A hairy monday afternoon.

Push control and click

I'm sitting, bandaged from donating plasma this morning.  I haven't yet decided if it is worth it.  Poked, prodded, then weighed with a scale and eyes as to whether or not I am worthy to have my fluids slowly pumped out of me by my own hand's power.  Next time I'm bringing a sweatshirt.  The only thing - there is a guy, with an inviting demeanor and smile that works there.  As I was scheduling my next appointment, I started to ask him when the next time he worked as I would then schedule accordingly.  But quickly decided that it was a fruitless idea as I am in MP for around 3 more weeks...and not really even in MP for 2 of those weeks.  Until next time?

This is my view currently.  Sydney. BAH. She sheds all over me and kneads my face while I sleep.  Mews and steps into my lap when the window is less entertaining for her needs.  BAH.

These, on the other hand, fill me with a small shred of guilt as well as large amount of excitement for the domestic excursions on which I am about to embark.  I hope to emulate and then morph these pieces into 1041 Logan Ave done my Claire.  I am going to bake bread on a wednesday evening across a talking screen with an Aussie accent. I am going to make and eat soldiers for breakfast before class on tuesday and think of benji.  I am going to make fabulous meals with table settings that are no more and no less than exactly what they should be.  And even Sydney knows that there will be liquor.  It will be flowing from the year 2005 into a spicy nalgene bottle for a veggie packed libation on the way to class. I am sincèrement looking forward to having a house, a home for a bit.  A place where I can cook, read, sleep and dance from inside to outside seamlessly.  I like to travel, but you have to go everywhere *from* somewhere.  I feel that the everywhere is so much more where when the somewhere is constant.  It is the control in my life of unvarying variables.  The freedom of the word "somewhere" is explicit and understood.  Somewhere could be many places, even anywhere - as long as the return to somewhere happens.  I'm gearing up for this next year.

Just a thought

simply this (click)

I give permission to anyone who reads this blog to physically slap my wrist and verbally abuse me if I ever have a profile picture, display picture, or any public picture of any sort that is me kissing my boyfriend, significant other, husband.  Noted on my record, I hold YOU accountable.  Thank you and have a great day.

xx
Claire Winter Gorton

P.S. I just love the dress. (and the song)

A Southern FlavoUr

A forever memory

How I will miss Aix en Provence, Josh's weed patch, our beautiful poppies, the backyard park, to defenestrate things, Monday cleanings, and Josh's ever-present pleading to cook in his kitchen.  All things Cuques.

Someday I will return and Olivier will say to me "I've watched over it all, throughout the years.  I've seen Beau d'Erik grow old and have little vélo babies.  I've felt countless Poppy Massacres occur.  I've heard trance/house music go in and out and in and back out of style - while never differentiating between songs.  I've been here, thank you Josh."

And then Olivier will sing a small song in provençal that will be stolen by the tri-powered days of the greedy mistral wind out to the sea.

xxx
Foncée

Daily Wanderings

click it and fade out

Incredibly Beautiful.

Wait for it.....

ahhhh - art.

Now, onto the art of finding a job.  I think I am just going to be working odd jobs for the summer until I return; this doesn't lend to my schedule or routine.  I feel a lot of reading, soccer, and planning coming to the fore.

xxx
Claire Winter

This I would normally knock and tell them

just control + click it yah?




For C Poo.  We do have it all. 

Do you know Roby, I couldn't be any more jealous of her?

xxxx

-Claire Winter Gorton-

2 clicks off and straight on until morning

The New Tab Deal
I am currently sitting in a Holiday Inn Express Hotel drinking water, listening to TMC, and not wearing any pants.  It is comforting (at least for me) that some things won't change.

I have returned to the US of A.  My poor, poor sister.  Good thing she really loves me because I have been somewhat of a pain.  Among the pointing out of corn fields and the immensity of a super Wal-Mart, she sticks with me.  Through the gagging as I see signs for bacon chalupas (what even is that???) and then the people who actually eat them, she just nods and pats my back.  

After living a dream world, I am hitting reality.  Not only in the sense of what is this country I hold citizenship within, but also the fact that I AM a United States Citizen and I was GROWN saturated in all of it. Now talk about culture shock, here I left Europe knowing who I am and what I wanted and I am confronted with the Ugly Truth that actually is me.  I've been emotional, and not nostalgic, but I mean high, lows, sideways and upside downs.  Phew.  So, after the Atlantic Ocean and in between the brick wall and the heartland I realized I had to return to MP.

Ok, so I grew up in Mount Pleasant, MI - which I just found out (thank you wiki) has a population of 27,000 permanent members.  This doesn't include the students, but that is still pretty small foutre.  I am returning to MP in two days and realized I am completely unprepared.  I haven't been there in over a year and honestly have nothing to say to about 98% of the population.  I look at Caitlin, and Ben and Josh who are returning home to London and Sydney...boy do I need my little roby for some help here.  How do I return from SLC, let alone Aix?  I mean I was sitting around last night with a bunch of the people in the wedding party and we were sharing some laughs - but this divide was there in our speech, outlooks and persona. I really missed my friends ad I really hate MP and I haven't even returned yet.

But I have decided that I am going to only be positive from here on out and maybe even bring a little lovin' back to eclaire.  I did have some pretty fabulous times growing up in MP, gotta make good things happen, non?

I mean I grew into who I am now in Mount Pleasant, so things can be done.  You can probably pick me out - as I am the one deviating from the team pose of "medals on neck and face forward towards the camera".  If you know me today, you know I still stand like that, quite often actually.

I also had some amazing friends in MP, and we had some fun hating MP and a few people there.  I am at least looking forward to seeing my friends...and maybe hating on those people a little bit. In a positive manner, only. shoot. what?

Happy, Happy, Happy, Happy day.  I WILL BE LEAVING! Cannot wait to get back on the pitch with these mecs and show them some euro style foot.

Oh Lori.  How my car was so good to me and we had so many good times together.  Like the time I left grace's house junior year around 4 in the afternoon, almost fell asleep at the wheel, pulled into Mill Pond park and fell asleep for 3 hours in the hatch.  She was always so comfortable. Anyhow, the best is yet to come, and soon enough I'll be going West.

Happy Fourth of July! The now non-event is finally upon me at midnight.
À +,
Claire Winter Foncée Gorton

The end of chapter 9

tab-age

I'm on my last day across the pond. The last year had been unreal, from arriving in D.C. to all of my amazing experiences during my study abroad.  I feel so privileged. I am facing westward once more and completely sure of my step.  I am about to traverse foreign airports, with no less than 4 difference kinds of currency in my wallet, a phone full of contacts on several continents, and much knowledge and ability saturating my being leaving me with a bright and youthful look on this Atlantic crossing. 

It is true, I am not completely ready to go home in all senses of that sentence.  I want to stay in Europe.  I want to live this enchanted life that I've made into a reality over the past 10 months.  But as I chase the sun around our globe, I can smile on my return to the US of A because it is not a return to a seemingly endless engagement with the continent.  I have a year left at UT and after that my mind  brims over with all the roads presenting themselves. 

Speaking to a good friend, we discussed our ability and fortune to be depended upon, but our ever-present independence.  I return knowing that there are few things for which I find myself falling weak, and one is the the functionary need for independence...and another is Grace. I love many things, but right now there is a world to conquer.  I don't want a big fancy name, or to be a dame, but we'll see.

Cheers.