We counted every black car passing your house.

Well well, I've spent an hour trying to figure out what I'm going to do with my prospectus. I'm a bit lost and very intimidated by this process, not to mention uninterested, which may have dire consequences. I think I'm going to apply Nina Baym's essay Melodramas of Beset Manhood to Henry James's The Art of Fiction. I guess we'll see how that goes. I definitely would like to do something dealing with women in literature, as this has become my primary interest, followed closely by black women in literature. I would definitely like to learn more about both.

Yesterday I spent all morning at Diebert Park with the boys; it was fantastic and beautiful. When we arrived we were the only ones there, which was strange and nice. Later two school buses pulled up, vomiting children all over our silent playground. It wasn't too bad, though, because the boys ended up playing with several of the kids (who must have been in 3rd grade or so). It was William's 4th birthday... man. They've grown so much since I started working for them. And I have to leave them soon. Sad day.

Let's not dwell now, though. After I got off, Jeff and I went back to the park to walk for a bit, then he and his friend Stephanie went running while I played on the swings. About the time they finished, Catlin and Chase came to chat, and then we all scattered for the day.

I have a million things to do today, like the laundry I was suppose to do every day this week (I did finally do a load last night), cleaning out my car and taking it to a mechanic, and straightening my apartment. I also plan to see Death By Chocolate at the Zodiac Theatre tonight at 8ish, if any of you would like to come.

Tomorrow is the party for William and Harris at the Children's Museum; it should be fun! Lacey and Asa are coming, woohoo! I'm going to babysit later that evening for them, and then I'm headed to Fort Walton to visit Jessica! I do believe Jeff and I are going together, though I guess he still hasn't confirmed that. Today and tomorrow are going to be high stress; that's a fact. Sunday, though... Sunday I'm going to spend sleeping on the beach.

And the world is so much meaner when your heart is hard...

Good morrow, cuz?

Is the day so young?

But new struck cuz.

Ah, me, sad hours seem long!

I mean to type "good morrow;" the rest just popped out. How are you this lovely Sunday, Reader?

I hope your week went well. Alls good here. The week was nice, nothing exceptionally stressful. We watched The Color Purple in Women in Lit., and I cried. It was good. I worked 13 hours Thursday. I worked again Friday night, then headed to Jeff and Chris's, where Catlin and Chase came to hang out for a bit. Yesterday Jensen called, and we decided to go geocaching (Jensen, T.J., Graham, Jeff, and I). I hadn't been in a long time, and I want to go again soon- it was great. We did have some cop action, but he was friendly. We were also told to leave by hotel management at one place. Oh my! Later Jeff and I came back to Tuscumbia to eat at Fiesta Mexicana with Jetson and Leigh Ann (their mom), then we went back to their apartment to visit for a while before going home. It was an St. Patrick's Day!

Last night Jeff and I watched Playing by Heart. I didn't realize how much I loved that movie until I wanted to see it again and I got all giddy talking about it. It was wonderful, and Jeff liked it, and you would like it, too, Reader, I'm sure of it! It's got an amazing cast, too.

Today today today... laundry! I must do laundry. And I have a midterm due tomorrow. It's a 500 word essay. No biggie. I have to write an essay with the topic "Springtime in the South." I'm thinking about turning the piece I'm doing about the picnic into this piece. Every time I think of the title, a little voice inside me sings "Hitler in Springtime." Teehee.

It's just something that we do.

Sunday was amazing. Amazing! If one day I am asked to assemble one week of perfect days out of my life, Sunday, March 11, will be one of them. I'm going to write a paper for my nature writing class on it tonight, so I will leave the descriptions off for now. Just know that it was fun, and I am madly in love with more people than I ever thought possible.

Today was a good day, too. It's Graham's birthday, woohoo! Big 19... only three months and three days until we're all legal! We'll be 18, 19, 20, 21, then my birthday ten days later and we're back on track until next year. Hummmmm....

Allow me to backtrack. Last night was nice. I didn't really feel like hanging out with the fam, but I eventually wandered over to that side of the river, and I'm glad I did. It was fairly boring at first (everyone in a separate room watching separate televisions or on separate computers), but later Lindsey suggest we take a night walk, so we (Lindsey, Graham, and I) headed out! We were approached by our baying hounds before we had gone far, so we carried them back (heavy and stinky though they were) and then continued onwards, this time with Bach following. We didn't quite walk a mile because Lindsey was worried about the cat. I decided to watch Pete's Dragon, but instead Lindsey and I talked until 2ish. We ate really late and looked at some of Grampa's sermons, which was fun and interesting; we also checked out some old pictures of the house and talked about the land and how much we love this property and whatnot.

Now, today... this morning we all had breakfast together (yes, all 6 of us!) after singing to dear Graham, then I brought breakfast to Jeff at the pool before heading into work 45 minutes late. I took the boys to McFarland Park, where we spent a couple hours playing with the styrofoam airplane I got this weekend and running around with kites and playing on the playground. A group home came to eat lunch while we were there, and it was all I could do not to go plop down at the their table. I am missing some Special Session right now. Later we drove to the picnic area and just walked around under the pine trees. It was so pleasant. We then headed to UNA to see the lions, which was really fun until Leo decided to mount Una, making me feel incredibly awkward at I made a mad dash to get the boys away from the glass (not so much because it would offend them, but because I didn't want to answer William's questions and I had my own self-imposed awkwardness to deal with). We then went home and lunched and napped and listen to Fidelity by Regina Spektor

I'm in Collier now; Jeff and I just went swimming at the UNA pool (joined by Aubrey and Chris Jordan part of the time). It was nice. I'm off to Books-a-Million now. Should be fun! Ciao!

Sweeeeeet cuppin' cakes.

Howdy, kids! How goes it here in cyberland? Alls well, I hope.

I have had very strange dreams as of late. Last night I dreamt Lance, Graham, Dad, and I were fishing and swimming by the pier, and Lance was complaining about how one time when he and Graham were sleeping in the boat, it was freezing in the morning, and I was like "Uh, when did you go camping with my family?" Apparently, they went camping together a lot, though.

Night before last I dreamed Dad was making a movie of his life. It was the weirdest thing ever. All these people kept showing up looking just like my family members and family friends. It was... disconcerting. Mostly it was just Dad and his group. He was playing himself, as was Mom. Mom had gone out to get a Black Lab to play Nyx, and we told her she had to get a Dalmatian, then, because we had Perdy a lot longer than Onyx (so she did that). I remember the Uncle Keith double looking startlingly like Uncle Keith. There was also a guy playing Scott, and he had this ridiculous wig on, and I remember thinking that the actor wanted to make a joke out of the production, which is probably what Scott would do, which is pretty funny. The most disconcerting character was Uncle Wade. The guy looked like him, kinda, but he was to skinny and he had a cocky walk. Uncle Wade was definitely not cocky, and that bothered me the most. My dad? Cocky. Uncle Keith? Cocky as hell.

You know, Uncle Wade may be the only Mullen I've ever met who wasn't cocky, now that I think about it. Except maybe Grampa. Anyway, I remember it really bothered me and I wanted them to find another actor, but there wasn't time. I don't remember much else about the dream, except that there was a lot of guitar playing.

Sooo... school's going well. Work's going well. I'm still overly stressed, though I think it's for no reason (or little reason). Umm, Jeff may just be the cutest thing in the world. He's sleeping now, and I would like to put him in my pocket and carry him around to look at when I get sad.

The Quiet World, by Jeffrey McDaniel.

A Voice Post

I didn't care; I just bummed from my friends.

Hey, remember that time when we stayed up all night talking and then watched the sunrise?

Hey, remember that time we went to football games on Friday nights?

Hey, remember that time when we danced on that rock?

And remember that time when we danced in the rain?

Hey, remember that time when you came to visit me?  I was so happy I thought I would burst.

Hey, remember that time when I visited you?

Hey, remember that time when we slept in a church in Decatur?

Hey, remember that time when we flew kites and laid on felt blankets?

Hey, remember that time when we sat in the grass and drank rum?

Hey, remember that time when we sat in the dorms and drank vodka?

Hey, remember that time when we sat on the beach and drank gin?

Hey, remember that time when we holed up in my room and watched sitcoms all afternoon?

Hey, remember that time they shot fireworks just for us?

Hey, remember that time when we smoked cigarettes in the woods by my house?

Hey, remember that time when we kissed?

Hey, remember that time when we stayed up all night in the computer lab doing nothing?

Hey, remember that time when we lived together?

Hey, remember that time when we ate ice cream in the caf until they kicked us out?

And remember later when we waded in the fountain even though it was freezing?  Later I carried you piggy-back up the stairs.

Hey, remember that other time we raced around it?

Hey, remember that time when we first talked?

Hey, remember that other time when we didn't?

Hey, remember that time when we made French toast?

Hey, remember that time when we got out picture taken on the dog-shaped couch?

Hey, remember that time you sang outside of Jack's?  It was beautiful.

Hey, remember that time when we road in the back of the truck in our wedding formals?

Hey, remember that time when we spent all day on the river?

Hey, remember that time when we watched The Never-ending Story while it rained outside?

Hey, remember that time when walked along stopped traffic and up into the woods?

Hey, remember that time when we fell asleep together?  Remember all those times?

Hey, remember that time when we cracked up during Mass?

Hey, remember that time when we got lost?

Hey, remember that time when we went to the thrift store?

Hey, remember that time when we did plays together?

Hey, remember that time when we ran through the sprinklers?

Hey, remember when I found that little snake?  And that dog?  And those kittens?

Hey, remember that time when we spent all summer painting my house green and yellow?

Hey, remember that concert?  It was amazing.

Hey, remember that surprise birthday party?  And remember those other surprises and those other birthdays?

Hey, remember that time when we spent all day in the movie theatre?

Hey, remember that time when we swam in the hotel pool all night?

Hey, do you remember prom?  That was fun.

Hey, remember that time when we were supposed to study but we talked to each other instead?

Hey, remember that time when we sat next to each other in class?

Hey, remember that poem you read me?

Hey, remember that poem I read you?

Hey, remember that time when we decided we were going to walk after school?  We only did it once.

Hey, remember that time when we sang in the car?

Hey, remember that time when ate in the park?

Hey, remember that time when I skinned my knees and you couldn't stop laughing?

Remember that time when we were lonely, but at least we were lonely together?

Hey, remember that time when we walked to the gas station?

Hey, remember that time we lived together?

Hey, remember that time we used to eat dinner and watch Will and Grace every night?

Hey, remember that voice mail you left me?  I appreciated that.

Hey, remember that time we cooked dinner for all our friends?

Hey, remember that time we went to that protest?

Hey, remember that time we cried on the balcony together?

Hey, remember that time when spent three hours at Arby's just goofing off?

Hey, remember that poem you read me?

And remember that poem I read you?

Hey, remember that time when I called you in a panic?  I felt a lot better afterwards.

Hey, remember that time when we rolled down the hill?

Hey, remember that time when we all dressed up for Halloween?

Hey, remember that time when we were obsessed with BNL?

Hey, remember that time we showered together?

Hey, remember that time when you played your guitar?  I fell in love with you a little.

Hey, remember that time when went to the club?

Do you remember how that song made me cry?

Hey, remember that time when I lost my cell phone?  And the time I lost my keys?  And the time I lost my bookbag?

Hey, remember that time we jumped the fence?

Hey remember that time...

Goddammit.