Excelsior 2: The Adventure Continues!

I'm moving. Well, virtually. I like the editor and the pages option in wordpress better, what can I say? If blogger adds more features maybe I'll be back, but until then, update your bookmarks. This page will still exist as archival material, and who knows maybe I'll be back. But the volume 2 is located at http://seapeanut.wordpress.com

new blog

dont worry i'm still posting here, but i'm divvying things up a bit. this blog will be about personal stuff, service, education, politics, and marketing, and misc. the new one will focus on art, literature, language, philosophy, religion, and culture....anyhow excelsior vol 2 is located at http://seapeanut.wordpress.com

Back to the Drawing Board (Literally)

I've just had a really strong urge to draw lately. I am not very skilled at it, having mostly given it up in the 8th grade after I got bad marks for not being able to draw straight lines... I used to love love love to draw, I had my own drawing table and got these giant sketch pads. My Dad would buy me 2 or 3 of the good colored pencils (rexworth) every time he had a class at youngstown state, and I gradually built up my colors. I had Indian ink and a gummy eraser, and water colors, and it was pure joy for me to make art. I feel bad that I let grades deter me, because it's something I really enjoyed. I continued doodling in the margins of notes, but that's about it. Then a few years ago, I started doing sumi-e, more recently I've been working on mixed media collages, and now I'm back to the drawing board, sketching. So they're not great, and they probably won't be for a while, but I am having a lot of fun, and getting out some creative energy. I thought I'd share a few with you. Enjoy!

COMING SOON...

I have not been posting. Obviously. I will post some entries on my recent trip to Bulgaria, as well as things that have been happening around Pittsburgh soon. Promise.

Long Overdue Update (Good Stuff)

I haven't posted in a while because, well, good stuff has been happening, and I've been too busy with the happening to get to the telling. But I have a moment to breathe, so I thought I would share now. I started seeing a wonderful guy back in March. I finished up work on my thesis. I successfully defended my thesis. And I got engaged to be married!

My thesis board recommended that I receive my Masters degree. All I have left to do is some small revisions and get my thesis bound. I had a public reading already, at which this picture below of me and my fiance, Rado, was taken.

My fiance is Radoslav Angelov, and he is more than my fiance. He is my true love, he is my best friend, he is my confidante, he is my partner, he is my companion. We have so much in common, and the things we don't have in common only enhance the relationship. We can talk about anything from history to politics to philospohy to poetry to music to our favorite comedy sketches. We love doing anything together.

Rado has been living in Pittsburgh for 15 years, but he is from Bulgaria. We are planning to travel to Bulgaria when I am done with AmeriCorps. When we get married, my Dad will perform the ceremony with my Mom giving me away. My Matron of Honor will be Nancy Heacock, and my Maid of Honor will be Rachel Baron.

I have put together a Wedding Website if you would like to hear more. It is at http://radoandsarah.brides.com/.

My nonstop Sunday

• 10:30-12:30 am: Unitarian Universalist service, followed by social hour
• 2:00-3:30PM: The Working Poor performance, Carnegie Library, followed by checking out two books and evening up my accounts with the library
• 4:45-7:00PM: Barista Jam @ Simpatico
• 7:55-9:30PM: Persepolis (GO SEE IT!)

It's Uncanny!

Okay, so I've been slacking about updating the blog. I've taken lots of lots of Pittsburgh pictures, I just have been dreading sitting thru the arduous process of exporting, uploading, organizing....but I will put them up soon. They are pictures of extremes- one batch from the warmest day we've had this winter so far, and one from what appears to be the coldest thus far.
In the meantime, chew on this. Apparently this X needs Google Game is all the rage these days. I had to skip over other listings and just wrote out the actual headline ones, not the compilations. So here's how it works. You type your name followed by the word needs in google in quotes and see what comes up. So mine was "Sarah needs" and here are the top 30 results:

Sarah needs:
1. Sarah needs a cold shower, self-esteem
2. Sarah needs to kick him in the nuts (You know who you are...)
3. Sarah needs your manly vote
4. Sarah needs you.
5. Sarah needs a video channel.
6. Sarah needs to make a cake and some cookies
7. Sarah needs adopted- time is up tomorrow afternoon.
8. Sarah needs a life
9. Sarah needs to lean on her man.
10. Sarah (the chinchilla) needs a family
11. Sarah needs to get her life back and establish herself as the person in charge.
12. Formerly Feral Sarah needs a Forever Home
13. Sarah needs batteries
14. Sarah needs a good cuddle
15. Sarah needs more love lyrics
16. Sarah needs to cut down on the overtime!
17. Sarah needs a break
18. Sarah needs Nat and her computing skills to survive and find whatever she needs to keep ahead of her faceless pursueers.
19. Sarah needs some more lovin
20. Sarah needs to respond to a student inquiry regarding the latest assignment
21. Sarah needs a reality check, as well.
22. Sarah needs the help of the notorious Captain Jamie Kerrick.
23. Sarah needs someone with a mature, hardened presence.
24. Sarah needs a root canal.
25. Sarah needs a story about Tina One Life to Live
26. Sarah needs to be hooked up to a respirator in order to survive.
27. Sarah needs someone who can escort her from port to port.
28. Sarah needs special glasses.
29. Sarah needs advice on setting up a wider wheel base.
30. Sarah needs a better agent.

How DID they know all these things about me? Especially number 18. I mean, who knows that? And obviously number 30 refers to a "special agent" Maybe his name is Capt Jamie. But notoriety is a warning signal to stay away. If i had more lovin' maybe I wouldn't need a cold shower. and I am now on the look out for a man to kick in the nuts (numbers 2 and 9 combo). Oh well, I'm sure once I have my special glasses, setting the wider wheel base will be no problem. Now if only I could breathe easier.

26th Birthday Weekend Pictures, Pt 1

Me and Pap-Pap John



Me and Mom


I have more pics on my digital cam, but have misplaced my usb cord at the moment. These were taken with my i book, along with some crazy distorted ones that my family would probably kill me if i made public on the internet. those sort of fun house looking ones. birthday weekend was overall good, aside from my pap willard being admitted to the hospital. but i got to spend a lot of time with the fam. took akira on a long walk, and risked life and limb to capture a picture of the goat for his bloggy and cuddled with Shiro-da-biro. Ate good food, saw a so-so movie that I predicted the ending of before we were halfway thru then hoped i was wrong and would be surprised, but wasn't, and watched my Mom preach a sermon. She did very very very well.

Recent Happenings...

1: FLUX (Braddock, April 14th)

FLUX was held on April 14th in Braddock, PA. This was a big art event-- it had both visual art and performance art. Everyone got to help James Simon with a sculpture of a sheep. There were also bands and djs. There was even a guy juggling fire and a giant creature that looked like a cross between a hamster and Shamu.

2: Balkan Beat Box and Golem Concert

I had bought my brother tickets to this concert for his birthday. It was at the Rex Theatre in the Southside of Pittsburgh. It was a great energetic concert. I am hoping to find someone who took photos online so I can post some, as it was crazy. When Balkan Beat Box were on, they came from the balcony and four of them were wearing snare drums, two had saxaphones, all were wearing masks. They marched through the crowd and formed a circle, and the audience formed a circle around them, then we followed them to the edge of the stage as they came forward. They had everyone jumping and dancing all night!

3: Earth Day

My AmeriCorps did a service project at Frick Park for Earth Day. We planted trees and pulled up garlic mustard, which is an invasive plant that the native animals don't eat. After that a bunch of us went to a GPLC/AmeriCorps event at Barnes & Noble and Vijay's band, Chaibaba played Puerto Rican music. A fun day, but very exhausting. I probably shouldn't have even attempted to walk to the park from my apt when I missed the bus, but I almost made it without having to be picked up! I slept from around 4 pm when I got home until my phone rang at 10:30, then I ate something and went back to bed for the night!