It's official. I am a zombie.
Yep, that's right, I am now a member of the undead.... though mostly dead.
In those rare moments in which I am not konked out on my bed... or the couch... or my mom's bed... or the floor by the fire... I am struggling to keep myself conscious. Right now, as I sit on the floor with my back against the couch (the whole of which is being occupied by my ipod-playing little brother, who probably doesn't even realize that I'd really like to sit on it... that's called a communications break down, children. When the person who wants to sit on the couch does not mention to the person hogging the couch that she wants to be a person sharing the couch, but simply sits on the floor by the couch thinking about how her brother who is hogging the couch needs to be zapped by a mutant lightning bug so that he will turn a niiiice, crispy, black color with his hair standing straight up, then we have a gap in communication. Pretty sure I'm the source of that gap.)
Where was I?
Ah yes, being a zombie.
Anywho, as I sit here on the floor, I look to my right, and my cat - a lovely Siamese specimen who answers only to "Your Majesty" or "Master" - is curled up in a ball, hugging her tail and sleeping peacefully. I can see the rise and fall of her little stomach, and I am filled with such a jealous rage that SHE can sleep WHENEVER she so desires for AS LONG as she might wish, that the flesh on my face starts falling off, and I start talking like, "GRAHW MRAHW NANANAHR!!!! roarsqueak," and I suddenly want to go chew on her sides.
Actually, in all honesty, I kinda do want to go chew on her, just because she'd leap about 50 feet in the air, making the only noise she knows how to make ("HHHHGGGCCCCCHHHHH!" that's a, um, hiss, if you couldn't tell), and her tail would poof out to roughly the size of a canoe.
But I digress.
I am a zombie.
What is it about my body that has abandoned the sunny world of the living to go snooze for about 75% of my vacation? I just don't get it! I sleep full nights and sleep in the days, and want to sleep when I'm not sleeping. My family tells me not to worry about it - I've had a rough semester and my body is trying to catch up from the stress, and replace its depleted chemicals and recuperate and all that. It IS true - my body does feel like it's finally letting go of the tension that has been making my shoulders ache for the last 3 or 4 months. My Daddy has been irreplaceable in that aspect - his massages are sublime!
BUT! I'm losing my vacation to my exhaustion! I know the point of vacations is to relax (OR mega-stress yourself out from trying to do everything you want to do in the limited amount of time you have - but this isn't that kind. This is a nice week at home, playing with my family, and resting up), but really! The relaxing is making it nigh impossible to spend the time with my family that I would like to spend!
Alright, I resolve that tomorrow I shall stay awake the WHOLE day. No more zombie nappy nap time. I shall no longer be among the undead.
Which means, I have about 3 remaining seconds to go all zombie-freak, chomp my little brother in the stomach and tickle him off one of the couch cushions.
Bwah. ha. ha.
GRAHW MRAHW NANANAHR!!!!
Wow. He just kinda looked at me and said, "You realize you just smacked your head into my knee, right?"
Zombie fail.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Quote of the Day:
Me: "Yeah, this is the first semester I won't be getting A's or A-'s."
Kamaron: "Yeah, I've gotten 1 B."
Me: "Oh, sad!"
Kamaron: "I got an 86%. It's okay, though, because I got enough other A's in that class that I brought my average up to an A."
Me: "WHAT?!?!?!?! You mean, you got ONE B, on a TEST? I thought you meant, in the class!"
Kamaron: "No. Just on a test."
Me: **eyeroll**
And here I thought I was OCD about my grades.
Kamaron: "Yeah, I've gotten 1 B."
Me: "Oh, sad!"
Kamaron: "I got an 86%. It's okay, though, because I got enough other A's in that class that I brought my average up to an A."
Me: "WHAT?!?!?!?! You mean, you got ONE B, on a TEST? I thought you meant, in the class!"
Kamaron: "No. Just on a test."
Me: **eyeroll**
And here I thought I was OCD about my grades.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Here I sit, drinking a Jamba Juice
Just about every table here has a computer open on top of it. Some even have two.
A guy across from me just said he got, and I quote, "raped by that stupid test." Wow... never heard that one before.
Another guy is wearing a blue shirt, has a military haircut-buzz thing, speaks with a deep, manly voice, has big shoulders/pectorals/bulging biceps, and just put his computer away... in a pink plaid carrying case.
A guy just went to unplug his computer, and yanked the whole outlet cover out. Ha ha.
A girl just walked by, and I do believe she is studying to teach 3rd grade. Why do I think this? Well, because she is dressed like a 3rd grade teacher, with dark, curly hair just above her shoulders, thick rimmed glasses, and a permanent, pinched scowl on her face. I see that, and I just think "elementary school teacher alert!"
Hmmm, another guy in pink. Only he's wearing a black and gray flannel jacket over his pink striped polo shirt. Certainly makes for an interesting combination.
The whole floor shakes whenever somebody walks on it. Really, the dining hall thing in the WILK can't possibly be stable...
My head still feels like it has a brick sitting in it, but the lives and intrigues of Ottoman Sultans are starting to fade into the "forgotten fact" file, where they will stay safely until AFTER tomorrow.
Ooh! That guy's jacket looks like an island sunset! layers of yellow, orange and red... sweet!
Count Dracula is telling a couple girls he just got an 81% on a final, and he didn't go to ANY reviews! Good for you, oh scary-looking-one.
The PC/Mac ratio here is about 4:5... I think. Assuming that one that I can barely see is a Mac. Oh, nope. It's a PC. 5:4, then. PC still wins.
That girl's hat has ears! And a nose! It's a dog!
A group of 4 people are studying ASL. One guy was signing, then started doing the robot.
Across the way is this cute, little, blonde girl who can't possibly be older than her first freshman semester. She's so tiny and petite... and has her cheeks stuffed with food, bulged out like a chipmunk.
Obama is on the TV. Just a second ago that same screen informed me that Pepperboys does EVERYTHING!!!!!
Pink-laptop-man has been replaced with stare-at-my-homework-and-hope-it-does-itself-spacey-man... who just got up and left... and high-fived the girl next to the girl with a dog-hat... and made the floor shake as he walked... walked past a guy who looks like a cross between a lumberjack and David O. McKay...
... and my Jamba Juice is empty now.
A guy across from me just said he got, and I quote, "raped by that stupid test." Wow... never heard that one before.
Another guy is wearing a blue shirt, has a military haircut-buzz thing, speaks with a deep, manly voice, has big shoulders/pectorals/bulging biceps, and just put his computer away... in a pink plaid carrying case.
A guy just went to unplug his computer, and yanked the whole outlet cover out. Ha ha.
A girl just walked by, and I do believe she is studying to teach 3rd grade. Why do I think this? Well, because she is dressed like a 3rd grade teacher, with dark, curly hair just above her shoulders, thick rimmed glasses, and a permanent, pinched scowl on her face. I see that, and I just think "elementary school teacher alert!"
Hmmm, another guy in pink. Only he's wearing a black and gray flannel jacket over his pink striped polo shirt. Certainly makes for an interesting combination.
The whole floor shakes whenever somebody walks on it. Really, the dining hall thing in the WILK can't possibly be stable...
My head still feels like it has a brick sitting in it, but the lives and intrigues of Ottoman Sultans are starting to fade into the "forgotten fact" file, where they will stay safely until AFTER tomorrow.
Ooh! That guy's jacket looks like an island sunset! layers of yellow, orange and red... sweet!
Count Dracula is telling a couple girls he just got an 81% on a final, and he didn't go to ANY reviews! Good for you, oh scary-looking-one.
The PC/Mac ratio here is about 4:5... I think. Assuming that one that I can barely see is a Mac. Oh, nope. It's a PC. 5:4, then. PC still wins.
That girl's hat has ears! And a nose! It's a dog!
A group of 4 people are studying ASL. One guy was signing, then started doing the robot.
Across the way is this cute, little, blonde girl who can't possibly be older than her first freshman semester. She's so tiny and petite... and has her cheeks stuffed with food, bulged out like a chipmunk.
Obama is on the TV. Just a second ago that same screen informed me that Pepperboys does EVERYTHING!!!!!
Pink-laptop-man has been replaced with stare-at-my-homework-and-hope-it-does-itself-spacey-man... who just got up and left... and high-fived the girl next to the girl with a dog-hat... and made the floor shake as he walked... walked past a guy who looks like a cross between a lumberjack and David O. McKay...
... and my Jamba Juice is empty now.
Well, this is fun...
Four finals left. Yeah, I know. It's day 4 of finals week, and I've only taken 1 of them. My problem? I've spent the last 3 days studying for 3 finals at the same time.
My latest study-project has been studying Al-Andalus (fancy-shmancy name for Islamic Spain) and the Ottoman Empire, for my History 240 final. I feel pretty ready (except for the fact that I can't, for the life of me, remember why Selim the Grim was grim... I think he killed a bunch of people. Actually, I'm SURE he killed a bunch of people, I just can't remember which ones, and if he was related to them or not), and I now have 4 hours left before I'm scheduled to take it.
So, I had this thought: I can study for US history... or Ancient Near East... I only need about 1/2 an hour to get ready for Isaiah, so I'll save that.
And then my brain went, "AAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!!! I HAVE TO TAKE FOUR FINALS!!! WHAT AM I GONNA DO???? HOW CAN I TAKE IT???? WWWAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!"
And then the other part of my brain whacked the spazzing part upside the head and said, "KNOCK IT OFF!" After which, the rational part started stroking the hyperventilating part's hair and saying, "Relax, don't think about it. Focus on the Ottomans. Just the Ottomans. That's all you have to take right now."
And I had an epiphany... again. I swear, I've had this one like 5 times already.
I'll be fine. I've had this week ALL planned out, and I planned to take 2 finals today, and 2 tomorrow. I'm nearly ready for USA, and I'll get ready for Ancient Near East tonight, AFTER I finish with Ottomans (which I am ready for) and Isaiah (which doesn't take much to get ready for, since I did all the preliminary work of organizing my notes already). I also don't need to worry about ridiculously long lines in the testing center, since I'll be using them as time to get last minute studying done, and they may give me an extra hour or two.
So, focus on the Ottomans. Don't think about the rest, because if I look at the whole picture, my head will explode. One task at a time.
Besides, even if I blow it, I've pulled my grades up high enough that it won't hurt too bad. It's just one test.
This pep talk to myself has been brought to you by Selim the Grim who killed lots of people whom he may or may not have been related to.
My latest study-project has been studying Al-Andalus (fancy-shmancy name for Islamic Spain) and the Ottoman Empire, for my History 240 final. I feel pretty ready (except for the fact that I can't, for the life of me, remember why Selim the Grim was grim... I think he killed a bunch of people. Actually, I'm SURE he killed a bunch of people, I just can't remember which ones, and if he was related to them or not), and I now have 4 hours left before I'm scheduled to take it.
So, I had this thought: I can study for US history... or Ancient Near East... I only need about 1/2 an hour to get ready for Isaiah, so I'll save that.
And then my brain went, "AAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!!! I HAVE TO TAKE FOUR FINALS!!! WHAT AM I GONNA DO???? HOW CAN I TAKE IT???? WWWAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!"
And then the other part of my brain whacked the spazzing part upside the head and said, "KNOCK IT OFF!" After which, the rational part started stroking the hyperventilating part's hair and saying, "Relax, don't think about it. Focus on the Ottomans. Just the Ottomans. That's all you have to take right now."
And I had an epiphany... again. I swear, I've had this one like 5 times already.
I'll be fine. I've had this week ALL planned out, and I planned to take 2 finals today, and 2 tomorrow. I'm nearly ready for USA, and I'll get ready for Ancient Near East tonight, AFTER I finish with Ottomans (which I am ready for) and Isaiah (which doesn't take much to get ready for, since I did all the preliminary work of organizing my notes already). I also don't need to worry about ridiculously long lines in the testing center, since I'll be using them as time to get last minute studying done, and they may give me an extra hour or two.
So, focus on the Ottomans. Don't think about the rest, because if I look at the whole picture, my head will explode. One task at a time.
Besides, even if I blow it, I've pulled my grades up high enough that it won't hurt too bad. It's just one test.
This pep talk to myself has been brought to you by Selim the Grim who killed lots of people whom he may or may not have been related to.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Someone Needs a Chill Pill
About a year ago, I read a particular play by Shakespeare. Shakespeare is a genius and all that. We know.
This play was Timon of Athens. It was based on a story told by Lucian, the Ancient Greek satirist, and was about a happy-go-lucky, warm fuzzies, I love the crap out of all of you, here take all my stuff because I love you so much guy named Timon. (That is not TIE-mun, that is tih-MOAN... like Pumba's buddy.) Then Timon finds out that he's been so generous that he's given away all his stuff, and not only is he broke, but he's in debt.
No worries! He's got lots of friends! In deep humility, he explains that he's in a bit of a pickle, and can they spare a little cash?
Friend #1: Ummm... sorry, Timon. See, I've got this thing... yeah, a thing. That's what I have. It's a really expensive thing. And, um, well, see, yeah. No can do. Go try your other friends, because they're in better condition to help than I am.
Friend #2: Needs money? Ummmm... What was that, honey? Oh, sorry, but I've gotta go. Come back next week, okay?
Friend #3: Timon went to #'s 1 and 2 first?! Forsooth! What an outrage! If he'd had any respect for our friendship, of COURSE I would have given him money! I'd have given him all I own. But for this insult? Pah!
As you can see, clearly he had no friends. Just moochers.
What is Timon to do in this situation?
Why, decide he hates the world, of course! He then goes to live in the hills and throw rocks at people.
I mean, seriously. People are jerks. That's just the way the world works. We should therefore all throw rocks at everybody else. The end.
Now, my retelling of this Ancient Greek tale of wisdom and woe and stuff actually does have applicability in real life.
Simply put, as far as today is concerned, Timon is in my head, battling with my normal me for the chance to throw rocks at people.
For example, earlier today a friend wanted to go with me to school. As she put it, going to school with someone was a lot less boring than going alone. What most people would hear upon a statement like that is, "Hey! Let's ride to school together, friend! I love you so much!" And, of course, I did hear that statement. But then, in walks Timon. He throws a rock at me and hits me in the head. All I can hear after that is, "I just invited myself on your car ride to campus. No, I'm not going to ask. I just expect you to give me a ride so you can entertain me, slave." At which point, being the victim of my own good nature that I am, and of course, for the sake of decency, unable to refuse to give her a ride, I bow humbly and say, "Yes, my liege." Then, while she's in the shower, I decide I need to pick something up from work and laugh maniacally to myself that I'm leaving without her, and I'm not going to wait for her to primp and prim her beauty self.
I step outside. The fresh air hits me. I realize I am a jerk. I go to work. I park in Senior Management Parking, because today, I am the Queen. I pick up my stuff. I get back in the car, listening to my Chronicles of Narnia soundtrack (niiiiiice, peaceful, feel-good music), and I realize how much I utterly love my friend, and I really DO want her company in the car on the way to class. *facepalm* Okay, breathe. Calm down.
Once at home, I come in and my friend, from the goodness of her heart, kindly asks me how my test went, fully believing I had ditched her while she was in the shower. I tell her that I had just gone to work to pick some things up, and I haven't gone to campus yet, hoping I didn't hurt her feelings. We drive to campus, and I plan to drop her off as close to her destination as I can get her. She deserves far more penance than that, but it's a start. As I'm dropping her off, I start to feel Timon emerge again, this time, because of the stupid people in cars around me.
Actually, the people were perfectly fine. They were obeying every last rule of the road and of dropping passengers off with perfect pleasantness and happy, smiling faces, unaware that a meerkat-shaped demon in a chiton was chucking metaphorical boulders at their faces. They just weren't getting out of their car fast enough. And by fast enough, I mean they weren't shot out by rocket-launchers.
Then I took my exam. Then I went home. Somewhere, in the drive, I started thinking about such volatile topics as driving and feminism. Not sure what provoked that (actually, I'm pretty sure nothing provoked that), but it was storming around my mind while I drove.
Once at home, after violently stabbing my microwave dinner's plastic cover with a fork (the instructions DO say to poke holes in it), I sat down to eat my lunch. Right in front of me, on the table, was a handout from church. "Charity suffereth long," it reminded me.
Oh yeah. I determined, just yesterday, that I wasn't going to become a wreck this week. It was time to stop letting Timon have his way with me, and actually bring my little demon under control.
Time to bean him with a rock!
No, no, no. That's not nice. Time to do something nice.
I started writing this blog entry. It's amazing how cathartic writing is. Out flows bitterness, leaving a big space that's just waiting for me to fill it with whatever I choose to put inside. I think I shall fill my space with a pony... and a sparkly star... and bunnies... and cucumbers... and a Christmas ham... and a backhoe... and a paper bag with a face drawn on it... and boots... and lemon bars... and a AA battery... and a ceramic bear... and a real bear... and a Trans Am... and Lynnae... and cherry limeade... and a furry jacket that's reeeeeeeally soft... and a couch... and my phone bill... and a clock... and a tissue... just one tissue... not a used tissue... and pepper spray... and a statue of Mt. Rushmore... and a dragon... and a dagger... and snowflake pajamas... and grapefruit-flavored lip balm... and an airplane... and a book... and wallpaper... and toothpaste... and a pillow... and a banana... and a leopard-printed neck massage thing... and finally, HAPPINESS!!! SPARKLY, SHINY HAPPINESS!!!
Essentially, today I got a harsh reminder that it's not okay to be moody. It's fine to have moods, certainly, but having an unpleasant one is no excuse for being a veritable storm cloud that spits rain all over everybody else. I've known this, and I used to abide by it, but somewhere in the last semester I let it slip. Time to regain the parts of myself I really liked.
The end.
By the way, to all those who were forced to be in my sulky, angry presence during the first half of today, I really am sorry. I'm nice again. I promise. And from now on, I'll behave, even under massive stress.
This play was Timon of Athens. It was based on a story told by Lucian, the Ancient Greek satirist, and was about a happy-go-lucky, warm fuzzies, I love the crap out of all of you, here take all my stuff because I love you so much guy named Timon. (That is not TIE-mun, that is tih-MOAN... like Pumba's buddy.) Then Timon finds out that he's been so generous that he's given away all his stuff, and not only is he broke, but he's in debt.
No worries! He's got lots of friends! In deep humility, he explains that he's in a bit of a pickle, and can they spare a little cash?
Friend #1: Ummm... sorry, Timon. See, I've got this thing... yeah, a thing. That's what I have. It's a really expensive thing. And, um, well, see, yeah. No can do. Go try your other friends, because they're in better condition to help than I am.
Friend #2: Needs money? Ummmm... What was that, honey? Oh, sorry, but I've gotta go. Come back next week, okay?
Friend #3: Timon went to #'s 1 and 2 first?! Forsooth! What an outrage! If he'd had any respect for our friendship, of COURSE I would have given him money! I'd have given him all I own. But for this insult? Pah!
As you can see, clearly he had no friends. Just moochers.
What is Timon to do in this situation?
Why, decide he hates the world, of course! He then goes to live in the hills and throw rocks at people.
I mean, seriously. People are jerks. That's just the way the world works. We should therefore all throw rocks at everybody else. The end.
Now, my retelling of this Ancient Greek tale of wisdom and woe and stuff actually does have applicability in real life.
Simply put, as far as today is concerned, Timon is in my head, battling with my normal me for the chance to throw rocks at people.
For example, earlier today a friend wanted to go with me to school. As she put it, going to school with someone was a lot less boring than going alone. What most people would hear upon a statement like that is, "Hey! Let's ride to school together, friend! I love you so much!" And, of course, I did hear that statement. But then, in walks Timon. He throws a rock at me and hits me in the head. All I can hear after that is, "I just invited myself on your car ride to campus. No, I'm not going to ask. I just expect you to give me a ride so you can entertain me, slave." At which point, being the victim of my own good nature that I am, and of course, for the sake of decency, unable to refuse to give her a ride, I bow humbly and say, "Yes, my liege." Then, while she's in the shower, I decide I need to pick something up from work and laugh maniacally to myself that I'm leaving without her, and I'm not going to wait for her to primp and prim her beauty self.
I step outside. The fresh air hits me. I realize I am a jerk. I go to work. I park in Senior Management Parking, because today, I am the Queen. I pick up my stuff. I get back in the car, listening to my Chronicles of Narnia soundtrack (niiiiiice, peaceful, feel-good music), and I realize how much I utterly love my friend, and I really DO want her company in the car on the way to class. *facepalm* Okay, breathe. Calm down.
Once at home, I come in and my friend, from the goodness of her heart, kindly asks me how my test went, fully believing I had ditched her while she was in the shower. I tell her that I had just gone to work to pick some things up, and I haven't gone to campus yet, hoping I didn't hurt her feelings. We drive to campus, and I plan to drop her off as close to her destination as I can get her. She deserves far more penance than that, but it's a start. As I'm dropping her off, I start to feel Timon emerge again, this time, because of the stupid people in cars around me.
Actually, the people were perfectly fine. They were obeying every last rule of the road and of dropping passengers off with perfect pleasantness and happy, smiling faces, unaware that a meerkat-shaped demon in a chiton was chucking metaphorical boulders at their faces. They just weren't getting out of their car fast enough. And by fast enough, I mean they weren't shot out by rocket-launchers.
Then I took my exam. Then I went home. Somewhere, in the drive, I started thinking about such volatile topics as driving and feminism. Not sure what provoked that (actually, I'm pretty sure nothing provoked that), but it was storming around my mind while I drove.
Once at home, after violently stabbing my microwave dinner's plastic cover with a fork (the instructions DO say to poke holes in it), I sat down to eat my lunch. Right in front of me, on the table, was a handout from church. "Charity suffereth long," it reminded me.
Oh yeah. I determined, just yesterday, that I wasn't going to become a wreck this week. It was time to stop letting Timon have his way with me, and actually bring my little demon under control.
Time to bean him with a rock!
No, no, no. That's not nice. Time to do something nice.
I started writing this blog entry. It's amazing how cathartic writing is. Out flows bitterness, leaving a big space that's just waiting for me to fill it with whatever I choose to put inside. I think I shall fill my space with a pony... and a sparkly star... and bunnies... and cucumbers... and a Christmas ham... and a backhoe... and a paper bag with a face drawn on it... and boots... and lemon bars... and a AA battery... and a ceramic bear... and a real bear... and a Trans Am... and Lynnae... and cherry limeade... and a furry jacket that's reeeeeeeally soft... and a couch... and my phone bill... and a clock... and a tissue... just one tissue... not a used tissue... and pepper spray... and a statue of Mt. Rushmore... and a dragon... and a dagger... and snowflake pajamas... and grapefruit-flavored lip balm... and an airplane... and a book... and wallpaper... and toothpaste... and a pillow... and a banana... and a leopard-printed neck massage thing... and finally, HAPPINESS!!! SPARKLY, SHINY HAPPINESS!!!
Essentially, today I got a harsh reminder that it's not okay to be moody. It's fine to have moods, certainly, but having an unpleasant one is no excuse for being a veritable storm cloud that spits rain all over everybody else. I've known this, and I used to abide by it, but somewhere in the last semester I let it slip. Time to regain the parts of myself I really liked.
The end.
By the way, to all those who were forced to be in my sulky, angry presence during the first half of today, I really am sorry. I'm nice again. I promise. And from now on, I'll behave, even under massive stress.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
My Summer Project
Guess what I learned today.
Photography has a lot more to it than I imagined.
I mean, I knew there were more elements than lighting, angles and having really expensive equipment, but today I finally came to understand that on a deeper, epiphanetic level. I saw REAL photography, not cheapo amateur engagement pictures.
Take, for example, this Jasmine themed picture:
Beautiful, isn't it?
So, the angle is great, offering a little distortion to emphasize her face and the lamp, and the lighting is beautiful, even, and warm. The colors work well together, and the gold background adds just the right touch! All this I knew, and all this I feel able to do.
But, there are some very important details I appear to have overlooked.
Like makeup. Seriously, look at those eyes! They're perfect! The shadow, the liner, everything is perfectly painted and fits just right.
I have NO clue how to do that. Seriously, about the only thing I know about makeup is that it gives me eyebrows I don't normally have.
The other problem is that my models don't know how to do that either. Unless I have a professional makeup artist that follows me around wherever I go (that's to go with the piano that follows me around playing theme music, of course... I have the beginnings of an entourage forming here...), then I'm going to need to know how to do that myself.
I also need to have some idea of costuming - body types and what kind of clothing looks good on what kind of body.
So, I officially have a project for next summer. Learn basic stage makeup, specifically glamour and fantasy makeup, as well as basic costuming. That'll get me started. Then I can take REAL amateur portraits, instead of pathetic ones.
Now, for those of my girlfriends to whom I have promised free engagement pictures, never fear. I will NOT dress your fiancé up as a magical pixie. I'm thinking more when I take senior pictures, or do photoshoots for my own pleasure. This girl, whose photos I was browsing, likes to do story themes, where she combines glamour with characters and costumes from a movie or a book. It was purely AWESOME. I'd love to do stuff like that, if I can get the mad makeup and costuming skills that would require.
So, makeup, I shall learn you. And I shall learn you well.
Photography has a lot more to it than I imagined.
I mean, I knew there were more elements than lighting, angles and having really expensive equipment, but today I finally came to understand that on a deeper, epiphanetic level. I saw REAL photography, not cheapo amateur engagement pictures.
Take, for example, this Jasmine themed picture:
So, the angle is great, offering a little distortion to emphasize her face and the lamp, and the lighting is beautiful, even, and warm. The colors work well together, and the gold background adds just the right touch! All this I knew, and all this I feel able to do.
But, there are some very important details I appear to have overlooked.
Like makeup. Seriously, look at those eyes! They're perfect! The shadow, the liner, everything is perfectly painted and fits just right.
I have NO clue how to do that. Seriously, about the only thing I know about makeup is that it gives me eyebrows I don't normally have.
The other problem is that my models don't know how to do that either. Unless I have a professional makeup artist that follows me around wherever I go (that's to go with the piano that follows me around playing theme music, of course... I have the beginnings of an entourage forming here...), then I'm going to need to know how to do that myself.
I also need to have some idea of costuming - body types and what kind of clothing looks good on what kind of body.
So, I officially have a project for next summer. Learn basic stage makeup, specifically glamour and fantasy makeup, as well as basic costuming. That'll get me started. Then I can take REAL amateur portraits, instead of pathetic ones.
Now, for those of my girlfriends to whom I have promised free engagement pictures, never fear. I will NOT dress your fiancé up as a magical pixie. I'm thinking more when I take senior pictures, or do photoshoots for my own pleasure. This girl, whose photos I was browsing, likes to do story themes, where she combines glamour with characters and costumes from a movie or a book. It was purely AWESOME. I'd love to do stuff like that, if I can get the mad makeup and costuming skills that would require.
So, makeup, I shall learn you. And I shall learn you well.
Monday, December 6, 2010
A growing plague... like bubonic... only it lasts longer.
I'm sitting in class. The teacher is telling us he wants us to fight the growing plague of stress among students.
Teacher is nuts.
No, seriously. He just said, and I quote, "I don't want to trip you up." You want to know what kind of questions he asks on his exam?
Question #384:
What were the main issues in the year 1820?
A.Internal Improvements
B.Communications development
C.Transportation
D.Morality in the governing body
E.Temperance
F.A and E
G. A, B and C
H. B, C, and E
I. All of the above
J. None of the above
Okay, seriously. He is the ONLY teacher who has asked questions like this since American Heritage, which is designed to break students in to getting bad grades so they can spend their first semester feeling terrible about themselves after getting A's and B's in high school.
"I don't want to trip you up! I don't want you to second guess yourself! Your first instinct is almost always right!"
That's what he said. Unfortunately, with the way his questions go, we have about 3 first instincts, and naturally second guess ourselves in the process, because the 2nd first instinct is never as strong as the first, and the third is even less so. In fact, the third instinct has about the same effect as the wrong answer. So, the student body simply sits there and stares at the test, wondering if there's any possibility of faking a nervous breakdown... or possibly a seizure... just to have the chance to exact revenge and egg the teacher's office while the memory of his torture is still fresh.
Of course, that's assuming the test doesn't give us a REAL nervous breakdown and/or seizure.
So, will these students fight the growing plague of stress? When we know we need to memorize 30 terms, answer 50 multiple choice, write some short answer, and then two essays, all while trying not to forget everything we need to know for the other 4 classes in our schedules?
Heh.
Yeah right.
Teacher is nuts.
No, seriously. He just said, and I quote, "I don't want to trip you up." You want to know what kind of questions he asks on his exam?
Question #384:
What were the main issues in the year 1820?
A.Internal Improvements
B.Communications development
C.Transportation
D.Morality in the governing body
E.Temperance
F.A and E
G. A, B and C
H. B, C, and E
I. All of the above
J. None of the above
Okay, seriously. He is the ONLY teacher who has asked questions like this since American Heritage, which is designed to break students in to getting bad grades so they can spend their first semester feeling terrible about themselves after getting A's and B's in high school.
"I don't want to trip you up! I don't want you to second guess yourself! Your first instinct is almost always right!"
That's what he said. Unfortunately, with the way his questions go, we have about 3 first instincts, and naturally second guess ourselves in the process, because the 2nd first instinct is never as strong as the first, and the third is even less so. In fact, the third instinct has about the same effect as the wrong answer. So, the student body simply sits there and stares at the test, wondering if there's any possibility of faking a nervous breakdown... or possibly a seizure... just to have the chance to exact revenge and egg the teacher's office while the memory of his torture is still fresh.
Of course, that's assuming the test doesn't give us a REAL nervous breakdown and/or seizure.
So, will these students fight the growing plague of stress? When we know we need to memorize 30 terms, answer 50 multiple choice, write some short answer, and then two essays, all while trying not to forget everything we need to know for the other 4 classes in our schedules?
Heh.
Yeah right.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
It's preparation for winter hibernation, okay?!
It's official, I'm fat!
Actually, I'm not. I'm in that awkward in between phase, where you come home from vacation, step on the scale, realize you have gained... I kid you not... TEN pounds, and think, "Oh. Now I have to stop eating pie for breakfast."
So, I had a niiiiiice, healthy, 300 calorie breakfast that was mostly bread and dairy, and therefore good for me too. That leaves me with 1000 calories left to split between lunch, dinner, and munchies while I write my last paper of the semester. I will have to give away the little hostess pies from my snack drawer at work (which I'm SURE my co-workers will be absolutely devastated about as they clamor around my desk to claim their fair share of the spoils), and reign in the fruit 'n cereal bars. At least the Halloween candy has been gone for about a week now. Chocolate chips... yep. No more munching on those. Roommates can have them.
I should be back to normal in a month or two (assuming I can keep myself under control on Christmas vacation... Christmas Day totally doesn't count. I refuse to eat healthy on the most joyous day of the year). My goal is Monique's wedding. I shall be smokin' hot by that glorious day in a month and a half. In the mean time, I just have to embrace my newfound chunkiness.
It's really proving to be quite easy. Now that my zit is healed (seriously, +10 lbs AND a really big, swollen, oozing zit on the middle of your nose? That's one moment where all you can say is, "My inner self is still special to my mommy,") and I tried out some new makeup, it's easy to feel pretty. Little things help.
Liiiiike, for example, running into Cameron on my way to class today. He razzed me about missing class yesterday (I was in traffic, picking up Clarke, and then taking an exam. My freshman self would be disappointed, but understanding, I believe. My high school self would be horrified that I gave up the opportunity to sit next to Cameron for something as boring as an EXAM. Eek.) and we had a very nice conversation in which he spent the whole time giving me that look that clearly says, "I like her." I spent the whole conversation thinking, "You're eyes are prrrreeeettttyyyyy." Yeah... that was a very helpful little thing.
THEN, moments after I said goodbye to Cameron, I walked passed a random stranger guy, and he gave me a look. I have no idea what he was looking at, but it involved a smile... a genuine smile which didn't leave me feeling like I had something on my face that made him laugh. Can I just say, it's nice to be smiled at. It left me feeling all warm and fuzzy and liked by the universe... which has spent the past semester trying to grind my face into the carpet, so it was nice to be reminded that the forces of the universe are not completely sadistic. I think the smiling guy got a genuine blush out of me, but I can't be sure... and neither can he... because my face was pretty much pasty white with flaming red cheeks and nose anyway. Thanks, 2 degree weather.
So, thanks to the little things. More little things like finding out Chuck can sing (AND did a duet with Katharine McPhee), getting a new CD, watching Tangled with Lynnae, being able to walk to school in the snow, emerging victorious from an epic battle with the ice on my car, and realizing I only have 3 days of England history class left. My life is, without a doubt, AMAZING!
Actually, I'm not. I'm in that awkward in between phase, where you come home from vacation, step on the scale, realize you have gained... I kid you not... TEN pounds, and think, "Oh. Now I have to stop eating pie for breakfast."
So, I had a niiiiiice, healthy, 300 calorie breakfast that was mostly bread and dairy, and therefore good for me too. That leaves me with 1000 calories left to split between lunch, dinner, and munchies while I write my last paper of the semester. I will have to give away the little hostess pies from my snack drawer at work (which I'm SURE my co-workers will be absolutely devastated about as they clamor around my desk to claim their fair share of the spoils), and reign in the fruit 'n cereal bars. At least the Halloween candy has been gone for about a week now. Chocolate chips... yep. No more munching on those. Roommates can have them.
I should be back to normal in a month or two (assuming I can keep myself under control on Christmas vacation... Christmas Day totally doesn't count. I refuse to eat healthy on the most joyous day of the year). My goal is Monique's wedding. I shall be smokin' hot by that glorious day in a month and a half. In the mean time, I just have to embrace my newfound chunkiness.
It's really proving to be quite easy. Now that my zit is healed (seriously, +10 lbs AND a really big, swollen, oozing zit on the middle of your nose? That's one moment where all you can say is, "My inner self is still special to my mommy,") and I tried out some new makeup, it's easy to feel pretty. Little things help.
Liiiiike, for example, running into Cameron on my way to class today. He razzed me about missing class yesterday (I was in traffic, picking up Clarke, and then taking an exam. My freshman self would be disappointed, but understanding, I believe. My high school self would be horrified that I gave up the opportunity to sit next to Cameron for something as boring as an EXAM. Eek.) and we had a very nice conversation in which he spent the whole time giving me that look that clearly says, "I like her." I spent the whole conversation thinking, "You're eyes are prrrreeeettttyyyyy." Yeah... that was a very helpful little thing.
THEN, moments after I said goodbye to Cameron, I walked passed a random stranger guy, and he gave me a look. I have no idea what he was looking at, but it involved a smile... a genuine smile which didn't leave me feeling like I had something on my face that made him laugh. Can I just say, it's nice to be smiled at. It left me feeling all warm and fuzzy and liked by the universe... which has spent the past semester trying to grind my face into the carpet, so it was nice to be reminded that the forces of the universe are not completely sadistic. I think the smiling guy got a genuine blush out of me, but I can't be sure... and neither can he... because my face was pretty much pasty white with flaming red cheeks and nose anyway. Thanks, 2 degree weather.
So, thanks to the little things. More little things like finding out Chuck can sing (AND did a duet with Katharine McPhee), getting a new CD, watching Tangled with Lynnae, being able to walk to school in the snow, emerging victorious from an epic battle with the ice on my car, and realizing I only have 3 days of England history class left. My life is, without a doubt, AMAZING!
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Monday, November 22, 2010
Everyone needs a couple minutes of break
Alright, I'm going to do my thankful list for the day while I'm writing my paper. It's currently 2:24 a.m., I have 11 hours and 36 minutes left until this puppy is due, and I have it outlined. Now to start the actual writing process. 3,000 words, here I come.
1.I'm thankful I have an outline. You have NO idea what a relief it is to get that far.
2.I'm thankful Lynnae talked to me for a bit. I have been SO INCREDIBLY LONELY these last few weeks as I have no time or energy for a social life.
3.It's 2:33 and I now have a title for my essay as well. Well... a working title anyway. I realized half of it alliterated, so I came up with some lame words to alliterate the rest, and I'll definitely have to change it before I turn it in.
4.It is now 2:52 and I have an introduction, which is 375 words long. 375 down, 2,625 more to go!
5.VERY thankful for ibuprofen, which abated the headache I've had all day. It's 3:21, though, so I'm about 1/2 an hour away from needing more.
6.Okay, I have to say a thank you to Mt. Dew for existing, and for the energy it provides, but not so much for the size those bottles come in. I'm apparently hyper sensitive to caffeine, because 24 ounces drinken (yes, Lynnae, I know drinken is not a word - no laughing at my idiolect) in a period of 2 1/2 hours (between 1:00 and 3:31, which is the current time) is making me kinda shaky. Grrr... stupid drug. I need the energy, but not the side effects. On the bright side, I'm over 800 words, and I still have 10 1/2 hours to go before it's due! Granted, I haven't even finished writing about the first of the 3 books (not even close), so I'm going to have to worry about this being too long instead of too short. Hallelujah! And here I was so worried about having to fill up 3,000 words. Alright, back to work.
7.Break time! It's now 3:57 a.m., I passed 1,000 words, and I need a real break that lasts about 10 minutes or so. I think I might go outside and run around the building or something to wake myself up. Might be able to run off some of that caffeine too.
8.I finished my discussion of 1 of the 3 books - the one I had the most to say about too! I talked about it, and I did so in 948 words. Combine that with the 375 word introduction, and the little blip I already wrote about the 2nd book, and I'm nearly half done with the word requirement! Yeah, I may have to cut this down... we're looking at a 4,000-5,000 word essay at this rate.
You know, a little, evil part of me would LOVE to write my teacher a 10,000 word essay, just so he'll have to grade it. He's always saying, "I know you're all so bright, you're just DYING to go the extra mile with your homework! Didn't you just LOVE the [5 bazillion page] reading assignment for today?!" Quite frankly, with that kind of attitude, I'd love to turn in a 30 page paper and say, "Wow, I just loved this assignment! I couldn't stop writing it! I know you're just DYING to see what I had to say! Don't you just LOVE being a teacher?! It must be so rewarding for you to have students invest so much into this topic!"
9. It's 4:37 a.m. - the man who wrote the 2nd book I am writing about is named Everett N. Dick. Now, I know Dick is technically a name, but every time I read it I have Matilda flashbacks, and think, "Moby WHAT?!?!?!"
10.5:01 a.m. and I'm still going at it. I finally hit the "Okay, too tired to think point," but that's okay because the shaky feeling wore off and I have another Mt. Dew. I also should get more ibuprofen for my head, since the last dose wore off an hour ago and I'm starting to feel it. Jeez, I haven't drugged myself so heavily since I had swine flu! 1741 words... I need another break. I'm tempted to extend "break" to 1 hour of sleep, but I really can't afford that right now. Plus I just consumed about 25 mg of caffeine (in a delicious "smooth citrus" flavor), and trying to sleep after that is a bad idea. Time for another jog around Stadium Terrace, I guess.
11. 5:30 a.m., and I broke 2,000 words. 1,000 more to go! I was averaging about 1,000 words per hour after I actually started writing the essay itself (instead of outlining, final research, etc), but I'm slowing down. Really, REALLY slowing down. It took me 1/2 an hour to write the last 250 words.
12. Another hour or so, and my mom will be up! I can call her for a brief pep talk!
13.6:32 a.m., up from a 45 minute long attempt at a nap. It failed dismally. I didn't sleep a wink, and now I'm just tired.
14. 6:58 a.m., dawn is breaking, and I finished with the 2nd book. One more book and 750 more words! I can do it! I can do it!
15. 7:16 a.m. and I have 550 words left!
16. 7:42, and not only do I only have 300 words left to write, but I'm on a roll! My brain is chugging along, and I know what I'm writing about, instead of trying to make sense of all those letters that I think just might be forming words, like I was an hour ago.
17. 7:50 and 201 words left! So close!
18. Now, at 8:02 a.m., I am thankful for irony. I finished the rough draft. I pulled up the word count. 3000? Nope!
2,999!!!!!!
Are you serious??? ONE word off? REALLY???
Well, I'm sure I can find a spot to stick a random word. I've still gotta edit it anyway. Alright, time to send it off to my amazing editor! Mommy, here comes the essay!!!
1.I'm thankful I have an outline. You have NO idea what a relief it is to get that far.
2.I'm thankful Lynnae talked to me for a bit. I have been SO INCREDIBLY LONELY these last few weeks as I have no time or energy for a social life.
3.It's 2:33 and I now have a title for my essay as well. Well... a working title anyway. I realized half of it alliterated, so I came up with some lame words to alliterate the rest, and I'll definitely have to change it before I turn it in.
4.It is now 2:52 and I have an introduction, which is 375 words long. 375 down, 2,625 more to go!
5.VERY thankful for ibuprofen, which abated the headache I've had all day. It's 3:21, though, so I'm about 1/2 an hour away from needing more.
6.Okay, I have to say a thank you to Mt. Dew for existing, and for the energy it provides, but not so much for the size those bottles come in. I'm apparently hyper sensitive to caffeine, because 24 ounces drinken (yes, Lynnae, I know drinken is not a word - no laughing at my idiolect) in a period of 2 1/2 hours (between 1:00 and 3:31, which is the current time) is making me kinda shaky. Grrr... stupid drug. I need the energy, but not the side effects. On the bright side, I'm over 800 words, and I still have 10 1/2 hours to go before it's due! Granted, I haven't even finished writing about the first of the 3 books (not even close), so I'm going to have to worry about this being too long instead of too short. Hallelujah! And here I was so worried about having to fill up 3,000 words. Alright, back to work.
7.Break time! It's now 3:57 a.m., I passed 1,000 words, and I need a real break that lasts about 10 minutes or so. I think I might go outside and run around the building or something to wake myself up. Might be able to run off some of that caffeine too.
8.I finished my discussion of 1 of the 3 books - the one I had the most to say about too! I talked about it, and I did so in 948 words. Combine that with the 375 word introduction, and the little blip I already wrote about the 2nd book, and I'm nearly half done with the word requirement! Yeah, I may have to cut this down... we're looking at a 4,000-5,000 word essay at this rate.
You know, a little, evil part of me would LOVE to write my teacher a 10,000 word essay, just so he'll have to grade it. He's always saying, "I know you're all so bright, you're just DYING to go the extra mile with your homework! Didn't you just LOVE the [5 bazillion page] reading assignment for today?!" Quite frankly, with that kind of attitude, I'd love to turn in a 30 page paper and say, "Wow, I just loved this assignment! I couldn't stop writing it! I know you're just DYING to see what I had to say! Don't you just LOVE being a teacher?! It must be so rewarding for you to have students invest so much into this topic!"
9. It's 4:37 a.m. - the man who wrote the 2nd book I am writing about is named Everett N. Dick. Now, I know Dick is technically a name, but every time I read it I have Matilda flashbacks, and think, "Moby WHAT?!?!?!"
10.5:01 a.m. and I'm still going at it. I finally hit the "Okay, too tired to think point," but that's okay because the shaky feeling wore off and I have another Mt. Dew. I also should get more ibuprofen for my head, since the last dose wore off an hour ago and I'm starting to feel it. Jeez, I haven't drugged myself so heavily since I had swine flu! 1741 words... I need another break. I'm tempted to extend "break" to 1 hour of sleep, but I really can't afford that right now. Plus I just consumed about 25 mg of caffeine (in a delicious "smooth citrus" flavor), and trying to sleep after that is a bad idea. Time for another jog around Stadium Terrace, I guess.
11. 5:30 a.m., and I broke 2,000 words. 1,000 more to go! I was averaging about 1,000 words per hour after I actually started writing the essay itself (instead of outlining, final research, etc), but I'm slowing down. Really, REALLY slowing down. It took me 1/2 an hour to write the last 250 words.
12. Another hour or so, and my mom will be up! I can call her for a brief pep talk!
13.6:32 a.m., up from a 45 minute long attempt at a nap. It failed dismally. I didn't sleep a wink, and now I'm just tired.
14. 6:58 a.m., dawn is breaking, and I finished with the 2nd book. One more book and 750 more words! I can do it! I can do it!
15. 7:16 a.m. and I have 550 words left!
16. 7:42, and not only do I only have 300 words left to write, but I'm on a roll! My brain is chugging along, and I know what I'm writing about, instead of trying to make sense of all those letters that I think just might be forming words, like I was an hour ago.
17. 7:50 and 201 words left! So close!
18. Now, at 8:02 a.m., I am thankful for irony. I finished the rough draft. I pulled up the word count. 3000? Nope!
2,999!!!!!!
Are you serious??? ONE word off? REALLY???
Well, I'm sure I can find a spot to stick a random word. I've still gotta edit it anyway. Alright, time to send it off to my amazing editor! Mommy, here comes the essay!!!
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Time... it's wrong... and I don't know how to fix it.
So, my blog is an hour off. Not sure why this is, but the last few posts have posted themselves an hour earlier than the actual time. This was helpful last night, because my Saturday "happy" Thanksgiving post (or not so happy as I was ready to bite my computer in half) was actually posted a bit after midnight on Sunday. Due to the hour being off, it appears to be on the correct date.
Anyway, without further ado, here's what I'm thankful for today:
1.SNOW!!! Everything is all white and beautiful and even though it's still cloudy the world is bright and happy!
2.Figuring out how to check stats on my blog. I'll post about what I found there eventually, but for now I really don't have the energy.
This whole lack of energy thing is a bit of a theme with my life lately. I'm perfectly happy at the moment (which is weird, because last night I was tired and stressed and VERY cranky), but I'm lacking in ability to think funny thoughts, or even talk much at all, which bleeds over into writing - I'm just not creative today. Therefore, I'm posting what I'm thankful for and naught else.
3.I'm thankful for the word naught. And wend. Did you know ("you" excluding Lynnae, and anybody else I've told this exciting fact, because I already know they know) that the past tense of the word "go," "went" as in "I went to Antarctica to teach the penguins to polka" comes from the word wend? As in, wend your way. If you wended your way in the past, then you went your way... if you goed your way, you are wrong. So very, very wrong. But, the words go and wend used to be interchangeable, and the past tense of one got stuck to the other, and that other fell out of common use. Pity how words die sometimes.
4.I'm thankful for next Tuesday, at 4:00 p.m. Because that is when my paper will be done, my midterm will be taken, and I will be on my merry way to DISNEYLAND!!! W00T!
5.I'm thankful my bed is like a cave. Not only am I on the bottom bunk
**we interrupt this post for a random thought**
I just had a typo on the word bottom. I spelled it bootom. Ha ha.
**we now return you to your regularly scheduled list of things Savannah is grateful for and nobody else cares about**
but Lynnae's dresser is by my head, closing me in, and I have a pile of blankets as well, making for a very cozy cave in which I can hibernate (yeah right) for the winter.
6.My blog clock just righted itself... I think. It's claiming it just saved the entry and the time is 10:08 AM, which is what my computer clock says, but we'll find out when I post this sucker what the actual posting time is.
7.I'm thankful my blog has a strikethrough feature.
8.I'm thankful for BREAKFAST! I have yet to actually eat anything, but my tummy is pretty busy prodding me to take care of my body, while the microwave beeps at whoever just nuked their food.
9.Wow! Thankful #9! Hmmm... what am I thankful for? Even though this is #9 on the list, certainly not the movie "9" that my friends were talking about last night... because it was weird - way too weird for my tastes. "Alice in Wonderland" was weird, but it was an awesome weird. "9" was just eew.
Anyways... I'm thankful for... for... forrrrr........
I really can't think of anything. My brain just went ZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz *thhpp* *splat*
I'll go eat breakfast. Then I'll add to my list.
**one breakfast and a very happy tummy later**
I'm thankful I'm sending stuff to Barry! I've been a rotten pen pal (though it might be easier to be a good pen pal if he'd actually WRITE BACK! Email? Acknowledge he received a letter? Anything???), so sending him a package is a little bit of penance. I think I'll send him an email too. And I'll get some pictures printed out and mail those to him in the package.
10.Speaking of Barry, I'm incredibly thankful that he's coming home in four months! My lil missionary brother! I miss him! I just want to hug him and squeeze him... and then get my lungs squeezed out because I called him little, and that he certainly isn't.
Anyway, without further ado, here's what I'm thankful for today:
1.SNOW!!! Everything is all white and beautiful and even though it's still cloudy the world is bright and happy!
2.Figuring out how to check stats on my blog. I'll post about what I found there eventually, but for now I really don't have the energy.
This whole lack of energy thing is a bit of a theme with my life lately. I'm perfectly happy at the moment (which is weird, because last night I was tired and stressed and VERY cranky), but I'm lacking in ability to think funny thoughts, or even talk much at all, which bleeds over into writing - I'm just not creative today. Therefore, I'm posting what I'm thankful for and naught else.
3.I'm thankful for the word naught. And wend. Did you know ("you" excluding Lynnae, and anybody else I've told this exciting fact, because I already know they know) that the past tense of the word "go," "went" as in "I went to Antarctica to teach the penguins to polka" comes from the word wend? As in, wend your way. If you wended your way in the past, then you went your way... if you goed your way, you are wrong. So very, very wrong. But, the words go and wend used to be interchangeable, and the past tense of one got stuck to the other, and that other fell out of common use. Pity how words die sometimes.
4.I'm thankful for next Tuesday, at 4:00 p.m. Because that is when my paper will be done, my midterm will be taken, and I will be on my merry way to DISNEYLAND!!! W00T!
5.I'm thankful my bed is like a cave. Not only am I on the bottom bunk
**we interrupt this post for a random thought**
I just had a typo on the word bottom. I spelled it bootom. Ha ha.
**we now return you to your regularly scheduled list of things Savannah is grateful for and nobody else cares about**
but Lynnae's dresser is by my head, closing me in, and I have a pile of blankets as well, making for a very cozy cave in which I can hibernate (yeah right) for the winter.
6.My blog clock just righted itself... I think. It's claiming it just saved the entry and the time is 10:08 AM, which is what my computer clock says, but we'll find out when I post this sucker what the actual posting time is.
7.
8.I'm thankful for BREAKFAST! I have yet to actually eat anything, but my tummy is pretty busy prodding me to take care of my body, while the microwave beeps at whoever just nuked their food.
9.Wow! Thankful #9! Hmmm... what am I thankful for? Even though this is #9 on the list, certainly not the movie "9" that my friends were talking about last night... because it was weird - way too weird for my tastes. "Alice in Wonderland" was weird, but it was an awesome weird. "9" was just eew.
Anyways... I'm thankful for... for... forrrrr........
I really can't think of anything. My brain just went ZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz *thhpp* *splat*
I'll go eat breakfast. Then I'll add to my list.
**one breakfast and a very happy tummy later**
I'm thankful I'm sending stuff to Barry! I've been a rotten pen pal (though it might be easier to be a good pen pal if he'd actually WRITE BACK! Email? Acknowledge he received a letter? Anything???), so sending him a package is a little bit of penance. I think I'll send him an email too. And I'll get some pictures printed out and mail those to him in the package.
10.Speaking of Barry, I'm incredibly thankful that he's coming home in four months! My lil missionary brother! I miss him! I just want to hug him and squeeze him... and then get my lungs squeezed out because I called him little, and that he certainly isn't.
Tonight I'm thankful for a lot of things, I'm just too tired to write them down
1.I got to play with Sophie today
2.I got 2.5 of my books read
3.My paper isn't due until 2 p.m. on Monday, so I have a few hours on Monday to write it.
4.I'm going to sleep now.
2.I got 2.5 of my books read
3.My paper isn't due until 2 p.m. on Monday, so I have a few hours on Monday to write it.
4.I'm going to sleep now.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
I'm not sure if this is a list or just rambling...
So, I'm utterly pooped. Granted, I deserve to be pooped because every now and then I do something moronic like stress my brain out over how much homework I have to do in so very little of time, and then go waste 2 1/2 hours watching a movie and snuggling with my friends. Er... friend.
Yeah, so I have a 10 page paper to write. It's due Monday. Guess how much I have left. Yep, that's right. All of it. I STARTED reading 1 of the 3 books I have to write about and got about 60 pages in. Well, technically, I started reading a different one of them a while ago, but I wasn't making any sort of notes about what I was reading - just reading it, because I didn't know what I was writing about.
Anyway, paper. I'm reaching freak out mode. I tend to get this way right before I break down and start crying. Then I cry a little until I realize I'm falling asleep. Then I crawl out of bed, put the book that I've been drooling on back on the floor, and take my boots off... which I decided before that I was going to keep wearing and just sorta dangle off the edge of the bed so that I wouldn't be tempted to fall asleep while doing said desperate assignment. But, my humanity wins out, and off go the boots... along with the jeans and anything else I don't want to wear to bed. Into the pj's, and next thing I know it's morning.
The funny thing is, as soon as morning hits, I realize that the previous day's breakdown was utterly unnecessary. This is doable. It's perfectly possible, even though I do have to read about 600 more pages and write 10 of my own in about 10 hours time... while doing laundry, packing for Thanksgiving vacation, and trying not to think about the other midterm I have to study for the INSTANT the paper is written.
Sleep is amazing. It completely realigns the universe.
So, with that said, I'm thankful for:
1.Mornings. Not necessarily early mornings or anything like that, but I'm thankful for the concept of a morning, where all the stress has been slept off, and impossible is suddenly attainable.
2.Editors in my life. My mom, Lynnae. Both are awesome. I'll have to find out if one of them is willing to be on call Monday morning when I will have finished some form of a draft of this paper.
3.Friends who like to cuddle during movies.
4.Okay, so this is a little random, but I'm really glad my boss picked me to be the one to inventory the food and supplies we've been collecting for donations, as well as count the charity money we've earned. Counting cans and stacking quarters was shockingly relaxing. Probably because there was nothing unexpected, and I'm just too tired. Last night was 3 very broken hours of sleep before it was up and getting ready for the England history midterm from hell. Or, I suppose, the latest England history midterm from hell, since the previous 2 have been just as bad. 7 hours of studying, and I'm pretty sure I got a low B. Anyway, I digress. I was exhausted at work, and the thought of counting cans - mindless as it is - was much more appealing than the idea of taking calls, assessing the customer's needs, and trying to not only take care of the customer's request, but figure out anything and everything else they might possibly need to know about or resolve with their account - and work a sale in there too if applicable. Normally, that stuff is fun. Not today. Today it was a scary thought, and I was glad when the call volume died down to absolutely nothing. That's when I got 60 or so pages of the latest book read. :)
5.Wow... that was long... and ramblesque. I'm thankful for coming home to Much Ado About Nothing, which I have never read or seen, but looks hilarious. Some day, I should like to watch the whole thing.
6.Oh! Big one. I'm thankful... VERY thankful, in fact... that my apartment complex sent around a survey asking for residential feedback. Free license for my opinion! And do I ever have an opinion.
The lighting, for example. One puny bulb beneath a foggy light fixture to light up the entire front room. I'm sorry, but even with Stephanie's lamp and the lights from the Christmas tree, this apartment is as bright and cheery as the Bat Cave. But then, we have Stephanie's lamp and the Christmas tree, so dim as it is, it's a far cry better than everybody else's apartments. We get to go blind just a little more slowly than everyone else. Thanks, Stadium Terrace. I appreciate you giving me the opportunity to vent about your "energy saving" methods... and please, don't even get me started on the maintenance guy and the door that has been broken since I moved in here! Oh wait... I wrote half of page of notes on the feedback form about that. Okay, I feel better now. Ranting done.
7.I'm thankful for Stephanie's lamp and the Christmas tree... especially Stephanie's lamp. One of the heads is flexible, so I can sit on the couch, point it directly on me, and I can actually see what I'm doing! It's amazing!
Wow... I'm a whiney butt tonight. I need to go to bed.
8.I'm thankful it's payday! I got a big check today too!
9.I'm thankful I'm on thankful #9, because it means I'm very near to being done with the 10 thankful minimum, and going to bed.
10.I'm thankful I'm out of creativity, and therefore able to cheat and write a thankful that isn't really a thankful and go to bed.
I'll be more celebratory and in the spirit of Thanksgiving tomorrow. I promise.
Yeah, so I have a 10 page paper to write. It's due Monday. Guess how much I have left. Yep, that's right. All of it. I STARTED reading 1 of the 3 books I have to write about and got about 60 pages in. Well, technically, I started reading a different one of them a while ago, but I wasn't making any sort of notes about what I was reading - just reading it, because I didn't know what I was writing about.
Anyway, paper. I'm reaching freak out mode. I tend to get this way right before I break down and start crying. Then I cry a little until I realize I'm falling asleep. Then I crawl out of bed, put the book that I've been drooling on back on the floor, and take my boots off... which I decided before that I was going to keep wearing and just sorta dangle off the edge of the bed so that I wouldn't be tempted to fall asleep while doing said desperate assignment. But, my humanity wins out, and off go the boots... along with the jeans and anything else I don't want to wear to bed. Into the pj's, and next thing I know it's morning.
The funny thing is, as soon as morning hits, I realize that the previous day's breakdown was utterly unnecessary. This is doable. It's perfectly possible, even though I do have to read about 600 more pages and write 10 of my own in about 10 hours time... while doing laundry, packing for Thanksgiving vacation, and trying not to think about the other midterm I have to study for the INSTANT the paper is written.
Sleep is amazing. It completely realigns the universe.
So, with that said, I'm thankful for:
1.Mornings. Not necessarily early mornings or anything like that, but I'm thankful for the concept of a morning, where all the stress has been slept off, and impossible is suddenly attainable.
2.Editors in my life. My mom, Lynnae. Both are awesome. I'll have to find out if one of them is willing to be on call Monday morning when I will have finished some form of a draft of this paper.
3.Friends who like to cuddle during movies.
4.Okay, so this is a little random, but I'm really glad my boss picked me to be the one to inventory the food and supplies we've been collecting for donations, as well as count the charity money we've earned. Counting cans and stacking quarters was shockingly relaxing. Probably because there was nothing unexpected, and I'm just too tired. Last night was 3 very broken hours of sleep before it was up and getting ready for the England history midterm from hell. Or, I suppose, the latest England history midterm from hell, since the previous 2 have been just as bad. 7 hours of studying, and I'm pretty sure I got a low B. Anyway, I digress. I was exhausted at work, and the thought of counting cans - mindless as it is - was much more appealing than the idea of taking calls, assessing the customer's needs, and trying to not only take care of the customer's request, but figure out anything and everything else they might possibly need to know about or resolve with their account - and work a sale in there too if applicable. Normally, that stuff is fun. Not today. Today it was a scary thought, and I was glad when the call volume died down to absolutely nothing. That's when I got 60 or so pages of the latest book read. :)
5.Wow... that was long... and ramblesque. I'm thankful for coming home to Much Ado About Nothing, which I have never read or seen, but looks hilarious. Some day, I should like to watch the whole thing.
6.Oh! Big one. I'm thankful... VERY thankful, in fact... that my apartment complex sent around a survey asking for residential feedback. Free license for my opinion! And do I ever have an opinion.
The lighting, for example. One puny bulb beneath a foggy light fixture to light up the entire front room. I'm sorry, but even with Stephanie's lamp and the lights from the Christmas tree, this apartment is as bright and cheery as the Bat Cave. But then, we have Stephanie's lamp and the Christmas tree, so dim as it is, it's a far cry better than everybody else's apartments. We get to go blind just a little more slowly than everyone else. Thanks, Stadium Terrace. I appreciate you giving me the opportunity to vent about your "energy saving" methods... and please, don't even get me started on the maintenance guy and the door that has been broken since I moved in here! Oh wait... I wrote half of page of notes on the feedback form about that. Okay, I feel better now. Ranting done.
7.I'm thankful for Stephanie's lamp and the Christmas tree... especially Stephanie's lamp. One of the heads is flexible, so I can sit on the couch, point it directly on me, and I can actually see what I'm doing! It's amazing!
Wow... I'm a whiney butt tonight. I need to go to bed.
8.I'm thankful it's payday! I got a big check today too!
9.I'm thankful I'm on thankful #9, because it means I'm very near to being done with the 10 thankful minimum, and going to bed.
10.I'm thankful I'm out of creativity, and therefore able to cheat and write a thankful that isn't really a thankful and go to bed.
I'll be more celebratory and in the spirit of Thanksgiving tomorrow. I promise.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Thankful Thursday... which is kinda lame... but it alliterates, so who cares!!!
Well, obviously today I'm theriouthly thankful for the art of alliteration on this monumental morning while I procrastinate projects of impending importance... that last one doesn't really make sense...
**ahem**
On to things I'm actually grateful for...
1.The fact that I'm following about 10 blogs, because there's usually a new post or two to read. Today I got lucky. There were FOUR new posts to read! Yayayayay! I need more blogs to follow! If I'm not following YOUR blog, let me know! Oh wait... I'm pretty sure I'm already following anyone who has been bothering to read my daily Thanksgiving posts... er... THE one who has been reading them. Don't worry, all ya'll! As soon as Thanksgiving is over, I'll go back to 2 or 3 times a week! I promise!
2.Despite shamelessly sleeping for 11 hours when I have studying to do, I still have 2 hours in which to study before class (this is at 11:15 a.m., btw, since I KNOW this post won't get finished until late tonight), AND I'm fully rested, which doesn't happen all that often anymore.
3.My mom submitted a book to an agent! This is exciting, because she has like 5 books sitting around at home, just waiting to be published.
4.The fact that I readjusted what I'm going to do. I'm going to quit studying for the midterm and get the paper written. My goal is to have that done - or nearly done - by the end of tomorrow. Speed read 3 books and get an outline out, and then get to the paper.
5.Awkward class - we're talking about Sultans and their harems. One girl: "So, how did the dynasty not die out, if the Sultan always killed his brothers then had like 15 wives? Wouldn't the STD's do him in?" Teacher: "Well, they didn't have STD's. They took the girls as young virgins, and they were only allowed the one man." Girl: "But the dude! He had like 15 women!" Thanks, random girl.
6.These sweet words, spoken by my favorite professor: "I have decided to make the Primary Source Analysis an optional assignment for this semester." And then the angels sing! The sun explodes through the clouds! Faeries dance across the flowers that just burst into bloom!
7.In time for the 3rd exam, the TA in Ancient Near East history finally explains what makes the difference between an A grade and a B grade. Now I know how to get an A!
8.Three weeks of classes left!!! Almost DONE!!!
9.Sales at the book store. Seriously, I just bought 10 very interesting books for $10! I probably won't read them until either the break or I graduate, but I still own them! I love books! They make my nerd happy.
10.This quote by my Isaiah teacher: "You can't put a timeline to God. You can't describe an infinite being in terms of time. It's like asking, 'How much does purple weigh?'"
11.And finally, I am thankful that in about 20 minutes, I'll be leaving to see Harry Potter. That's right, suckas! All ya'll crazies goin' to see the midnight showing? I'm goin' to the PREshowing!!! BA HA HA HA HA HA!!!! EAT THAT!!!!
**ahem**
On to things I'm actually grateful for...
1.The fact that I'm following about 10 blogs, because there's usually a new post or two to read. Today I got lucky. There were FOUR new posts to read! Yayayayay! I need more blogs to follow! If I'm not following YOUR blog, let me know! Oh wait... I'm pretty sure I'm already following anyone who has been bothering to read my daily Thanksgiving posts... er... THE one who has been reading them. Don't worry, all ya'll! As soon as Thanksgiving is over, I'll go back to 2 or 3 times a week! I promise!
2.Despite shamelessly sleeping for 11 hours when I have studying to do, I still have 2 hours in which to study before class (this is at 11:15 a.m., btw, since I KNOW this post won't get finished until late tonight), AND I'm fully rested, which doesn't happen all that often anymore.
3.My mom submitted a book to an agent! This is exciting, because she has like 5 books sitting around at home, just waiting to be published.
4.The fact that I readjusted what I'm going to do. I'm going to quit studying for the midterm and get the paper written. My goal is to have that done - or nearly done - by the end of tomorrow. Speed read 3 books and get an outline out, and then get to the paper.
5.Awkward class - we're talking about Sultans and their harems. One girl: "So, how did the dynasty not die out, if the Sultan always killed his brothers then had like 15 wives? Wouldn't the STD's do him in?" Teacher: "Well, they didn't have STD's. They took the girls as young virgins, and they were only allowed the one man." Girl: "But the dude! He had like 15 women!" Thanks, random girl.
6.These sweet words, spoken by my favorite professor: "I have decided to make the Primary Source Analysis an optional assignment for this semester." And then the angels sing! The sun explodes through the clouds! Faeries dance across the flowers that just burst into bloom!
7.In time for the 3rd exam, the TA in Ancient Near East history finally explains what makes the difference between an A grade and a B grade. Now I know how to get an A!
8.Three weeks of classes left!!! Almost DONE!!!
9.Sales at the book store. Seriously, I just bought 10 very interesting books for $10! I probably won't read them until either the break or I graduate, but I still own them! I love books! They make my nerd happy.
10.This quote by my Isaiah teacher: "You can't put a timeline to God. You can't describe an infinite being in terms of time. It's like asking, 'How much does purple weigh?'"
11.And finally, I am thankful that in about 20 minutes, I'll be leaving to see Harry Potter. That's right, suckas! All ya'll crazies goin' to see the midnight showing? I'm goin' to the PREshowing!!! BA HA HA HA HA HA!!!! EAT THAT!!!!
Thankyou, life.
Today I am grateful for:
1.Brittany, a girl in 2 of my classes, offered to turn in my paper for me on the day that I'll be gone, which means I don't have to write it before I leave, which means that is ONE LESS thing I have to do before Thanksgiving, which means that I only have 2 hard midterms to take and 1 10-page paper to write between now and Monday. Yay!
2.I also have to say I'm quite thankful I have a job where I get to talk to all sorts of interesting people. And by interesting, I mean I call someone up about a matter with their account, and have a 56 minute long (very one-sided) conversation about how that call was orchestrated by God so that the guy I called could change my life. Well, he certainly changed 56 minutes of it...
3.Food at work, specifically Kahlua Pork at work. Mmmmmm!
4.Finishing the study guide for 1 of my midterms... one more midterm and a 10 page research paper to go!
5.New socks
6.The fact that you can spell "socks" as "sox" and spell check may pick it up, but it's still awesome! Actually, it's not that awesome, but it's kinda cool...
7.Paramore's song Brick by Boring Brick and Daughtry's song September. Two of the newest additions to my mp3 player.
8.The thought of going to bed BEFORE midnight!
9.It's almost Thanksgiving.
10.After thanksgiving there are only 2 weeks of school left!!!
1.Brittany, a girl in 2 of my classes, offered to turn in my paper for me on the day that I'll be gone, which means I don't have to write it before I leave, which means that is ONE LESS thing I have to do before Thanksgiving, which means that I only have 2 hard midterms to take and 1 10-page paper to write between now and Monday. Yay!
2.I also have to say I'm quite thankful I have a job where I get to talk to all sorts of interesting people. And by interesting, I mean I call someone up about a matter with their account, and have a 56 minute long (very one-sided) conversation about how that call was orchestrated by God so that the guy I called could change my life. Well, he certainly changed 56 minutes of it...
3.Food at work, specifically Kahlua Pork at work. Mmmmmm!
4.Finishing the study guide for 1 of my midterms... one more midterm and a 10 page research paper to go!
5.New socks
6.The fact that you can spell "socks" as "sox" and spell check may pick it up, but it's still awesome! Actually, it's not that awesome, but it's kinda cool...
7.Paramore's song Brick by Boring Brick and Daughtry's song September. Two of the newest additions to my mp3 player.
8.The thought of going to bed BEFORE midnight!
9.It's almost Thanksgiving.
10.After thanksgiving there are only 2 weeks of school left!!!
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Today's thankful, backdated because it's actually like 2 am on the day after this post says it is.
I am thankful that I got the 54 cheesecake cupcakes made and the disastrous mess I made on my counter and table cleaned up, and now I am able to go to sleep. The end.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Thanksgiving is growing near...
1.I'm thankful for fenestration. There isn't much of it where I'm living now, but I grew up with a large amount, and I'm really thankful for it when I come across it.
2.I am VERY thankful I got an A- on my history of England exam... because I pretty much destroyed myself on the last one.
3.Hmmm... what else? Pineapple that ISN'T overripe, because that's just gross.
4.Finding a new band that sounds exactly like my favorite band... but isn't my favorite band... they're just a total rip off, and were seriously trying too hard in their music video... but at least it's new songs in the sound I really like, since my favorite band hasn't released anything in a while. Jeez, get on it people, or your fans'll start going to the guys who ripped off your sound!
5.The fact that I can google myself and find virtually nothing. The only things are some stupid classmates sites that link to my mom, dad, and younger brother (not even me), and a Deans list. That Deans list is the only thing that's actually applicable to my life.
6.Yummy Chex mix stuff that I don't actually know what's in it.
7.ADHD Quote of the day: "He had a really stupid expression on his -- did someone turn my sticky tack into a duck?"
8.I'm also thankful I'm not at work, and can stop wearing my work clothes, which I forgot I was wearing until just now.
9.Ooh! I'm veeeerrrry thankful that the irate customer at work demanded to speak to a manager... because I'm not a manager!!! BA HA HA!!! I GOT TO PAWN HIM OFF ON THE GUY IN CHARGE!!!! HA HA HA HA HA!!!!!
10.I am wearing a shirt that enables virtually unassisted flight. Yep, that's right, like Dumbo's ears, my sleeves allow me to fly.
2.I am VERY thankful I got an A- on my history of England exam... because I pretty much destroyed myself on the last one.
3.Hmmm... what else? Pineapple that ISN'T overripe, because that's just gross.
4.Finding a new band that sounds exactly like my favorite band... but isn't my favorite band... they're just a total rip off, and were seriously trying too hard in their music video... but at least it's new songs in the sound I really like, since my favorite band hasn't released anything in a while. Jeez, get on it people, or your fans'll start going to the guys who ripped off your sound!
5.The fact that I can google myself and find virtually nothing. The only things are some stupid classmates sites that link to my mom, dad, and younger brother (not even me), and a Deans list. That Deans list is the only thing that's actually applicable to my life.
6.Yummy Chex mix stuff that I don't actually know what's in it.
7.ADHD Quote of the day: "He had a really stupid expression on his -- did someone turn my sticky tack into a duck?"
8.I'm also thankful I'm not at work, and can stop wearing my work clothes, which I forgot I was wearing until just now.
9.Ooh! I'm veeeerrrry thankful that the irate customer at work demanded to speak to a manager... because I'm not a manager!!! BA HA HA!!! I GOT TO PAWN HIM OFF ON THE GUY IN CHARGE!!!! HA HA HA HA HA!!!!!
10.I am wearing a shirt that enables virtually unassisted flight. Yep, that's right, like Dumbo's ears, my sleeves allow me to fly.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Today I'm thankful just to be alive!
Alright, today's grateful list. Seriously, this is so much fun! I sit here wondering why I haven't been doing this for the last 23 Thanksgivings.
1.Sundays. It's the ONE day of the week that, due to Sabbath observance, I don't do homework. Therefore, due to my personal religious convictions, I don't have to even think about the homework I'm not doing, and I feel great! Total and utter stress relief. As a kid, I hated Sundays because that was the day I couldn't watch TV or ride my bike, or a myriad of other fun/rowdy activities that made up the other 6 days of the week. My parents also used it as a way to get us to stop singing "The Song that Never Ends."
Me: "Some people staaarted singin' it not knowin' what is waaaas, but they'll continue singin' it forever just because this is the sooong that neeeever eeeeeeennnnnnds..."
Clarke: "GAH! STOP SINGING THAT!!!"
Me: "Yes it goes on and on myyyyy friiiiiieeeeennnnds!"
Clarke: "SAVANNAH!!!"
Me: "Some people staaaarted singing' it not knowin'--"
Mommy: **Patient voice** "Savannah, is that a Sunday song?"
Me: **deflated** "Noooo."
My boredom as a 6 year old set the tone for my opinion of Sundays for quite a while. As an older teenager, I was able to appreciate it for the spiritual benefits of devoting a day to God, but it wasn't until I came out to college and felt the burden of time (or, more specifically, lack of time) in relation to work and the stress of homework that I really understood that scripture in the New Testament that says the Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. We mortal humans need one day a week where we don't think about the things that are stressing us out, and instead think about things that fill us with hope and peace - like Christ, the atonement, service, our own divine nature, and spending time with people we love.
Yes, I am definitely grateful for Sundays.
2.The fact that I can mean to write a 2 or 3 sentence "I'm thankful for" and it turns into an entire discourse on my personal history with the Sabbath day.
3.Funny people. There are a couple different kinds, like the guy who came over last night and made me laugh so hard I just about died choking on my Martinellis. That's one kind, and I'm definitely thankful for those people. Then there are the other kind - the kind that try SO hard to be as utterly boring as they can possibly be, taking EVERYTHING seriously and applying even the most mundane or shallow concepts to the depths of their soul. Sometimes, those people say something utterly bombastic in all seriousness, and you can't help but laugh. It's a squelched, "I should SO not be laughing at you right now," squeaky/coughy laugh you try to hide, but it's still hilarious. I'm thankful for those people too.
4.I'm thankful Monique came and sat by me in church, because I hardly ever get to talk to her, and I miss the freaking heck out of her. : )
5.Kunkee let me straighten his hair... and take a picture. Like so:
6. I'm thankful for collaborating on dinner with a bunch of friends. We made a huge meal and ate so much food that 5 hours later I am STILL full.
7.IT'S SNOWING!!!! I LOVE THE SNOW!!!!
8.New music on my mp3 player.
9.Stephanie has a tail.
10.I'm also thankful for the ability to NOT take part in a conversation, but to just sit back and watch the dynamics of my friends and roommates interacting, and laugh to myself at how their various personalities come out in the things they say, and the ways they interact.
1.Sundays. It's the ONE day of the week that, due to Sabbath observance, I don't do homework. Therefore, due to my personal religious convictions, I don't have to even think about the homework I'm not doing, and I feel great! Total and utter stress relief. As a kid, I hated Sundays because that was the day I couldn't watch TV or ride my bike, or a myriad of other fun/rowdy activities that made up the other 6 days of the week. My parents also used it as a way to get us to stop singing "The Song that Never Ends."
Me: "Some people staaarted singin' it not knowin' what is waaaas, but they'll continue singin' it forever just because this is the sooong that neeeever eeeeeeennnnnnds..."
Clarke: "GAH! STOP SINGING THAT!!!"
Me: "Yes it goes on and on myyyyy friiiiiieeeeennnnds!"
Clarke: "SAVANNAH!!!"
Me: "Some people staaaarted singing' it not knowin'--"
Mommy: **Patient voice** "Savannah, is that a Sunday song?"
Me: **deflated** "Noooo."
My boredom as a 6 year old set the tone for my opinion of Sundays for quite a while. As an older teenager, I was able to appreciate it for the spiritual benefits of devoting a day to God, but it wasn't until I came out to college and felt the burden of time (or, more specifically, lack of time) in relation to work and the stress of homework that I really understood that scripture in the New Testament that says the Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. We mortal humans need one day a week where we don't think about the things that are stressing us out, and instead think about things that fill us with hope and peace - like Christ, the atonement, service, our own divine nature, and spending time with people we love.
Yes, I am definitely grateful for Sundays.
2.The fact that I can mean to write a 2 or 3 sentence "I'm thankful for" and it turns into an entire discourse on my personal history with the Sabbath day.
3.Funny people. There are a couple different kinds, like the guy who came over last night and made me laugh so hard I just about died choking on my Martinellis. That's one kind, and I'm definitely thankful for those people. Then there are the other kind - the kind that try SO hard to be as utterly boring as they can possibly be, taking EVERYTHING seriously and applying even the most mundane or shallow concepts to the depths of their soul. Sometimes, those people say something utterly bombastic in all seriousness, and you can't help but laugh. It's a squelched, "I should SO not be laughing at you right now," squeaky/coughy laugh you try to hide, but it's still hilarious. I'm thankful for those people too.
4.I'm thankful Monique came and sat by me in church, because I hardly ever get to talk to her, and I miss the freaking heck out of her. : )
5.Kunkee let me straighten his hair... and take a picture. Like so:
6. I'm thankful for collaborating on dinner with a bunch of friends. We made a huge meal and ate so much food that 5 hours later I am STILL full.
7.IT'S SNOWING!!!! I LOVE THE SNOW!!!!
8.New music on my mp3 player.
9.Stephanie has a tail.
10.I'm also thankful for the ability to NOT take part in a conversation, but to just sit back and watch the dynamics of my friends and roommates interacting, and laugh to myself at how their various personalities come out in the things they say, and the ways they interact.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Thanksgiving Post of the Day
Thankfuls! I love this holiday! : )
1.Michelle's hair and jewelry - it's preeeeeetty.
2.The extra light bulbs in my apartment, coming from Stephanie's lamp and the Christmas tree. It defeats the gloom of Stadium Terrace lighting.
3.Weird friends... apparently I have a few of them. Like Michelle, for example, who is hollering down the vent to communicate with Stephanie in the other room.
4.My car, which has now been vacuumed.
5.Cold toes and hot chocolate... combined with a warm, fuzzy blanket (NOT a snuggie).
6.Finding out my 10 page paper is due a week later than I thought.
7.The fact that I just called my blog "my blag." Only it wasn't quite "blag." It was more of a "blog/blag" hybrid sound... "bloag."
8.Chuck... the mostest awesomest TV show, and probably the only one I have ever watched every single episode of to date.
9.Typos in the book I'm writing an essay on, because that's something I can mention in my essay, and thereby take up more of the 3,000 word requirement! Bwah ha ha!
10.Cool whip and jell-o.
1.Michelle's hair and jewelry - it's preeeeeetty.
2.The extra light bulbs in my apartment, coming from Stephanie's lamp and the Christmas tree. It defeats the gloom of Stadium Terrace lighting.
3.Weird friends... apparently I have a few of them. Like Michelle, for example, who is hollering down the vent to communicate with Stephanie in the other room.
4.My car, which has now been vacuumed.
5.Cold toes and hot chocolate... combined with a warm, fuzzy blanket (NOT a snuggie).
6.Finding out my 10 page paper is due a week later than I thought.
7.The fact that I just called my blog "my blag." Only it wasn't quite "blag." It was more of a "blog/blag" hybrid sound... "bloag."
8.Chuck... the mostest awesomest TV show, and probably the only one I have ever watched every single episode of to date.
9.Typos in the book I'm writing an essay on, because that's something I can mention in my essay, and thereby take up more of the 3,000 word requirement! Bwah ha ha!
10.Cool whip and jell-o.
The Whateverth Day of Thanksgiving - I've lost count.
So, it's actually like 1:57 a.m. on the 13th, instead of the 12th like this post says, but Lynnae showed me this awesome backdating thing.
Today I am grateful for:
1.Clash of the Titans - definitely a B movie, but come on... it's Greek mythology. They have yet to make a really, really good one (Disney's Hercules does not count!), so I'm glad for what I've got. (Incidentally, if anyone knows an actually good Greek or Roman mythology movie, I'd like to hear about it.)
2.The weekend
3.Getting started on the homework I've been trying to make myself start for a looooong time
4.Kamaron and peanut butter being synced to his ipod touch
5.Plumbing
6.The fact that my roommate is borderline falling asleep on the floor
7.The fact that tomorrow is Saturday
8.Epicness in all its epic forms
9.The fact that it's bedtime and I can go to bed
10.The 4 blankets I shall soon be snuggled under, keeping me all toasty warm!
Today I am grateful for:
1.Clash of the Titans - definitely a B movie, but come on... it's Greek mythology. They have yet to make a really, really good one (Disney's Hercules does not count!), so I'm glad for what I've got. (Incidentally, if anyone knows an actually good Greek or Roman mythology movie, I'd like to hear about it.)
2.The weekend
3.Getting started on the homework I've been trying to make myself start for a looooong time
4.Kamaron and peanut butter being synced to his ipod touch
5.Plumbing
6.The fact that my roommate is borderline falling asleep on the floor
7.The fact that tomorrow is Saturday
8.Epicness in all its epic forms
9.The fact that it's bedtime and I can go to bed
10.The 4 blankets I shall soon be snuggled under, keeping me all toasty warm!
Friday, November 12, 2010
With all due respect, your job sucks.
Today is Veteran's Day. I didn't know this until I went to campus and saw the flag at half mast. When I bumped into my friend I asked, "Who died?" and some random guy walking by informed me of the holiday... which my friend and I determined should mean we have the day off classes... right? Right? Riiiiiiiight??? Seriously, BYU, we don't get the day off??? What kind of unpatriotic/non-federal-holiday supporting school is this??? (says the girl who had to go to Wikipedia to find out why Veteran's Day was in November, and not July... or possibly February... like she thought. For the record, I now know that it is commemorating the signing of the armistice on 11/11/18, at 11:00 am, thereby ending WWI with a crap treaty that really left Germany in the dump and set the stage for WWII... according to my world history class, anyway. I never actually looked at the treaty myself. This tangent has been brought to you by the letter B, the number 3, and viewers like you.)
**Ahem**
Anyway, as I was walking by the administration building where the flag was billowing at half mast, I saw two soldiers in suits. Despite the fact that they were in suits, not uniform, I knew they were soldiers. How did I know this? Well, because they were standing with their hands behind their back... not. moving. a. muscle. I kid you not, these guys' eyeballs weren't even twitching. I'm not entirely sure if they were breathing. Totally still. I'll admit, I was impressed. They were standing on either side of the flag, guarding a white flower wreath, looking like literal statues.
As I continued on my way to the library, I had a thought. "How the heck do those people do that???" I mean seriously! I have trouble just sitting in one chair for more than an hour, much less not even twitching. That must be torture! What are they looking at? What goes through their heads? Are they allowed to daydream, or are their brains as immobile as their bodies?
I'll just say I really hope they didn't go into the army for the excitement of it, because that has go to be THE single most boring job in the universe. Can you imagine? You see the Marine Corps commercials with the very ripped and dirt smudged guy leaping over flames, swimming through alligator infested waters, and climbing a sheer cliff to stand victorious at the top, where he is honored with the uniform and a sword (which he will clearly be needing on the front lines), and you think, "Now THAT is a man. What trials he must have suffered to be able to climb that cliff! He truly earned his uniform and sword!" Then, burning with passionate and patriotic fire, you enlist. The beginning is promising - you're certainly suffering. Boot camp, where they scream in your face and make you scrub the floor with a toothbrush. But, you make it through!
Finally! You are ready to be a true man now!
You're waiting for your first assignment. What will it be? You've trained long and hard for this moment - a chance to use those bulging (though not quite as much as the guy in the commercial) muscles, suffer hunger and fatigue while you fight for your country! You'll get to test your strength, push yourself to the max!
Your commanding officer approaches.
This is it!
"Alright, I want you to go stand out by that flower wreath over there, and don't move a muscle."
Really?
At this point, the proverbial young warrior in the story is thinking, "I enlisted and went through boot camp... for this?"
But, being the good soldier he is, he goes and stands by the wreath.
People are walking by.
He can't look, because that would require turning his eyeballs.
People are talking, and he can only catch snatches of their words.
He can't listen, because that would require turning his head.
He's bored.
A little kid is hiding in the bushes directly in front of the soldier, sticking his face out, tongue wiggling around his face... he goes back in... he comes back out with crossed eyes and fish lips... the soldier knows he's trying to make him laugh... back in... back out with his fingers pulling his lips wide away from his teeth... the soldier's stomach is cramping from the effort of not laughing... the kid goes back in, and his cheeks come back out... but not those cheeks...
I'm sorry, but the life of a soldier in Utah has got to be the single most boring thing in this universe. Really, dude, you're guarding flowers. Mmmmm, enthralling!
Well, at least it's not a war. Peace, love and flowers, people... especially the flowers.
**Ahem**
Anyway, as I was walking by the administration building where the flag was billowing at half mast, I saw two soldiers in suits. Despite the fact that they were in suits, not uniform, I knew they were soldiers. How did I know this? Well, because they were standing with their hands behind their back... not. moving. a. muscle. I kid you not, these guys' eyeballs weren't even twitching. I'm not entirely sure if they were breathing. Totally still. I'll admit, I was impressed. They were standing on either side of the flag, guarding a white flower wreath, looking like literal statues.
As I continued on my way to the library, I had a thought. "How the heck do those people do that???" I mean seriously! I have trouble just sitting in one chair for more than an hour, much less not even twitching. That must be torture! What are they looking at? What goes through their heads? Are they allowed to daydream, or are their brains as immobile as their bodies?
I'll just say I really hope they didn't go into the army for the excitement of it, because that has go to be THE single most boring job in the universe. Can you imagine? You see the Marine Corps commercials with the very ripped and dirt smudged guy leaping over flames, swimming through alligator infested waters, and climbing a sheer cliff to stand victorious at the top, where he is honored with the uniform and a sword (which he will clearly be needing on the front lines), and you think, "Now THAT is a man. What trials he must have suffered to be able to climb that cliff! He truly earned his uniform and sword!" Then, burning with passionate and patriotic fire, you enlist. The beginning is promising - you're certainly suffering. Boot camp, where they scream in your face and make you scrub the floor with a toothbrush. But, you make it through!
Finally! You are ready to be a true man now!
You're waiting for your first assignment. What will it be? You've trained long and hard for this moment - a chance to use those bulging (though not quite as much as the guy in the commercial) muscles, suffer hunger and fatigue while you fight for your country! You'll get to test your strength, push yourself to the max!
Your commanding officer approaches.
This is it!
"Alright, I want you to go stand out by that flower wreath over there, and don't move a muscle."
Really?
At this point, the proverbial young warrior in the story is thinking, "I enlisted and went through boot camp... for this?"
But, being the good soldier he is, he goes and stands by the wreath.
People are walking by.
He can't look, because that would require turning his eyeballs.
People are talking, and he can only catch snatches of their words.
He can't listen, because that would require turning his head.
He's bored.
A little kid is hiding in the bushes directly in front of the soldier, sticking his face out, tongue wiggling around his face... he goes back in... he comes back out with crossed eyes and fish lips... the soldier knows he's trying to make him laugh... back in... back out with his fingers pulling his lips wide away from his teeth... the soldier's stomach is cramping from the effort of not laughing... the kid goes back in, and his cheeks come back out... but not those cheeks...
I'm sorry, but the life of a soldier in Utah has got to be the single most boring thing in this universe. Really, dude, you're guarding flowers. Mmmmm, enthralling!
Well, at least it's not a war. Peace, love and flowers, people... especially the flowers.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Thanksgiving entry #4
Wow... what a day!
Today I am grateful for:
1.Laughs in class. A guy had a very definite SNORT... which triggered a laugh from the girl next to him, who had absolutely no room to laugh at his style, because hers literally sounded like a hyena.
2.The fact that the brand spankin' new automatic toilet on campus flushed 4 times while I was sitting on it, and when I stood up... nothing...
3.Baby Bananas Bursting with Blavor... which is what happens when flavor attempts to join the alliteration club... and fails.
4.The fact that the girl in front of me and my friend Chad had her hair held together with a spoon.
Yes, a spoon. There was also a real live, picked up off the ground, leaf in there.
5.After the girl with a spoon and leaf in her hair added a pen, Chad and I discussed folding some origami, and adding THAT to the mix.
6.Chad suggested adding a Christmas ornament too.
7.I reached into my bag to find something else to add and pulled out a USB cable... which would make a GREAT hair accessory.
8.When I gave her a compliment, specifically related to her leaf, she said, "Yeah, I found that and I was like, 'You know, I want that to be in my hair.'" Awesomeness. Did she think that as she was eating her cereal this morning too? "Spoon! You know, I want that to be in my hair." I wonder what she does during the holidays. "Candy cane! I want that to be in my hair." "Christmas lights! I want those to be in my hair." "Life sized nativity scene! I want that to be in my hair!"
9.I'm also grateful for my lunch, which consisted of a build-your-own salad: lettuce, chicken, eggs, bacon, cheddar cheese, cucumbers and croutons. Yum!
10.My brown hat, which is not only cute, but kept me verrrrry warm on my walk to school.
Today I am grateful for:
1.Laughs in class. A guy had a very definite SNORT... which triggered a laugh from the girl next to him, who had absolutely no room to laugh at his style, because hers literally sounded like a hyena.
2.The fact that the brand spankin' new automatic toilet on campus flushed 4 times while I was sitting on it, and when I stood up... nothing...
3.Baby Bananas Bursting with Blavor... which is what happens when flavor attempts to join the alliteration club... and fails.
4.The fact that the girl in front of me and my friend Chad had her hair held together with a spoon.
Yes, a spoon. There was also a real live, picked up off the ground, leaf in there.
5.After the girl with a spoon and leaf in her hair added a pen, Chad and I discussed folding some origami, and adding THAT to the mix.
6.Chad suggested adding a Christmas ornament too.
7.I reached into my bag to find something else to add and pulled out a USB cable... which would make a GREAT hair accessory.
8.When I gave her a compliment, specifically related to her leaf, she said, "Yeah, I found that and I was like, 'You know, I want that to be in my hair.'" Awesomeness. Did she think that as she was eating her cereal this morning too? "Spoon! You know, I want that to be in my hair." I wonder what she does during the holidays. "Candy cane! I want that to be in my hair." "Christmas lights! I want those to be in my hair." "Life sized nativity scene! I want that to be in my hair!"
9.I'm also grateful for my lunch, which consisted of a build-your-own salad: lettuce, chicken, eggs, bacon, cheddar cheese, cucumbers and croutons. Yum!
10.My brown hat, which is not only cute, but kept me verrrrry warm on my walk to school.
Silence, Philistine! I am an ARTEEST!
Ah, art! How we love it in all its forms! Painting, photography, movies or writing - or in Clarke's case arranging plants and playing in the dirt - it's a chance to reach inside the deepest recesses of our souls and extract something not only beautiful, but unique to our selves. That picture I took - that's a piece of me. The story I wrote, that's a creation of my mind.
Michelle is discovering her artistic side. She always knew she liked editing movies and scrapbooking, but now that she's not drenching herself in stress from school and a new job (she's becoming an expert at the ancient art of preschooliyaki by now, a purple belt, I would say) she can invest much time and energy into being creative. She is also discovering the one thing no artist can avoid - criticism.
Artists love criticism. "Tell me what is wrong with my creation!" we cry. "Help me to improve my craft!"
That's right, we artists - we ask for it. We beg for it. We throw our work at people and ask them what they think, knowing they will find our little faults and help us not to make those mistakes again.
And then the criticism actually hits.
Seriously?
That's what you think is wrong? What kind of a heathen are you? That's the deepest part, which clearly you are lacking the depth to understand. Did you grow up in a mud hut where your primary educator was a yak? I should have known better than to trust someone whose idea of an artistic experience is to argue with their little girlfriends over whether or not Twilight is high literature. You know what, if you don't like my art, go make your own, and then I'll watch and laugh because you're an amateur, and it'll suck. Then you'll see what my art is worth.
That may seem a little unreasonable, but really! This art is the brain child of the creator! Why don't they just take out a big, fat, butcher's knife and stab my first born baby while they're at it! They've already stabbed my heart which is now soaking my sleeve in hot, red blood while my work - my life - lies broken on the floor. Clearly, as an artist, I am just misunderstood. Maybe, like Emily Dickinson, I'll have to die before it's fully appreciated.
Welcome to the world of artistic criticism.
I've had enough of this to get used to it, and to learn how to tone down the "you are a Philistine" knee-jerk reaction, but I was amused to watch Michelle go through it last night. She knows its value - and admitted thankfully that the completed video for our FHE group (yay Oscars night!) was far better than before the tiny bit of critique, leading to extensive further editing, with which I had skewered her heart. Sting though it may, she has discovered the value of constructive criticism.
But, there are some things no artist should have to take.
For example, having the "producer" of the movie you are molding and shaping standing over your shoulder, telling you, "You missed a spot."
Maybe I should present a scenario to illustrate this point:
Michelle's mind: "Ooh! Brilliant! Heehee, this will be so funny!" *cue bursting with excitement in the wake of inspiration*
Producer: "What are you doing?! That's not what I had in mind! You're taking this in the wrong direction!"
Michelle's mind: *Utter deflation* "Oh. ... Grrrrrr...."
Seriously, this is just plain artistic sadism! If you're going to entrust your project to an artist, rather than do it yourself, you'd better be prepared to let that artist do her thing. Hinder creativity, and you'll get a crap job... partially because creativity is hindered, and partially because you'll infuriate your meal ticket... who therefore throws her hands up and says, "Whatever! Have it your way! Tell me what to do, and I'll click the buttons. Let's see YOUR mind come up with something better."
And for the record, the person telling the artist what to do can NEVER come up with something better. That's not just my artistic bias - that's real life experience talking there... I've been the "obnoxious director," and it just doesn't work.
So, this is the sad story of a young artist. Constructive Criticism - yeah. It doth stink. And yet, we continue to ask for it! Again, we bring out our work and ask those four terrible words: "What do you think?"
And, as always, we find out exactly what they think. And we fume... how dare they... and we get over it... and we realize that maybe, just maybe, they had a point that we might want to consider implementing. And sometimes, they do! Sometimes it's an awesome idea, and with a little tweaking, it's just what the project needed.
Michelle is discovering her artistic side. She always knew she liked editing movies and scrapbooking, but now that she's not drenching herself in stress from school and a new job (she's becoming an expert at the ancient art of preschooliyaki by now, a purple belt, I would say) she can invest much time and energy into being creative. She is also discovering the one thing no artist can avoid - criticism.
Artists love criticism. "Tell me what is wrong with my creation!" we cry. "Help me to improve my craft!"
That's right, we artists - we ask for it. We beg for it. We throw our work at people and ask them what they think, knowing they will find our little faults and help us not to make those mistakes again.
And then the criticism actually hits.
Seriously?
That's what you think is wrong? What kind of a heathen are you? That's the deepest part, which clearly you are lacking the depth to understand. Did you grow up in a mud hut where your primary educator was a yak? I should have known better than to trust someone whose idea of an artistic experience is to argue with their little girlfriends over whether or not Twilight is high literature. You know what, if you don't like my art, go make your own, and then I'll watch and laugh because you're an amateur, and it'll suck. Then you'll see what my art is worth.
That may seem a little unreasonable, but really! This art is the brain child of the creator! Why don't they just take out a big, fat, butcher's knife and stab my first born baby while they're at it! They've already stabbed my heart which is now soaking my sleeve in hot, red blood while my work - my life - lies broken on the floor. Clearly, as an artist, I am just misunderstood. Maybe, like Emily Dickinson, I'll have to die before it's fully appreciated.
Welcome to the world of artistic criticism.
I've had enough of this to get used to it, and to learn how to tone down the "you are a Philistine" knee-jerk reaction, but I was amused to watch Michelle go through it last night. She knows its value - and admitted thankfully that the completed video for our FHE group (yay Oscars night!) was far better than before the tiny bit of critique, leading to extensive further editing, with which I had skewered her heart. Sting though it may, she has discovered the value of constructive criticism.
But, there are some things no artist should have to take.
For example, having the "producer" of the movie you are molding and shaping standing over your shoulder, telling you, "You missed a spot."
Maybe I should present a scenario to illustrate this point:
Michelle's mind: "Ooh! Brilliant! Heehee, this will be so funny!" *cue bursting with excitement in the wake of inspiration*
Producer: "What are you doing?! That's not what I had in mind! You're taking this in the wrong direction!"
Michelle's mind: *Utter deflation* "Oh. ... Grrrrrr...."
Seriously, this is just plain artistic sadism! If you're going to entrust your project to an artist, rather than do it yourself, you'd better be prepared to let that artist do her thing. Hinder creativity, and you'll get a crap job... partially because creativity is hindered, and partially because you'll infuriate your meal ticket... who therefore throws her hands up and says, "Whatever! Have it your way! Tell me what to do, and I'll click the buttons. Let's see YOUR mind come up with something better."
And for the record, the person telling the artist what to do can NEVER come up with something better. That's not just my artistic bias - that's real life experience talking there... I've been the "obnoxious director," and it just doesn't work.
So, this is the sad story of a young artist. Constructive Criticism - yeah. It doth stink. And yet, we continue to ask for it! Again, we bring out our work and ask those four terrible words: "What do you think?"
And, as always, we find out exactly what they think. And we fume... how dare they... and we get over it... and we realize that maybe, just maybe, they had a point that we might want to consider implementing. And sometimes, they do! Sometimes it's an awesome idea, and with a little tweaking, it's just what the project needed.
Day 3 of My Festivities
Today I am grateful for:
1.Listing things I'm grateful for
2.Pickles that have yet to be pickled
3.Staying up till 2:30 am looking for a song my roommate can put on the movie she's making
4.No work on Thursdays
5.Having a forbidden, secret crush (and by secret I mean all of my close friends and family know about it, and know better than to tell said forbidden crush he exists)
6.Having an alternate, super-villain existence that includes a secret lair guarded by a ferocious attack-hippo
7.The fact that the number 7 can also be drawn as7 with a fancy line through it
8.The fact that I am posting about Kunkee, and he doesn't know it. BA HA HA!!! KUNKEEKUNKEEKUNKEE!!!! He doesn't know! Mua ha ha ha!!!
9.My very awkward 2-toilet bathroom situation that I no longer consider awkward, and has led to such endearing nicknames for roommates as "Bathroom Buddy," "Potty Pal," "Toilet Twin," and "Can Comrade."
10.Monique! She dropped by and gave me a hug! : )
1.Listing things I'm grateful for
2.Pickles that have yet to be pickled
3.Staying up till 2:30 am looking for a song my roommate can put on the movie she's making
4.No work on Thursdays
5.Having a forbidden, secret crush (and by secret I mean all of my close friends and family know about it, and know better than to tell said forbidden crush he exists)
6.Having an alternate, super-villain existence that includes a secret lair guarded by a ferocious attack-hippo
7.The fact that the number 7 can also be drawn as
8.The fact that I am posting about Kunkee, and he doesn't know it. BA HA HA!!! KUNKEEKUNKEEKUNKEE!!!! He doesn't know! Mua ha ha ha!!!
9.My very awkward 2-toilet bathroom situation that I no longer consider awkward, and has led to such endearing nicknames for roommates as "Bathroom Buddy," "Potty Pal," "Toilet Twin," and "Can Comrade."
10.Monique! She dropped by and gave me a hug! : )
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
On the 2nd Day of Thanksgiving
Okay, this morning I am grateful that:
1.The cleaning check lady's skin melted off, revealing that underneath she was made out of cupcakes and sugar sprinkles!
2.Despite the faint vacuum-sucked-up-too-much-hair-burnt-rubber smell, my apartment is absolutely sparkling!
3.There are snow flakes on my ceiling.
4.There are snow flakes in my heart. (cue: "Awwwww!")
5.The sun is shining! The tank is clean! *GASP* The tank is clean!
6.Actually, the tank really is clean.
7.Did I mention my apartment is clean?
8.My headphones are pink.
9.I'm about to go to class where I will sit next to a really cute boy who likes to flirt with me.
10.I ate a Rodeo Cheeseburger for lunch yesterday.
*Later*
11.The smell of leaves on the ground when you walk through them.
12.Hard classes end in 1 month.
13.Potatoes!
14.People who understand the if you're going to have a mustache, it had better either have handlebars, waxed tips, or a beard to go with it. Sorry, I don't care what your face looks like, the Adolf Hitler look just doesn't do it for me.
15.A realization! I'm taking Crusades next semester. I took history of Islam this semester, which included the Crusades in moderately deep detail. That class is going to be relatively easy! Yay!
16.Skittles
1.The cleaning check lady's skin melted off, revealing that underneath she was made out of cupcakes and sugar sprinkles!
2.Despite the faint vacuum-sucked-up-too-much-hair-burnt-rubber smell, my apartment is absolutely sparkling!
3.There are snow flakes on my ceiling.
4.There are snow flakes in my heart. (cue: "Awwwww!")
5.The sun is shining! The tank is clean! *GASP* The tank is clean!
6.Actually, the tank really is clean.
7.Did I mention my apartment is clean?
8.My headphones are pink.
9.I'm about to go to class where I will sit next to a really cute boy who likes to flirt with me.
10.I ate a Rodeo Cheeseburger for lunch yesterday.
*Later*
11.The smell of leaves on the ground when you walk through them.
12.Hard classes end in 1 month.
13.Potatoes!
14.People who understand the if you're going to have a mustache, it had better either have handlebars, waxed tips, or a beard to go with it. Sorry, I don't care what your face looks like, the Adolf Hitler look just doesn't do it for me.
15.A realization! I'm taking Crusades next semester. I took history of Islam this semester, which included the Crusades in moderately deep detail. That class is going to be relatively easy! Yay!
16.Skittles
Monday, November 8, 2010
In Honor of the Season
Thanksgiving is this month! No, not Christmas. Sorry, all you people who play Jingle Bell Rock the instant the sun sets on Halloween, but Christmas isn't until next month. I've always felt that Thanksgiving gets ripped off. November hits, and it's suddenly the season to be jolly, fa la la la la blah blah blah blah.
Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not Scrooge. I love Christmas! I just wish poor Thanksgiving got a little more acknowledgment once in a while. Maybe, had a traditional way of celebrating it that lasted more than 1 day. You know, give Thanksgiving a season too.
So, I've decided I'm going to celebrate the 18 Days of Thanksgiving. It would have been more than 18 days, but I just barely thought of this brilliant idea (and yes, my idea is brilliant. If you don't agree with me, clearly your IQ can only be in the range of Forest Gump and Barbie) so I've gotta work with the time I've got left. Of course, as soon as Thanksgiving is out the door, Christmas can move on in!
So, to celebrate, every day I'm going to make a post on this blog of things I'm thankful for. I shall add to it throughout the day, editing the post as I think of more things, and not starting a new post until the next day.
So, Thankful #1:
1.Goats... and Stephanie.
2.Living in a time of space age technology. Really, cell phones. Whoda thunk it 50 years ago? Star Trek was science fiction, and we've already far exceeded their communication devices. Really, could THEIR communicators surf the internet and play itunes? I didn't think so.
3.Freshly cut pineapple. Yum.
4.The fact that I am taking BOOK BINDING of all the easy 3-credit classes I could possibly take.
5.The St. Patrick's Day banner that is not only hanging from the lamp in my apartment, but has the giant words, "KISS ME" written on it. I'm sorry, Green Banner, but I just don't feel that way about you.
6.Homework that still needs to be done. Oh... wait...
7.SOPHIE!!!!
8.Gingerbread cake that is going to get me through the homework I should be doing right now.
9.Clint Mansell
10.The possibility of maybe, just maybe, having an in to Brandon Sanderson's creative writing class.
*Later* (roughly 2:00 pm)
11.Even though I'm still in class, my homework is done and the quiz is taken.
12.I just had an epiphany about how much stress daily quizzes cause in my life. Now that I know that, I can learn to quit caring about my quiz scores!
13.I got a good grade on a paper in the class in which I got a D- on the first midterm. Those two grades averaged my grade to a C-, and with 3 more midterms and another paper, that grade promises to rise!
14.Breaded chicken sandwiches... which I am not currently eating... but are sitting in my freezer at home... O lunch! How I long for thee!
15.Tangents in class. Nothing like the teacher going off on something that doesn't matter to give you time to relax your tired brain... and blog during class.
16.Cheeseburgers, with barbecue sauce, bacon and onion rings... which I am also not eating.
17.Jamba Juice... which I am not drinking.
18.Subway. Guess what I'm not doing with that.
19.Chicken Nuggets.
20.Barbecue Brisket.
21.The fantasy of running out of class and driving straight to Burger King... or maybe Carl's Jr. Yeah, Carl's Jr. has bigger burgers.
Holy cow, my stomach is literally eating itself! I don't think all the delectable daydreams are helping my situation at all.
22.Alright, humble pie time. Despite all the effort I have invested into complaining about it, I AM thankful I am in my US history class, because even though I detest the way American history is taught these days, it's from 1815-1848, and is the exact time period in which my religion took root. When we're not talking about how the people stole lands from the Indians, oppressed slaves and exploited immigrants, we're learning about the environment in which Mormonism was founded, and it's incredible how much of the culture of the 1830's has been infused into LDS culture that lives on even to this day. It's very enlightening to understand the environment in which the church was founded, which explains things like polygamy and the failed "Zion" societies where they held all things in common. While those things are unheard of today, they were actually not too far out there for their time period, even and especially polygamy.
Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not Scrooge. I love Christmas! I just wish poor Thanksgiving got a little more acknowledgment once in a while. Maybe, had a traditional way of celebrating it that lasted more than 1 day. You know, give Thanksgiving a season too.
So, I've decided I'm going to celebrate the 18 Days of Thanksgiving. It would have been more than 18 days, but I just barely thought of this brilliant idea (and yes, my idea is brilliant. If you don't agree with me, clearly your IQ can only be in the range of Forest Gump and Barbie) so I've gotta work with the time I've got left. Of course, as soon as Thanksgiving is out the door, Christmas can move on in!
So, to celebrate, every day I'm going to make a post on this blog of things I'm thankful for. I shall add to it throughout the day, editing the post as I think of more things, and not starting a new post until the next day.
So, Thankful #1:
1.Goats... and Stephanie.
2.Living in a time of space age technology. Really, cell phones. Whoda thunk it 50 years ago? Star Trek was science fiction, and we've already far exceeded their communication devices. Really, could THEIR communicators surf the internet and play itunes? I didn't think so.
3.Freshly cut pineapple. Yum.
4.The fact that I am taking BOOK BINDING of all the easy 3-credit classes I could possibly take.
5.The St. Patrick's Day banner that is not only hanging from the lamp in my apartment, but has the giant words, "KISS ME" written on it. I'm sorry, Green Banner, but I just don't feel that way about you.
6.Homework that still needs to be done. Oh... wait...
7.SOPHIE!!!!
8.Gingerbread cake that is going to get me through the homework I should be doing right now.
9.Clint Mansell
10.The possibility of maybe, just maybe, having an in to Brandon Sanderson's creative writing class.
*Later* (roughly 2:00 pm)
11.Even though I'm still in class, my homework is done and the quiz is taken.
12.I just had an epiphany about how much stress daily quizzes cause in my life. Now that I know that, I can learn to quit caring about my quiz scores!
13.I got a good grade on a paper in the class in which I got a D- on the first midterm. Those two grades averaged my grade to a C-, and with 3 more midterms and another paper, that grade promises to rise!
14.Breaded chicken sandwiches... which I am not currently eating... but are sitting in my freezer at home... O lunch! How I long for thee!
15.Tangents in class. Nothing like the teacher going off on something that doesn't matter to give you time to relax your tired brain... and blog during class.
16.Cheeseburgers, with barbecue sauce, bacon and onion rings... which I am also not eating.
17.Jamba Juice... which I am not drinking.
18.Subway. Guess what I'm not doing with that.
19.Chicken Nuggets.
20.Barbecue Brisket.
21.The fantasy of running out of class and driving straight to Burger King... or maybe Carl's Jr. Yeah, Carl's Jr. has bigger burgers.
Holy cow, my stomach is literally eating itself! I don't think all the delectable daydreams are helping my situation at all.
22.Alright, humble pie time. Despite all the effort I have invested into complaining about it, I AM thankful I am in my US history class, because even though I detest the way American history is taught these days, it's from 1815-1848, and is the exact time period in which my religion took root. When we're not talking about how the people stole lands from the Indians, oppressed slaves and exploited immigrants, we're learning about the environment in which Mormonism was founded, and it's incredible how much of the culture of the 1830's has been infused into LDS culture that lives on even to this day. It's very enlightening to understand the environment in which the church was founded, which explains things like polygamy and the failed "Zion" societies where they held all things in common. While those things are unheard of today, they were actually not too far out there for their time period, even and especially polygamy.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Your Mom Goes to College
So, one of my best friend's mom died, just a couple of weeks ago. She had cancer, and it was incredibly sad. We've all done everything we can to help my friend, including showering him with love, affection, and food.
A couple days ago, he was over at my apartment, being fed lasagna, courtesy of Aubry. I was making out my shopping list, and attempting to rally my roommates who needed to go to the store.
"I'm going to the store!" I announced, for the general public to hear.
"Kunkee, do you need to go to the store?"
"I just need milk."
"Okay, give me cash and I'll get you milk. Michelle, do you need to go to the store?"
"No."
"Lynnae, do you need to go to the store?"
"Yes."
"Aubry, do you need to go to the store?"
"No."
"Last call, who needs to go to the store?"
My friend then piped up from behind his lasagna, "Your face needs to go to the store."
And, of course, I said the first thing that popped into my head. "Your mom needs to go to the ---"
**GASP**
Oops.
Social faux pas of the century.
And he's still making fun of me for it.
The moral of this story is:
When you make a "your mom" joke, please make sure the subject's mom isn't dead.
Oh, and since we're on the topic of "your mom" jokes, please remember, they don't work on your siblings... unless they're half siblings who share a father with you... and that's just mean.
A couple days ago, he was over at my apartment, being fed lasagna, courtesy of Aubry. I was making out my shopping list, and attempting to rally my roommates who needed to go to the store.
"I'm going to the store!" I announced, for the general public to hear.
"Kunkee, do you need to go to the store?"
"I just need milk."
"Okay, give me cash and I'll get you milk. Michelle, do you need to go to the store?"
"No."
"Lynnae, do you need to go to the store?"
"Yes."
"Aubry, do you need to go to the store?"
"No."
"Last call, who needs to go to the store?"
My friend then piped up from behind his lasagna, "Your face needs to go to the store."
And, of course, I said the first thing that popped into my head. "Your mom needs to go to the ---"
**GASP**
Oops.
Social faux pas of the century.
And he's still making fun of me for it.
The moral of this story is:
When you make a "your mom" joke, please make sure the subject's mom isn't dead.
Oh, and since we're on the topic of "your mom" jokes, please remember, they don't work on your siblings... unless they're half siblings who share a father with you... and that's just mean.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Sometimes you just want to smack your forehead and say, "REALLY???"
Sometimes, people are amazing. And by amazing, I mean they amaze you. And by amaze you, I mean, "Holy cow plops! Did you really just do that???"
Then they do it again, and you think, "Huh. They did it again. That was kinda stupid."
Then they do it again.
By this point, you're thinking, "Dude, you need therapy."
And then they see the light! And you get all excited because they finally understand that they have been acting with all the brilliance of a turnip! And you think everything is hunky dory!
And then wow.
Yep, did it again.
And now we're waiting to see if it happens again... because it's headed down that path. Jeez Louise.
And then you throw your hands up (like... in defeat... not like, "Yeah! Put yo hands in the air, peeps!") and say, "Okay, friend, whatever floats your boat."
Because there is nothing left for you to do but sit back and watch, and think about how no matter how much you love this person, nothing you can say or do will help them fix their self destructive behavior. They have to do that completely on their own, in their own time, when they are ready. All that's left to do is watch, wait, and hope.
Then they do it again, and you think, "Huh. They did it again. That was kinda stupid."
Then they do it again.
By this point, you're thinking, "Dude, you need therapy."
And then they see the light! And you get all excited because they finally understand that they have been acting with all the brilliance of a turnip! And you think everything is hunky dory!
And then wow.
Yep, did it again.
And now we're waiting to see if it happens again... because it's headed down that path. Jeez Louise.
And then you throw your hands up (like... in defeat... not like, "Yeah! Put yo hands in the air, peeps!") and say, "Okay, friend, whatever floats your boat."
Because there is nothing left for you to do but sit back and watch, and think about how no matter how much you love this person, nothing you can say or do will help them fix their self destructive behavior. They have to do that completely on their own, in their own time, when they are ready. All that's left to do is watch, wait, and hope.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
NERD MOMENT!!!!
I just wrote the word "chronology." I was advising a person who had used "chronology, chronological, chronologically," and other related words about 83 times in his 3 page paper to figure out another word to convey the "chrono" idea. Then, upon writing the word "chrono," I thought of the name "Kronos." Then, I thought about how Kronos was the Titan lord of time. Then I thought about how Chronology is relating to time.
Guess what. The word chronology comes from the Titan lord Kronos!!! I figured that out all by myself!
And, best of all, you can't imagine the rush of excitement the discovery of the etymology of that word gave me!
Guess what. The word chronology comes from the Titan lord Kronos!!! I figured that out all by myself!
And, best of all, you can't imagine the rush of excitement the discovery of the etymology of that word gave me!
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Time for a Contest!
Hey, all of my illustrious reader!
So, as it would have it, my blog still doesn't have a title. I'm not that good at naming things. Usually, when I name something it becomes Herman, Jean-Steve (That's like French Jean, not like jeans), Humphrey or Beauregard. James took pity on the stuffed frog he gave me and named it Ivan before I could get to it.
So, as you've probably figured, my blog's name has been changing a lot.
I considered naming it something like, "Savannah's Deep and Ponderous Musings on Life and the Nature of Humanity," but... well... you'd have to be a professional literary analyst to pick deep and ponderous meanings out of my typical subject matter.
Then I thought, "Thoughts of Me," and decided that was too original of a title.
Then I wracked my brain for something that was purely "me" and thought of....
____________________
That's a blank line... in case you couldn't tell.
So, now I'm left, still unable to think of anything. Michelle has elected to keep my original title ("Call me Savvy and I will throw a plantain at your face") as the title of her link to this blog. Really, that was just a moment of me attempting to think of something, drawing a blank, wondering what a plantain tasted like, and some random stinker called me Savvy. That was never intended to be my blog's title.
So, now I'm throwing up my hands! Somebody else think of something! I'm officially having a contest. Whoever can think of the awesomest title for my blog will win the honor of having me name my blog something that they came up with. Oh, and I will make them a dessert of choice too.
There is only one requirement:
IT MUST BE AWESOME!
You can define awesome however you want. Funny? Creative? Cool word play? Profound? If it floats my boat, I will be a happy person, and you will get homemade dessert. (If somebody in another state - like Missouri - comes up with the name, I will figure out some other way of procuring dessert for them.)
So, have at it! If you think of something brilliant, you can email me, comment on this post, facebook, text, tell me in person... the options are limitless! You can even rent an airplane and spell it out in the sky!
Multiple submissions allowed. This contest open for legal residents of the United States of America, it's territories, and some foreign countries, including but not limited to England, France, Spain, Sweden, Luxembourg, the Dominican Republic, Rwanda, Disney Land, Czechoslovakia, USSR, Japan, and Texas. Contestants must not point out that the USSR doesn't exist anymore. Must be 18 years of age or older to be considered an adult and therefore allowed to buy cigarettes. Must not be Mormon to buy cigarettes. The creators of said contest hereby release any liability for submissions which may be slanderous, obscene, making fun of dead puppies, or written in an ancient and unreadable language. The creators also release any liability for food poisoning that may result from raw chicken eaten prior to consumption of prize dessert. Creators of contest not responsible for any death that may occur by renting of airplane for the purpose of submission. Creators of contest do claim responsibility for death caused by renting of airplane to run people over. Please include two proofs of purchase and a $15 handling fee to receive free "I love Rapunzel's argyle scrunchies!" t-shirt. T-shirt not available in the continental United States, Canada, or Earth. Please direct any questions you may or may not have to the Name This Awesome Blog Contest Hotline at 1-800-645-3782-455647388-7564jvgj84yf8343h, and ask for Jean-Steve.
So, as it would have it, my blog still doesn't have a title. I'm not that good at naming things. Usually, when I name something it becomes Herman, Jean-Steve (That's like French Jean, not like jeans), Humphrey or Beauregard. James took pity on the stuffed frog he gave me and named it Ivan before I could get to it.
So, as you've probably figured, my blog's name has been changing a lot.
I considered naming it something like, "Savannah's Deep and Ponderous Musings on Life and the Nature of Humanity," but... well... you'd have to be a professional literary analyst to pick deep and ponderous meanings out of my typical subject matter.
Then I thought, "Thoughts of Me," and decided that was too original of a title.
Then I wracked my brain for something that was purely "me" and thought of....
____________________
That's a blank line... in case you couldn't tell.
So, now I'm left, still unable to think of anything. Michelle has elected to keep my original title ("Call me Savvy and I will throw a plantain at your face") as the title of her link to this blog. Really, that was just a moment of me attempting to think of something, drawing a blank, wondering what a plantain tasted like, and some random stinker called me Savvy. That was never intended to be my blog's title.
So, now I'm throwing up my hands! Somebody else think of something! I'm officially having a contest. Whoever can think of the awesomest title for my blog will win the honor of having me name my blog something that they came up with. Oh, and I will make them a dessert of choice too.
There is only one requirement:
IT MUST BE AWESOME!
You can define awesome however you want. Funny? Creative? Cool word play? Profound? If it floats my boat, I will be a happy person, and you will get homemade dessert. (If somebody in another state - like Missouri - comes up with the name, I will figure out some other way of procuring dessert for them.)
So, have at it! If you think of something brilliant, you can email me, comment on this post, facebook, text, tell me in person... the options are limitless! You can even rent an airplane and spell it out in the sky!
Multiple submissions allowed. This contest open for legal residents of the United States of America, it's territories, and some foreign countries, including but not limited to England, France, Spain, Sweden, Luxembourg, the Dominican Republic, Rwanda, Disney Land, Czechoslovakia, USSR, Japan, and Texas. Contestants must not point out that the USSR doesn't exist anymore. Must be 18 years of age or older to be considered an adult and therefore allowed to buy cigarettes. Must not be Mormon to buy cigarettes. The creators of said contest hereby release any liability for submissions which may be slanderous, obscene, making fun of dead puppies, or written in an ancient and unreadable language. The creators also release any liability for food poisoning that may result from raw chicken eaten prior to consumption of prize dessert. Creators of contest not responsible for any death that may occur by renting of airplane for the purpose of submission. Creators of contest do claim responsibility for death caused by renting of airplane to run people over. Please include two proofs of purchase and a $15 handling fee to receive free "I love Rapunzel's argyle scrunchies!" t-shirt. T-shirt not available in the continental United States, Canada, or Earth. Please direct any questions you may or may not have to the Name This Awesome Blog Contest Hotline at 1-800-645-3782-455647388-7564jvgj84yf8343h, and ask for Jean-Steve.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Since I've Been Wishing for a Time Machine
The strangest thing happened to me today!
I was sitting outside on a little, wire chair, $5 Foot Long in hand, when a girl came and sat across from me. She looked pretty young, a freshman, maybe? She reminded me of myself about 3 years ago. Her medium brown hair was pulled back in a pony tail, and she was wearing a green tank top under a white button up shirt that was open at the top. There was something extremely familiar about her - I was sure I'd met her before. I just couldn't think of where. It was like running into your best friend from kindergarten 20 years later - you KNOW you've seen them, they're permanently ingrained in your memory, but the memory is too far removed, and just won't connect.
"Hi," she said, a little shyly. "Can I study with you?"
Apparently I was familiar to her too.
I put away my phone - I'd just called in sick to work - and sat back, an amused and slightly exhausted smile in place. "Honey, I've been studying for the last four hours. I'm taking a break now, but you're welcome to study with me while I eat my sandwich."
She nodded and pulled out her laptop. It was huge - like the one I used to lug all around campus, and now use only for art and photography. With that came a biology book. Ah, she was a Freshman. Biology 101. I remembered that class. It had been interesting, but not enough to convince me to take anything else along those lines.
She started reading from her book, then typed something into her computer.
"Are you taking notes on your reading?" Maybe she had an aversion to highlighters... or drawing in books.
She nodded, and looked up, still shy, as if wondering if I recognized her. "Yeah, notes on my computer are searchable. They'll help while I'm studying for the exam."
"Midterms this week?" I asked sympathetically. Those were the bane of my entire week.
She shrugged. "Sort of."
Sort of? Okaaaaayyyyyy........
She peeked out from behind her laptop again, looking awkward. She wanted to say something, but was obviously afraid of how I'd take it. Had I dripped marinara on my chin? Nose? That wouldn't be the first time. But no, it was more than that. She was worried what I would think of her.
"Is everything okay?" I asked, trying to look like I wouldn't think she was weird if she asked the question.
"Ummmmmmm..." she hesitated, then looked me in the eyes. "Do you recognize me?"
Crap. Yes, but now I'd have to admit that while I recognized her, I didn't remember her enough to know from where.
I gave her an apologetic smile. "Yes, you look really familiar... but I can't place it. I swear, I've seen you before... like a bazillion times. You're like the girl I pass by every single day but never talk to or something."
She bit her lips, then grinned. It was mischievous. "You got fat."
Excuse me??? I know I've gained a few pounds in the last month or so, but really? Sorry, you little Freshman brat, but I also learned a little jiu jitsu, and can knock you out in four seconds. Wanna try that one on for size?
She burst out laughing at the look on my face.
"Come on, Savannah, I was just kidding!"
I was not amused.
She sighed and shook her head. Apparently the timidity had evaporated. "They told me I'd forget."
"Forget what?" I demanded, still glaring.
"They told me that if you go to your own future, when you go back, you forget everything you saw and heard. I hoped it wasn't true, but apparently it is."
No. Way.
"What?"
"I look just like you, don't I?" she pointed out. "See, I even have that really light colored mole on the left side of my face, and the scar," she pulled up her pant leg, "from when you were a fourth year at girl's camp and tried to get the canoe unstuck, which then floated off the drop off before you could get back-"
"Okay, not funny. Who are you really?"
"I'm you! Really!" she insisted.
"Okay, me," I challenged, "If you really are me, then who was your first kiss?"
She sat back and folded her arms. "Nick Burton. I was five."
I shook my head. "Doesn't count. You don't actually remember it. For all you know it could be a fabrication of Clarke's vivid imagination."
She nodded. "You know, I never thought of that. Okay, then I haven't been kissed."
"Wrong."
"What? Oh, wait. You're not counting Nathan, the Sunbeam that assaulted me while I was primary pianist, are you?"
Shoot. She knew about that. But then, I'd told plenty of people about it, so it was possible whoever had concocted this practical joke knew that one. I needed something better. Something only I knew about. Stories I hadn't written yet? Yeah, that would be perfect. There were characters I'd never mentioned to anyone, that I wouldn't mention until I wrote them... if I ever did. This one would stump her for sure.
"Alright, who is Jack?"
"Lindsey's uncle. He's an archaeologist with no sense of humor, no sense of decency, and no people skills. I had a lot of fun coming up with him."
Okay then. Apparently when I was a freshman I went through a time machine and completely forgot about it.
"Now then, if you're done with your inspection, can I get to explaining the real reason I'm here?" she asked... er, I asked... in the way past tense... askeded?
"Um... okay."
"I wanted to come to the future and observe myself, you know, see how I was at the END of my college career."
"Okay, well I guess you should get to observing me, then. And I should get back to studying for my exam."
"Ooh! It's midterms!" she said, all excited. "How are you doing in your classes so far?"
I chuckled. "Well, let's see. I got a D- on my last England history exam, a 58% on the multiple choice section of US history, but I think I did well on the essay, so that should pick the grade up... What?"
Her eyes were wide. Pure shock and utter horror.
"But... but... HOW?!"
"How what?"
"D-??? 58%??? Aren't you even trying? What about your scholarship? What about your GPA? Are you not doing the reading? Are you not taking notes on what you read anymore? Have you ever," she paused, lowering her voice to a whisper, "skipped class?!"
I rolled my eyes. "Honey, when you're taking 14 credit hours, working 23 hours a week, and babysitting in your remaining few early morning hours, something's gotta give. Besides, remember what Clarke said when you first started school? 'C's get Degrees!' It's true. Don't worry, I'm a senior. I'm in my last year of school and I don't have to keep a scholarship anymore."
She bit her lower lip, trying to contain her horror. "So... you're working, then?"
"Yep."
"What's your job?"
"I work at a call center." I glanced at my watch again and smiled. "Actually, I should be there right now, but I called in so I could take my test and get ready for the next one."
"YOU CALLED IN SICK WHEN YOU'RE NOT ACTUALLY SICK??? WHO ARE YOU??? WHAT ARE YOU DOING??? I DON'T EVEN KNOW YOU ANYMORE!!!" She burst into sobs. "Take it away! I want to forget! Take me back through the time machine and suck my memories away! I'll never be that girl! NEVER!!!"
She turned around and smacked into a pole. Then she ran away.
"Hm," I murmured, watching her go. "I don't remember being that melodramatic. Oh well. Off to finish studying. Oh, forget it. I've studied enough. I'll just take the thing and get it over with."
Before going to the testing center, I stopped at a little convenience store just off campus - the nearest place to BYU that sold caffeine, and got a Mt. Dew. I'd need that extra kick to get me through this test and the next.
"NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!"
My freshman self flew through the air, grabbing onto the bottle. "You're not drinking caffeine anymore! You're not drinking caffeine! It's baaaaaaaaad for yoooooouuuuuu!"
I grappled with her for the bottle. "It's medicinal! Get off! I need the energy!"
"So exercise!"
"Somebody take this girl back to her time machine please!!!"
A red hole opened in the sky, and a hand reached out, grabbing my freshman self's collar. It pulled her into the hole, and she disappeared, screaming, "I'll never be her! I'll never be her!"
The end.
I was sitting outside on a little, wire chair, $5 Foot Long in hand, when a girl came and sat across from me. She looked pretty young, a freshman, maybe? She reminded me of myself about 3 years ago. Her medium brown hair was pulled back in a pony tail, and she was wearing a green tank top under a white button up shirt that was open at the top. There was something extremely familiar about her - I was sure I'd met her before. I just couldn't think of where. It was like running into your best friend from kindergarten 20 years later - you KNOW you've seen them, they're permanently ingrained in your memory, but the memory is too far removed, and just won't connect.
"Hi," she said, a little shyly. "Can I study with you?"
Apparently I was familiar to her too.
I put away my phone - I'd just called in sick to work - and sat back, an amused and slightly exhausted smile in place. "Honey, I've been studying for the last four hours. I'm taking a break now, but you're welcome to study with me while I eat my sandwich."
She nodded and pulled out her laptop. It was huge - like the one I used to lug all around campus, and now use only for art and photography. With that came a biology book. Ah, she was a Freshman. Biology 101. I remembered that class. It had been interesting, but not enough to convince me to take anything else along those lines.
She started reading from her book, then typed something into her computer.
"Are you taking notes on your reading?" Maybe she had an aversion to highlighters... or drawing in books.
She nodded, and looked up, still shy, as if wondering if I recognized her. "Yeah, notes on my computer are searchable. They'll help while I'm studying for the exam."
"Midterms this week?" I asked sympathetically. Those were the bane of my entire week.
She shrugged. "Sort of."
Sort of? Okaaaaayyyyyy........
She peeked out from behind her laptop again, looking awkward. She wanted to say something, but was obviously afraid of how I'd take it. Had I dripped marinara on my chin? Nose? That wouldn't be the first time. But no, it was more than that. She was worried what I would think of her.
"Is everything okay?" I asked, trying to look like I wouldn't think she was weird if she asked the question.
"Ummmmmmm..." she hesitated, then looked me in the eyes. "Do you recognize me?"
Crap. Yes, but now I'd have to admit that while I recognized her, I didn't remember her enough to know from where.
I gave her an apologetic smile. "Yes, you look really familiar... but I can't place it. I swear, I've seen you before... like a bazillion times. You're like the girl I pass by every single day but never talk to or something."
She bit her lips, then grinned. It was mischievous. "You got fat."
Excuse me??? I know I've gained a few pounds in the last month or so, but really? Sorry, you little Freshman brat, but I also learned a little jiu jitsu, and can knock you out in four seconds. Wanna try that one on for size?
She burst out laughing at the look on my face.
"Come on, Savannah, I was just kidding!"
I was not amused.
She sighed and shook her head. Apparently the timidity had evaporated. "They told me I'd forget."
"Forget what?" I demanded, still glaring.
"They told me that if you go to your own future, when you go back, you forget everything you saw and heard. I hoped it wasn't true, but apparently it is."
No. Way.
"What?"
"I look just like you, don't I?" she pointed out. "See, I even have that really light colored mole on the left side of my face, and the scar," she pulled up her pant leg, "from when you were a fourth year at girl's camp and tried to get the canoe unstuck, which then floated off the drop off before you could get back-"
"Okay, not funny. Who are you really?"
"I'm you! Really!" she insisted.
"Okay, me," I challenged, "If you really are me, then who was your first kiss?"
She sat back and folded her arms. "Nick Burton. I was five."
I shook my head. "Doesn't count. You don't actually remember it. For all you know it could be a fabrication of Clarke's vivid imagination."
She nodded. "You know, I never thought of that. Okay, then I haven't been kissed."
"Wrong."
"What? Oh, wait. You're not counting Nathan, the Sunbeam that assaulted me while I was primary pianist, are you?"
Shoot. She knew about that. But then, I'd told plenty of people about it, so it was possible whoever had concocted this practical joke knew that one. I needed something better. Something only I knew about. Stories I hadn't written yet? Yeah, that would be perfect. There were characters I'd never mentioned to anyone, that I wouldn't mention until I wrote them... if I ever did. This one would stump her for sure.
"Alright, who is Jack?"
"Lindsey's uncle. He's an archaeologist with no sense of humor, no sense of decency, and no people skills. I had a lot of fun coming up with him."
Okay then. Apparently when I was a freshman I went through a time machine and completely forgot about it.
"Now then, if you're done with your inspection, can I get to explaining the real reason I'm here?" she asked... er, I asked... in the way past tense... askeded?
"Um... okay."
"I wanted to come to the future and observe myself, you know, see how I was at the END of my college career."
"Okay, well I guess you should get to observing me, then. And I should get back to studying for my exam."
"Ooh! It's midterms!" she said, all excited. "How are you doing in your classes so far?"
I chuckled. "Well, let's see. I got a D- on my last England history exam, a 58% on the multiple choice section of US history, but I think I did well on the essay, so that should pick the grade up... What?"
Her eyes were wide. Pure shock and utter horror.
"But... but... HOW?!"
"How what?"
"D-??? 58%??? Aren't you even trying? What about your scholarship? What about your GPA? Are you not doing the reading? Are you not taking notes on what you read anymore? Have you ever," she paused, lowering her voice to a whisper, "skipped class?!"
I rolled my eyes. "Honey, when you're taking 14 credit hours, working 23 hours a week, and babysitting in your remaining few early morning hours, something's gotta give. Besides, remember what Clarke said when you first started school? 'C's get Degrees!' It's true. Don't worry, I'm a senior. I'm in my last year of school and I don't have to keep a scholarship anymore."
She bit her lower lip, trying to contain her horror. "So... you're working, then?"
"Yep."
"What's your job?"
"I work at a call center." I glanced at my watch again and smiled. "Actually, I should be there right now, but I called in so I could take my test and get ready for the next one."
"YOU CALLED IN SICK WHEN YOU'RE NOT ACTUALLY SICK??? WHO ARE YOU??? WHAT ARE YOU DOING??? I DON'T EVEN KNOW YOU ANYMORE!!!" She burst into sobs. "Take it away! I want to forget! Take me back through the time machine and suck my memories away! I'll never be that girl! NEVER!!!"
She turned around and smacked into a pole. Then she ran away.
"Hm," I murmured, watching her go. "I don't remember being that melodramatic. Oh well. Off to finish studying. Oh, forget it. I've studied enough. I'll just take the thing and get it over with."
Before going to the testing center, I stopped at a little convenience store just off campus - the nearest place to BYU that sold caffeine, and got a Mt. Dew. I'd need that extra kick to get me through this test and the next.
"NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!"
My freshman self flew through the air, grabbing onto the bottle. "You're not drinking caffeine anymore! You're not drinking caffeine! It's baaaaaaaaad for yoooooouuuuuu!"
I grappled with her for the bottle. "It's medicinal! Get off! I need the energy!"
"So exercise!"
"Somebody take this girl back to her time machine please!!!"
A red hole opened in the sky, and a hand reached out, grabbing my freshman self's collar. It pulled her into the hole, and she disappeared, screaming, "I'll never be her! I'll never be her!"
The end.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
A is for apple, B is for Bull.
There reaches a point when too much really IS too much. Like, 4 midterms in one weekend for example. Yep, that's right. Four. Quatro. Count them on your fingers... if you've lost one of your fingers, anyway. I took my first one today (well, technically yesterday since it's now Sunday), and I'm taking two more tomorrow and the last one on Tuesday.
Not only do I have to take four, but they're all essay based history exams that involve memorizing things to identify, and then applying them into the bigger picture. I finished with US history from 1815-1830, and spent a good sized chunk of tonight preparing for Middle East and Islam from Muhammad to the Crusades. Then I have Isaiah. Then I have Ancient Near East. I'm studying for all of these, and the facts are starting to blur together.
I think I've got them straightened out, though.
Near as I can tell, Isaiah, who was the Seal of the Prophets, fiercely advocated Indian Removal from the city of Ugarit near the Mediterranean Sea. This happened because the Abbasid Caliphate, in response to Suppiluliuma I's siege of Jerusalem, determined that the only way to prevent Western intervention in the Byzantine Empire was to instigate internal improvements and a transportation revolution, but the Indians were occupying the land they wished to improve. The Indians were also inciting rebellion amongst the slaves, who were Mamluk Turks, in hopes of inspiring the Hittites to intervene in the affairs of Mittani, where the Caliphate was located.
Isaiah warned that if they didn't remove the Indians to the Western world (west of the Mississippi River, in fact), the people would turn to idolatry, and be subjected to destruction and rule by a foreign nation, and then be sifted as chaff.
Upon hearing this warning, Andrew Jackson determined he would be the hero to remove the Indians from Ugarit, and invaded their fort, deporting their governor to Cuba. These actions were a blatant violation of the orders given to him by Al-Ghazli, the pharaoh in Egypt, and created an international incident between the "Great Powers Club," which consisted of Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, and the United States of America.
Because of this incident, the United States sent their top diplomat, Maher-shalal-hash-baz, to deal with the situation. He succeeded in getting the Umayyad Dynasty in the Iberian Peninsula to cede not only Ugarit, but all of Anatolia as well to the United States in the Adams-Onis treaty, with the understanding the the United States would not try to interfere with the actions of the Umayyads in Constantinople.
However, the United States violated this treaty during the Fourth Crusade, in which they sent Richard the Lionheart to Egypt, but he was diverted by lack of finances, and sacked Constantinople instead.
Both Isaiah and Pope Urban II condemned Richard's actions, and criticized James Madison for allowing this to happen. Madison insisted Richard had acted of his own accord, and did so in direct violation of orders, much as Jackson had done.
There. Pretty sure that covers it. I'll get an A for sure!
Not only do I have to take four, but they're all essay based history exams that involve memorizing things to identify, and then applying them into the bigger picture. I finished with US history from 1815-1830, and spent a good sized chunk of tonight preparing for Middle East and Islam from Muhammad to the Crusades. Then I have Isaiah. Then I have Ancient Near East. I'm studying for all of these, and the facts are starting to blur together.
I think I've got them straightened out, though.
Near as I can tell, Isaiah, who was the Seal of the Prophets, fiercely advocated Indian Removal from the city of Ugarit near the Mediterranean Sea. This happened because the Abbasid Caliphate, in response to Suppiluliuma I's siege of Jerusalem, determined that the only way to prevent Western intervention in the Byzantine Empire was to instigate internal improvements and a transportation revolution, but the Indians were occupying the land they wished to improve. The Indians were also inciting rebellion amongst the slaves, who were Mamluk Turks, in hopes of inspiring the Hittites to intervene in the affairs of Mittani, where the Caliphate was located.
Isaiah warned that if they didn't remove the Indians to the Western world (west of the Mississippi River, in fact), the people would turn to idolatry, and be subjected to destruction and rule by a foreign nation, and then be sifted as chaff.
Upon hearing this warning, Andrew Jackson determined he would be the hero to remove the Indians from Ugarit, and invaded their fort, deporting their governor to Cuba. These actions were a blatant violation of the orders given to him by Al-Ghazli, the pharaoh in Egypt, and created an international incident between the "Great Powers Club," which consisted of Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, and the United States of America.
Because of this incident, the United States sent their top diplomat, Maher-shalal-hash-baz, to deal with the situation. He succeeded in getting the Umayyad Dynasty in the Iberian Peninsula to cede not only Ugarit, but all of Anatolia as well to the United States in the Adams-Onis treaty, with the understanding the the United States would not try to interfere with the actions of the Umayyads in Constantinople.
However, the United States violated this treaty during the Fourth Crusade, in which they sent Richard the Lionheart to Egypt, but he was diverted by lack of finances, and sacked Constantinople instead.
Both Isaiah and Pope Urban II condemned Richard's actions, and criticized James Madison for allowing this to happen. Madison insisted Richard had acted of his own accord, and did so in direct violation of orders, much as Jackson had done.
There. Pretty sure that covers it. I'll get an A for sure!
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Well, why don't you try to catch me, then?
Some police officers are great. I'll always remember David the policeman, who changed our tire for us. He was so nice! Then there was that one officer who found me stranded on the side of the road after my crank shaft sensor had killed my car, and gave me a ride home. Then there's Grandpa, and while I never saw him as a cop or interacted with him as such, he makes a great grandpa, whether or not he is trying to pessimisicate himself into the grave... which still hasn't worked... 25 years later... Sorry, Grandpa, but try as you might, God just doesn't want you to die yet! Also, as your granddaughter, I'm quite happy about that fact. I'm sure, given another decade or so, you will have a lovely funeral, though, so never fear. In the mean time, we, your family, just get to enjoy you and enjoy hearing about how you really think this trip to the doctor might be your last.
Where was I? Oh yes, police officers.
So, like I was saying, there are a fair number of awesome cops out there. Then there are the others. You know the ones I'm talking about - the badge heavy jerks with a serious case of SMS, and WAY too much power to go with that kind of an attitude. Yeah, those ones. Worse... not only do they have SMS, but they also have SVS, or small vehicle syndrome... like a bike... with pedals. Vroom vroom!
So, my story begins this morning, as I was sitting on the couch, reading about Hatshepsut, and how she was supposed to be her step-son's guardian while he was too young to rule Egypt, but pretty much took over until she suddenly died of a toothache. Yes, those can be fatal.
Anyway, as I was happily doing my homework, Lynnae came bursting into the front room, fresh out of bed, bordering on a state of panic.
"Can I have a ride to school?! I have to give a presentation that's going on right now!"
I looked at her, hair awry, still in her night shorts. "Are you going to put pants on first?"
She made record time. From bed to the car in 2.5 minutes, and from there we took the fastest possible route to school. As I pulled into the parking lot, and up to the corner, the trouble began.
Lynnae jumped out of the car. I heard a cranky, angry voice say, "Hey! Is there an emergency?"
I looked behind me. There, on the side of the curb, was none other than a BYU bike cop... an old one... complete with white hair, mustache, and a bike helmet. As Lynnae darted off to her presentation, I rolled down the window. "I'm sorry, sir, is there a problem?"
"Yeah, there's a problem! Do you know how fast you were going?"
"I'm sorry, sir, but she was in a hurry and - "
I didn't have time to finish before he was yelling at me again. "Do you WANT to get in an accident? Do you WANT to kill somebody? Is that what you're trying to do?"
Now, I was going too fast. That's an undeniable fact. Honestly, we were in quite the hurry, and I was gauging my speed by what felt safe, not by the numbers on the speedometer, which meant I was exceeding the 5 mph speed limit. But this? Really, my fault aside, there must be a more mature way to handle the situation, besides being a total jerk.
But, fight fire with fire, right? That's what Buggs Bunny taught me during my young and impressionable days of watching Loony Toons every Saturday morning.
I jumped out of the car. "You wanna make somethin' of it, old man?! How 'bout you get on that little bike of yours and pedal after me?" Then I jumped back in my totally awesome hatchback and sped away, squealing my tires and throwing a birdie out the window as I went.
No. I'm lying. I didn't do that. I'm not that nervy.
I took half a second to be grateful for my sunglasses, which concealed my disgusted look at his asinine behavior and said, "No, sir."
He continued yelling at me, and I had flashbacks of 4th grade and mean substitute teachers who thought that because we were kids, we were nothing more than misbehaving brats whom they just had to endure until we became adults, at which point we'd actually be worth something. To quote Miss Trunchbull: "I cannot, for the life of me, understand why small children take so long to grow up. I think they do it deliberately, just to annoy me." This was like that attitude, minus the "someday they'll be worth something" part of it.
"Are you crazy?! Why don't you just pay attention! Jeez, THINK, why don't you!"
I waited for him to take a breath, said, "I'm sorry, sir," and drove away. I'm pretty sure he was done with his tirade, because he turned away as I departed, but he may have had more in store if I'd stuck around. Really, though? What was he gonna do? Stick a light on his helmet and chase me? That'd be a real Hollywood chase scene right there. Probably make the evening news.
"High speed chase involving a silver Elantra and a bike! The police officer made it 15 yards before the car was out of sight.
"But then, he turned a corner and the car had been forced to stop by a red light. He was certain he'd catch the perp... 20 yards left to go... he was pedaling with all his might... 10 yards... Oh! The light turned green. Sorry, popo, but she got away.
"The officer involved in the chase was commended for his valiant effort and offered a promotion. Now he can be found driving around campus in his brand new BYU Police golf cart!"
Where was I? Oh yes, police officers.
So, like I was saying, there are a fair number of awesome cops out there. Then there are the others. You know the ones I'm talking about - the badge heavy jerks with a serious case of SMS, and WAY too much power to go with that kind of an attitude. Yeah, those ones. Worse... not only do they have SMS, but they also have SVS, or small vehicle syndrome... like a bike... with pedals. Vroom vroom!
So, my story begins this morning, as I was sitting on the couch, reading about Hatshepsut, and how she was supposed to be her step-son's guardian while he was too young to rule Egypt, but pretty much took over until she suddenly died of a toothache. Yes, those can be fatal.
Anyway, as I was happily doing my homework, Lynnae came bursting into the front room, fresh out of bed, bordering on a state of panic.
"Can I have a ride to school?! I have to give a presentation that's going on right now!"
I looked at her, hair awry, still in her night shorts. "Are you going to put pants on first?"
She made record time. From bed to the car in 2.5 minutes, and from there we took the fastest possible route to school. As I pulled into the parking lot, and up to the corner, the trouble began.
Lynnae jumped out of the car. I heard a cranky, angry voice say, "Hey! Is there an emergency?"
I looked behind me. There, on the side of the curb, was none other than a BYU bike cop... an old one... complete with white hair, mustache, and a bike helmet. As Lynnae darted off to her presentation, I rolled down the window. "I'm sorry, sir, is there a problem?"
"Yeah, there's a problem! Do you know how fast you were going?"
"I'm sorry, sir, but she was in a hurry and - "
I didn't have time to finish before he was yelling at me again. "Do you WANT to get in an accident? Do you WANT to kill somebody? Is that what you're trying to do?"
Now, I was going too fast. That's an undeniable fact. Honestly, we were in quite the hurry, and I was gauging my speed by what felt safe, not by the numbers on the speedometer, which meant I was exceeding the 5 mph speed limit. But this? Really, my fault aside, there must be a more mature way to handle the situation, besides being a total jerk.
But, fight fire with fire, right? That's what Buggs Bunny taught me during my young and impressionable days of watching Loony Toons every Saturday morning.
I jumped out of the car. "You wanna make somethin' of it, old man?! How 'bout you get on that little bike of yours and pedal after me?" Then I jumped back in my totally awesome hatchback and sped away, squealing my tires and throwing a birdie out the window as I went.
No. I'm lying. I didn't do that. I'm not that nervy.
I took half a second to be grateful for my sunglasses, which concealed my disgusted look at his asinine behavior and said, "No, sir."
He continued yelling at me, and I had flashbacks of 4th grade and mean substitute teachers who thought that because we were kids, we were nothing more than misbehaving brats whom they just had to endure until we became adults, at which point we'd actually be worth something. To quote Miss Trunchbull: "I cannot, for the life of me, understand why small children take so long to grow up. I think they do it deliberately, just to annoy me." This was like that attitude, minus the "someday they'll be worth something" part of it.
"Are you crazy?! Why don't you just pay attention! Jeez, THINK, why don't you!"
I waited for him to take a breath, said, "I'm sorry, sir," and drove away. I'm pretty sure he was done with his tirade, because he turned away as I departed, but he may have had more in store if I'd stuck around. Really, though? What was he gonna do? Stick a light on his helmet and chase me? That'd be a real Hollywood chase scene right there. Probably make the evening news.
"High speed chase involving a silver Elantra and a bike! The police officer made it 15 yards before the car was out of sight.
"But then, he turned a corner and the car had been forced to stop by a red light. He was certain he'd catch the perp... 20 yards left to go... he was pedaling with all his might... 10 yards... Oh! The light turned green. Sorry, popo, but she got away.
"The officer involved in the chase was commended for his valiant effort and offered a promotion. Now he can be found driving around campus in his brand new BYU Police golf cart!"
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