A Day With Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks

When will they star in another movie together?  Honestly.  I should ask them that.  They have such perfect chemistry, and they make my heart a'flutter.

I tell you, I have had the worst possible two weeks imaginable.  So bad, in fact, that I get anxiety attacks about things from two days ago, and three days ago,...

At this point, it doesn't even have anything to do with stressing over all the things I need to get done.  It's just me feeling crappy because of things that are happening to me or going on around me.  And I keep scraping for some alone time, some time where I'm not worrying about something or crying over something.  I'm not sleeping well, I'm tired all the time.  I even tried to schedule myself a spot this weekend where I can sit and do nothing.

Except, I'm not going to do nothing.  I'm going to do something.  Even if I stay in my pajamas all day, I'll probably be working on my script...or my essay...

I watched Penelope last night.  It was a cute movie, but I still couldn't fall asleep.  And I had a hard time making myself get up for work this morning.

I got really depressed today, because I'm going to graduate in six months.  And I'm going to get a full time job.  And that job isn't going to be the job I want, because that just never happens.  Not to me, anyway.  Not to most poeple.

What I want is to write, all day, and live off of it.  I don't even have time to write what I want to write right now because I have homework.  So that's at least something to look forward to when I graduate, I'll be able to come home from work and be able to spend my time on my writing.

No homework.  I know that sounds stupid.  Especially to people who are not in school, because I'm noticing that they just dont remember just how busy you get.  And a lot of homework is pointless.  Professors just have to have something they can grade you on.  Yeah, you learn stuff, but your performance is based on papers and quizes and exams over material you rushed through just for those assigments and you won't remember them two weeks later.  Busy work.  So it's easy to see why sometimes I would feel like I'm wasting my time memorizing dates and writing papers that try to squeeze every single last possible meaning out of a subject when all I feel I need to get from them is right on the surface (even, right on the cover).

Suffice it to say, I'm overwhelmed and tired and I want a holiday.

So today, after work of course, I spent a few hours with Meg and Tom.  And I have to say, my brain did relax a little.  But, of course, I have to head to class.  I'm actually dreading walking back on to campus.  And I LOVE campus.  I LOVE my school.  But I need a break.

To quote You've Got Mail, "quel nightmare."

If someone gave you a million dollars, what would you do with it?

A million dollars doesn't really seem like a lot of money anymore. But to a poor college student who has trouble trying to save every last penny, I certainly would not object if someone handed over a check.

I've thought a lot about what I would buy if I were rich.

(Mostly because I'm going to be a famous author someday and money will be no object, obviously, so I've got to start planning).

The first thing I'm going to buy is a boat for my parents, and a go-kart for my Dad (because he's wanted one ever since he was a little tike).

Then I would buy my mom whatever she wants - she wants a house, next to mine, but that's not going to happen - but maybe a summer house near her sister. Yeah, that sounds good. That would probably take up the rest of my million too.

Maybe leave a little bit for a few nice small things. I dont know.

What would you spend your million on?

Blogger on the Brain

I picked this up at http://luckythirteenandcounting.blogspot.com/

It's me, in a nutshell.

10. You check your blog stats a LOT. You occasionally get up in the middle of the night and sneak a peak.

9. Your significant other suspects you are having an affair with your blog.Even when you're alone with your special person, you do find yourself thinking what your blog might be doing right then…

8. You "mental blog" while driving or on the train, and sometimes even when you are alone in the shower.

7. You filter everything through your post-writing. You can't watch a movie, see a play, read an article, or share a sweet moment with your child without thinking of whether it's blog-worthy.

6. You suffer from "blog envy" when another blogger posts something juicy before you do. You suffer "comment envy" when said post gets 40-something comments – the jerk!

5. You "binge blog" 3 or 4 posts at once—only to feel guilty and empty afterward.

4. You ditched all your real friends for blog friends, because, well, "they understand." You bypass Bowling Alone at the bookstore (who really cares?) while you reach for Naked Conversations.

3. You think, "I can stop at any time."

2. Your lunch hour has become your "blog hour." You keep a few posts tucked in your desk in case you need them during the day.

1. After 5 minutes of meeting someone really interesting you ask, "So - do you blog?"

Tea

is so much better when it's not from a bag.

Today...eh?

Let me start by saying that the past few weeks, and especially the past few days, have been nothing but stress and sickness. I have been staying in my sweaters, sweatpants, t-shirts, jeans...basically just comfy clothes because I haven't had the energy to dress up.

Today I forced myself to dress up because I had to give a presentation that I was up all night working on.

An incident occurred today that made me say to myself, "Self, it is quite a good thing that you are looking fabulous today."

Also, the prof that I TA for gave me pretty purple flowers.

So I am pleased.

On a different note, I have been having too much fun adding things to my Amazon wishlist. Did you know that you can add things from non-Amazon sites? All you have to do is add THIS button to your toolbar and click it whenever you see a must-have.

Now if only there were more occasions for people to buy me things.

Memo to J.K. Rowling

You know you're going down in history when the name of your fictional school for witchcraft and wizardry is not only accepted by Microsoft Office's spell-checker, but offered as a suggested word.

Let's Hear From You:

I'm not going to post my official standing on this...but I would like to know what other people think about this.

I will say that my heart is filled with compassion for this woman. I'm so sorry that she had to go through this.

Please read and share your opinion if you'd like. I'd certainly like to hear it.

Gretchen Voss - The Boston Globe

Update

Well, I thought I should share... I finished that book in one day. It was good. It made me laugh. It made me cry. It made me laugh and cry at the same time. But now it's done. And I have no reason left to live.

(That's exactly how I felt after finishing Harry Potter so I know that life does, in fact, go on).

So now I can get back to doing homework...ALL THE TIME.

I think I need to relax a little though. Maybe I don't need to graduate Magna Cum Laude. Maybe I won't hate myself ten years from now if I don't receive all A's. Because that has been my mindset.

I AM trying to get work done now, however, and its growing more and more difficult with the chatter boxes sitting in front of me. Shut up, seriously.

Distractions

I was doing so well!

Well, okay, the stress levels have been high.

But I've been getting my work done, I've been getting more sleep,...I've been getting my work done. I know I said that already but I'm proud of my productivity.

I was keeping away from any major distractions. Minor distractions...well whatever, the occasional blog post and what not, but nothing that ultimately affected my efficiency.

But then stinkin Meg Cabot comes along and decides to write books. Books that I love. Books that I don't want to stop reading. Book that even if I have to go to the ladies room I'll hold it because I have to turn to the next page.

It's Friday. I'm at work, sitting at the gate with the heater directed towards me (it's freezing in here) and I'm looking at all of the things I need to get done this weekend, yet the only book I can bring myself to open Queen of Babble Gets Hitched.

And not only do I just want to read, but when I finish, I just want to sit and ponder it for the next hour and a half.

Remember that discussion on what makes a book great? I think that should be added to the list there.

Anyway, I should indulge, at least for the next hour while I'm sitting at the gate without my homework with. I've had a long week. Don't make me feel guilty.

I'm going back to my book. Don't talk to me.

Haircuts and Awkwardness

So, I'm getting my hair cut next week.

I purchased a "special" with an Aveda salon my girlie's uncle owns. I'm really excited because I love everything Aveda and can never afford to go to their salon. But with this special I get $350 worth of services for $50.

Anyway, I'm in the library looking for reference pictures to take to my appointment.

This is really awkward, because I'm looking at pictures of female celebrities and I'm always worried that someone is going to walk up behind me and think I'm a wierdo.

Not that I'm not wierd...just...not a wierdo.

What qualifies a great book? ...and who died and made you king?

I finished reading one at quarter to 5 am this morning. Depending on the style of writing and genre of the novel I'm sure some of you might not agree with me.

I used to think that there was a universal judge that made book good or bad, or more worthy acclaim or whatever. I've realized, only recently though, that the qualifications for a great book are subjective. What I consider to be a great book might not be what you consider a great book, and vice-versa.

I also went through a time where I felt that any book that was not a classical piece of literature did not merit any thought. This is absurd. This reminds me of a statement I once heard from an acquaintance who said that filmmakers should not waste their time watching entertaining movies just for fun, only films that were Oscar-worthy.

I'm sorry, but like I've said before, everyone needs to let loose a little once in a while and just enjoy themselves without having to think about it too much. And sometimes those "brainless" movies or piece of light reading are just what the doctor ordered to take the edge off.

I am no longer ashamed to admit that, though I love classic literature and intelligent fiction/narrative non-fiction/history/etc..., I also love my witty Chick-lit.

And Harry Potter. There, I said it. You want to fight me now?

So anyway, here are the qualifications for what a great book is TO ME:

1. A great book has me hooked from the very first page, or if not,
2. Makes me notice something that at least wants to give the first chapter a fair chance.
3. A great book can make me cry and make me laugh, and often within a matter of pages.
4. A great book can make me feel good about myself.
5. A great book teaches me things...(whether it's some deep insight into the human existence or something as trivial as getting a stain out of a piece of clothing).
6. A great book makes me want to travel to the places it describes.
7. A great book makes me hope for a specific ending, an ending I can't imagine actually possible, surprise me along the way, and be better than what I'd wished for when it's over.
8. A great book makes me want to keep reading, even when my eyelids are getting heavy and I'm yawning so much I have to re-read sentences (then keeps me up til 5am).
9. A great book is one that I'll remember for years to come, and want to re-read again and again.
10. Finally, a great book inspires me to sit down and write.

So that is what tickles my fancy. And so if a book can achieve all of those qualifications - whatever the genre, whatever other people think of it, whatever audience it is intended for - I'm going to add it to my bookshelf and be proud.

Study Break #1

I'm taking a much needed break from homework to share a list of my favorite scents.

1. "hot out of the printer" paper
2. old books
3. new books
4. rain
5. fresh snow
6. a nice, fresh cup of hot tea
7. cake or cookies in the oven
8. my tomato-alfredo sauce as it is cooking
9. anything Aveda
10. chlorine
11. Old Spice
12. Bath and Body Works' Aromatherapy (Jasmine-Vanilla and Eucalyptus Spearmint)
13. freshly cut lawn
14. my Herbal Essences - Hello Hydration Shampoo and Condition (it's Orchid and Coconut Milk)
15. Dryer sheets
16. woodsmoke
17. unlit menthol cigarettes
18. pipe tobacco
19. popcorn
20. newly sharpened pencils

Sharing With You

I've been doing a lot of reading on agents and publishers and the such. I've also been doing a lot of procrastinating by reading blogs and movie news and such. Well, I stumbled upon this article by Meg Cabot, author of the famous Princess Diaries series as well as numerous entertaining adult lit, such as the Queen of Babble series which I am currently reading (when I'm not doing homework, blogging, writing the next great American novel, or working on my new feature script).

Anyways, in this article Meg lists her top ten reasons why she loves writing Young Adult fiction, and it's cute so I wanted to share:

10) It is one of the few jobs in which you can legally work in your pajamas.

9) Your readers talk about interesting things like: what happened on The OC last night, and: Do you think this boy likes me?

8) YA is one of the few genres in which it is perfectly acceptable not to have any sex scenes at all.

7) If you make a mistake in a YA, your readers will not hesitate to let you know about it.

6) They will also not hesitate to let you know that your book was so good, they read it in 90 minutes while standing up at Barnes and Noble, and so they didn’t need to buy it.

5) When I used to research my historical romances, I would have to go to the library. To do my YA research, I just have to turn on the WB or MTV, and it’s all there!

4) Writing YA is one of the few ways you can actually profit from having an inner voice that is approximately 14 years old.

3) You get to relive all the traumas you experienced as a teen, only this time, you can give them all a happy ending.

2) You can get back at all the cheerleaders who were mean to you in high school by modeling characters after them.

And the number-one reason writing YA rules is:

1) I get to meet fellow lovers of YA books—teenagers, teachers, librarians, and discriminating adult readers as well!

By the way, if you haven't noticed already, I'm a name dropper. And I'll probably dropping names like Meg Cabot's and Cameron Crowe's quite frequently. Just so you know.

The Small Things in Life

Sometimes all it takes to turn a bad day to a good day is a simple gesture, incident, or moment. Here are just a few of my favorite things that always bring my mood up.  Tell me some of yours.

laughing 'til you cry/wet your pants

realizing you just made yourself look like an idiot and knowing that your friends still loving you

standing back and letting one of your friends make themselves look like an idiot (in a loving way, obviously)

watching clueless people eat it on the turnstyles at work (I work in a library where you have to swipe your I.D. to get in)

ignoring homework and curling up on the couch with a cup of tea and a good book or good movie

finding that empty recliner in the overcrowded library or bookstore and taking a nap
finishing off a carton of mint chocolate chip or eating the last cookie

buying a new book/movie, even when you shouldn't spend any more money

making a baby giggle

baby-talking a pet (this includes fish)

listening to a good song over and over and over

singing at the top of your lungs whether people hear you or not

finding a deal you just can't pass up

finding an giant bag of Pez at World Market (and eating it all in 2-3 days)

To name a few...

My Nutritional Top Ten (in no apparent order)

Everyone has their favorite ways to stay healthy. Here are mine.

1) Drink a full glass of water before every meal. This is an easy one, but people (including myself) often toss it aside. Drinking water fills you up so that you don’t gorge yourself with food and then regret it later. In addition to this,

2) Eat slowly. The faster you eat, the more you eat before you have time to fully digest and realize you’re full. Too many people eat a lot really fast and afterwards hold their stomach crying out “I’m sick…I’m sick…” (i.e. my dad, bless his heart).

3) Stop drinking soda. I know, I know…it’s hard. Believe me. I still haven’t fully succeeded at this one. Not only is soda terrible for you, it’s rotting your teeth (just like your mother told you). Every sip of soda continues to eat away at your enamel for twenty minutes (longer if you’re drinking dark sodas like Coke or Dr. Pepper).

4) Set out healthy snacks so you don’t go for the chips and ice cream. If you have bowls of edamame, some mixed nuts (excellent source of good fats), finger sandwiches, carrots, celery and peanut butter, cherry tomatoes, etc… you can still snack and hold yourself over until your next meal while not racking up the calorie count.

5) Think of pasta/rice as a treat to be had once a week at most, not an everyday meal, and try to always pair it with a lean protein, like chicken or shrimp. Remember that starches expand in your digestive tract so you only need to eat a little (even though it tastes so good) to fill up. Stick some cherry tomatoes on top and you’ve got a yummy vegetable serving as well.

6) Juice your fruits and vegetables…together. Everyone’s heard of V8. Well this is similar, only you control what you’re mixing and drinking and you’re getting it fresh.

Bonus.

I juice about 8oz of spinach with one whole apple. You don’t taste the spinach, so you’re getting the taste of amazing fresh apple juice (way better than Motts or whatever store bought brand you get) and the nutrients of spinach.

(Too bad Popeye didn’t have a juicer.) It’s a fun and quick way to get your daily servings, and especially great for those who have to eat on the go.

(I also enjoy juicing apple, strawberry, and raspberry together. Mix with ice cream or nonfat yogurt and you have one delicious healthy(er) dessert.)

This is what I use.

7) Eat flax seed. Flax seed is rich in fiber and antioxidants. Bake it into your bread, sprinkle it on your cereal, or do as I do and just munch on a spoonful before breakfast.

8) If you have to eat chips, make your own dip rather than using heavily processed store bought dip. You can find good recipes at allrecipes.com or you can just invent your own like I do.

9) Make a point to cook for yourself. Not only is it rewarding to know that you are taking care of yourself, but anything you make at home is going to be healthier than picking up food at a fast food restaurant.

Plus, cooking is an activity, and activities burn more calories than just sitting in front of the TV with Taco Bell.

10) Drink tea instead of coffee. Yes, it's true that coffee has its health benefits…but tea just tastes better and feels better. Coffee, at least for me, has the tendency to cause an upset stomach and bloating (plus it puts hair on your chest).

Tea - black with a little milk and sugar - is the same consistency of a morning cup of coffee but it tastes hecka better and is better for you.

The caffeine in coffee is about double the caffeine in tea, so a couple cups of tea won’t make you jittery the way coffee might.

Some other health benefits of tea you might not know about:
- Tea has antioxidants that fight osteoporosis, prevent blood clotting, and lower cholesterol.
- Tea helps speed up your metabolism so you can burn more calories and lose weight faster.
- Green teas, such as Oolong, curb appetite so you eat less. (Though let me point out Wu-Long, Wu-Yi, and Oolong are all the same tea. You don’t need to spend tons of money to order the Wu-Yi tea when you can buy Oolong at your local market or Target.)
- Tea does not stain your teeth, in fact, it strengthens them.
- Non-caffeinated tea relaxes you and calms your nerves. Pour yourself a cup and take a bubble bath with a good book. This will cure any bad day.

Jury have you reached your verdict? Why, yes your honor.

Facilities came again today to check our apartment.

They searched high and low, under the sink, into the air conditioner, over the hills and far away.

Actually, they pulled up part of the carpet in the kitchen and found that the adhesive that stuck the carpet to the cement was "moldy" though they didn't quite want to call it mold.

Anyhoo, we're getting new carpet. And the best part is, I dont have move my stuff out. They have a professional service that will do it for me. Hooray!

Hopefully the roommate and I will get to feeling better soon. If not, well, use your imagination.

Home Cookin'

I went to church with a friend this morning and afterwards she took me to a place in the next town over for lunch. It was a small diner that served good "home cooked" meals. I had waffles and hash browns - best waffles I've ever had. Her grandmother used to friends with the woman who started the diner, so it's been a family favorite for her growing up.

Everyone has a favorite restaurant that they grow up loving.

For me, it was a Japanese restaurant where they cook right there at your table. I went there for my birthday dinner every year from when I was six until last year.

They had this "dinner for two" that my dad and I used to share. It was steak, chicken, and shrimp. They had two great dipping sauces which they called Yummy Yummy and Yucky Yucky. Yummy Yummy was a ginger sauce and Yucky Yucky was a mustardy soy sauce. I loved the Yucky Yucky and often asked for two instead of one of each.

And with every meal you would get a salad with the most delicious dressing, a mushroom soup, your choice of white rice or fried (I always got white rice and poured Yucky Yucky all over it), a shrimp appetizer (this might sound gross, but I always asked them to cook the tails for me - they tasted like a sweet popcorn), and vegetables.

The chef would always make an onion volcano and light it on fire, and he would bounce an egg on his spatula a few times before cracking it mid-air.

One time, he cut up a shrimp and flipped it off his spatula right into my mouth.

We went there so often that the owner recognized my dad and always sent free drinks over. I drank Ramune (a Japanese soda kind of like sugar-water).

Dinner was always followed by a nice cup of Oolong tea.

The restaurant also had a bar with a karaoke room, and when I was younger I used to get up and sing "Strawberry Fields" or "Waterfalls."

And a koi pond that was so pretty, I would just stand there and watch them swim.

You always went home full and smelling like the restaurant, and flatulence often took you over for the rest of the night. But it was worth it.

We went last Christmas, I had taken my boyfriend (at the time) home and wanted him to experience it. I had talked it up so much. It just wasn't as good as I remembered. Maybe it was because it was the holidays and super busy. Maybe it was just an off night, I don't know. But even so, I look back on that place with fond memories.

Time Off

So, I have this friend. Let's just call this friend Z.

Friendships are all about give and take, right?
Well, Z has the "take" part down pat...not so much the "give."

Now, I generally think of my self as a generous person. I like to do things for people - help them, serve them, whatever. I do this for Z, because Z is a friend that I care about. But just because I like to serve does not mean that I am not human. I get tired. I get worn out. And I dont appreciate it when Z won't do one thing for me, but then expects me to drop everything I am doing because Z is bored. Z is what I call a "good-time friend" because you call this person when you want to have fun, but this person is not reliable for anything else.

I have this other friend, we'll call this one X.

X likes to jump to conclusions.
It can be very difficult to have a simple conversation with X, or even just ask a question without X assuming you are implying something else. X is always on the defense, even when there is no offense. This can be very frustrating, not to mention mentally and emotionally wearing.

Maintaining relationships can be hard work, and sometimes even downright exhausting. This is why everybody needs some time off, some "Me-time."

At this very moment, my apartment is completely empty, and I am just relishing in the quiet, in the stillness. I strongly suggest, no matter who you are or how much of a people person you are, that you take some time to not do anything and just sit in silence. Peace. Just take some time to think about yourself, or not think at all, and just relax and unwind. It's really the most refreshing feeling.

I am alone, and it feels good.