Surprise surprise!

So guess what? I have officially decided I hate changing my layout.

But it's unavoidable. Because it looks terrible.

It's frustrating trying to edit html, especially (like this one) when it's not completely html but a mutt of different codes (YAY!).

But I'm going to try ("try") to make my own because my sister's boyfriend gave me Adobe Dreamweaver. In fact, he gave me the who Creative Suite, so I'm pretty chipper despite my Blogger woes.

And can I just say, God bless Amazon.com Wishlists? Because I got this:

 

and this:

 and this:

 

and this:

so...thanks Santa. And thanks Amazon.

And sorry guys about the horrible layout right now. I can't figure out how to fix it.

My Favorite Christmas Movies/Specials/TV Episodes...Finally

The Movies.

Die Hard
Why? Because it's awesome. You get to see Bruce Willis running around in a wife beater saying "Yippee ki-yay,..." and "Now I have a machine gun. Ho ho ho."Plus you have Alan Rickman as the German thief, which is just a recipe for greatness. And other funny lines like "Pearl Harbor didn't work out so we got you with tape decks." Love it.


Love Actually
Okay, let me just take a moment to say that I am NOT excluding cheesy, girly movies from this list. Nor am I excluding, as you'll see later, the corny made for TV movies that seem to take over the airwaves every Christmas. Because the truth is, I love them all. I love the cheesiness. I love not having to put a lot of thought into what I'm watching...sometimes.
So my reasons for actually loving Love Actually? Well, Alan Rickman of course, and Colin Firth, Emma Thompson, Bill Nighy, Liam Neeson, Keira Knightley, Laura Linney, and Hugh Grant make an all-star cast. Plus seeing Billy Bob Thornton as the United States President...yeah, enough said. Plus, they threw in Claudia Schiffer, Denise Richards, and Shannon Elizabeth. Favorite scene? Obv its the Carol Singers scene.

The Holiday
Again cheesy, but I love it. Half of it at least. I'm not much for the whole Cameron Diaz/Jude Law storyline (except for his little girls with their adorable accents, I'm a sucker for that). But I love the Kate Winslet/Jack Black storyline. I love Arthur the famous screenwriter and his stories of the glory days of Hollywood. And I love the score. I'm pretty sure Hans Zimmer is a genius. In fact, I know he's a genius.

Miracle on 34th Street
Whether it's the 1847 original or the 1994 remake, it's heart-breakingly sweet. And Kris Kringle is really Santa. I don't care what you say.

Nightmare before Christmas
Because it wouldn't be Christmas without creepy little monsters trying to take over. And you can't been Danny Elfman himself singing the voice of Jack Skellington.

Home Alone
This is one of my all-time favs. I have watched this every year since it came out. In fact, I had such a crush on Macaulay Culkin when I was a little girl.
I was thinking about how unrealistic it is, I mean, if you hit someone with a crowbar you're sure to break a rib or something. But oh well, it's a movie. And I love the pizza delivery scene, "Keep the change ya filthy animal!"

Elf
Well, who wouldn't love Will Ferrel as a giant elf, and Zooey Deschanel singing the best version of "Baby It's Cold Outside" that I've ever heard?

The Grinch
The one with Jim Carrey. I actually could never sit through the cartoon one. I don't know if that makes me a terrible person or what. But I love the Grinch. And the little Cindy-Lou "Who singing Where Are You Christmas?" with her little squeaky voice makes my heart melt.

Jack Frost
Okay, this is a dumb movie. I'll admit it. But I've always had a little thing for Michael Keaton, ever since Batman: The Movie. And it's sweet, a kid being reunited with his dead father (in the form of the snow man)...but whatever.

White Christmas
It's just a classic. That's all I need to say. You haven't had Christmas until you've seen White Christmas.

It's A Wonderful Life
Okay, confession time. I actually didn't see this wonderful, classic, delight of a movie until last Christmas. I know. Where have I been? Probably watching the wrong channel (like Disney or ABC Family). But it is so good and it really has the true meaning of Christmas spirit. If you haven't seen it (like me a year ago) or you just haven't watched it in a long time be sure to turn it on this Christmas. It's a gem.

Mickey's Once Upon A Christmas

It's a must. It just is. Just watch it, okay? Especially if you have kids. But even if you don't. Watch it anyway.

The Made-for-TV Movies/Specials.

ABC Family: Picking Up and Dropping Off
Aw. A single mom and a single dad keep bumping into each other at the airport as the send and receive their children to/from their exes. How could you resist?

Disney Channel: The Ultimate Christmas Present
This has all the makings of a Christmas movie: snow in California, a dad stranded at the airport, a determined kid saving Christmas, and a machine that controls the weather...wait, what?

The TV Episodes.

Bones: Santa in the Slush
This has got to be one of my favorite episodes ever. Misteletoe and a lawyer feeling puckish, a dad in jail wanting to spend time with his kids, another dad in jail not wanting his kids to know, a FBI agent and his son who doesn't want to spend Christmas without him, not to mention a dead Santa. It's the best.

Bones: The Man in the Fallout Shelter
This is the Season One Christmas episode. The team get quarantined because Hodgins drinks Egg Nog when he's supposed to have a mask on. Bad Hodgins. So we get to see Booth's son Parker for the first time, and Angela's dad is none other than ZZ Top. So good.

The Office: Christmas Party
Michael spends too much, and doesn't get back what he gives. So he turns the gift swapping into a white elephant. He also lets the staff drink alcohol at the office party. = uh oh. Funny quote: "Happy birthday, Jesus. Sorry your party's so lame."

Friends: The One With the Holiday Armadillo
Ross tries to get is son interested in Chanukah and Phoebe tries to seperate Joey and Rachel. It's love. (Me and the episode, I mean.)

Veronica Mars: An Echolls Family Christmas
 Awww, it's one big dysfunctional family Christmas. There's nothing better.

Scrubs: My Own Personal Jesus
It's Christmas and nobody has the holiday spirit except Turk, but even that can come crashing down. Who's going to save Christmas this year? The Janitor? Well...maybe.

A Very Supernatural Christmas
My friend has started me watching Supernatural. I can't watch it by myself, so I only get to see it when I'm at her house. So a couple weeks ago we watched this episode and it was great. There was an anti-Santa. And Dean and Sammy are the hottest brothers ever.

That 70's Show: The Best Christmas Ever
The boys decide to cut down a tree off the side of the Interstate and instead keep the money Red gave them for beer. Hilarity ensues.

Yesterday's News...and maybe today's too.

So. I know it's probably old news by now...but I just didn't have time/energy to post yesterday. And actually, right now I'm supposed to be working on my script...but, eh, whatever. No one's looking.

Okay, so the most bizarre headline that caught my eye yesterday was this:

"Boy George Found Guilty of Imprisoning Male Escort"

Really, George? Really? You're 46, and you're still wearing your makeup like that? I mean...I know it was cool back in the 80s (well probably not, but who am I to say? I was barely alive), but come on! When are you going to learn that pink cowboy hats do NOT look good on men, or anyone for that matter?

Also, the actress Minnie Driver is all geared up for Christmas. What's she giving her friends? Camels? Okay, then.

And did everybody hear about Mark Ruffalo's brother? This is just so sad. Mark is so cute. And his brother didn't deserve to be shot. Well, actually, I don't know that, but whatever. Does anyone ever deserve to be shot? Anyway, I hope he pulls through, because I don't want Mark to lose his brother.

I know. That last one was a major downer. But you have to watch this. I am laughing so hard. I mean, honestly, could something be anymore superficial and shallow and stupid? It makes me actually want to watch the show. Because we could all use a little more laughter in life.

Another thing to laugh at: Facebook deleted the real Lindsay Lohan thinking she was a fake. Priceless.

My school's newspaper had an article yesterday about the economy and the decrease in spending. A freshman (ah typical) made a comment along the lines of "it's so bad. My friends and I can't make weekend trips to the beach anymore. I have to spend all my money on groceries and toiletries." I laughed. Welcome to life, child.

Finally, I know this means nothing to anyone else, and I don't normally share things about my personal life, so I'm going to try to keep this minimal. But yesterday a friend of mine told me she had a run in with a certain ex-boyfriend of mine. And not only that, but she didn't realize he was my ex-boyfriend, and she had described him as a creeper who gave her really bad vibes. Now, on the one hand, I don't really remember him as being creepy at all. He was typically a nice, gentlemanly guy when I dated him, but on the other hand, hahahahahaha. I'm sorry. But hearing things like that about your exes, no matter how good/bad the breakup was, just makes you feel kind of good about the fact that you're not in a relationship with them anymore.

So now, I have to say au revoir (see, I'm incorporating French back into my everyday life to prepare me for my class next semester), and go back to writing my screenplay. Wish me luck!

Oh! And stay tuned! Coming up next (maybe tomorrow, maybe not) I'll be providing a list of my favorite Christmas movies! Yay!

It's December!

Time to dive in to my advent calendar!

Yes. I bought one. They were my favorite part of Christmas when I was little (you know, aside from presents and Santa and what not).

My grandma used to have a handmade advent calendar that she would hang in her hallway and my cousin and I would fight over who got to open that day's candy. I usually won. I was older. And stronger. Although now he towers over me. Don't you hate when that happens?

Anyways, I only have about two weeks left of the semester and this month is going to be the absolute worst. I have three journals, two essays, and one screenplay due. And I have to send short stories out to publications to be rejected. And I have four finals to take in two days.

Don't you wish you were me right now?

But who cares? It's DECEMBER!!! (And I got to listen to Christmas music this morning!)

And it starts...

As you can see, I have changed my layout, again.

But for a good cause. Christmas season has arrived!!! Yay!!!

And after this hopefully I will find/create/purchase a permanent layout. Because trying to edit my html and salvage my widgets (whoever invented that word was a genius) is not an enjoyable task.

Anyways, Thanksgiving is over. I'm heading back to school. I'm terrified of the month ahead.

And even when it's over I'm going to have to try and re-learn three years worth of French before fulfilling my foreign language requirement to graduate. Luckily, (since I can't afford Rosetta Stone - sob) I found this website that lets you download a free program, which should at least help me make a dent in my crash refresher course.

I'm also getting more and more excited about my almost-niece. I went into about five baby stores today, and the little tiny socks are just about the cutest things ever.

I'm sleepy. And I need to repack my suitcase.

Black Friday Kicks Butt! Or it just kicked mine...too soon to tell.

I got 99% of my Christmas shopping done.

I also got suckered into spending $30 on an exfoliating peel by a very persuasive salesgirl at UTC.

But I don't feel too bad. Because I haggled. And after I got home I googled (isn't that funny how that's actually a word? Seriously. Cracks me up.) It was actually supposed to cost $100. And it makes my skin milky white.

And I got something for Enid! I'm so excited. I was in Janie and Jack and there was a baby in a stroller waving his hands around, so I cooed at him and clapped my hands together, and he threw me a great big smile and started clapping, he repeated everything I did. I was in love. I adore happy babies. Maybe that's why I love this guy so much.

My neighbor, Blake. (Blakers)

When I have children someday, I want them to be just like him. Always smiley and happy and easy to please. And just the sweetest little thing in the entire universe. Seriously. If I ask him for a kiss he just closes his eyes, purses his lips, and lifts his head up for me. So cute. I don't want him to grow up. You hear that Blakers? Stay little. Forever.

Anyways. I'm completely shopped out. And I don't even want to THINK about what my credit card statement is going to look like. I know I didn't spend more than I have. And I know it's Christmas. But still. Scary.

Speaking of Christmas, I totally understood today why we start to celebrate the day after Thanksgiving. And that is because Christmas really IS the most wonderful time of the year. People are just generally happier during the holidays. So why wouldn't we want to get a head start on the good cheer?

I watched Wall-E tonight for the first time. Have you seen it? You need to. I'm serious. It made me cry. It was so sweet. What could be more endearing than a helpful little robot trying to save the earth and win the love of a fancy, clean, pretty female robot? He's like the little engine that could, only not an engine. And of course an homage to 2001: A Space Odyssey. Good stuff.

And Hello, Dolly...

can I just say, WHOA Michael Crawford? He's like a little baby! So weird. And yet, so good. So good. I want to go watch Hello, Dolly in it's entirety now.

Or just go to bed. Because I woke up early to hit the online sales. God bless the internet. Especially amazon.

Goodnight dear readers.

A Linktastic - What I'm Thankful For: besides the obvious, of course

• people wiping out when trying to make it through the turnstiles at work (I have to explain this one. We have turnstiles to let people into my school's library, and they have to swipe their ID cards to let them pass. People often just try to walk right through and will get rejected. It's pretty hilarious. I've seen people flip, and I've seen some guys hurt their you know whats. Basically I've seen it all. Though it can sometimes get really hard to maintain a professional manner and hold my laughter. Ah schadenfreude.)

• the holiday cups at Starbucks

• pumpkin seed granola cereal

• Apple Store for Education

• Meg Cabot books

• the new Half Blood Prince trailer (have you seen it, it looks like it has the best cinematography of all of them! And Daniel and Rupert are so funny!)

Ok, so I could watch it over and over again. The music is amazing. So I'm thankful for Nicholas Hooper as well I guess. If the movie is as good as the trailer looks I think I will cry with happiness.

(I should take a moment here to note that I consider myself a connessoir of movie trailers. I study them. For a while I wanted to make them - yeah, kind of like Cameron Diaz's character in The Holiday, but whatevs).

My favorite trailer is one for Atonement, but this new Half Blood Prince trailer is challenging it. I think the only thing keeping it in second is the narrator. Because I don't like narration in trailers. Usually.

• Blogger (duh!) - though, I wish I could learn to format my posts better because this one does not look the way I intended it to. (I couldn't figure out how to indent the above paragraphs.)

• Ray LaMontagne, Rufus Wainwright, and David Cook (thanks CGGB for opening my eyes)

• a nice little break from classes

• Monks and Nuns falling in love/goofy monks

• an empty canvas and a variety of paints

• the amount of rain Southern California has received in the past few months (I love rain)

• tea! (btw, I cheated on my tea over the weekend and had two coffees - peppermint mocha frappuccinos with the red sprinkles, yay Holidays! - because we were shooting the film and I needed the extra caffeine. Let me tell you, my tea was not appreciative, nor was my stomach.)

• Scrubs, Bones, The Office, and basically any other show that takes me out of my own world for a half-hour to an hour at a time. And for that matter, Hulu, for letting me watch them whenever, wherever. Oh, and TV on DVD.

• Borders' pre-Thanksgiving sale. It's today, yo! So get yourself out there.

• Black Friday sales

• The drive down the 5 from LA to San Diego. (we didn't have oceans back in the mid-west ::shrug::)

• Dean and Sam Winchester (sigh).

• Failblog, distracting me from my everyday duties.

• Purple

• Carbs (or maybe I'm not. I dont know. I have a love/hate relationship with them.)

• Stickynotes, they make my life so much easier.

Finally, I just wanted to share this quote that my friend shared with me. It correlates with rant on chick-lit and chick flicks.

"It's about time we confessed: we might love the great and the good, but we can also adore the cute and ridiculously bad, as long as the leading man is handsome or the story - no matter how cheesy - makes us laugh, makes us cry, or makes us hot."
- Jo Berry and Angie Errigo, taken from Romantic Comedy: Boy Meets Girl Meets Genre by Tamar Jeffers McDonald

True Beauty in College

is this.













Today I purchased my first Mac. And I love it. I have named him Cooper, after one of my favorite Meg Cabot characters. I know. I'm a freak. I don't care. Leave me alone.

Adequacy/Inadequacy

I was feeling a little inadequate, in some regards, because I'm taking a creative writing class, which I love, but which is focused solely on literary fiction.

Don't get me wrong. I like literary fiction. Reading it. Not so much writing it.

I'm more of a genre gal.

But I was getting the impression that writing genre fiction, especially the genre I mostly write (which is chick-lit), is not respectable.

I don't really know how this can be so, however, when one of my favorite authors - Meg Cabot, in case you haven't been paying attention. And if you haven't, well, come on. Get with the program here - is so great at it and her books are bestsellers and people love her.

(Plus she just won a Distinguished Alumni Award from her Alma Mater, Indiana University.)

But I no longer feel inadequate. I know that I am a good writer (sure I could always use some polishing), and I have a niche. And different people have different tastes, so it's perfectly fine that I want to write light bubbly fiction geared mostly towards women. Because that's what I like to read. Because it cheers my most stressful and depressing days. And if I can do that for someone else that I think that is pretty respectable.

The only place I'm still feeling slightly inadequate, however, is the amount of time I'm able to put into my novel.

As you can see, my NaNoWriMo count is only at 4,786 words. And the month is half over. I've come to terms with the fact that I am not going to finish by the end of the month.

(But, I finished chapter four last night. And I'm feeling pretty good about it. Especially since one of my best friends is sitting next to me reading parts of it and I can hear her giggling at the funny parts. It brings me joy.)

Anyway, I asked Meg Cabot - on her message board, not really expecting a response from her but maybe from one of the moderators - about how many words/pages she writes a day. And SHE responded personally! But the amount she told me is like TEN TIMES the amount I write a day. And some days I don't write anything, because I'm too busy studying for an Acts exam.

So I feel inadequate. And it's only slightly helped by the knowledge that I'm trying to write a novel at the same time I'm trying to finish my senior year of college and bring up my GPA so that I can graduate Summa Cum Laude (which suffice it to say is NOT going to happen after this semester's results from Acts).

Okay. I'll just keep taking it one day at a time.

Thanks Meg Cabot for responding personally to me. And congratulations on your discipline. I admire it greatly.

By the way, readers, if you are at all interested in Meg Cabot (as you should be) you should read her blog/check out her website.

Too hot.

Ok.

It's the 14th of November.

One month and eleven days until Christmas.

In some places, it snowed today. In others, there has been snow for a while.

Here, in Southern California, the temperature reached 92 degrees.

This is too hot. Too hot for November. I don't like being hot. I don't really like snow either. But I at least like the option of wearing a light jacket.

My Weekend Thus Far

So, I finished ANOTHER Meg Cabot book last night.  I kind of want to cry.  Because it was the last one until she publishes more - for adults anyway. I could go read her YA and probably be equally as happy.

I'm at my aunt's house playing with the dogs.  Working on my novel.  And taking pictures.

I've an additional 900 words so far, and I'm planning on doing some more tonight. I've breaked only to take some pictures and watch last week's episode of Bones.  Oh, and now I'm watching When Harry Met Sally while I make dinner. I didn't like it last time I saw it. But I LOVE it now.

I think I'll show you some pictures...you know...just to be nice.



This is Mr. Lou looking pretty.






Mr. Lou again. I can't help it, he's just such a good model.


















The pretty koi.













This is my grandpa. I think I look like him.



















Gillie.







Charlie Blue. Don't you think he looks, well, blue?




Buford.

News of the Day

In the world: It’s Guy Fawkes Day! I know, it means pretty much nothing here. But whatever. I think it’s significant, and I wish I could be there sharing in the festivities. I love celebrations and it looks like fun. I posted signs around my workplace saying “Remember, remember the 5th of November…” I think people appreciated it...really, they did. This just goes to show how much I wish I lived in England...I really do.

In the Nation: We have a new president; the first African American president. Regardless of what you think of him, this is an historical moment.

And sadly, author Michael Crichton died today at the age of 66 after a battle with cancer. His death was unexpected and my heart goes out to his family and friends. I will always love him, because he brought me Jurassic Park, and opened my eyes to the wonders of dinosaurs at a very young age. Also Jeff Goldblum (Independence Day anyone?). Thank you Michael.

On the home front:  My NANOWRIMO word count is still at last night’s 1,020 because I haven’t had time to work on it yet today. (Stinkin’ homework). But,

“Big Boned” came in for me at the library today so I can look forward to reading it, more like devouring it, over the weekend.

I will be spending the weekend at my aunt’s house in San Diego to babysit “the boys” while the family attends a wedding up north. I am looking forward to taking some time away from campus to spend by myself doing whatever I want (i.e. writing my novel, reading Meg Cabot, and watching movies until my eyes hurt). Not to mention that I get to hang out with three of the coolest dogs EVER.

(Especially Louie, my good friend).

NANOWRIMO

So, I've taken the NANOWRIMO challenge.

If you don't know what that is, NANOWRIMO is the National Novel Writing Month, where you are supposed to write a whole novel during the month of November.

Today, I finished the first chapter. It's a bit short, though, only 651 words. I might have to go in a change that later.

Anyway, I'm going to try and update on my progress so a) you can know how I'm doing and b) so I have incentive to keep working at it that way I dont have to come back here at the end of the month and feel like a tool because I didn't finish something I committed to.

So...there's that. I'm going to try and get a widget or something. Or I'll just post my word count at the end of each post.

Maybe when I finish it I can publish it. And you can buy it. And read it. And love it. Maybe.

It's a fetus!

My sister is having a baby girl.  She plans to name her Enid.  I think it goes without saying, but I'm excited.  And since I think she has gone public with the news, I feel compelled to show you all what my little neice looks like.  She has the same nose as my sister and I.  I'm already attached.

Look at her little eyes, she's face the camera er whatever it's called.




Sucking her little thumb with her little legs up in the air. So sweet.




Same as above. See the little button nose? Thats MY nose. Except not really but whatevs, you get the point.

I'm not getting old yet.

I felt like a little kid today.

My friend and I got two free tickets to Knott's Berry Farm, so we went.  And I got so excited about everything.  She said I was so distracted by everything, just like a little kid.

Then we went to the Sprint store and I got my phone switched, so now I can receive texts from outside sources like Google and email addresses and such, yay!

(This means I can use Bluetooth to make new ringtones)!

When I came out of the Sprint store it started raining.  Please note: I ABSOLUTELY LOVE rain, and I've missed it so much since moving to California.

Anyways, I went into Baskin Robbins and got some Mint Chip (my favorite) ice cream and the lady put frosting on it for me (remember those clowns?).  I was so excited.  So I sat under an umbrella outside in the rain and ate my ice cream.  It was spectacular.

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.

Home Sweet Home...?

So, the roommate and I are both sick.

A little over a month ago we moved into our apartment with the excitement that comes with all things new. Now let me just take a moment to say that I am very happy to be out of the dorms, living in a humble one bedroom apartment, sharing with only one other person...but there were issues tied in with this that I was a little less than chipper about. Things that should have been taken care of before our arrival. Roommate mentioned these in her blog, but I am going to as well.

Item #1 - Our pantry had three broken/missing shelves. Roommate's BF measured and built some new ones for us and we split the cost for materials. We petitioned for Facilities to reimburse us as we felt it was something they should have provided for us as we do pay rent. However, we were told that they were only required to provide us with "a" shelf, which they did, and that was to suffice.

Item #2 - A cabinet door that, once opened, broke off the hinge and hung awkwardly on the other. It stuck out and snagged us every time we walked by. It took them three weeks to come and repair.

Item #3 - The previous tenants left a present for us in our garbage disposal. We put in a request for a repair, but it ended up being me who reached in and pulled out the unidentifiable plastic object. Roommate found a work order from Facilities taped to our door a week later saying that they had come in and fixed it... Good work guys. Thanks a billion.

Item #4 - Our bathtub would not drain. Luckily, an entire bottle of drain cleaner worked it's magic, for the most part anyway.

Item #5 - Our apartment walls and doors have been painted over so many times that our adhesive hooks wont stay for long. We've have problems with things falling off the walls, such as our curtains, my towel hook, and our full length mirror. One of the curtain hooks actually fell off without any weight put on it.

Item #6 - This is the biggie, people. Our carpet was cleaned over the summer. Nice, right? Not so much. After being shampooed, our apartment was closed up and not given time to air out.

Therefore, we moved in to a mildew infested apartment. Yay! Though I have to say, that was the quickest I've ever seen Facilities respond to a work order, and rightly so. They re-cleaned the carpet and left a dryer with us over the weekend.

SO, we should be good right? Right?
Wrong again.

We've both been sick for weeks now, going back and forth with the same symptoms and feeling not quite up to par everyday.

Now, I have just been hoping that something is going around and a little bit of Airborne and a fair amount of sleep will cure us.

Clearly, I don't want to, nor do I have time to, clear out my possessions and furniture so new carpet can be put in.

Unfortunately, this has been going on so long and all signs are pointing towards remaining mildew being the source of our unhealth.

Unsure

Right now, I dont feel like myself.

I can't figure out if that is a good thing or bad.

I am swamped. I am working too much and taking too many classes and committing myself to too many things. I like it this way. I like keeping busy, I like feeling like I've accomplished something at the end of every day. And yet, I have no time for myself and I'm finding myself more irritable than usual. I'm less sensitive to the things I am usually stressing over, and I'm more sensitive to things that really dont mean diddly squat. And yes, I did just use that expression from a billion years ago, compliments of my mother.

Here's the thing. I do feel like I'm being productive. I mean, every day I do something which last year I would have been happy to have done in a week (then again, last year I had mono), but at the same time, I'm not getting done the things I really want to get done. I'm spending all my time reading books I dont care about, writing assignments that mean nothing to me, and basically just trying to do whatever I can to graduate with high honors. Up front that ambition sounds admirable, respectable, doable... but if you take a step back, and look at the things I am not getting done (i.e. finishing a feature script just for fun, writing the next great American novel, taking some time to travel the world...) because I'm so busy with the "important" stuff, my time spent looks pretty meaningless.

My mom probably would never wish for me to live the life she led. This is why I'm getting my bachelor's degree and starting over all the way across the country. Yet her young adult life, or at least her ability to move around and just adventure freely, is looking pretty appealing to me right about now.

Just Slightly Giddy

OK, I am excited about two things right now and, naturally, both of them are movies.

Happy Source #1
There's nothing I like better than the prospect of a new Cameron Crowe film. He has this extraordinary talent for bringing realism to the screen.
Characters - relatable, plotlines - believable, romance - desirable, music - incredible.

In my mind, Crowe is the epitome of filmmaking genius. The "Untitled Cameron Crowe Project" is currently in pre-production and is set to star Ben Stiller and Reese Witherspoon. Though the casting choice may give me pause, I'm going to trust him and hope for the best. He hasn't let me down yet -- even with "Elizabethtown," which I still greatly enjoyed despite its flaws. So sue me.

Happy Source #2
"Revolutionary Road."

Not to be confused with "Reservation Road," starring Joaquin Phoenix and Mark Ruffalo (le sigh), which I haven't actually seen yet and kick myself for. Then again, with the exception of "Pineapple Express," I haven't seen any new movies in months.

Anyway, "Revolutionary Road" is based on a novel of the same name by Richard Yates and is set to come out the day after Christmas.

Why am I so excited about this one, you ask? (Now pay close attention kids.) It will be the first reunion of Kate and Leo since "Titanic," and I am intrigued, to say the least. They were cute as Rose and Jack, but they have both grown up a great deal and have evolved into two of the most talented actors I've seen lately.

Pair that with the fact that the book was listed as "one of the 100 best English-language novels" since 1923 and runs in league with greats like Catch 22 and I must conclude that this can only be a good thing.

Insomniac

I'm sensing a pattern... and this pattern is my complete and utter lack of sleep.

I do sleep, don't get me wrong. But I sleep very little, and often unexpectedly on the couch.

Why do I sleep on the couch? Do I think my roommate smells? No, no I don't.

Is my bed extremely uncomfortable? Not since I bought a foamy mattress pad. Could it be that for class every Friday morning I have to have read 5 short stories and written 1? Bingo.

Now, one might say that I should do this during the week, and I might agree, until I look at the rest of my homework schedule. Every other block of time during the week is taken up by an assignment for a different class. Therefore, this assignment typically gets done between the hours of 12am and 9am, with me randomly falling asleep for a few short hours (in a very awkward position I might add) on the couch, then my roommate asking me if I ever went to bed when she wakes up and finds me still in the living room. This has occurred every Thursday night/Friday morning since the beginning of the semester. I do not plan it. I do not wish it. If anyone can help me remedy this situation, please give me a suggestion. Though, preferably a suggestion that does not involve me doing homework on a Friday night.

It seems as if the only time I sleep soundly is on the weekends. I really don't like sleeping in, so when I woke up yesterday and couldn't get out of bed, I hated myself for having to stay in bed until noon. What a waste of the day!

On the bright side, I have acquired a taste for Chai. <- more like "acquired an addiction."

Music vs. Movies

So, I think it's very interesting - the differentiation between movie lovers and music lovers. Most people are both, myself included, but I'd have to say I'm slightly more fond of movies than music. If I had to choose between going to a concert or seeing a movie in the theatre, I would pick the movie. I honestly just don't have the attention span for a concert, nor do my feet have the endurance to stand such long periods of time. The band would have to be pretty incredible performers (or I would have to know someone in the band) for me to really get into it.

I tend to think that when it comes to music and movies, you can't really have one without the other. However, I have heard the argument that you can have music without movies but not the other way around. Personally -- and I doubt I'm the only one in this -- every time I listen to music I start visualizing sequences of a movie that I might like to write, and every time I write I start subconsciously deciding which songs should go where. So for me, they go hand in hand.