Spare Time is a beautiful thing

I've so much time on my hands now that I don't have to spend it all constantly working on/worrying about schoolwork. College is so much unnecessary stress and I'm more than half tempted to just drop out. I'm kidding. Unfortunately, I can't drop out of college. Yes, I said unfortunately. Don't get me started.

Getting back to my main point, the semester's over and now I have time to actually do things that I enjoy, including (but not limited to):

-Spending time with family and friends
-Sleeping enough
-Playing the sims
-Reading things that I want to read (as opposed to what I have to read)
-Writing (unrelated to academics)
-Feeling happy, optimistic and upbeat


Today I hung (horrible diction. So sorry) out with Jenni, saw Avatar with my dad and brother, ate Qdoba and watched a movie in my bed while I played the Sims. I love days like these and they really don't happen during the semester. On the off chance that it does, I can't enjoy it much because I'm too busy worrying about when I'm going to make up the work that I was supposed to be doing instead of enjoying life. For this, I blame DePauw. Gah, there I go again with the negativity.

OKAY. Seriously, I made this post to say that I'm feeling happy (save for one incident today, which I'd rather not bring up) and tomorrow is looking good too. I'm hanging out with Hayley, which is always a treat. I want popcorn.

Avatar was so much better than I thought it was going to be. Going in, I had no clue what the movie was even about. Not only was Avatar just BEAUTIFUL to watch, but the plot was just wonderful. Aside from the fact that it made the military look evil (which, I do not believe the military as a whole is) I really appreciated the fact that the perspective was changed. Normally, hostile aliens are colonizing earth for no real reason. In Avatar, humans were colonizing the aliens' planet. Sort of makes you think twice. This was set in the future (2152 I believe... why do i use so many parentheses???) but it is also true for the past. You know that little rhyme: "In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue". Then the Europeans proceeded to steal the land from the "hostile savage natives" and cultivate it for their own purposes. What am I talking about??

What I'm trying to say is that Avatar is both visually and conceptually engaging. It's wonderful to watch, and it makes me think. That's all I wanted to say. Sometimes, I am a bit wordy. Forgive me.

Ok, I'm tired of writing, and since I'm not scrambling to have something due, I can just stop! How glorious. Oh btw, I had a nightmare that I was at the playboy mansion (???RANDOM???) writing a paper for a Lit class that I had two semesters ago. It was 4am, and I had to have the 8 page paper done by class at 2:20pm. I had three paragraphs. I was so relieved to wake up and find that I did not, in fact, have a paper to write!

Ok, seriously I'm done. I'm going to eat popcorn and probably start another movie. YES.

Nerd Alert. All hands on deck.

The phrase "See into the life of things" has been buzzing around in my head all day. I remembered it from a Wordsworth poem, but I couldn't remember which one. Don't worry, I found it.

From Lines Composed A Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey:

Until, the breath of this corporeal frame
And even the motion of our human blood
Almost suspended, we are laid asleep
In body, and become a living soul:
While with an eye made quiet by the power
Of harmony, and the deep power of joy,
We see into the life of things.



Also, I just recently finished reading the most depressing/haunting/disturbing book I have ever read in all my life. This spot was previously held by George Orwell's 1984. Not anymore. Cormac McCarthy's The Road is now the winner. Then I saw the movie... Bad bad bad idea.

In the midst of the bleakness of The Road, I found this excerpt really beautiful. I can't get over it.

"He walked out in the gray light and stood and he saw for a brief moment the absolute truth of the world. The cold relentless circling of the intestate earth. Darkness implacable. The blind dogs of the sun in their running. The crushing black vacuum of the universe. And somewhere two hunted animals trembling like ground foxes in their cover. Borrowed time and borrowed world and borrowed eyes with which to sorrow it."

Blowing my mind right now.

The fish swims in the sea while the sea is (in a certain sense) contained within the fish. Oh, what I am to think of what the writings of a thousand lifetimes could not explain if all the forest trees were pens and all the oceans ink?

-MewithoutYou

UGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. VAS-TU!

Snoop Dog was on Conan O' Brien last night. Apparently, he's started a football related after school program for middle and high school students. In an effort to promote learning off the field, participants are required to maintain at least a 2.0 GPA.

Wow, don't hurt your brains kids. A 2.0 GPA in middle or high school is so unbelievably hard to achieve *sarcasm*. Way to set the bar high.

And since when is Snoop Dog a positive role model for anyone, especially kids?

I'm very worried about the upcoming generation.

Every time I watch the NBC channel 13 11:00 news, they're ALWAYS talking about facebook. What gives? When did facebook become newsworthy?

Also,
Dr. Lincoln's Simulated Plastic Conspiracy is probably the worst band name ever.

And,
I'm sooo glad to be done with American National Government. That class was a disastrous waste of my time and money. I'd better get an A.

Oh how I miss the days of book reports in elementary and middle school. What's easier than reading a book and then just rewriting what happened. Deep, perceptive analyzation? What is that?


On the upside, I'm feeling more posi today. Heck yes. It may not seem like it, but I am. I am also craving subway and soup. I'm clocking out of working on my paper to take a much needed/deserved lunch.

Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive! Stay Positive!


IT'S NOT WORKING!!

I feel compelled to run around my room with post-its and a sharpie and label everything in French.

Quotes from Thanksgiving 09

"People are dying to get into the cemetery."
-Granddad Hudson

This strikes a chord with me.

I will preface this by saying:

If you are going to sing in public and you are going to sound bad (and you know it), at least know the words. And, most importantly, don't state your name.

I never write on here anymore, which is sad. This semester has just been so crazy. But, it's sort of been a good crazy? I'm much happier than I was last semester.

Today I googled "hobbies for indoor cats" because I decided my cat needs a hobby. He's stuck in the house all day with nothing to do and we're wondering why he's going crazy and tearing the back porch apart?? Maybe he's bored out of his mind! I thought maybe he could knit, or crochet, or work on a puzzle, then I remembered he's a cat. So, I turned to google. The website I found said that cats enjoy balls of foil. I gave him one. He played with it for hours and then passed out to take a nap. Problem solved.

Thanksgiving is tomorrow, and I'm happy because I have a lot to be thankful for. I'd say I easily have more to be thankful for than I have to be unthankful for.

I might make a list before I go to bed.

I'm thankful for the Sims. haha. And I'm going to go waste time playing that right.... now.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Me: Why didn't they just buy the pan for the turkey while they were at the store? Now its up to me to save the Thanksgiving turkey.
Hannah: You mean the one you and Jon were just throwing around the kitchen?

"Tell all the stones we're going to make a building, we'll be cut into shape and set into place."

Judging by the smell of things, my neighbors have apparently been too busy smoking pot to take out the trash for the past month. A skunk got onto our porch last night and tore open the trash. Now it's all over the place. I woke up the smell of skunk in my nostrils.

I want new neighbors.

I've had a headache since Sunday. If it persists, I will cut it off. 

I can't wait until my crockpot beans are done cooking so I can eat them. 

I could live off of Diet Coke, Cheetos, ice cream and/or chocolate chip cookies. That is terrible. 

Most importantly, whiny people irritate me. Shut up and get over it. (This doesn't include me, of course)

There's a bunch of shows I want to see coming up: 

The Almost

The Chariot and Oh Sleeper

Taking Back Sunday and Fun

Haste the Day and The Devil Wears Prada

If I get to see all of these, or even half, I will be complete. 

OK, no, I need to see them all. 

I've said some pretty stupid stuff today because I didn't sleep well last night or any of the nights since last Thursday. Here's a few examples. 

  

I was supposed to be at class today from 2:20-3:50 but I showed up at 2:50 because I got it confused with another class that meets right next to it from 2:50-3:50 on a different day. I had a story due today too so it looked like I was one of those slackers that couldn't get the story finished on time. 

I said that triangles don't naturally exist. 

For my radio show, they have a set schedule for us to follow of when we're supposed to do say and play what, and I was in charge of it this week. At the end of the show, we were a full ten minutes off. Five of the songs just didn't get played.

I talked to my roommate for like 15 minutes about how a poem I was going to write. Here is that poem: 

I wish we could all be normal again.

I wish we could all be normal again. 

(The middle is open for interpretation. hahaha). 

Basically, I've just been talking out of my butt all day. 

Frustrated

I'm an english writing major, and I hate everything I've written so far this semester. It's all horrible. 

BURFDAY

Happy Birthday Justin!

Sorry you didn't find $280 at Target this year. We should have done a better job of recreating last year's circumstances. 

On the upside, here's a cake...

...half eaten by a dirty toddler.

I found this picture somewhere on the interwebz. 

Sorry this is a few hours belated, I was doing homework. 

So, here's what's happening right now. 

I'm sitting at my desk in my room, which has no AC. As a result, I have a fan. This fan oscillates and I don't know how to make it not oscillate. Every time is oscillates its way to the furthest left, it blows my whacky whiskers calendar into my face. I am extremely irritated. 

Oh and the internet connection drops every five or so minutes. 

I'm mostly looking forward to going back to DePauw but I'm absolutely dreading going back to Greencastle. I hate that town more than anyplace I have ever been in my whole life. What are the words I could use to describe Greencastle? I'll check the thesaurus. 

I've decided these words accurately describe my feelings towards that godforsaken town: 

Harrowing

Abhorrent 

Loathsome

Reprehensible 

Heartbreaking 

Lamentable 

I would go on but I'm depressing myself.  

Only two more years there.

A small victory

Have not updated in a while. 

In reference to my post on June 25, 2009 titled "One of the strangest things I've ever seen", I have finally found the song that was playing that I knew I had heard somewhere, but couldn't remember for anything, that has been driving me crazy. Poor sentence. 

And this is why I just loooove Mitchell Davis...  

What are the odds that this song would be on one of the videos of one my favorite youtubers ever? As soon as that 3 second song clip began, something just fired in my brain, connecting those sounds with that mysterious party bus. I am sooo relieved that I found it, I haven't even seen the end of the video.

Just a few things

1. I just love Passion Pit.
2. I'm AWFUL, AWFUL, AWFUL at saving money. I can rattle off 15 things I feel like I need to have right now without taking a breath. This is bad. 
3. My leg is killing me. I think I pulled something at yoga. I'm sitting here and it hurts. Sitting, standing, or laying it hurts. And let's not even talk about walking. Hopefully it feels better tomorrow.
4. When I have my iTunes on shuffle, then I go off course and choose a song that looks appealing I've feel like I've wrongly changed the course of destiny and it's going to come back to get me final destination style. 
5. I'm worried about Haste the Day and have been for years. 
6. Okay, maybe not years...
7. I love chocolate chip cookies something fierce.
8. Something fierce? *consider revising*

Today, I Barbequed

Hamburgers, Hot Dogs, Brats. All by myself. 

It wasn't my idea. 

But it's easier than I thought. 

Someone should que up a parade in my honor. 

next semester's forecast...

Because pessimism gets me nowhere. That was so last semester. 

 http://tiny.cc/jIdld 

I have a bite the size of a half dollar on my leg, among others. Something is eating me alive and it's not a mosquito. 

Oh, you know, just sleeping in a kitchen.

Quotes from family vacation '09

Grandad: Do you know the difference between an elephant and a banana?

Me: No. 

Grandad: Then I'm not sending you to the store for bananas!

Highway toll man: That'll be $9.10

Dad: $9.10??

Grandad: That's highway robbery.

Dad: Literally.

Even though family vacation irritates me to no end I have to admit, this is pretty funny.

slightly obsessed right now...

Just as a future F.Y.I. for myself, these are my top 25 most played iTunes songs as of today. 

25. Tessellate- Tokyo Police Club

24. The Minor Prophets- Haste the Day

23. 68- Haste the Day

22. Land Locked Blues- Bright Eyes

21. Seven Nation Army- The White Stripes

20. Honest Hitchhikers Asking For Cash Handouts- Sky Eats Airplane

19. Attractive Today- Motion City Soundtrack

18. One Day Women Will All Become Monsters- Chiodos

17. Road To Joy- Bright Eyes

16. Sleeping Lessons- The Shins

15. Marching Bands of Manhattan- Death Cab For Cutie

14. All Nerieds Beware- Chiodos

13. Challenger Pt. 2- Gwen Stacy

12. Crashin- Jack's Mannequin

11. Now That You're Home- The Manchester Orchestra

10. So Long- Guster

9. Caution, Dangerous Curves Ahead- Maylene & The Sons of Disaster

8. The Opposite Viewed In Real Time- Sky Eats Airplane

7. Messes of Men- MewithoutYou

6. Resolve- Haste the Day

5. Could Tell A Love- Bless The Fall

4. Quiet As A Mouse- Margot & The Nuclear So and So's

3. You Are A Runner And I Am My Father's Son- Wolf Parade

2. Patterns- Sky Eats Airplane

1. At The Bottom Of Everything- Bright Eyes

This is very interesting to me. I feel I don't even listen to half these songs that much? Guster? Motion City Soundtrack? Oooh, I think they're from Jon's iPod. DANG IT. 

Future Note to Self: Reset the play count of songs that appear on the top played that definitely shouldn't be. 

Jerry Uelsmann.

I'm going to go live here. 

Me: Ooo, I have a great idea. I'm going to invent a remote control ottoman. Like, there's going to be a button on the remote control like the ones you have for video or input or whatever and it's going to say "O" or something and you can make the ottoman move back and forth with the channel or arrow buttons and you can just lift up your feet and you don't have to reach out and--

Kiara: Pooky. What the hell are you talking about? 

So apparently when TV first started in 1800 or whenever, the broadcast used to just end at night. Like I guess it would be maybe 11 or whatever, I don't know, but apparently everything would just cut off and they would play the national anthem or the pledge of allegiance and that would just be it. End of the broadcast day. 

I sort of wish that still happened now, except with everything. TV, internet, my whole laptop. Sometimes I wish it would just shut off. I realize I could just manually do that, but I know I probably won't. When I was in Egypt and didn't have my laptop and only had internet access when I would go find an internet cafe, I didn't miss it near as much as I thought it would. I actually really loved not having direct internet access whenever I wanted it. We still watched lots of arabic music videos, which was fun, but I wasn't on my laptop for half the day. 

It would really be an outrage if the internet just shut off at a certain time. It might be the end of civilization as we know it. Seriously. Everything revolves around the internet. 

Whatever. I just can't remember what I used to be before I spent like 4 hours a night on my laptop. I think I talked to my family or played barbies or hung out with Jon in his room and played with our legos who all had a name and very specific personality. 

With that being said, I can't decide what to do in my spare time before I go to bed. I could: 

1. Watch Donnie Darko on my laptop
2. Play the sims on my laptop
3. Listen to music on my laptop
4. Continue reading the complete works of Oscar Wilde... in a real book. 

I'll read some Wilde. 

p.s. I know TV was invented after 1800. I was making a joke and trying to be funny, which is why most jokes are told. 

p.s.s.  I love my laptop and don't know what I would do without you ... oops I mean "it". I literally did just type "you" not on purpose... 

Lately I've been having really disturbing dreams that bother me all throughout the day. Last night's dream was about the sun basically flaring out and torching the entire earth/a giant flaming meteor blowing up the earth. It was late at night and I was grocery shopping at school with some people that I don't really know and we got outside with our grocery bags to put them in the trunk and I heard this loud streaking noise like a missile tearing through the air and I looked up and this big orange yellow flaming oval shaped meteor was falling towards the earth and leaving a smoke trail behind it. 

And everyone knew what was happening because they had been talking about it on the news.

 And the last thing that happened was that I was thinking about how I needed to get to my car and get home to say goodbye to family and 

that Michelle's in Cincinnati and 

all of the friends that I wont' see again. Then my alarm went off. 

And I was relieved. And now I've been all shaken up all day thinking about the world ending like a scene from a disaster movie. These dreams really need to cease and desist, 

it's not a good way to start my day. 

Today at the gym, I got sucked into watching The Bachelorette with the lady on the elliptical next to me. Typical, stupid, totally scripted but made to look unscripted so stupid people keep watching week to week reality show if you ask me. I might be watching next week. 

And also, I'd like to add that I got my cavity filled today and I definitely held it together. No breakdowns today (excluding the fact that I'm listening to August Burns Red right now). HAHA. stupid. bad joke. 

One of the strangest things I've ever seen

I CANNOT stop thinking about this weird bus. It was spotted by myself and Hannah outside of Steak n' Shake on 71st and Binford between 12-12:30 am on Saturday June 20th. It was a school bus, painted dark blue. We could see the figures of a few people standing up moving and talking or dancing or whatever. All the windows were down and they were BLASTING some old hip-hop or R&B song or whatever from like ten years ago. I can't remember the song for anything though and it is driving me crazy!! If you see this dark blue bus with its 90's r&b hits driving around in the dark, stop them and ask them :

1. WHY in the world they're driving around in a dark blue school bus
2. Where they got a dark blue school bus
3. What song were they playing on June 20th when they passed Steak n' Shake 

If everyone (all 1-2 people that read this) pitches together, we can find these people. And maybe, if I'm lucky, I can join their 90's hip-hop/R&B party bus joyriders club. Seriously. 

I'm about to waste the rest of the evening watching Friday Night Lights on my laptop. 

Why hasn't Old Navy paid me yet? 

One day, I'm going to write something that's actually worthwhile. 

Today's Noteworthy Events are as follows:

• Dentist Appointment. Now I have never been a person that really truly hates the dentist. But now, I definitely am. Today, I started freaking out while the lady was using that sharp instrument to poke and scrape my teeth. She kept asking me if I was okay to which I replied yes. I should've said no and maybe taken a two minute break. That would have been a good idea. I was NOT OKAY. What happened was as soon as I got in the chair, I started to remember the last time I was there and had to have FOUR cavities filled. I hadn't even had four cavities in my whole lifetime then I had four in one visit. He stuck me with that needle in my gum FOUR times and the whole procedure took like an hour. It was intense, but I held together. Today, I cracked. What really got me were a few things. The memories of last time and that awful needle. She was sharpening those already dangerously sharp hooked tools and sound of it against the sharpening stone was just completely awful. One of the worst sounds I have ever heard, and I'm very sensitive to sounds. The dentist was in another room using some tool that was making a noise that sounded like the cavity drill only a million times worse! And the sound of the extra-sharp tools on my teeth sounded worse than nails on a chalkboard. I was pretty much about to lose it. I may or may not have started crying. And to top it off, I have another cavity. I'm really thinking about just not going back. I really don't know if I can do it. I might just have a full-fledged breakdown in their office. 
• At starbucks (in Clay Terrace) today this awesome man had enough balls to tell these obnoxious carmel pre-teens with their underwear length shorts, coach wristlets and iPhones to clean up the mess they made before they blew out of there and headed somewhere else to be obnoxious carmel pre-teens (they probably had time to hit a few more spots to say to their other friends "Oh i went to _______ with ________ and _________ and _________ yesterday" before their moms picked them up). I'd say they were 12-13. Maybe, 14 tops. There were about six of them, both guys and girls. When I arrived they were already there texting each other from across the table and the girls were sitting on the guys' laps because there "weren't enough chairs". (There were plenty). They sat around making noise and screaming for about 15 minutes then got up to leave, leaving their cups and straw papers behind. Not to mention all the chairs they'd rearranged. So half of them are out the door deciding where to go next when this totally awesome guy who had been sitting there trying to read the paper goes, "You're just going to leave without cleaning up your mess?" They looked totally and completely dumbfounded. A few of the girls stammered some words, embarrassed, and feebly grabbed napkins. Quite honestly, they looked completely stupid, and they knew it, which, I'm sure was a shock because they probably think they are coolest kids in all of carmel. HA. They cleaned up and then left, embarrassed. After they were he and met eyes, shook our heads and rolled our eyes. It was hilarious.  Then I got a free latte. 
• Continuing with the stupidity of carmel teenagers two 15 year old girls got caught stealing swimsuits from Old Navy today while I was working. IDIOTS. They cut the tags off in the fitting room, which the girl working back there found and reported it to Patty (the leader on duty). Patty called mall security. As the girls were about to leave the store, Patty stopped them and says "Girls, excuse me, but we found cut off tags in the dressing room you were in." Their faces turned beet red. One girl pulled a bikini out of her oversize bag and said something along the lines of "I'm really sorry..." blah blah blah. Just as they were walking out, security came in. They tried to act like they didn't see him and just high tail it out of there. Seriously, they were practically running. The security guard caught them, called their dads, and banned them from Clay Terrace for a year (How will two 15 year old Carmel girls live without cLaY tErRaCe?!!?!?) It's possible the other girl still had stolen merchandise, though. I can't remember if the Security guard said he checked them. But even so if she gets home and tries to wear it, her parents are going to know she stole it. So, so stupid. They're lucky we don't live in a country where they cut your hand clean off for stealing. 

Well, this is long, but I feel like I'll want to read about these events later, so they need to be well documented. 

Something else that's been on my mind is how athletes are overpaid by MILLIONS of dollars. Why not pay people more that actually contribute to and do good for society? People like teachers, policemen, firefighters, and I don't know maybe those in the ARMED FORCES who serve and protect our country. I know that it doesn't work like that though. I mean you can't just take money from Lebron James or whoever and give it to a teacher who makes an impact everyday on kids' lives. But it just bugs me that this country gives more to people who play games than those who work hard to serve society. If professional sports leagues died off, the country would still be functioning. Sure, sports revenues help the economy, but it wouldn't be the end of the world. But if we didn't have a military, firefighters, law enforcement, teachers and other really important positions I'm forgetting, we would be in major trouble. I mean I understand that athletes have a very unique skill set, but really how much does it truly matter if __________ is really good at basketball or football or whatever. Good teachers on the other hand may be sacrificing a job of higher pay to try to impart what they know to ignorant, ungrateful high schoolers. And I think elementary teachers really have a special gift to interact so well with kids. UGH. Whatever. I don't like getting myself worked up. I really just typed a whole lot... wow.  I think it's because I ate a few dark chocolate covered coffee beans. Straight to the bloodstream I tell you. 

Hi, you've reached Mr. Zebra. Leave your message at the stripe. 

oh man, final destination

http://tiny.cc/tuxHP 

Dear Blog, 

I'm exceedingly excited to see Disney Pixar's Up tomorrow in digital 3D. 

Jim Brandenburg

Just bought this book. 

Looking for Summer by Jim Brandenburg. 

He's a noted nature photographer. 

Worked with Nation Geographic, but didn't feel like they were true enough to the art of photography. 

So he's done his own books. 

I stare at the pictures. 

I like to stare. 

At things.

Or people. 

If I can get away with it. 

So, I can't really believe I'm saying this, but two weeks into summer, I'm ready to move back to college.

Gotta love

Ben Gibbard

and

a beard.

Or just Ben Gibbard.

Bad news:

Didn't get to see Taking Back Sunday

Good news:

My facebook status said i was "bummed" and three people cared enough to ask me why.

I finally finished my freaking puzzle. It was only 500 pieces, but it took me like five days. In my defense, I only worked on it three out of five days.  I was going to upload a picture of it but I'm really just too lazy. 

In other news, 

Actually, I really have nothing to say. I just thought the whole "bad news, good news, in other news" sequence sounded great. 

If I think of something to say later, I'll 

I forgot what I was going to type there. I wandered off for like five minutes. MY ANKLE HURTS. 

Pain travels through your body at 350ft a second. 

Source: The fun facts application on hannah's iphone. oops i mean "cool facts".

I'm really bummed about missing Taking Back Sunday. 

okay jenna check out this nasty brownie... hopefully it works.

Ant problem

we had one. At our suite at DePauw. It was really gross. Here's proof. 

I put a cheez-it on the floor. Fifteen minutes later...

Thirty-ish minutes later...

And the next morning...

No, I did not alter this picture. They like stripped the cheez-it of its cheeziness... 

I put down a piece of a brownie too. About thirty minutes later...

It's really hard to see, since the ants camouflage with the brownie, but there were sooo many. Look closely. 

Then, the next morning...

I put these samples down around like 7 at night... I had just vacuumed the ENTIRE floor that afternoon, yet still, so many ants. Oh and this was our science experiment. Jennifer and I were going to keep data, but we were too busy studying for finals. 

Needless to say, I'm glad the semester's over and I moved out of there. 

it's all crazy! it's all false! it's all a dream! it's alright

New mewithoutYou CD 

has made my day

very 

happy. 

summertime

....aaaannnnddd REPOSE.

Discovery

I CAN'T sit still when I listen to Daft Punk. 

Officially

freaking out about my bio exam!! I spent waaay too much time writing my paper and now I'm running behind schedule. 

Also, ... umm I can't remember what I was going to say. At any rate, I'm going to bed now to wake up in six hours and take a french exam that I only studied an hour for. 

"We have just lost cabin pressure."

I'm over college and ready for summer...

... and have been since February. 

The lady at Walmart rang me up for one french onion dip five times and only voided two.

The way God works/speaks through Aaron Weiss amazes me... and makes me a bit jealous. 

YES. AGREED.

 "It's the touch of sound. Sound is touch and nothing touches you like good, really good, music." 

-Paul Beatty (Slumberland)

long time favorite

Reading

and 

over the summer. 

Photo walk.

I went for one yesterday. Actually, it was more a drive because the place I wanted to shoot wasn't within walking distance. But I did walk to a few places. My official photo walk will be later this week... maybe. 

Anyways, I've been meaning to take pictures for a while, but I didn't know what to shoot. Then I decided to take pictures of things/buildings/whatever that I think characterizes how I see Greencastle. 

I shot around 200 pictures but no one wants to look at 200 pictures worth of junk. So, I've chosen my favorites and put them on my flickr. http://www.flickr.com/photos/christine-ann/

The first place I went was this abandoned building I always pass coming in and out of Greencastle and I always think of how neat it looks. So, I drove there and did some shooting. There was this man who walked up to me while I was shooting (he came out of nowhere) and asked me if I was interested in buying the place. Are you kidding me man? Anyways, I told him no then he talked to me for a while longer about how the guy used to own it and now owns a body shop somewhere or something. Irrelevant. Then I told him I was taking pictures for a photography class which was a total lie. I should've said photography "project", that would've have been true. It's a project, just not one mandated by a professor. I assigned it to my self. Why did I tell that man I was in a photography class? 

Whatever, the place was called Zippie's when it used to be a restaurant. 

So I did some shooting around there. There was a lot of trashed furniture.

After the guy talked to me, he sat around on a fence and watched me take pictures. How creepy is that? You can see him here in the background in the orange shirt sitting on the fence. 

WHAT A CREEPER. Apparently, he was there to park his car to try to sell it. You can see the bumper of on the far left upper corner. It was a piece of crap Buick that he wanted $1500 for. 

I left once I was sufficiently creeped out and went to shoot this building that I shot for photography class last semester. It might be one of my favorite building's in Greencastle.

This is pretty much an exact replica of the picture I turned in for class. I even put it in black and white. There are more pictures of it on my flickr. I'm really obsessed with all the pointed triangles coming off of the roof. 

I took other pictures around that area too of a steakhouse, mama nunz restaurant, and a feed center, whatever that is. They're on my flickr. I took other pictures around there too but I'm not crazy about them so I didn't post them anywhere. Maybe I will later. 

Then I went to this creepy looking house. It looks haunted, and its broken and busted it down but it has great potential. 

There was a dead squirrel on the sidewalk and it REEKED. Plus there was a car in the driveway and I was paranoid that maybe someone lived there. But I really think the house could be really nice. I would flip and another house if  1) I had money 2) The houses were somewhere more profitable. 

This is the other one I want to flip. This one looks less haunted. 

I love the red brick and the green shutters, as well as the nice architectural details. Really gives the house character. 

This house was the last thing I shot that day. There's more on my flickr. I think I said that already. This is really just far too long. 

considering ordering...

THESE PILLS:

http://www.wakeupontime.com/

It sounds too good to be true!!

Dodging

I want some. 

And so does he. 

My biology professor cancelled class today to go turkey hunting. 

I'm currently on strike as far as reading my book for African-American Lit. It's vulgar/pornographic. 

I went to the french table today and spoke french for a half hour straight. I knew we had to have five of these "cultural linguistic points" all semester long, but I didn't realize each activity only counted for one point. OOPS. I was just going to watch one movie and have that count for five points. Swing and a miss!

Check this guy out:

Waldo Geraldo Faldo

So right now, I was supposed to be trying to figure out what I want to do with my life. But it's a big decision and I'm scared and nothing goes according to plan anyways. Does anyone really get to do what they want in life? Whatever. I don't know what I want to do and I don't like being asked repeatedly. When I figure it out, I'll let you know. 

Beirut

Living...

here next year with Hillary!

On the top floor. Have no idea what it looks like inside in reality, but the layout is strange...

You have to click on the floor plan to see apartment 2, where Hillary and I are living. We will probably convert the half of the living room space into a second bedroom. Anyone want to sell us some dry wall? Haha, kidding. 

apprehensive

"the future hangs over our heads"

I was wrong...

housing "judgment day" is actually like all of this upcoming week, thursday especially. It's hard to pinpoint one day.

Of course, DePauw housing wouldn't make it that easy for me...

Basically, I'm freaking out even worse than before and I have a feeling I'm about to get majorly screwed over by housing. 

I wish I wouldn't have even checked my e-mail. At least then I could still be hopeful.

Whatever, I'm not going to let it ruin my weekend. I just bought seasons one, two and three of it's always sunny in philadelphia and I'm sooo excited to watch it!!

Today is...

housing judgment day. 

And I'm nervous. Hence my diction: "JUDGMENT" instead of "notification". 

For serious, I'm freaking out. 

yawn

Um so I just watched Judge Joe Brown. It's amazing how angry people can be over nothing. These two roommates had been in a physical fight over five dollars... Five dollars? Really? 

They were still pissed about it. 

But then the girl left before the lease was up, so I guess that's more reasonable for her roommate to be angry. But the reason she left was because of the physical altercation over the $5. 

Speaking of being cheap,  I just won a gift certificate for a free pizza from Domino's in the hub. They're doing some alcohol awareness survey. Once you finish it, you're guaranteed a prize! While she was looking for the envelope with the Domino's gift certificates, I saw some for Papa John's and Walmart too!! I'm really thinking about changing my hair, clothes, putting in my contacts and putting on my red sunglasses and going back there and taking another survey. There's some items I need from walmart, and it would be great to get them for free. Should I go back??? Gahhh, I don't know what to do. I wonder if they'll recognize me? Not with those bright red sunglasses. I can put my hair over my face too. 

I'm ready for a nap, but I've already made other plans. Here's what I'm going to do: Go to the gym, shower, go to walmart, start my paper and possibly finish. Here's what I want to do: nap, play the sims. That's quite the conflict. 

I need a vacation. Like I need to get out of the state for at least a week. I'd like to go camping. And do some stargazing. And lay in the warm sun. 

I really want to go on Judge Joe Brown and argue with one of my roommates over $5. I'll see who's interested. 

summer/childhood movie

Hannah and I each ordered this off of eBay yesterday. I can't wait to watch it in 12-21 days. 

Gross

I had a dream last night that I went back to work at Papa Murphy's and they had macaroni and cheese as a possible pizza topping. 

I'M RICH!!

My tax return plus my paycheck from Old Navy are both officially in my bank account!! I finally have more than $30 to live off of :D

In other news, 

LFO's lyrcis from summer girls is probably the most non-sensical piece of music ever written. I don't even know where to begin. I laughed so hard I couldn't stand up straight. I strongly urge you to read the lyrics here: http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/lfo/summergirls.html. 

A good laugh awaits you. The youtube video is a treat also. 

Those cd's "Now that's what I call music" are apparently still being made. Guess what number they're up to. Guess. That's right. 72. Now 72. Wonderful!

I may or may not have listened a few of the Now cd's last night. As a result, I now have two Creed songs on my computer (embarrassed). Also I discovered, Enrique Iglesias and Zac Hansen are so cute. What's that? You don't believe me? Here, I'll show you. 

MMMBOP *insert gibberish here*

BAILAMOS! LET THE RHYTHM TAKE YOU OVER BAILAMOS!!

Umm... sorry, about that. I feel like I'm 11 years old. 

I've been studying for my biology test all day today. It blows. I'm going a little loopy and considering deleting those pictures above. 

I drank a rockstar today since they were out of my caribou coffee iced espresso. I responded very well to it. 

Going to see the knowing tonight. Chances are, it will suck, but hey its only a dollar!

If Nick Carter, formerly of the Backstreet Boys, proposed to me today, I don't know if I'd say no. That's how much I loved BSB. 

I should get back to studying now. My feet are freezing. Where are my moccasins?? 

Found em. 

I really want to go shopping with my money!! I haven't had money in so long. Oh and my mom RULES because I borrowed $140 from her to finance expenses for Chicago trip/shopping spree and now she says I don't have to pay her back! Does that rule or what? I mean, seriously, where would I be without parents? That thought terrifies me. Parents are a gift from God. 

This post is really far too long and those pictures are really obnoxious. I will leave them though. Why not? What could it hurt. OK, I'm seriously done now. 

TIRED

I am so sleepy that I just looked at pictures on google of people sleeping. I was going to post some of my favorites on here but I'm too sleepy. I'm always sleepy! Uggghhh, I need to WAKE UP. I think I've just perpetually been tired for the past like six years of my life. I remember when I used to be awake and energized all day!! Then I turned 14. Seriously, I have no reason to really be this tired all the time. I can sleep all day and like five hours at night and still be tired. For instance, on Tuesdays I don't have class. This past tuesday, i woke up at 1:30 in the afternoon... tired. I usually go to the gym when I wake up but instead i lazed around. Then I fell BACK ASLEEP at like 4. After I'd just woken up like two hours earlier. I woke up at 6 and I was tired again! I mean seriously, what the... guhh. If i sleep too much I'm tired, if I don't sleep enough I'm tired. I'm going to get lunch now. 

OMG ITS APRIL!!!

DO YOU KNOW WHAT THIS MEANS???????

????????????

I GET A NEW KITTEN ON MY WHACKY WHISKERS CALENDAR!!! 

So long, March kitten who has been staring at me all month while propped up one elbow and helloooo adorable black kitten peeking his head out of a popcorn bowl. You are too cute. Simple things excite me. 

Chicago for a day

Went to Chicago for a day during spring break pour faire des achats. That's french for go shopping. I finally saw the bean which I never seen whenever I'm there. Weird. Umm it rained when we were at the bean. I checked the weather ahead of time and brought an umbrella, which I then left in the car. Typical behavior. 

Me and Alex!! We're some novs.

This is a bird in a tree. He was not at the bean.

F.Y.I. if you click on the pictures they get ridiculously huge.

Spring Break > School

I don't want to go back, but the time has come. Usually I head straight back, but today I've taken a nap, baked cookies, watched TV... I  just reeally reeally don't want to go back there. 

Motivation:

Summer is coming soon. Really, really soon. As soon as I get back, I'm starting a countdown like I did last year. Post-it notes and crayons. 

I hate the drive into Greencastle. It's barren and ugly and boring. I like the drive into Indy because I pass by downtown. The skyline is very welcoming. 

Man, I'm really sad about going back. I have to pack now. :(

FedEx Beetles

"Don't you know that for $12 an hour, I will be a swatting fool?"

-Kiara

Marching Bands of Manhattan

I want to draw a picture of a tiny marching band marching out of a mouth, like in the death cab song. I can just see it in my mind. Red top hats with gold chin straps, red uniforms with a gold stripe on the leg. The drummer is on the end, with his big drum, beating either side. His left leg is bent at a 90 degree angle, because he's marching. Trumpet in front of him, his cheeks all puffed out, leg bent the same as the drummers. The rest of the marching band is behind them, but you can't make them out. If I could draw, I would just draw that and I wouldn't have to sit here and type it. A picture is worth a thousand words. I'm really going to try to draw it in my sketchbook which is full of nothing. We will see what happens. 

OH boy...

I really hate how the word "epic" is being used these days. Ex: "Dude, that was so epic." Such a strong word brought down by such weak over-usage. 

I really like watching Spongebob Squarepants even though I'm too old. 

coffee of the iced persuasion

I drink coffee a lot sometimes, and it really doesn't have much of an effect. But this stuff makes me unbelievably jittery. I haven't stopped bouncing my leg for 45 minutes. I can barely type. I itch all over. I keep compulsively changing songs on my iTunes. I'm focused on writing this paper, except for not really because I'm writing this instead. I don't know what they put in this stuff. I love it. I am going to buy a few more. Could that picture be any bigger?

Un rêve

I had a dream I failed a Biology test. I went to go pick up my test and there was a note on it from my professor saying that I needed to come to her office so she could talk to me. Then I turned it over and there was my grade. 55%. That's an F. Three pages of my exam had stuck together and I'd accidently left them blank because I didn't know they were there. Those three pages were worth 300 points. At the bottom of the third page, it said -300. It's been haunting me all day. I feel very uneasy. 

I miss egypt

Aswan

Aswan

Banana Island/Aswan

Cairo

Cairo

Caution, Dangerous Curves Ahead

HAHAHA :D