Small Victories, Growing Up

I'm not afraid of spiders anymore.

So, there's this four year old girl I work with at Peace Lutheran who has the flyest pair of Nikes I've seen in a long time. I decided to tell her.

Me: McKenna, I love your shoes.
McKenna: Thanks. They're called Nikes!

After reading nearly all of In Style magazine's April "Color Issue" while waiting to be seen at the CVS minute clinic for two hours yesterday morning, I'm about 100% sure that I need an entirely new, colorful and bright spring wardrobe. Donations are being accepted. Cash or check. Your check had better not bounce. Also, the two hour wait and somewhat steep price tag was worth it-- I'm all better! Take that, strep throat.

Upon arriving home this evening after a relaxing lake house expedition, I was exceedingly pleased to discover my most treasured micro-fleece poncho blanket folded atop my bed-- and less pleased to discover that it was covered in cat hair. Upon closer inspection, I too realized that my pristine white comforter was also covered in the aforementioned fur. Were the abundance of cat hair not proof enough of Riley's newly found residence, my parents later informed me that my room is now primarily occupied by said feline. After an hour or so of denied access to his favorite lair, Riley seized the opportunity to enter the room when I took a brief recess to visit the commode-- I should add that he did so with an immediacy previously unseen in the otherwise lazy feline. I returned his micro-fleece haven to it's former position, left to clean a few dishes and returned to find him curled up, sleeping soundly. While I don't mind the presence of Riley the cat, he most certainly mind's mine. He shoots me the occasional nasty glare from the side of his eyes, as if to say "TURN OFF THE F****** LIGHTS. AND THE MUSIC. AND GET THE F*** TO BED." He is quite an honest cat, you see-- do excuse my use of expletives. I will summarize and conclude simultaneously with the following statement: Riley is utterly displeased.

February 2011 Summary

In the midst of doing nothing, I forgot I had a blog. Here's what you (and by 'you' i mean me in a few months) missed in February!


Highlights:
1) DePauwcalypse/ Snowpacalypse.
2) Minor/horribly painful pulled muscle in arm, resulting in lack of sleep and abnormality of work out routine.
3) Unidentified pills from the Wellness Center in a canister with indecipherable writing.
4) An unseasonably warm couple of days.
5) The onset of Senioritis.
6) Frustrations unending.
7) Panic attacks induced by the thought of the future.
8) In a word, Kentucky!
9) Saturday Afternoon Hookah followed by a life reflection at Casa Grande.

Obsession of the Month:
CHEESE (cheez-its, queso, shredded cheese in all forms, cheese cubes, etc, etc)

Song/Album/Artist of the Month:
Akron/Family's new album-- S/T II: The Cosmic Birth and Journey of Shinju TNT

Best Weekend of the Month:
This month's best weekend was really the best weekend ever, really: Senior Night/Typical Friday/Kentucky
Second Place: Valentine's Party!

Interesting Fact(s) of the Month:
I'm lazy-- but that's nothing new.
I'm getting ready for biking season.
I've realized that I day dream too much. I'm considering rehab.
I miss my cat.
For the first time I ever, I had to write two papers in one day because I put them off so long.


This month's rating: Dare I say it... FIVE STARS?!?! Nah, 4.5-- either way, a major improvement over January.

Kid's got the right idea...

Four year old: Next year, I'll be this many (holds up five fingers), and I have to go to Kindergarten.
Me: Really!? Are you excited?
Four year old: (shakes head adamantly) No!
Me: What? Why not?
Four year old: Because then I have to do HOMEWORK before I can go outside and play!

January 2011 Summary

Highlights:
1) Handicapped as a result of a minor snowboarding catastrophe.
2) Strep Throat for two weeks.
3) Roughly one week of health and boredom.
4) Migraine (now going on five days) nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light and sound, etc.
5) Several sleepless nights (see numbers 2 and 4)
6) NEW YEAR'S AT THE LAKE HOUSE!! (post snowboarding soreness, pre strep throat)

Obsession of the Month:
Stumbleupon

Song/Album/Artist of the Month:
Wolf Parade - At Mount Zoomer

Best Weekend of the Month:
New Year's for sure
Second Place: The backwards Saturday night

Interesting Fact(s) of the Month:
I've downed almost an entire 100 gelcap container of Extra Strength Tylenol


I'm having an embarrassing amount of fun making questions for myself and then answering them. WHAT AM I DOING WITH MY LIFE??




This month's rating: -2.5 stars.

Knock-off brand Sun Chips from Aldi's

Mom: I don't know what it is about these chips-- I can't stop eating them!
Me: Hmm, I don't know. They don't taste right. They taste-
Mom: Artificial. But I can't stop.
Mom: Like Meow Mix.*

*Riley the cat was strung out on Meow Mix for a while. It was a dark time in his life. And he did, in fact, ask for it by name.

Since I've been sick--

I've been wasting an obscene amount of time on the interwebz. So much.

I made a twitter.

Then I made a stumbleupon account to help me find more websites on which to waste my time.

Cheers to second semester senior year!



On another note, Mucinex is serious.

stay posi

Since that post was overwhelmingly negative/disgusting and a very UN-POSI way to start the new year, I'll do this instead. Something about this just cracks me up. (Although laughing is acutely painful.)

For anyone who wants to know:

Here's what my throat has looked like since last Tuesday!

Disclaimer: This is not actually my throat, but the similarities abound.

I'm in pain and miserable and lonely. And swallowing is torture. And the antibiotics aren't working. And I have to take tylenol every two hours for the headaches. And now I'm done complaining.

I LOVE THIS.

Jon: Oh, wait, we have dip?
Me: Yeah.
Jon: What kind?
Me: French Onion... but it's not very good.
Jon: *waves hand* Let me try it. I've had good french onion dips and I've had bad french onion dips.
Jon: *dip, crunch, munch*
Me: ...
Jon: *straight-faced* 3.5

I've been putting so much time into my screenplay, that this morning, when I woke up, my first thought was:

"I need to text Professor Sheridan."

Yeah, no--he's a character in my screenplay. Does not exist. Thanks.

Me: Wait, Justin, you went to private school?
Justin: Yes, a Catholic school.
Me: Oh. Wow.
Justin: All boys.
Me: What?? Why?
Justin: I don't know, because it was close to my house. I could walk there.
Me: Okay-- is your family catholic?
Justin: Uhhh, I don't know. Maybe.

Pope Alexander

How happy is the blameless vestal's lot!
The world forgetting, by the world forgot.
Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind!

An example of my life this semester:

945-1130 am: Broke out in a cold sweat during photography class this morning and felt so sick that I thought I might throw up in the middle of the floor.
1130 am: Raced home in just enough time to finish my reading for class... well, almost finish and barely had time to make a sandwich...
1215 pm: Accidently ate moldy bread. Oops.
1240 pm-210pm: Went to class looking extremely disheveled.
230-430 pm: Went to college mentors for kids and saw kate! Appearance= increasingly disheveled.
438 pm: tried to go home and submit something due for Teach for America by 5 and realized I'd left my keys inside. locked out.
445 pm: Went to library to use computers to submit my reference list.
5pm: Met Jennifer at the Hub to retrieve keys. Left jacket at library. had to return. then a black cat crossed my path.
5pm: Wrote a response letter for class. surprisingly inspirational for my upcoming research paper.
530 pm: Had to ride to Indianapolis with Alika for his scholarship concert. spilled a bunch of water. Ate hummus. Did homework in car.
600 pm: Got ridiculously lost in the sketchiest part of Indy I've ever seen--somewhere on Tibbs, Washington, etc. Industrial Wasteland. Dead ends. Construction. Closed streets. People on corners, etc.
700pm: Arrived at the concert... a half hour late.
700 pm: Went to Starbucks and did research for my Lit Paper while calorie splurging on a delicious Pumpkin Spice Latte and a dark chocolate graham cracker.
900pm: Picked up Alika and drove back to Greencastle while listening to 90's pop/hip-hop hits. AVOIDED SKETCHY INDUSTRIAL WASTELAND WITH CLOSED STREETS AND DARK ALLEYS.
1000pm: Went straight to Library to finish research.
1015pm: Looked disheveled enough at this point that a friend openly admitted to the overwhelming sloppiness of my appearance.
1200am: Finished preliminary research for project.
1223am: Moscato.

I'm so glad this day is over. I have tons more homework to do, BUT I CAN'T TAKE ANYMORE OF ANYTHING TODAY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION.

Thanks, Guys

Over dinner at India Garden:

Me: This food is so good I could start crying.
Me: What would you guys do if I just broke down in tears?
*Silence*
Alika: I would get up and leave.
Angela: I would ignore you and continue to eat until you came back to your senses.
Justin: I would leave too.
Me: What?? You guys wouldn't do anything?
Justin: Oh wait, never mind, I wouldn't leave.
Me: ...
Justin: I would sit and watch.

New development:

I love kids.

4th grader: You know what's really exciting?
Me: What?
4th grader: Taking a nap.

Assorted Quibbles

1. "At least he's an equal opportunity scowler."
-Angela Davis

2. "So he's following the lead of his brother... who is woefully uninformed."
-Angela Davis

3. iPods have a "return to factory settings" button. I need to get one of those installed on my forehead, plz.

4. ROCOCO ROCOCO ROCOCO ROCOCO

5. Right now, there are few things more terrifying than the future.

6. "Quibbles" was the wrong word choice. Quibble means fight. Random fights? Regardless, THE TITLE STAYS. For aesthetic value, if for nothing else. What looks better than "quibbles"?? Besides maybe "pumpernickel".

7. Just gave "quibble" a google. It's okay-- that's exactly the right word.

8. Maybe I don't need to return to factory settings.

9. I'm unsettled by unfinished internet conversations. I'm sorry I neglected for fifteen minutes, get back online. I'll pay attention now.

10. Jolly ranchers inspire me.

11. I almost stepped on a praying mantis the other day by accident. It was praying. I dodged it. I thought of Hamlet.

12. Because I hate odd numbers.