to the sea,

"The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears, or the sea" Isak Dinesen

This has been my calendar for July. This morning I decided to take Dinesen's advice with all three kinds of salt water. I worked in the morning, cried all day, and since I'm not near the sea, my family thought I could just learn how to wake board - which I did.
And it's not that I'm "cured" yet, but I made it through the day. I'll be back in about a month, I have missed you.

- wake boarder who can't actually get over the wake

Dear California,

went to orange country for Paul's brother's graduation. took a day trip to San Diego.

I miss you the most because you have the good food.

- lover of sea food and fresh produce

Pam Dixon (Michelson),

1. I went four wheeling this weekend with my family and Paul. Do not let this picture mislead you. I almost never drove. 2. Ash - totally thought of you the whole time. We need to go do that together. 3. I have mixed feelings about wearings a Cubbies hat when I love the Giants so much and this post is about the Angels.

I'm sure you've heard this before, but this weekend I watched Angels in the Outfield, and I must say, great job casting Adrien Brody, Matthew MacConaughey, and Joseph Gordon Levitt all in one movie before they became super famous... seriously, amazing. I'm also excited to go see Green Lantern, which you were also the casting director for. You're the best, thanks for everything.

- appreciator of handsome men in classic movies

James Bond

From Russia with Love has got to be one of the most boring movies ever made. Good news: we also watched like six other Bond movies this weekend too. And went sailing. And went climbing. Met a "Mr. Fluck." And went to the Real game. And had pizza on my grandpa's basement floor. And went to music and the spoken word.  In retrospect, I would have done some things differently, but there were some pretty good moments that I wouldn't change for the world.

- little girl who always gets caught remembering

Dear BYU,

This is me and Paul at Disneyland by the Matterhorn. Yes, those are Minnie ears. It's fine; they're awesome. Throughout the week we also went to the Getty Museum, the beach a couple times, a show we love in LA, we went to church, watched all the Back to the Futures (I'd never seen them before) and a couple other movies, ate good food. etc.

The middle of February to the middle of March is the worst month of the year. At BYU this time suffers from two injuries: terrible weather by an act of God, and a terrible schedule by an act of man. It’s not quite spring, it’s freezing but there’s no snow, it still gets dark at like 2:30 in the afternoon, you’re just starting to feel bogged down with school work – and if you’re at BYU, you don’t get a break until summer. No Spring Break. Well, I just had the first Spring Break of my adult life, and those things are the best idea ever. You should definitely look into those. They're great.

britt

Hey mom,

this is me. flying a kite. by the ocean. :) Paul took it.

For the last two days I think the temperature in Orange County has been somewhere between 72° and divine perfection. I know how you like that. I do too.

Love you,
britt

note to self:

Since Anisha's moving we all went on a walk together on a walk to Delores. This picture is from Paul (some cool... panoramic app on his phone) from when he and I were there last week.

Sometimes the little things can wear you down: It's impossible to find time to do laundry. There's no food in the kitchen. It's really cold in your bedroom. One of your roommates moves out. Etc. All those things feel like little welts and paintball splatters across your back. Then, like today, you realize you're a few days into a week-long final exam and still up to your neck in legal theory that you may or may not understand. That feels like a bazooka to the face, and the little things don't get to you so much. But you'll be fine.

Just roll up your sleeves. Do your best.
britt

to the coked out dude who agreed to take our picture on the BART ride to the airport -

(Patrick, this is Paul.)

Thanks.

britt

Martin Espada-

Between the fifth and sixth readings, Paul and I took my brothers up to school. I could not love them any more than I already do.

I learned about Pablo Neruda via your Republic of Poetry. I had a couple books I wanted to read over the break. And instead, I just read the Captain’s Verses (seven times). Here are some highlights:

For me you are treasure more laden
with immensity than the sea
(la infinita)

And when you appear
All the rivers sound
in my body, bells
shake the sky
and hymns fill the world.
(la reina)

Your whole body has
A fullness or a gentleness destined for me.
(el alfarero)

and the stolen branch

Dear 2010

picture of my brother lighting New Years bottle rockets.

You and I, we took on a lot.

Wounds I thought had healed, reopened.
Scars I'd hoped were permanent, faded.
Then some new scrapes
and band aids.

Law school.

A Kafkaesque romantic history in which we discovered that I
was actually the author of the (senseless)(menacing) complexity
And I felt like a lady.

We called six cities across the country "home."

Sometimes I got what I wanted/needed/deserved.

So many republicans.
So much (but not enough)
about contract law.

And thank you for all of that.
Here's to fresh starts
moving on
clean hands
blank slates
And taking root
settling down
staying put.

miss you already

britt

to my favorite Pauls:

Mackenzie and Paul, who I love collectively more than I love any two people in the world. However this picture is, I think, on the bus to Gettysburg - back when they were an untapped resource of pure joy and music.

Dear Paul,
Last night I left my wallet on the bus. I know, I know – whatever. My initial plan was to not even bother trying to find it. But then I remembered that whatever your faults (old, conservative, inappropriate, etc.), you believe that people are generally good, and that being hopeful isn’t an automatic sign of ignorance. Anyway, a woman on the bus picked up my wallet, this morning her husband called my Uncle Paul in Midway, Paul called my mom in Idaho, Mom called my office, they emailed me with some contact information, and tonight me and Nate picked up that little green coin purse. Maybe all that would have happened even if I didn’t hope that it would. But since I did it without a prevailing sense of fatalism, I had another rewarding experience of trusting that things would work out, and they did.

Don’t be a stranger,
britt

Paul and the fam for Roy Days 2009, the most under appreciated holiday in America.

Uncle Paul,
Thank you for taking care of me via the Puerto Rican man who called you about my wallet. I have your number on a Post It that Grandma wrote a few weeks ago when I came to stay at your place. It was wedged between a fifty-dollar bill and my social security card. I know, I know – whatever. That’s a stack of three pieces of paper that I’m really glad to have back again.

Love you,
britt

Dear Barlow family,

Picture from Mr. Skanchy

Absolutely everything here reminds me of you.

britt

Paul and Lance -

Friday night = frozen yogurt, seeing Georgetown's campus (the most beautiful campus ever), Five Guys, and buying a kite for the Cherry Blossom Festival.

Thanks for taking me to TangySweet so we could talk about why taxes are bad... I guess there's nothing like a couple of conservative economists to make your Friday night educational and completely awesome.

love,
britt

to the sunset,

picture from Paul

I saw a lot this weekend: The Supreme Court, the Lincoln Memorial (via the Washington Monument, WWII Memorial, and reflecting pool), a lecture from an appellate judge, the Jefferson Memorial, a food bank, Eastern Market, BYU losing in the second round, the DC temple, the ends of two metro lines, a Tea Party rally on the Hill, an Immigration march to the Capitol, and seven episodes of Arrested Development. But you were my favorite thing to see. On the steps of the Jefferson, I watched your reflection in the Potomac and wondered why we haven’t spent more time together. I know I’ve seen you on accident over the years, but I think the last time I came to visit with the sole purpose of seeing you was in high school, five years ago. I was glad to see you tonight, and I promise you’ll be seeing more of me.

britt

To the person who turned my wallet into Metro lost and found:

Ended the day at the Jefferson Memorial

I have been known to lose stuff. You could say I’m a loser. So when I lost my wallet on the way to a briefing by Judiciary Square, I was pretty sure I had seen the last of that little green coin purse. I was all set on canceling my debit card, getting a citizen’s ID, letting go of the 20% off coupon, and metaphorically cutting my losses. But Paul just said, “Trust me a little; let’s at least go back and look.” I rolled my eyes, objected several times, and let him drag me back to the Smithsonian Metro. And there it was. The maintenance guy who picked it up teased me for being forgetful, and I went on my way believing, for the first time in years, that maybe people really are good at heart. So, whoever you are, thank you for returning my wallet and restoring my faith in humanity.
britt

Dear Mom and Dad,

Paul, me, Lance, and Anne were assigned to group five. we were the best group, it was such a fun discussion. We wanted Jen (the resident Canadian) to be in the picture too. Picture from Paul's iPhone.

I don't really know how to tell you this... So I guess I'll just say that this morning, in the Science Committee Hearing Room, after a briefing from Representative Matheson, we had a health care discussion. Dr. Goodliffe wanted to illustrate how difficult it is to find a "bipartisan" solution to such a complex problem. We all stood against the back wall with the Republicans on one side, the Democrats on the other, and the independents in the middle, and he put us in groups of four (two independents, a Republican, and a Democrat). Keep in mind I was with a group of BYU students so the context is definitely relevant, but, you know, I guess you could say I stood on the left side. The far left side.

I love you.
britt

to the North Face Store,

I hope you can you can fully appreciate how bad the weather is by looking at this picture, but in case you can't, let me just say that it was 13 degrees. It is snowing sideways because there are 50 mph winds. There is so much snow in the air that you can barely see the building that is 25 feet behind us. It's bad. Real bad.

I woke up at 11:00 and needed a duffle bag. Paul did too, and Adam wanted gloves, so we decided to come see you. “The North Face Store is right down the street, the snow isn’t that bad, and we are hardcore,” we said. But today was, unquestionably, the most intense blizzard I’ve ever been unfortunate enough to walk through. It took 45 minutes to walk a quarter mile because the wind, snow, and drifts clearly hate me (if not all of humanity). A baby boutique and the liquor store were the only shops open in Georgetown. And aside from the obligatory gin and winter bassinet, the people need coats, so we thought you might also be open - and you were. Opening your door was like opening the door to the magical world of Narnia.

Thanks for making the battle worth it. I love this bag. I'm going to start packing for New York...
britt