Savor the Moment.

I found this very amusing story in my university e-mail box... I thought I would share it with you all. It's from a good friend of mine from college, a sweet and sassy boy named Kevin. Here it is.


Please insert favorite southern baptist preacher or jimmy swaggart-like
affect here)

I just came from my friend Ashley's apt on the ave. As I arrived I noticed two Larouche tables, one on each corner, with the usual swarming cretins. I was lucky in that I didn't get harassed on account of being on the phone. Her apt window is right above the ave, looking down on both tables. I remembered our water balloon fight yesterday in the park and asked her if
she had any more. She did, and it was ON my friends.

We first sent a few 'warning shots', which actually hit one of the guys. I then sent a paper airplane with the following messages, one on each side: "the people of this community feel it's time to give back to Larouche and his little minions"; "looks like all you have to throw back is your bullshit ideas". Once it was clear they had read the messages, it was on yet again.
This time we were a bit off but managed to land one or two.

Then they called the fucking cops, obviously missing the point entirely...it's hot out, we were just trying to cool them off...the community giving back to Larouche and all that. I mean
really, if I'd sent piss in those balloons, and god knows they got THAT coming, then I can see calling the cops, but for water? Please. So we took off. Out the secret back entrance, and walked right past them on the sidewalk, multiple times, just to see if they'd recognize us. After awhile,
we went back into her house to grab some shit and head back out when we got the idea...how about we throw water balloons at the Larouche tools...?

It was like the idea was reborn friends. So we went into her place, kept the lights off as we could see them watching for us, filled up some balloons, and went two apartments down to a vacant unit, which just happened to have a wide open window (providence friends?), and lobbed forthwith. This time both of my shots were fucking on target, one getting a couple of them wet and one landing smack dab on a stack of their silly publications (they always have a HUGE stack, which is funny by itself now that I think of it). We took off, out the same secret entrance and took a walk.

Later, when we returned, we walked by and listened to their preposterous singing. At that moment we were caught by the realization that we had somehow struck a blow for college students and passersby everywhere...to all of you who have been stopped and accosted with whining drivel about Cheney and the spawn of satan and something about super trains in the sky and the beast man, and a revolution by kids who don't even vote...well, we felt we acted on your behalf and only wish that you bless these deeds for we were happy to have risked great peril in service of such a noble cause.

I hope you all are all you, well.
Peace. Kevin.

Flowers a-bloom on the University of Washington campus

Whenever people hear me mention that I live in Seattle, they are always quick to respond, "Oh, it rains there a lot, right?" My usual reply to them is "Oh yeah, all the time. Buckets and buckets, it's gloomy and cold most the year."

Of course, as any Seattleite would know, I'm lying through my teeth, and for perfectly good reason. We want you people to stop moving here, so that locals like me may finally afford to purchase a home.

In actuality, Seattle has some of the most beautiful summers of anywhere I've ever been (and trust me, I've been around the block). It's constantly around 75-80 degrees with little to no humidity, and a gentle breeze coming off the water (which we have in every direction). Our summers don't usually start until late July, and push all the way to early September. Summers that consist of boating activities, festivals, camping and hiking... Or, if you're more like me, ferry rides across the sound, late night coffee in an outdoors cafe and walks around Greenlake.

But the rain, you ask? What about the rain? Alright - so I admit it does rain here and it does get overcast and gloomy. New York and Chicago statistically get more then we do though, the difference being that our rains 'mist' for days (and weeks as we saw last winter).
But that's what we have coffee shops for, how do you think Starbucks got so popular?

So that's my two-cents on my beloved city. So please come and visit, I would love to have you. Just make sure you have a return ticket.

Danie and Chris during a rare cease fire pose.

I could tell you a story about the time I raced friends home through the backround streets of Seattle, only to have my sister Danie reply, "Oh yeah, did I tell you about the time I raced camels around the pyramids when the sun was setting in the background?".

Danielle is a topper. And the only person I know who can (and is willing) to compete with her, is my good friend Chris Fazeli - a Persian born Canadian I met through my step-brother Tim.

Danie and Chris drive each other nuts, and it's fun to sit around the dinner table and listen to them constantly try to top one another. Here are a couple of examples of the duels I've witnessed while trying to eat my Mango Chicken Curry in peace.

- the number of countries they've been to (complete with passport inspection)
- the number of "exotic" countries they've been to (apprently Bahrain scores more points than Thailand... Mexico isn't even considered a contender. )
- the number, duration and intensity of wars and conflicts they've experianced.


I know that there are more - I just can't think of them off the top of my head. I called Danie to ask, and she already started to get heated up. =)

I should get them together again, so I can record it here in my blog.

More tommorow!

Here's a great sign I saw on a truck while on a recent road trip... I think it's great - short, sweet and to the point.

Like this blog entry. More tommorow.

When Danielle ended up moving to Seattle (where I live) to go to school, I initially felt she was a lot more animated than I remember her being. (We had been apart for about 4 years - which is REALLY long if you consider that the longest time apart had been clocked in at 2 weeks).

But now that I really think about it, and look back on many photos - I realized that Danielle has always been this way. There are plently of photos from our childhood that support this theory. This being one of them. =)


Here's another from a trip to the beach... Danie's ability to pose on command is impressive.




And here's another one from our living room. Although Danielle and I are twins, it still surprizes me when people can't tell us apart. We're so different in character and interests... Can't you tell?

After being (rightfully) chastised for not blogging more often, I realized I should blog more often. I dedicate this entry to Megan Randazzo, whose constant reminder about my blah-blog inspired me to showcase her front and center. Muhaahahaha.

Seriously - As one of the first people to meet her when she moved to Jakarta (I still love being able to say that) I can say that she's one of the sweetest people I know, and over the years she's only gotten sweeter.

Megan sent out the wonderful news a couple of days ago that she was expecting, and I can't think of someone more patient and loving to be a mommy. Congrats Dan and Megan!

(Sorry for calling you at midnight your time. Secretly I knew the difference, but didn't care... I wanted to talk to you.)

I miss and love you very much.
Riani

PS: The photo was labeled on the back - 1995 Megan at Tamen Safari (Jakarta Indonesia))

So... Male Seahorses are wonderful beings. They take care of their young, are faithful to their mate and to their children. They are gorgeous to behold, and carry a sense of simplistic beauty.This is a Seahorse I fabricated myself (no really I did!) out of Copper during a jewelry fabrication class I took in community college a long time ago. I cut out the pattern, banged the crap out the metal to achieve the texture (by putting different thicknesses of wire behind it). I then applied clear nail polish and torched the thing, to get those amazing colors.My copper seahorse is a symbol of my faith - that deep down inside, I believe there's a great brother, father, boyfriend, husband, friend and uncle (and great uncle) in every man.