- "hot out of the printer" paper
- old books
- new books
- rain
- fresh snow
- a nice, fresh cup of hot tea
- cake or cookies in the oven
- my tomato-alfredo sauce as it is cooking
- anything Aveda
- chlorine
- Old Spice
- Bath and Body Works' Aromatherapy (Jasmine-Vanilla and Eucalyptus Spearmint)
- freshly cut lawn
- my Herbal Essences - Hello Hydration Shampoo and Condition (it's Orchid and Coconut Milk)
- Dryer sheets
- woodsmoke
- unlit menthol cigarettes
- pipe tobacco
- popcorn
- newly sharpened pencils
Study Break #1
I'm taking a much needed break from homework to share a list of my favorite scents.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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