, you make fcking peanut butter ice-cream and leave those downer-realists wondering how the hell you accomplished it. 

The non-existent point of this story is that I am having an immensely tough time thinking of something to write about.  So live long and prosper children, I wish you luck with your life.  I’m going to go take a nap.

love Sierra 

Town Pride

Ahhh.  It is summer time and I live in Reno, Nevada!! YEAH!

Probably my favourite thing about Reno in the summer is all the activity downtown.  Home of the beloved Truckee River, downtown Reno is given to many festivities in the summer months, including things like Art Town and various other River Festivals.  Lucky me, I got to attend such a festival this past weekend, a little gathering known as the Reno River Festival-- and it is megatastic fun!  My top two favourite events of this festival are most definitely Splash Dogs and the Run Amuck.  The delicious lemonade providers that cater specifically to Reno events are awesome too.  For those of you who are unfamiliar with these phenomenal events, I will explain.

Splash Dogs is basically a competition where a whole bunch of jumpy, water loving dogs climb onto a dock and are made to chase after various objects that are thrown into a long pool.  The dogs are judged based on the distance of their leap.  Yes, it's kinda pointless, but hey- who doesn't love watching adorable canines get all floppy faced and soaking wet? Cute!!  

The feeling of wind in my ears is glorious.

The Run Amuck is a completely separate event, just for humans.  It's a special 5K team run/costume contest complete with hay bales, tires, a mud pit, and a water slide.  Basically, every competitor dresses up in some nifty garb, the team forks over some cash for charity, and then everyone runs around the course dressed in various silly outfits.  Some of the runners I saw included zombies, pirates, cowboys, assorted fruit, hula dancers, forks and knives, superheroes, the guy from Braveheart, and anything else the contenders were creative enough to think up and willing to run in!  And trust me- it was a HOT day.  I saw some guy running in fur pant leg things, and while I admire his fashion, I would not wanna be him.

Before the mud pit of doom.... (is that the tooth fairy?)

After the mud pit of doom!  Go grapes go!!

Well, the long and short of it is... get out! Enjoy summer, enjoy what your town has to offer in entertainment, and I promise you that you shall find at least something worth your time.  And if not, then, uh, reallllity check!  Who do you think you are, Mr. High and Mighty?!

love sierra

The Cons of Technology

Yup. Just the cons.  Okay, sure, technology can be super great sometimes.  Who doesn't love the convenience of cellular phones?  Plus, let's face it--without technology I would not be writing this blog for you gorgeous faces to read!  Regardless, technology still has the infuriating ability to seriously jerk my chain.  And it sucks.

Reason number one is that sometimes, despite how "efficient" modern technology is, it fails.  There are crashes, and things don't save properly, and this is very troublesome.  It is know to lead to irate phone calls with computer nerds in India or, in severe cases, plain technology withdrawal.  This is also the number one cause of technology fatalities, due to aggravated users drop kicking phones or taking baseball bats to computer desktops.

Reason the second is that sometimes things that should be super simple are ridiculously difficult.  Wanna have evenly spaced paragraphs and listing?  Guess what?! Not going to happen for you.  Graph charts you say?  Well that's not happening either.  It's horribly frustrating.

The third reason is that communication via technology is quite misleading.  Batteries die, texts are misread, tone and facial cues are completely lost in translation.. the list goes on and on.  No matter what we try, technology will not accomplish what face to face dialogue does.  So do yourself a favor, and when you have the opportunity to forgo texting your buddy, hit them up for coffee and laser tag!  That's way more interesting.

Finally and fourthly, technology is bad because it is TAKING OVER.  It has spread so far and wide that millions are affected by it every day, and it is causing a mega-social evolution.  It has completely transformed the workplace, communication, and typical lifestyle.  I accept technology as furthering our knowledge and resources, but please oh please, if we are embracing technology we need to try to keep a grip on reality.  Don't live life through a screen, kids.

I needs reboot my face

Love Sierra!

PS: Happy Father's Day to all you paternal gentlemen!

4 Things I Discovered Today

Today marks the official first day of my summer! I was finally free to get out of my house, I didn't have anything to worry about, and life was glorious.  So I walked all around Reno and discovered a whole bunch of fun things!

Lesson #1: You Call It Rain is a great theme song.
As I began my adventure stroll through Reno, I was listening to music on shuffle, and as I was listening to music on shuffle, this song came up.  The result was a fantabulous song of the day and a neat walking song!  It matched my steps perfectly and I was in a goodsuperhappy place.

Lesson #2: Salty Lemonade is best left untouched.

My second discovery of the day took place in the depths of downtown Reno.  I ended up at this Vietnamese Pho restaurant near Fourth Street and was faced with a whole new array of cultural food to order- including things like Grass Jelly and Salty Lemonade.  On a crazy whim slash dare I went for the Salty Lemonade, earning 30 brownie points and one Life token, but consequently having to realize that the "beverage" known as Salty Lemonade is a demon that should forever be left alone.  Forever.  Gross.

Lesson #3: I should always put sunscreen on my scalp.

I burn way too easily.  So yes, even when I don't think it's likely I'll get burned, I should not take the risk.  Burned scalps suck.  And while I'm at it, I may as well protect every other inch of my skin with sunscreen as well, because.. I burn easily.  Skin cancer is scary shit yo!

Lesson #4: Bro tips are where it's at.

Stumbleupon is my friend and led me to this.  http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/9fU9og/:vq_+pymE:bjMC.ot4/www.brotips.com/popular?entrance=more%2F&page=2

I love all of these a whole bunch and even if I'm not a bro they are still excellent tips.  Live long and prosper!

love Sierra