I don't love the last line, but I think it currently speaks to the narrator's frustration of her hands being compared to a Rubik's Cube. Poor girl.

Happy birthday to one of my biggest inspirations. I love you, Michael!

I've been really disappointed with nearly all the posthumous Michael Jackson videos (one of the most recent, "Love Never Felt So Good," for instance, was so painful for me to watch). "A Place With No Name," however, is certainly an exception. I think that this video was tastefully created, and for that reason I'm posting it on my website. Have a look:

Leaning against a brick wall like some kind of fashion model, he glances toward the biggest building in the city and flicks his cigarette so nonchalantly that it makes smoking look like sign language rather than a bad habit, and now he's got me wondering what I can do with my own hands, how I can turn movements of a hand into words that will make him squint and then smile.

. . . that this is one of the most memorable videos I've seen in awhile. What's not to love about this little girl's performance?

A friend of mine sent me this link yesterday. Click it, and you'll see some magical photos of paths around the world that are "begging to be walked."

He is loved, and so, so missed.

. . . so here are some brief updates from Camp Kayla Pongrac:

1. George Ezra's song "Budapest" is fantastic. I tagged it on Shazam on March 7 (it's true) and forgot about it (sad, but true), but the good news is that it's back on my airwaves and topping the charts:

2. I finally got my mom to drink Pu-Erh tea. This is quite an accomplishment, considering that she told me repeatedly that it smells like "horse hay." It's an acquired taste, yes, but it's one of the best teas you can drink. Aged for 15 years in China's Yunnan province, this tea is quality stuff. I buy mine from this lovely place in Pittsburgh called Biddle's Escape, which happens to be one of my favorite coffee/tea shoppes in the world.

3. PROUD BIG SISTER ALERT: My sister Chelsey is featured in today's Daily American. You can read about her by clicking here! :)

4. My Carly Simon-inspired piece, "Nobody But You," was published by Mixtape Methodology on Monday. It received 32 re-blogs or likes or whatever (can you tell I'm not a Tumblr user?) on their site! *Flattered!*

5. Where am I going?  Good question. The answer is "away from my computer." I'm going to try to write the "old-fashioned way," using pen and paper. And then I am going to read--a lot--and then I am going to live--even more--so that I have some new material, some new words to bend and twist into shape over the next several weeks.

6. My chapbook is finished (!) and I've got another exciting project in the works that should be ready by September/October. Hint: I'm working with a local artist to produce something that I'm quite sure hasn't been done before. Stay tuned!

If you feel inclined to contact me via my website while I'm away, I would love that more than you know.

Happy August!

Be back soon,
Kayla :)

I've decided that I want a pet fish. A betta fish. 

I'll keep you posted! :)