, originally uploaded by christiemaclean.

homies.

, originally uploaded by christiemaclean.

this sums up the end of october for me, really. wu-tang themed everything: jokes, pumpkins, and thanksgiving. my parents were here for a few days marking the first time they'd be to oregon and as for my mom, first time she'd be west of kansas. kim was here for a bit longer and it felt so nice to show them the city, the numbered streets, and the friendly bums. block after block, i think they were feeling the way portland works. kim was a constant for a good week and we made a good team of drinking coffee and making bad jokes. a dude even gave her his phone number even though she never asked for it and then later called us "B-RATE HOES" incredible. sorry, dude, but i'm all set. we are five hundred dollars short of buying oil anytime soon, so i fill my days at the house with numerous sweaters and scarves. it's alright though. things are just fine.

, originally uploaded by christiemaclean.

thank you portland.

someone once wrote, "i'm sorry i'm an asshole" up the length of my arm in a drunken stuper at an odd hour of the morning. he was drunk and i was tired. he walked my bike, as we walked the city, out of kindness, but more so for the support it gave him as he stubbled along. we were both nervous for different reasons and uncomfortable all the same, me never feeling more at ease than the second i was able to get back on my bike and head home to someone else; a certain someone who was sober. i'm thinking that maybe its easier for people to do things like this when they are unable to vocalize things, for a lack of better communication; maybe i should try this, maybe not.

actually, i'm just relieved i didn't wake up the next morning with 'ASSHOLE' smudged across my forehead or cheek backwards.

nana
Originally uploaded by christiemaclean.

i have an aunt who was pronounced dead on a hospital bed at the age of 21 after a car accident only to wake up after the doctor had announced the news to the family. my grandfather that i never met carried a heavy organ out of the house my father was born in during a fire, a fire that destroyed their stay in canada. my nana and my dad at three months stood on the farm while he continued to carry bits and pieces of the house out to the grass. later they moved to boston and the house has been nothing but decaying wood and a sight to see since. in canada, my nana sat outside telling stories remembering every date and person involved. she kept saying that she wished she had written a book before her eyesight had failed her. summer in nh has been pretty wonderful. despite the mosquitos, humidity, and gas prices, i have soaked up a lot of the ocean, seacoast, and iced coffee. it put a damper on the beginning of my trip to be in the hospital with IV's and no voice, but now i'm feeling better. the trip home turned into more of a stay, but i’m still living the bi-coastal livestyle and looking forward to a cross country train trip through the midwest, plains, glaciers, and cities soon. i have to admit that i kind of have bags under my eyes from what feels like lack of sleep, but i can assure you otherwise. just like the past few years, this summer has gone by quickly. it feels so sudden to be approaching september and even more surprising that the nights are getting colder. i feel cold lately and i don’t mean too. i feel like my visit has brought slight disappointment to some whether from lack of time here or unsure arrivals there. i'd like to go apple picking.

jaclyn and i just got coffee and sat outside stumptown on belmont. we were talking about the jc/k show at the end of the summer and as we were making some rhymes about our friends and our different locations, a bird overhead shit directly on me. i yelled "MOTHER FUCK, I JUST GOT SHIT ON!" and looked over laughing so hard and realized, "this means good luck."

what a strange and nice way to leave the city.

monkeys, originally uploaded by christiemaclean.

this is what portland has been like lately. i'm coming home to new hampshire soon. then to prince edward island and then back to the beautiful east coast. i really can't wait.

today i found a crisp twenty dollar bill in a pair of pants that i haven't worn in two months. today i tried to drink as much coffee as possible but joel beat me by a full cup. this week i finished school and now i'm truly classifed as a "junior." lately i've been drinking beer and sleeping late. last night i had the most incredible dream about my friend sayer having the phone number: PUR-PLE-RAIN. fuck! i found out that is actually a phone number for puerto rico. things are getting better.

i don't really wear my glasses anymore and i'm really psyched for the summer. coffee is only one dollar for two cups. fo' real. little laura, ryan mason, and dylan will all be here so so soon.