Sock Rant

I was cleaning my room today, and as I often do, I had a cleaning epiphany. Well, not really an epiphany, but it's fun to say. Anyways...I found and counted five blue-toned scarfs of mine. Now they're all different, but four of them were given to me! Do I just seem to ask for blue scarfs for all my Christmas, birthday, and random other occasion gifts? Oh, and I have three others. Two were also given to me as gifts. Perhaps I need a second neck for all these scarfs...

I also have a strange amount of fuzzy socks (most of them are striped, by the way). I really enjoy fuzzy socks in the winter time, but it just seems like seven pairs is too many, because ALL of them were gifts.

The scarf and fuzzy sock gifting has only begun since freshman yearish. Three years, and I have this many of both?

So I'm asking, begging really, please don't give me socks or scarfs. I may seem like all I need in this world is a blue scarf to keep me happy, but really? I don't.

There's a ton of stuff to include, but...

Hmm. To copy everyone else, in case you were wondering about what I got for Christmas...

• an iPod touch <3
• a cute little case for it. Really, it's adorable.
• PJ pants
• Sweaters that require returning (itchy, too small)
• A boy's shirt (too big)
• Paper Heart DVD
• The 6th Season of Gilmore Girls (because I already had seasons 1-5 and 7)

And I gave...well, a ton of stuff. I did almost all the Christmas shopping for my family this year. My mom doesn't like Christmas shopping, and since I do, well...I got to buy and wrap everything.

I feel like another week of break would be nice. But then I remember that we basically have monthly breaks/long weekends+snow days coming. I guess I'll be okay after all.

I've seen four movies in the past three weeks, which is a ton for me. The Blind Side, Invictus, The Princess and the Frog, and Sherlock Holmes. They were all good. Really good. Especially the Blind Side.
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Over school breaks, I try to work out more, since I have the time for it. This normally gets me on a losing weight kick (something I need to do, by the way). But, I feel a bit more excited for this one. And trust me, I need it. I mean, I signed up for this weight tracker thing and stuff. I was a normal weight(ish) freshman year. I'd like to be able to get back there, anyways.

I'm going to Costa Rica for spring break. Here's to hoping I have some success by then.

Happy Early New Year!

Things I've Done

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars (Does in a tent count?)
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/DisneyWorld
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept overnight on a train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden a gondola in Switzerland (I did a gondola in New Hampshire)
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen Amish country
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi concentration camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book (Working on it.)
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life (Jesse says I did when I gave him the heimlich.) :)~
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. One cavity or less

You Never Know Until You Find Out

So, I've sort of known for months that Nathan can cook. But it was actually proven today.

We had my house to ourselves, so we went grocery shopping and made ourselves dinner. So, we searched my kitchen, deciding what to make. He figured out what spices to buy by sniffing certain ones we already had. And then he knew exactly what he was doing, spending far longer than I ever would picking out meat.

So we cooked, Iron Chef style-flurry, spicing and dicing and stirring. It was fun. And he can definitely cook better than me. Even though we had our share of mistakes, it was still really fun and I can't wait to do it again.

We ended up with:

• "crunchy" redskin potatoes (we didn't bake them long enough)
• cornbread that fell apart (I had to use EggBeater egg white instead of normal eggs)
• yummy steak (except for the places where he spilled seasoning all over the place)

It was good. It was yummy. My boyfriend can cook better than me. Maybe he'll teach me how.

Perfect Present.

I have some sort of issue, I really do. This is possibly the second or third Christmas involving me crying, and I don't know why.

Every year, I expect the magic of Christmas to hit. Santa brings me presents, family brings me joy. I mean, I honestly had a great Christmas.

So why the tears began at 1:34 am this morning/last night, I don't know.

It seems to be that I haven't experienced the perfect present in a long time. Now before you think I'm spoiled or something, let me explain.

The perfect present has not to do with monetary value. It can only be given from a person who knows the recipient well. I want to be known that well. Am I hard to read? I don't think so.
Santy came close this year. But the only thing I ever want from Christmas is a well thought out surprise. That is why I have the messed up crying every year.

Merry Christmas

Okay, I don't know anyone that celebrates Kwanzaa, and Hanukkah is over for the year, so I hope you don't mind me saying....Merry Christmas everyone!

I just checked NORAD, and he's in San Pedro, Paraguay. He's hit pretty much every continent now but North America. We're just behind everyone else...sigh.

I can't wait for Santa! Unfortunately, because my mom is working tomorrow, we have to wake up at 8:00. It's less than twelve hours from now, YES!

Oh, and SQUEEE!!!!

Yeah, Yeah, I Know Her

So Sam and I have been talking. About actually knowing someone. And I think that we've come to an important conclusion (it was her, I think, but it makes me feel better to say "we").

For example, I've known my friend MC for years, I've been to her house, annoyed her brother with her, laughed at her pickiness. But for the life of me, I don't know her goals in life, what she thinks about most, etc. I can tell you her crush in 6th grade, but not why she supported McCain in the last election.

I like to know things about people. I really do. It's probably why I facebook stalk sometimes.
So anyways...yeah, tell me things. I'd rather actually learn your opinions on life than whether not you think Volansky is crazy (not that it's not important, but small talk can get dull).

So...here's one for you. My mother thinks I've been going to church every Sunday by myself at a different church because I dislike the pastor at my church. I do dislike him somewhat. So, for the past several months, as often as I can, I've been skipping Church. I've driven to Camp Dearborn, gone Christmas shopping before the malls were open, and finished my green sheet in the parking lot of Sorrows. I'm not the stanch Catholic some people (God knows why they think this) seem to believe that I am. I believe in God, but I prefer to be a deist. (I only used the term because of Euro. Euro Connection!) I don't like Church, but I pray sometimes. Can't I have my own religion?

And that, was something important about me.

Grades

I find grades very relative.

Towards the beginning of the semester, I was trying semi-hard, I wanted my A's, damn it!

I've been progressively less homework since we've gotten closer to break. My grades are exactly the same. I'm not learning as much, but my grades are the same.

I had a quiz in precalc recently, thinking that I would do poorly, I worried about it. In Honors Algebra 2 if this happened, it'd mean I would be receiving a C, maybe a D. Now? An A-.

My classes are getting easier, or something. I feel like...it's not supposed to be like that. I don't mind it, but it's weird.

To me, my grades should be correlated with how much effort I'm putting in. But I'm probably going to study very little for my Euro test (on four chapters) and do very well on it. That doesn't seem fair to me, when there's a couple sophomores in the class studying their asses off.

I'm lucky, I seemed to have gotten the long straw (or is it the short that's good?). I just wish it was more fair and equal or something...

Aww...boys aren't so bad sometimes. I say this as I write my porn essay too. Maybe I'm certifiable, like Volansky.

Hey, Just Call Me "Seven"

My dad teaches and creates online classes. That's basically what he does, why I live in a house and not a box, things like that. He's gotten all sorts of students, ones serving in Iraq right now, ones who also happen to be going to med school, grandmas who just get bored. He teaches people from many places not just in this country, but the world.

But never, has he had a student quite like this. His first name is Thirty-Seven, his surname Forty-Seven. Thirty-Seven Forty-Seven. He says that he just goes by "Seven."

Now, Dad has encountered many foreign names, many unfamiliar names, but never someone named after a number before. He's curious, I'm curious as to how this guy's name happened. Were his parents feeling adventurous? Did he change it himself? Does everyone in his family have number names?

I just wish I knew the story behind the name. Name your kid Atlas, Pilot Inspecktor, Apple, whatever. But...a number? It's different to say the least.

You're an Art Student When...

So, there's a little thing I don't particularly like right now. It's called the new schedule. But, don't fret, I'm not going to bitch about that, really.

My concern is the art classes. I skipped taking art this year, deciding that Spanish was more practical. I'm finally going to have room for art again.

There's no Art 3 anymore. I'd be taking Studio/IB Art. It's a yearlong class for students who want to build their portfolios, namely for going to art school.

Unfortunately, I don't really need one of those, unless I do end up majoring in architecture, which seems a little unlikely right now.

I'm scared.

Taking this art class would mean that I'm serious about art, that I crave to sketch a particular tree, want to collage a skyscraper, visit the Louvre, etc.

I love art. I really, really do. But I'm terrified to be an art student. What happens when I'm not as good as everyone else? Does that mean that I'm going to get a bad grade? If I lack the skills the other students have, does that mean I shouldn't be in the class?

I'm majoring in History/Spanish/Secondary Ed. I don't need this art class. But I want it. But what if I don't belong, Mommy? Will the other kids laugh at my rudimentary figure drawings, my fabric collages, my naivete? I'm scared. Oh so very terrified.