on a personal note

I spend most of my life in my room, which I affectionately call my hermit-hole, but this new year has pulled me from it's comfort and safety and into some wonderful adventures! sigh. Maybe it's the late hour, or the lack of coffee, but my eloquence is swirling between nonsense and coherent thought. Either way this is what I've been up to lately!

 dinner with Hannah 
We went to East Village Grill (in the Elliot Park neighborhood). It's a great greek/middle eastern eatery that's somali owned and run. We didn't realize that there is a curtained section for women to eat alone (as that is what is culturally appropriate) but we sat at a booth near the door, away from the men who were in there watching basketball. The service was fantastic, and the food was incredible! I ordered the falafel and hummus while Hannah ordered the gyro. Both were served with a complimentary cup of vegetarian soup (that was also delish)!

It was so nice to catch up with this little lady. Though are times are few and far between I love that we can pick up where we left off. She's always speaking words from God that I need to hear, whether she knows it or not!

 making a difference 
I went to the capital on Tuesday for Second Chance Day on the Hill. The coalition is a partnership advocating for "for fair and responsible laws, policies, and practices that allow those who have committed crimes to redeem themselves, fully support themselves and their families, and contribute to their communities to their full potential." {from their website, here.} I loved listening to the different speakers in the rotunda; hearing the passion that this community has for it's people is one reason that I love my city! Too bad I didn't stay longer and catch some great photos of the event but I only had enough quarters to pay for an hour of parking so I had to slip out early.

 new friends| Justin 

met this kid last month... isn't he such a stud? After we had our first official hang out last weekend we discovered a shared passion for travelling, thrifting, diving, old books, coffee, and too many other things to list. we met up at Hard Times cafe, shared an order of hash browns and then walked around the city. As we walked through the west bank there were bikes every where. Literally, hundreds of them. He took me to this island by his house and despite it being the middle of the night, dangerously icy and bare because winter, it was awesome. On the way back to the coffee shop I took a picture of the skyline at night. The sake of art was not on our side as we tried to take picture together and this was the best we could do. I'm looking forward to our adventure this coming weekend: thrifting and more coffee shops. ah. new best friend.

 internship 
I've been working at Mr. Zero's about 1 day a week. I affectionately call it the shop and love looking through the scores of records, used books, and vintage jewelry. When I'm actually working I often do cleaning, update the mailing list, and alphabetizing just about any and everything. It reminds me of the video store my family ran when I was younger. Anyways, City Pages featured the shop last fall and you can read that article here.


 new glasses 
Mom couldn't stand my (... okay, Sara's old glasses) so she took me to get my eye exam and 2 new frames! Why is it that the machinery looks like it's from the 50s despite our advances in modern medicine?! I'll post a picture with my lovely new glasses later.

Not to exhaust you, darlings, but there's more coming soon! I'm going to Wisconsin for a few days to catch up with some old friends (haven't been to visit since last summer for the 4th of July) and ending that weekend by going to a Wolves game with my brother. Oh, and last but not least: mom let me take the car even though I haven't paid for it yet. Which means that I can begin my mentorship at 180 Degrees!  Whoohoo!