cruxes/cruces are bolded (both are correct)

is everyone certain that chicago should be dubbed The Windy City, because my word the wind here is atrocious. it gusts (seriously, gusts) from all directions; metal tables and huge recycling cans are racing down the streets at record speeds, promting drunken hipsters and street wanderers to cheer while placing bets on the victors. my free umbrella is proving to be next to worthless, but i keep it around in case the wind breaks down to a light mist.

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i am very materialistic, so Monday, February 27th has been a big day for me. first and FOREMOST: i received amanda's slippers to jen in the mail and they fit and they are warm and i love them. and the buttons! never have there been cuter buttons, for they are glitteree and square-shaped (i.e. cuuuute). a huge flame (prolonged emph on hu-) burst last week from the heater next to the foot of my bed. i hope the fix-it gentleman fixed it like he promised, or those slippers are goners. along with my apartment. but i have trust in the fix-it gentleman. ha

i also received contacts in the mail, though i am nervous about actually using them. wearing glasses forever and then switching to contacts even occasionally draws attention, and i don't like people looking at me much. i feel it has to be all or nothing so the stares given to the huge bags under my eyes (were those always there?) will come to an end as quickly as possible.

also, a homeless man gave me a umbrella because stacey was holding mine as I struggled with my coats and warm hat made for a giant. "Here," he said. "It looks like you need this more than I do." I told him I didn't have any money - that it was OK, but he just repeated this phrase. When I accepted it at his double-time prompting, I told him i was sorry I didnt have any money, he said calmly, "No, honey. Don't be sorry. Just be yourself." I subsequently exchanged confused smiles with stacey for about 23 seconds.

its really tiny though - so i call it a parasol. and i gave it to stacey, being i already have my faulty one. and i really like my disfunctional one because its completely black except for a white doggie on the side of it, and i got that one for free as well so it has a special place in my heart.

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stacey has finally convinced me to join in on her record-label-creation life. for i am now her editor of all business plans, promos, band blurbs and anything else that needs a good old-fashioned edit in the face. so here i am and i "work" for a record label bringing australian bands to the u.s. and veesah versah.

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SAT classes start saturday - and i'm a little nervous. how am i going to teach 20 kids 500 words they will no way memorize in 8 weeks.

miss you kids. sorry for the long one. or wait. um, just being myself. now you seriously know every detail of my silly little current life, minus the lamp light on my bedroom walls and 'landlocked blues' from the internet radio.

take care out there, and thank you thank you x 18.7 to amanda of the torreses.

-jen.