A New Semester and Much Coat Discussion

I love that last semester at this time I didn't know anyone in my classes and this semester I've got a friend in every one of them and I'm waving at people in the halls and saying hi before class. I'm like friendly and gregarious and outgoing.... I could do this. I could go to a grad school and make new friends.

...right, guys?

I would like to stage a protest. In the movies and TV shows, once someone has been to a person's house from then on they could show up at any moment. They won't call beforehand, they won't text, or facebook or anything. They just show up. And that person is always appropriately dressed for the stopping by, even though it's 10 at night or 7 in the morning. No one has ever just dropped by my place unannounced, except Nathan when we were engaged and that still didn't happen that often. Well, and Kara might have... but even she normally called. Still- I kinda wish it would happen in real life. Where are the script writers of my life?

I'm really gonna have to work hard to get back in the habit of homework... I fell out of the habit so quickly!

Ok, so I posted the other day on fb about seeing a girl on campus who had the same coat as me and suddenly figuring out what "those buttons" were for. And Kara told me I had to blog about it cause she didn't understand my explanation. So for Kara:

This is my coat the way that I normally wear it. It's a little "soldier" styled.

ala this Civil War coat. The internet labels it as being a "13th regiment" coat. This does not seem like enough information to tell someone anything, but there you have it.

I can button my coat all the way to the top and then hook the collar- I never do because my neck isn't that long and that's super uncomfortable, but I could. And I thought the top button that was on the same side as the button hole was just for symmetry's sake- You know-- like all the other buttons on that side of the coat! Buttons just look pretty, right?

But then I saw a girl on campus who was wearing my same coat-- only she was wearing it like this:

These pics have been lightened so that you can see a little better- hope it helped. 

You see there is an extra buttonhole on the "inside" flap of the coat, making it possible to fold the sides over and button them to themselves. It's still soldier-y but it's also a little more trench-coat-ish with a lapel. I don't really care for it, on me, because it seems like the coat wasn't really made to do this, they just added it as a feature, and I find it more flattering the other way. Plus, I don't love having two collars and this way means I can only button it at the third button which is practically at my natural waist. It would work better with a scarf, but I'm just as happy to not have to add a scarf to my winter gear list.

Still I thought it was kinda amusing that I've had this coat for almost two years and have just now figured out this "feature." And even then, only with help.

In other news, I walk across campus twice a day to work and to class. I actually like that I have to walk that much. It's healthy. What I dislike is taking my coat off and putting it on over and over and over. Tomorrow I will put my coat on at least 5 times. I don't even put on lip balm 5 times a day! It's tiresome.

Climbing Mt. Everest

Yesterday's word was daft.

Cause I don't think blue hair is daft at all.

Too much tom-foolery this weekend... Not enough homework accomplishing.

The thing about short blogs is that there are so few words, it's nigh on guaranteed that someone will guess the word. If you spit at your computer screen, you'll probably hit it.

Go ahead... spit. I dare you.

I'm super tired... and my sickness might be coming back... either that or I just didn't take a nap today and I wasn't quite ready for that yet.

Vitamin C here I come!

And verily I shall retire unto my pallet. Which some people call a bed... and some people... mainly me- right now, call Mt Everest.

Seriously... it's so tall!

Don't Write Me Off Just Yet

Yesterday's word was disgorge.

You know who one of my newest favorite people is?

The guy in my Form and Theory class who will come in, quote a line from this really dense, difficult to get through stuff we are reading and then say, "What is he saying there? That doesn't mean anything. Those are barely words!"

Here's to you, Joe. I hereby appoint you the Chancellor of Form and Theory. *raises my mug of tea* Where everyone else (myself included) try to nod sagely and pretend we understand when we actually don't, you just lay out the honesty. It's especially appreciated when certain others in the class are pompous windbags.... but I digress. I'm happy that my professors know my name, and I feel safe both lauding and disparaging my compatriots, cause I don't think they will ever read this. The internet, she is a wide and wondrous place.

I think I am getting sick. My throat has hurt all day... I'm hoping that I'm not, though... being sick is absolutely no fun. I'm gonna drink my hot tea and feel better in the morning. Right, guys?

... Hey, it's worked before.

No brilliant insights from Shakespeare tonight, but a great appreciation for having a friend in my creative writing class... It's much easier to make yourself vulnerable to spectacular failure when you have a friend who is on your side and will tell you it's good, regardless.

In other news I really feel like I need to watch Music and Lyrics this weekend... I love that movie... a lot.

**** Don't listen if you haven't watched the movie and you think you might.****

Bit of a lark, really.

Yesterday's word was: telepathy. Also, I have discovered a heretofore unknown talent of jinxing people if I name them in this little section. Pretty sure it only works on one person at time, so someone who might be thinking that I jinxed them earlier this week has probably been un-jinxed by my mention of Dawn, yesterday.

Seems like all my posts have been kinda serious of late...

I guess I've been having a serious time.

Well, I know I have. Lots of serious conversations and thoughts. And I've been really *feeling* how much I miss Nathan, because I'm missing Kara.

I hate how everything overlaps that way.

But I'm ready to have a fun time.

And I'm also in a weird mood because I've read short stories for hours. I just used the word "bulwark." No foolin'.

I've decided something very important.

I'm gonna fit right in with creative writers cause all anyone ever writes about is death.

I've read 7 short stories in the past 2 days and 6 of them had a dead person in them and the other was all about sex and possibly child abuse... not totally sure on that one.

Creative writers are weird. I think they are the sort who walk around with bags they call attaches and hats they call berets. And cigarette holders they call.... cigarette holders.

But I refuse to carry around a cigarette holder. That is just where I draw the line.

OH! My talk is up online! So, you know, if you want to hear that, you can go here and hear:

http://www.springfieldvineyard.org/sermons/gods-got-your-back

PS... my voice sounds weird.

Camn't

I changed what my blog looks like.

Thoughts?

I'm really tire-ed, but I camn't go to bed cause I have to talk to you.

When I'm tired I put extra m's into words. So camn't wasn't a typo... it's how I'm saying it in my head right now.

Camn't.

Roll that one around in your head and then let it drip off your tongue. It's delicious, no?

I have to get up at a decent time cause I promised Kara I would...

I hope she understands "decent" means 10.

I think she does. She said she loves me just as I am.

I think my brain actually stopped working like 10 minutes ago.

Now I'm just sitting here, winking at my computer, cause one eye is too tired to be open.

Just that eye-- the other one can handle it.

Kinda gives new meaning to the idea of a "lazy" eye, huh.

I've decided I'm not going to cut all my hair off again until I'm 60 or so... or I have a person who wants me to. A boy-type person. Actually I think he might even have to be a fiance-type person. I gotta have a serious commitment before I cut my hair off for some bloke... no I take it back. A husband-type person. I'm not cutting off all my hair before my wedding. That would be complete madness!

I would assume a girl-type person who wants me to cut my hair off is up to sabotage.

I just get a lot of compliments from guys about my hair these days. Married guys- so it's not as creepy as it sounds. I never knew that boys paid any attention to a girl's hair. Nathan never cared much. But apparently guys actually do care/notice. So, fine. I'm keeping my long hair. I'll change it up with color and style, but it's staying longish.

*nods decidedly*

I reserve the right to change this when I have a baby... lots of my mother-type friends are cutting off their hair because of grabby babies and I get that, yo.

but my head is pretty darn tough, so I may make it to 60 yet.

1 of 30

I think it's going to be a busy week for me... So I'm starting it off right by not going to sleep when I should. Oh the silliness of me.

I don't really have a lot to say tonight, so I'm going to fall back on this list of things to write about that I found on pinterest: (It comes from this blog)

THE LIST:

1. List 20 random facts about yourself.
2. Describe 3 legitimate fears you have and explain how they became fears.
3. Describe your relationship with your parents.
4. List 10 things you would tell your 16 year-old self, if you could.
5. What are the 5 things that make you most happy right now?
6. What is the hardest thing you have ever experienced?
7. What is your dream job, and why?
8. What are 5 passions you have?
9. List 10 people who have influenced you and describe how.
10. Describe your most embarrassing moment.
11. Describe 10 pet peeves you have.
12. Describe a typical day in your current life.
13. Describe 5 weaknesses you have.
14. Describe 5 strengths you have.
15. If you were an animal, what would you be and why?
16. What are your 5 greatest accomplishments?
17. What is the thing you most wish you were great at?
18. What has been the most difficult thing you have had to forgive?
19. If you could live anywhere, where would it be and why?
20. Describe 3 significant memories from your childhood.
21. If you could have one superpower, what would it be and what would you do with it first?
22. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years? 15 years?
23. List your top 5 hobbies and why you love them.
24. Describe your family dynamic of your childhood vs. your family dynamic now.
25. If you could have dinner with anyone in history, who would it be and what would you eat?
26. What popular notion do you think the world has most wrong?
27. What is your favorite part of your body and why?
28. What is your love language?
29. What do you think people misundertand most about you?
30. List 10 things you would hope to be remembered for.

My plan is to use this list whenever I don't have anything much to say... I should go through it in about 32 days. :)

So without further ado,

20 Random facts (I feel like I've done this before, but hey, I bet I come up with some facts that are different.)

1. I think that Jareth in Labyrinth is one of the most romantic male leads ever... I mean listen to this quote- "Everything that you wanted I have done. [...] I have reordered time. I have turned the world upside down, and I have done it all for you! I am exhausted from living up to your expectations." That said, I do not think that he's the most attractive male lead ever.

2. I have a heart shaped scar on my right pinkie.

3. I have a baby mobile hanging up in my office.

4. I have no baby, have never had a baby, and don't plan on having one, until at *least* 9 months after I remarry.

5. I'm not even dating anyone, so that's gonna be a while.

6. I kinda feel like I cheated on those last few facts.

7. I was accused of plagiarism twice in high school by English teachers. I didn't plagerize either time, I just wasn't interested in the subject we had to write on so I kinda checked out and threw together some fancy sounding bs. Apparently when I bs English papers I sound like cliff notes. (Which I've never read.)

8. Tonight I ate dinner at 1 AM. It was spaghetti.

9. I slept in jeans (or whatever pants I wore) from around the 2nd or 3rd grade until highschool, and didn't really understand why this was weird.

10. I would be perfectly content if every copy of my third grade picture vanished from the face of the Earth.

11. After my 3rd grade picture, my mom started taking us to a photo studio for our yearly portraits, rather than ordering them from the school, sight unseen. This was not a coincidence.

12. If someone in my family posts the picture in question online somewhere I will find the most unflattering AND embarrassing picture ever taken of you and then I will photoshop it to make it worse and then I will post it. If such a photo does not exist I will make one. Don't be a cyber bully.

13. I remember what I was wearing when I fell off the back of a farm truck when I was little. The shorts got caught and I hung for a second or two, suspended, before it ripped and I fell the rest of the way.

14. This is not the reason that I think of cars as deathtraps, but I do. (Even my beloved Prius is a deathtrap.)

15. I do not get cat calls, greeted by skeezy men from their cars, flirted with, or hit on very often (read: at all) and I'm not really sure why.

16. However, someone did yell, "No prostitution!" at me once. (Story here.) Jackal.

17. Of the things in my life I miss the most, Nathan is number 1 and performing in shows is number 2.

18. I love to bake, but my sweet tooth isn't actually that strong, just that opinionated.

19. I think texting someone in the same room/house as you is fun.

20. My dream is to someday buy and renovate a very old house and get 14 different craftsmen (or 1 super handy future husband) to install 14 secret passageways (1 per craftsmen) in my house. (One of them must contain a drinking fountain.) Then I would host murder mystery weekends and generally enjoy my chamber of secrets.

Am I blue?

Good flippin' grief. I've been eating today as though there was never going to be food again.

This is a problem because I just saw a bunch of pictures of myself in Melissa's wedding. Buh. It's really ridiculous how little the image in my mind matches up to the image that I see on the computer screen. I really thought I looked better than that... Maybe I did look better than that and it is in fact true that I am the least photogenic person on the face of the planet. It's a toss up. *sigh*

Learned an important life lesson last night. As a widow, never turn on your Pandora station as you are trying to go to sleep- even if you really really want to listen to music. Because every single song that comes on (even ones that you've listened to a million times before) will sound like it's coming directly from your deceased husband and you will cry and cry and cry.

It started out with this song called "Never Alone" I've never heard it anywhere but on Pandora, but is really a great song. (Follow the link if you want to listen to it.) But it started the waterworks and then Pandora proceeded through all sorts of other applicable songs. When Adele came on I had to turn it off...

Because on a scale of one to Adele, widowhood is Adele-squared.

In other news, my nails look super cool.

And also my stapler just fell off my desk, hit the top, and sailed right into the trashcan. Couldn't make that shot again if I tried.

But why would I try?

Yeah... so maybe this wasn't a top ten blog... They can't all be winners. Some have to just be a jumble of random crap. When I start grad school I may begin blogging less often... like only when I actually have something interesting to say... We'll see, but you should start preparing yourself now.

Glow, stick, glow!

So here I am.

Had a good day.

Not a great one... not sure that a great day was possible today.

But I love America.

And I did have my Aunt Celeste's 4th of July salad... and while perhaps no one else loved it as much as me... I loved it enough for all.

There are leftovers and I'm happy about that, because I don't worry about over-eating on it. The salad consists of tomatos, onions, green peppers, feta cheese and just a bit of italian dressing. It's just lovely.

Maybe I'll have it for lunch tomorrow... or for dinner... or both. Who knows.

I'm writing this blog in the dark because I finally had an excuse to use my glow sticks tonight because people were outside. So I made myself a bracelet and a circlet--- though I've decided to call the latter a diadem, now.

And I'm still wearing them as I type this, because I love glow sticks...

And the only good way to appreciate a glow stick is in the dark.

I feel like there should be a good metaphor for life hidden somewhere in the depths of the glow stick... but I'm not sure there is... it may just be a pretty light made by mixing two chemicals.

Get the heck out of Dodge.

The problem with writing a blog post that everyone loves, is that the next day I have to replace it, only now everyone's expectations are really high... and honestly it takes *forever* to draw all those stick figures. I know that they are super crappy, because- well, that's kinda the point. But even super crappy pictures actually take some time if you want them to be relatively consistent and to tell what's happening in the picture. The "create a filled polygon" tool was my friend last night. It would be different if I had one of those sketch pad tools, but man, buying one of those and setting it all up for the random picture blog is not worth it!  Sorry kiddos.

That said, I'm glad you all liked my blog... When I was writing/drawing it last night I got to a point where I wasn't exactly sure if it was hilarious or just stupid, so if you even got the tiniest smile from it I feel like I accomplished something.

As an amusing side point I missed church this morning because I completely forgot to set my alarm... And, not being married, there was no one to wake up at 10 and be like, "Crap! We gotta get going cause we overslept!" Kinda bummed, too, because I wanted to go to church... So, fine, I need a person, sometimes. But *not* because there is a scary green monster in my trash.

Seriously, I know that Oscar made green monsters in trashcans this "safe" kid friendly thing, but that is freaking terrifying. I'm convinced that we should be teaching kids to run the heck away if big green talking monster comes out of your trashcan. They certainly shouldn't want to sit down and have a chat about how grumpy he is. If Cookie Monster has to admit that cookies are a "sometime food" why does Oscar get a free pass on the creepy furry dumpster diving?? I mean what even is he? Is he really a monster or is he like mold that has evolved googly eyes and a mouth... and eyebrows. And why is everyone ok with him just creeping on this lovely Street of Sesame?

Just look at him.... even when he's happy he's like creepy happy. Come here little children! Let me pull you into my trashcan where you can become like me!

Also apparently in Season 1 of Sesame Street he was orange and then he randomly changed colors and everyone was fine with this.

No, wait I'm sorry, it wasn't random. I've researched it and according to Oscar, "Most of the family was orange. But I had a lovely vacation in Swamp Mushy Muddy resort. It was so dark & dreary I kind of turned green. It's mostly moss. I like it — it goes with my eyes. I accidentally took a bath once, turned orange again & washed all the moss off, so I went right back to Swamp Mushy Muddy, and here I am."

He IS evolved mold. I'm convinced.

Even if he isn't evolved mold, he is a creepy trashcan grumpy pants who dwells in the street, is covered in moss and slime so much that he has turned a different color, and never bathes. And we are telling children that this is cool?

I call shenanigans.

Run, children. Run as far and as fast as you can- yelling all the while.

Mish-mash

I got to hang out with two Karas yesterday. The first Kara waves at rooms full of people when she's leaving- like a rock star getting on her tour bus....even though no one really cares that much or is even looking at her. She also drops her iPhone in cups of hot chocolate. (Ok, it was just the one time, but that's enough.)

The other Kara calls me a lot and leaves me messages and they are hilarious. In them she has multiple personalities, including hyper Kara, Asian Kara, unintelligible Kara, tired Kara, and a game show host Kara.

I want to discuss these messages more, but I don't think I could do them justice... I think you might have to be Kara or I to really find them as funny as we do but here's one of my favorite quotes, "I can't hang out with you tonight, but maybe you can call me and we'll talk on the phone, like two old ladies who talk on the phone.... or two hummingbirds who also talk on the phone."

I think that one is accessible enough that everyone can understand it and be amused.

Today I found two things that I want.  The first is "nail stickers." Used to easily make awesome designs on your nails. You can see an example of said awesome nails on this blog.

The second is in this almost fully funded Kickstarter. (Probably will be fully funded by the time you read this, and they'll have upped their "goal.") It's a manga involving a baby unicorn, and ancient Greek Gods.... It's as though someone took everything I loved as a pre-teen and made a book about it (with pictures.) Waaaaant!

Oh and I added a gadget so that you can read a blog post and maybe find blog posts that are similar that you like. That's pretty cool, right? I think I'm gonna redesign my look and feel sometime soon... I'm bored with it. Anyone want to do it for me for free? I'd let ya.

Also I spent an insanely long amount of time this afternoon making plaid nails in homage to my men's shirt.

Seen here, with said shirt in the background!

.... I apparently didn't know when to stop when it came to the stripe-er. You know what word "striper" looks uncomfortably close to??

What? Stripe? ...uhhhh yeah, that's totally the word I was thinking of.

I think tomorrow I'm going to try and go to Starbucks and work... I haven't looked at my book in over a week, between family, and friends, and video game work. Need to get back to it.

Well this post is just a mish-mash of everything.

In other news pinterest is making me hungry and in case you were wondering, my head has not shrunk. It is still too large to wear cute hats....

I'm curious to see what posts the gadget thinks are like this one.

Going on a ramble

Tonight for one of the first times, I had a fake conversation with someone in my head...

I can't help but wonder if it will ever play out.

If it doesn't I think I will write it into a book... This is one of the perks of being a writer. If I have a good enough fake conversation I can just make it into a "real" conversation in print someday.

You know all those times you get a great idea for a comeback way way too late? Writers can always get their revenge by reenacting the scene in print and actually giving the great line.

It's rather brilliant, I'd say. I'm using the British version of "brilliant" there.. I really wanted to shorten it to  "brill" because I feel like that's some British slang (no clue if it actually is) but then I figured no one but me would understand... and perhaps some passing British chap, whose taken a slip road on the internet and found himself on my blog.

I'm gonna be really disappointed someday if I find out they don't really call exit ramps slip roads in Britain. They've never used one on Dr. Who, so I just don't know. Everything I need to know about England I learned on Dr. Who.

The first and foremost is that England has a rather sizable alien problem. (spaceships not foreign countries.)

I wish there was a way to stretch out your neck without using weird gold bands or surgery.

That's a roundabout way of saying that I wish my neck was longer.

Which is a roundabout way of saying that I don't wear my hair in a pony tail that often anymore and so I'm not used to how my neck looks.

Btw, I've been feeling like I look like I've lost several more pounds lately, but the numbers on the scale haven't changed at all. What is up with that? Am I gaining some stair climbing muscles? I can but hope. I certainly kept Mom and Dawn a-hopping in the mall and the amusement park, trying to keep up with me... apparently I walk fast for a short person.

You know what? I get really excited if I see someone I know when I'm out. It makes Springfield feel, just for a moment, like a small town.

From now on everyone should shop exclusively at Target. It's already where I see the most people I know, so it only makes sense.

There is an Easter Egg in this post.

It may be a bit odd, but I really enjoy reading about "myself" based on things I have no control over (Like my birthdate, my birth order, or my sign.)

I like seeing how in some ways these things are straight on accurate, and two sentences later they are describing someone the very opposite of me... I just find it all rather humorous.

For instance I was born smack dab in the middle of the Leo sign, so there is no questioning my Leo-ness... So let's read this description of a Leo together shall we? I'm going to put my comments in a different color so that it's obvious what I wrote. (The Leo description was taken from the Huffington Post. Follow this hyperlink!)

The Lion is considered the king of the jungle, and likewise you Leos have an air of royalty about you. Let me tell you, I would love it if I had an "air of royalty around me." I'd be all like, "Give me all your taxes! Let them eat cake! Off with their heads!" Some Leos even have hair resembling the thick mane of the Lion. Check! ...but so do 1/3 of all the people who aren't Leos.... sooo.... But Lions are more than roar, for they are truly magnificent beasts. The Lioness proudly cares for the young, hunts and takes care of survival with relentless intent and ferocity, when needed.  Caretaker, much? That's me. Protecting survival since 1983. And proud are you Leo! Perhaps that's why Leo often chooses work that puts you in the center of stage or in the spotlight of appreciation. I worked for 4 years almost completely alone... that is *not* center stage... of course I was also a theatre major, so fine. Fair play to the queen.

Leo are warm of spirit I try, eager for action not normally and are driven by a desire to be loved for what you bring to others. Ahahaaha! Ding ding ding! Leo are a magnanimous leader I try to avoid leading, but I like being magnamimous! and a faithful servant. uhhhhh Haven't been a servant before, but I'm a good caretaker! Once scorned in love, however, Leo will withdraw your affections and the light, once brilliant, can go cold. I go back and forth on this one... I think I do this... I'm normally the last person to give up on a friendship, and I wait for a long long time... but if I'm rejected for long enough that I do finally give up and then an attempt is made to rekindle the friendship I'm normally not interested... but for all I know that's a trait of a Pieces!

Leo motto might be "What you see is what you get." Yes. You tend to live your live straightforwardly Yes. and with a flair for drama. Kinda yes. In fact, many Leos are attracted to the theater, the performing arts and public relations, for you truly understand the importance of putting on a good presentation. Yeeeeeeeees. As you blaze gloriously through your life, remember to take time to acknowledge the feelings of those around you. If you forget, you could unconsciously hurt someone you love. Oh noooooo! :( But, if you remain aware your impact, others can benefit from your presence. Ok, see this is what I mean... I'll take the Most Generic Advice in the World for 1,000, Alex. Who doesn't this sentence apply to?

Element: Fire

Fire signs are naturally warm. *starts singing* "Hot Blooded! Check it and seeee. I got a fever- of a hundred and threeee!" A fire gives light and heat, but it doesn't get depleted as others feed on its warmth. One candle can bring light to a room and it won't burn any faster if ten people read from its light than if there was only one. DDDUUUUUDE That's like crazy deep! I never thought about it like that before. Whoa. Fire doesn't plan it next move; it isn't logical. It simply is in the moment and will burn what fuel is available without judgment or forethought. So you're saying I'm a Honey Badger? Honey Badger don't care! (Never actually seen the meme, but people laugh when I quote it still, so I keep doing it.) For this reason fire signs can successfully rely on their intuition and survival instincts. I think this means we are suppose to be really bad at planning, but I read somewhere else that the key to getting on a Leo's good side is admiration, so they found a way to say, "Yo, you suck at thinking ahead" in an admirable way.

The fire of Leo is brilliant and intense. It's like the summer Sun that relentlessly shows up every day and whose heat continues to build over a period of time. Yeah it is! Seriously though- what does this even mean? I feel like a hummingbird who has never met a another particular hummingbird.

Fifth House: Children

The Fifth House is directly related to children, but it is also associated with any type of childlike activity. Even grown-ups need to play and this is a function of the Fifth House. In fact, all self-expression and creativity comes from this sector. Additionally, this is the House of Romantic Love. Truly, the Fifth House could be called the House of Enjoyment. What the hey? First they told me that I'm child-like... then they tell me I'm an artist. THEN they tell me I'm a romantic... I think Disney bought out the fifth house. Disney probably could too. I bet they have enough money to buy out the universe just to get their own "house of mouse."

Key Planet: Sun Ok, who failed 3rd grade science? The Sun is not a planet! It's a mass of incandescent gas.

The Sun is the undisputed King of our little planetary system. He is always in the center. True-- therefore making "him" NOT A PLANET. Without his light, there would be no life here on earth. Although the Sun is 93 million miles distant, its warmth is the basis for all energy on Earth. Astrologically, the Sun represents our will. It's like the fuel that fires each of our individual furnaces and gives us cause to live. As the key planet of Leo, the Sun is the symbol of the self and from it stems all individuality and creativity. Whaaaa?? How did any of that tie together? Am I super distant? Do I give people cause to live? Am I the source of all individuality and creativity, because I'd really like to put a kabosh on the whole neon resurgence in fashion.... ugh.

Your Biggest Strength: Your playful and loving nature uhhhh sure?

Your Potential Weakness: Need for approval can become too important Ahahaha way to go out with a totally right one!

And yet no where in there do I hear the Leo's loyalty mentioned or the Leo's love for admiration... which are apparently big deals. I mean I've been hearing about the loyal Leos for years now.

Oh the things that people will make up!

E-mails and Mac and Cheese

You know it's a good manicure when, the only human interaction you had all day included a girl complimenting you on your nails.

I don't paint my nails for guys. Most of them don't notice and fewer of them care. I paint my nails for myself and for other girls.

I've been super prolific as far as blogging goes lately. I actually have 2 blogs on the back burner, that are just waiting to be published on a day that I don't have anything to say... which hasn't happened yet.

But for today I promised mac and cheese, which I will get to in a moment. First, though, I would like for you to join me in a perusal of my e-mail inbox. Within the past few days I have received e-mails with the following subject lines:

"Pollen Bees & Upgrades"

"I Have My Cake and I Will Eat It Too!"

"Moon City"

"Why Early Readers are going the way of the Dodo." (This is actually one I sent. Yes, my capitalization in that sentence is CraZy random. No, I don't know why.)

"why you can write books and make millions too"

Thank you for joining me on my e-mail tour. I hope you enjoy randomness as much as I do... if not we might be in trouble.

The funny part is that none of those were junk mail. They were all real e-mails and the e-mails actually made sense with those subject lines. Boy, alien anthropologists are gonna have a field day with me... is it weird that I often think of how to make my life the most interesting for aliens who are studying people in 10,000 years?

Now, to totally change the subject, I'm pretty sure I should be taking a multi-vitamin... Yesterday I had a venti Iced Chai, a piece of pumpkin bread, a meal from Wendy's and a lemon bar. Today I had two lemon bars, (they are gone now, thank heavens) a grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup, 10 Bagel Bites and a pack of Gushers. You will notice a distinct lack of vegetables in that line-up.

Yeah, it's really terrible.

However, I can say one thing. I have now officially tried all of the new macaroni and cheeses that have been popping up all over the bloody place and here is my review (cause I know my feelings on macaroni are really important to you):

McAlisters- Maybe they've had mac and cheese for a while and I just missed the train, being too distracted by their lovely sweet tea buckets. (To be fair they call them, "cups," but I know a bucket when I see one!) Regardless this mac and cheese is... fine. Better than your average buffet restaurant mac and cheese, but... your mom's is probably better... well.... maybe not if your "mom's" comes in a tall skinny blue box.

Wendy's- Or as I like to think of it, "'It's ok, you tryyyyy!' mac and cheese." This pretty well is standard-buffet-line mac and cheese.. The noodles were pretty mushy and that cheese was scary orange. However they do put some shredded cheddar cheese on top when you order it so that there is a little variation in texture and taste... but that's about all they have going for them. Survey says: Stick with the baked potato... or the chili... or the salad as a side... Heck, I didn't need another side option that I like at Wendy's anyway.

Panera- They have somehow achieved mac and cheese perfection at Panera, I think they might have gotten in on Pioneer Woman's "soul to the devil for amazing recipes" deal... either that or they just hired her to make their mac and cheese recipe.. The noodles aren't mushy and gross like pasta normally is in a resteraunt that doesn't only serve pasta and the cheese sauce, while white (which actually makes it seem more like real cheese not scary neon orange goo) is amazing. For the rest of my life when I partake in mac and cheese I'll secretly be craving this mac and cheese. Perhaps I oversell, but if you go, get bread as your side so you can use it to eat every last droplet of that leftover cheese sauce like the crack-laced fondue happiness that it is.

Help, help I'm being oppressed!

Today I got an e-mail from Moon City telling me that the second piece I submitted will not be published. I'm not surprised by this, because they were both long and why would they print two things of mine in the same journal? It's not the "Journal of  Everything Renée".... (That's this blog!) However, I was really happy to get the e-mail because it was obviously written to me, and they mention "What to Say" and that they are "excited" to include it in the volume.

At long last, confirmation that they really did mean to hit send on the first e-mail that said they were going to publish it.

Yes, I still doubted that they were seriously going to publish it even yesterday. I thought it still might be a big mean cosmic joke played on me by the universe.

Hooray for it not being a joke!

I'm excited to start classes... I feel like I'll be a more interesting person with classes happening. I will have things to discuss and people to describe and happenings to report.

I think right now I mainly talk about the same things over and over.

*sigh*

Speaking of which, I think Kara said it best, yesterday- My manicure is oppressing me. Maybe I should just try and chip it so that I *have* to take the polish off...

Help, help I'm being oppressed!

Oh... sad. I just looked that line up and it's actually "Help, help I'm being repressed." I don't like that nearly as much.

I find Monty Python to be endlessly quote-able but a miserable movie to sit through.. am I the only one who thinks this way?

Napolean Dynamite is similar, though less quote-able. I think it's the distinct lack of British accents. British accents make anything more quote-able.

For instance, my British GPS is constantly saying, "Take slip road on right." And do you think I would be telling you that if he weren't British? Heck no.

By the way Happy Diamond Jubilee to the Queen! It's a big year for London, with the Diamond Jubilee and the Olympics. I'd go to London, too, but the universe might implode with that much happening in London at once, so it's probably best I don't go. I don't even think the Doctor could put the world back to rights after such a happening.

Interesting fact: I get hungry at 1:30-2. It doesn't matter if I ate both lunch and supper. It doesn't matter if I had a late supper. It doesn't matter if I had big meal or small meals or lots of snacks- if it's 2 in the morning I'm hungry. Strangely enough, even when dealing with the weeks after Nathan died and I was eating next to nothing, I would still get hungry at 2 in the morning... What is that about?

Ok I have to go and get some cereal or something now. Catch ya on the flip!

P.S. Listen to these girls sing this song... And I thought I liked the original!

Detector War

Apparently my smoke detector and I are having a war.

It all started last Friday night. The night before Melissa's wedding. I had to get up early (for me) to go pick up Melissa at the hair dresser's. That meant I was going to bed early (for me).

So at 2 (I said early "for me!") I had just gotten everything together for the next day and laid down to sleep when I heard a beep.

"Oh no," I thought

But I hoped I was wrong.

I wasn't. My smoke detector was making one single beep. Every. Darn. Minute.

Now I don't know what I did to make my smoke detector mad. Maybe it just really liked the last tenants of the apartment and I'd never be able to measure up. Maybe it felt I didn't pay it enough attention. Maybe it's been plotting it's revenge since I moved in in March and burned a candle in my bedroom to try and make the place smell more like "me."

All I know is that it had obviously planned to start beeping at the least opportune time possible. I could hear it in every malicious little chirp, perfectly timed so that I would never be able to fall asleep.

I lay there for 5 minutes... thus five "BEEP"s

But I knew something had to be done, so I went and got a chair to stand on and investigated.

New apartment. I had no idea if the smoke detector was hooked up to any sort of alert system. I guessed not, because surely they would have mentioned that at move-in, but I was still afraid. Even more so when I saw that yes, in fact, the smoke detector was hooked up to wires in the ceiling

The problem was that the 9 volt battery was dead, the little blinking red dot told me so.

So I went and searched my battery stash for 9 volts...

Yeah, noone keeps 9 volt battery spares, and I, my friends, am someone.

2 in the morning, remember? I was not going to run out to get a battery. But I was terrified that by just unhooking the smoke detector I was going to cause a passel of firemen to show up at my door.

Someone later pointed out that perhaps having a bevy of uniformed and muscled men showing up on my doorstep wanting to help me was perhaps not the worst of fates, but at the time all I could think was that I didn't have time for firemen- My friend was getting married in the morning!

But it kept beeping unless I unhooked it, so I had to chance the rescuers.

But even after I unhooked it, the thing would not die! Still it chirped it's annoying chirp.

I felt like a character in a Poe story.

Finally I hid the thing under a pillow downstairs and eventually it stopped beeping.

I left the chair in the hallway, to remind me about the battery though.

As you may have gathered from the last post that was perhaps not the most successful of strategies.

But I did remember to grab 9 volt batteries today, so apparently blogging about forgetting *is* a successful strategy-- good to know.

So I come home and I unearth the smoke detector from it's pillow grave, and I put in the battery and I hook the cords in the ceiling back up to it and I try to put it back on it's little base...

and it will. not. go.

Now this is not rocket science and I'm a pretty smart girl, and even relatively handy. I understand how it's supposed to fit and then twist securely... but I can't get it to do it.

and every time I try to twist it on, it comes unhooked from the ceiling wires.

I swear, it's doing this on purpose. It's out to get me.

It's had a taste of the good life, being all snuggled up with pillows and now it doesn't want to go back to the cold and lonely ceiling.

Also it hates me and all I hold dear.

Will I ever be able to get it to return to it's home? I don't know. It's not like it has a nose that I can plug until it opens it's mouth and then I can shove it where it belongs. (Confused? Watch this clip from "Labyrinth")

I may have to find a firefighter after all. I bet smoke detectors like them.... or maybe a pyro... I'm not sure which way smoke detectors swing.

Anyone? ... Bueller?

Does any one else, when a friend is leaving your house at night, wait to lock the door and turn off the porch light in case there is a serial killer in the driveway and your friend needs to run back into your house really fast to get away from the axe murderer?

That's just me, then?

Ok. Just checking.

Does anyone else go out and buy a replacement of something just so they can find the original that's been lost for months? (And this is actually an effective strategy?)

Just me, again?

Well, what about this-

Does anyone else leave a chair in the middle of the hallway so you won't forget to buy 9 volt batteries for your smoke detector, but then just climbs over the chair all the time and continually forgets the batteries?

Does anyone else take old clip on earrings and make them into magnets which you then refer to as "fridge bling?"

Does anyone else absolutely hate the way your upper arms look in pictures so you will randomly do arm circles like you used to when you were in high school PE only while sitting in your computer chair, to try and tone them up?

Does anyone else sometimes use "reading a book" as an excuse to go lay down in your bed where you know you will fall asleep within 30 minutes?

Does anyone else keep a stash of Gushers by their computer desk for their random fruit snack cravings?

Does anyone else eat all of the tropical flavor of said Gushers first so that they will only have the strawberry flavored ones eventually which are the clearly superior Gusher flavor?

Has anyone been able to track the development of their tastebuds through college into adulthood by the foods you suddenly realized you loved... or didn't love.

Does anyone else give babies empty Pepsi boxes as toys?

 
And then take lots and lots of pictures of the baby?

Does anyone else think Purple Burrito food is super duper duper bland?

Does anyone else care if they are like anyone else?

Or am I alone in the universe?

Complimentary

I said I might not blog, but that was before the day I had.

It was a great day. I got compliments like they were going out of style and everyone bought them on the cheap.

Today I was asked at two different times and by two different people if I had hair extensions, because my hair "looks so good it looks fake."

One lady just kept bringing it up, saying that she couldn't get over it.

And several others complimented it with a range from "magical" to "perfect."

... or should those be reversed?

I was also told that I have an amazing voice that a person could listen to all day,

That I remind someone of Zooey Deschanel,

That I'm a Disney Princess.

And that I look tan. (I take that last one as a compliment because I spray tanned today, and while I don't love that I now smell of spray tan, I love that I got some color without UV rays.)

Granted, these were almost all from girls. I think one boy might have mentioned that I looked tan.

Melissa's family might be the most complimentary bunch I've ever met.

In other news, my head grew three sizes today and can now double as a hot air balloon if necessary.

Wedding Pan Luvs

Let the Wedding Weekend commence!

Tomorrow I'm getting my nails done with Melissa and Co. And I'm getting a spray tan so as to be slightly less pale than my current state... though that will hopefully be pre-nails, not post-nails

And then a bit of down time (unless Lissa has something that needs doing) and then rehearsal and rehearsal dinner and then wedding on Sat morning. I'm looking forward to it all, though please be warned that it's quite possible that there won't be a blog tomorrow night. Prepare yourselves now.

It's amazing what can happen in a year, isn't it? Even one that feels like it's crawling by.

May this time next year feel just as different as this year does from last year.

2012 is turning out to be a good year. 2009 wasn't so great and 2010 had some serious ups and downs and 2011 was a terrible year.... but 2012 is doing right by me so far. For once the year listened when I told it to shape up.... Maybe it's because I cried the New Years in and it felt bad for me?

Baby New Year was all like, "Girl, why are you crying?"

(fast forward to 2:22 for the reference)

There's a blast from the past.

Anyone else record this from TV and watch it a ton as child??

No? Only me?

I loved the shadow hand puppets part.... Of course I also didn't really realize that Peter Pan was a girl.... I was just super confused as to why there was a boy named Mary Martin.

Ah well.

Live and learn.

But don't buy Luvs, cause I ain't got no baby!

Sometimes I delight in making weird blog post titles that don't actually make any sense.

Stream of consciousness

Greetings from beyond the void.

I don't really know what void I'm referring to, I just wanted to say that.

Dude. I went to bed at 1 AM last night. No foolin'!

That isn't happening tonight. Tonight I have to curl my hair and paint my nails.... and cut them- (my nails, not my hairs) - They are at the too-long stage.... that and I have one super short one that will seem less short if I cut the rest of them.

Is it weird that I keep my curling iron and a mirror by my computer chair so that I can watch a TV show while I curl my hair?? It takes 45 minutes to curl if I'm watching a tv show and about 25 if I'm not. But if I'm not there is a lot of standing around staring at myself in the mirror, so really I'm being efficient with my time. You gotta respect that, even if you do think I spend too much time on my hair.

RESPECT IT!

Ok fine whatever, do what you want.

I'm a terrible disciplinarian.

I want a snack.

OK really I want a bowl of cereal...

Ok *Really* I want a bowl of frosted Rice Krispies.  But I'm out.

I was going to make a comment about sugary cereal, but actually, as cereals go it's not that bad. I looked it up.

Oh Noooes! I left my Mini Snickers in Jon and Katie's freezer.

Seriously. Mini Snickers, plus freezer equals my favorite... or at least my top 5 favorite.

I don't think I understand what favorite means.

Man, my stream of consciousness is more like one of those zig-zaggy sluices they have at the tourist trap gold/gem mining places.

Awkward Turtle

My life is kinda strange sometimes.

When did I become attractive? I totally missed the memo. I mainly think I'm awkward.

And I think that because... I am.

I suppose awkward is "in" right now... but seriously, Zooey Deschanel has got nothing on me sometimes.

I feel like this is something I was supposed to figure out in high school... you know, when no one was even remotely interested.

So I missed the memo and awkward I remain.

Much like this post.

Oh come on, you know it'd been too long since I'd made a crappy jpg for you.