Beauty Pageants and Scale Speak

Well, Blogger was having issues while I was trying to update last night, so last night's post has been posted tonight.
The weekend, it starts tonight! Yes! And, considering the fact that we get Monday off, it's a four day weekend!

Speaking of the weekend, interestingly enough a family friend is participating in the Miss Oregon pageant this weekend. I've never known anyone who's been in one of these pageants, and I wonder what it's like to participate in something like that. I do like to dress up. I'd just need to get some abs. Speaking of which...

I'm thinking something is up with my body. My weight has been fluctuating like crazy, daily. So the whole thing started last Sunday, and I saw that my weight was quite a bit higher than usual. (I weigh myself weekly, mainly because my runner's log has a section for it and training screws up my appetite.) Because I let a thing like this get to me, I decided to watch where the scale was headed for the week. I've seen it go down and up in pounds. And I don't believe that I've been eating that much to cause such a stir. Something doesn't seem right, but I could be paranoid.

That's all from me tonight!

Have you ever seen/participated in a beauty pageant?

Bizarre Toe Issues and Phone Drama

Recently my middle toe had been bothering me. I had no clue just why it hurt so bad, but it felt like it was bruised. Studying that toe, I didn't see anything that looked wrong, just rough skin. Then, after a closer look, a though occurred: Was there a blister under my toenail?

The answer? Yes.

I think I've disgusted you all enough by discussing the fact that yes, underneath my toenail, so I don't think you need to see prove. 3/4ths of the area underneath the nail is blister. Just thought you needed to know that extra little tidbit.

I thought that the delightful information about my toenail would be all that I had to offer tonight, but life decided to slap me in the face with more fun experiences. That aren't so fun.
Earlier today, I went to the restroom, walked to my car, and looked into my purse to find something was not there. The pink rubbery case was nowhere in sight, so I dashed back to the bathroom, not even five minutes after I had left. Can you see where this is going?
Yep, my phone was stolen. Or might be missing. But probably stolen.
My frantic search in my car was followed by a complete breakdown crouching under the steering wheel. It wasn't the fact that I'd need a new phone that freaked me out. Of course, that's a factor. The thing that instantly went to mind was I'd done another thing wrong. How I had failed again. You see how this is a reoccurring fear?
I try so hard to be responsible, to remember things. But time and time again I keep on screwing up. Over and over again, making dumb mistakes. Does this mean I'm destined to be in a depressingly mundane and idiotic job, just because it's all I can handle? God I hope not.
So after my cry (or more like sobfest), I reported it missing to public safety, the building I was in, and realized there was nothing else I could do about it. Geez, I couldn't even do that right, because I was waiting until I could talk to my mom to see about canceling it, but she said I should have already done it. I thought it would be smart to wait to talk to her. Apparently not. Just another notch in the crappy feeling post.
I wish I had something more positive to say, but that's what going on in my life. So it is what appears here. May tomorrow be better.
Back to the toe thing, What's the weirdest way exercise has affected your body?

Memories in Every Mile

So I drive my family's minivan, right?
Well, this van has become a special part of me, I suppose. I like driving it, and I don't seem to mind that it's not a cool car. I smile at the sadly duct taped mirror. I revel in the fact that the front seats are heated. I do not question the bizarre burn mark on the back seat, that no one has a clue how it got there. I simply like my ride. I'm not very good at driving little cars because I'm so used to the van. It even has a name, which it received during school this year from one of my friends.

So Penelope, I have only this to say.



What is this thing you call safety while driving?



Nicely done on going 200,000 miles. May we drive 200,000 more. Or at least for awhile longer.

Other than that, today consisted of going to school, running, and working. Yep. And that's pretty much the idea behind tomorrow, except no running and less work. Dang, I need to make lunch and study up... bah.

What makes your car/bike/mode of transportation special?

Making Errors and Making Bread

I'll be honest with you. I'm feeling not so great today, especially since I failed at a task that a trained monkey could accomplish. And you know how I feel about feeling like an idiot.

I did make bread today though, and that was pretty cool.

I wanted to see if I should make bread to have with peanut butter or eggs instead of English muffins in the morning. I shall test it out tomorrow!

I did try a little bite though. Pretty good! I got the recipe from a cookbook for teens... because I'm just that advanced.

I'll be honest with y'all out there. I don't know much about cooking. When I was in high school I always wanted to get into Foods class so that I could learn how to at least make something. Geez, I barely know how to boil water. I can bake alright, but cooking? I dunno.
Next school year though, I need to be able to cook. I don't want to eat out constantly, and Ramen isn't fulfilling. Therefore this summer I'm going to practice. I've been studying cheap food, scouring for things that sound healthy. This bread is one of the things.
I don't want to go to school tomorrow. Or do anything that requires work. I want to read, draw, try to make up a song on the piano and create imaginary vacations in my mind. I don't feel like getting the chance to screw up on something in the work setting again.

Hey, the bread turned out, so I'm not that incompetent I guess.
Hope everyone has a lovely evening!

Do you cook? How did you get into cooking?

Stubborness With Age, and Midnight in Paris

At what age do you become too stubborn to look at other sides of an argument? When is it that whatever you've learned is the only way that things can be learned? I ask this because lately I've started to notice that my dad doesn't really like anything new. When we go to a movie, he only ever thinks it's okay. Everything is simply "okay". I also gave him a book that he might find interesting, because I know how he likes history. It's about the history of the United States, but it's told from the views of the natives, the slaves, and all of those who aren't in command. Now, I'm pretty sure that my dad was taught the way of Christopher Columbus being the most amazing guy out there, and just discovering America like he meant to. (Fact: He wasn't, and he didn't.) This book happens to show another side of that story, and I don't think he wants to think about it. Is that just his personality? Or do we get to an age in our lives where we simply think that all of the things we currently like are the only things we can like for the rest of our days? It's probably the former, but I can't help but think otherwise.

Today I went to the movies with my sister, and we saw Midnight in Paris. It made me want to go into movie review mode, so here we go.

I have never seen a Woody Allen movie before today. I'd always been told that he filmed "more artistically than others", so I braced myself for whatever was to come, perhaps being a movie that drags on far too long. However, as the movie progressed I became intrigued with his unique film style. Maybe he doesn't do this for all of his films, but I'd need to see them to know for sure. For instance, one of the things I found interesting was during the times people talked to each other. In most movies, you'll see the camera flip from one person to another, to however is talking or perhaps have them in the same frame. That was not the case here. There were some scenes where the main person was having a conversation with someone a few feet off camera, or have the action focused on another situation as the two characters we were listening to conversed in the background. Were there lingering camera shots? Of course there were, the whole beginning is five minutes of shots of Paris while a song played.
One thing that Allen does not have is subtlety. When he wants you to not root for a certain person, he definitely makes sure you won't root for them. Rachel McAdams plays the fiance, who is the antagonist of this story. She plays Regina George in Mean Girls, right? Well picture that... only 100 times more unlikeable. Really, is it so hard for people today to agree with the idea of Romanticism that you have to make the fiance and her parents that unlikeable?

Now, about the movie itself. The movie is about Gayle (or however you spell the male version of that name). He goes off to Paris with his fiance and his fiance's parents, and it's a city he adores. He moons over the city and the 1920s, while Miss I-hate-anything-my-fiance-says bickers at him about having stupid dreams, and how his novel probably won't pan out. Better to do something in a city you hate that makes you completely miserable than at least try to do something you like, right? She also happens to have the hots for one of her guy friends that's there with his wife as well. The guy friend happens to be one of those people who will ramble off information about EVERYTHING, because he's an expert in EVERYTHING.
One night, while walking the streets alone and taking a seat on some stairs, Gayle hears the chimes indicating midnight, and discovers a whole new world. Or, old world actually as he gets transported to the 1920s.

The magical situation in which Gayle finds himself is whimsical, and I was completely drawn into it. Still, with all of the magic and wonder of the past, it's nice to see that we actually end up learning a lesson that doesn't completely throw away common sense. It's wonderful to get caught up in the moment, but one must take a step back and look at the big picture as the hero experiences for us. I suppose that it's good to know who to not like in the situation, but the setting in the past is so exciting that it's not really necessary to push their nastiness to the extreme.
Despite there being a few irritating things, the movie left me with a serene smile glued to my face. The magic, wonder and Romanticism made me want to dream a little more of things that make me happy. Also, I'd never really been a fan of Paris (I simply didn't care), but now I realize just what a beautiful city it is.

Class tomorrow? Blah. I guess every week started is that much closer do being done, right? Eh.

If you could live in any city, where would you live? This movie made me think about this. I don't know where I'd want to live, but there's still a lot of cities that I want to visit.

Long Runs, Age, and Wisdom

What, it's Saturday? When did that happen?

I had my long run today... which was SIXTEEN MILES! Woohoo! A tad sore, toes hurt a little, but nothing too out of the ordinary. No stopping either! Ah.

Lately I havent' been pleased with my body. I don't know why, but I've been looking really big. Before this week, I looked fine but now there's more padding. Is it my mind playing tricks on me? Have I really gotten bigger? I haven't checked my weight, but I don't think I could gain an extreme amount of weight in that little time especially since I haven't been eating that many calories. Have I? Augh, I'd rather not think about it, or at least complain about it to y'all anymore.

On my run today, a thought floated through my mind. I'm stupid. However, I'm not saying that in a belittling way. I suppose a better way to say it would be that I'm ignorant, but somehow stupid feels like it fits.
So I'm nineteen, right? Well, there's a lot about the world that I don't know. There's a lot of academia that I haven't learned, there's a lot of common sense that I haven't learned... There's just a lot that I don't know. Whenever I want to sound smart, or whenever I type something that I think sounds intelligent I instantly become nervous. Do I sound pretentious? Do I sound like a complete idiot? I suppose that it's better to actually throw things out there into the world and test how others react instead of keeping thoughts sealed up from fear of looking foolish. This is kind of along the idea of the thing I was talking about with knowing where the line is. Then again, did I sound like an idiot with the writing in that? Augh.

I hate looking foolish, because I feel sad when I see others looking foolish. I pity them. I don't want people to pity me, I want people to respect me. But with that respect, once again I realize that there's a lot that I don't know. I hate that there's so much I don't know, that's why I'm constantly intrigued by learning new facts and searching for more knowledge in obscure things.

Yes, I'll learn things through time, but that takes... well, you know, time. It's kind of the comparison game. Do I know more than this person my age? I want to show people that I'm intelligent for my age! Wishful thinking? Of course, but that's the basis of being human isn't it? It's a big world out there, but I'm interested in having the world being intrigued by me. I want the world to want me. I want to feel special is the main thing.

My sister has convinced me to come to a coffee shop with her to study, so that's where I sit now. She blames me for taking away from her precious study time, which ticks me off. I told her that I was going on my long run right? I told her that it would take a long time. Long run days usually mean the whole day involves it somehow. What was she doing while I was gone for a little over two and a half hours? Watching movies that she's already watched. Can you see where I think I shouldn't be in the wrong?
Breathe. Let it go, no matter how much it ticks me off that I get blamed for things I shouldn't get in trouble for. Breaaaaaaathe.

What's the best age-based wisdom that you've ever received?

Bakery Breakfast, Libraries and Travelling Solo

I love the feeling of a nice venturing day. Those days where you happen to do things that aren't scheduled, but just errands for things you want to do? That's what I mean.

I started out the morning with a bakery breakfast with two of my friends. I'm not used to eating breakfast at 10 though, so I naturally woke up at 8:30 and waited.
I didn't do much after that until I walked down to the library. Oh goodness, I love the library. It turns out that my card was expired though! Huh. It felt like I had just gotten it renewed. I went in search of only a few specific books...

... and as you can see, I got a little overexcited. I tend to. The book on the top intrigues me most because it's a collection of essays from women who have traveled the world alone.
As I've talked about before, I really want to travel somewhere. Yeah, I know I'm not the only one out there who wants to travel, but I'm not talking about family vacations somewhere. I really want to go somewhere I can explore, even if it's like California. Actually, I really want to go to California and explore things like the Chinese Theater, The Walk of Fame, and Hollywood. Whenever I mention this, I get the reply of, "Okay, you should do that! Who would go with you?"
That's where I hold my tongue. Truthfully, I want to go by myself. However, when I throw that idea out there I instantly hear the warnings of how a girl shouldn't travel alone, because it's dangerous for a girl, blah blah blah. I know that women will always have an elevated risk in traveling, but I'm hoping this book could educate me on safer solo travel and other solo traveler know-how.

Plus there were groceries that were purchased today. I should have bought more green peppers.

So I can eat them like this.

Long run tomorrow... Oh dear. I'm scared, especially since I've been feeling a little off. I hope I'm not getting injured.

Have you ever travelled solo?

Creating and Protecting Memory

My weekend has officially begun! YES!

There have been studies on how we save memories, and why we remember certain things so well. For instance, it's much easier to recall exactly where you were when a tragedy occurs like when 9/11 happened. I for one can remember where I was when I saw the terrifying incident. However, this isn't about sad memories. It's about weird memories, good memories and silly memories.

I was thinking about the first time I heard certain songs on the radio recently. For most songs, I can't really recall where I was when I first heard it, but there are two songs I remember exactly where I was when I first heard it.

First there was "Forget You" by Cee Lo Green. I was driving back to school on evening, and all of a sudden I heard that song come on the air. I thought that the radio waves had accidentally gotten mixed up or something. It was so different from the poppy stuff that was usually on the air. I didn't think about it much afterwards until I started hearing other people play it.

The other one? Katy Perry's "I Kissed a Girl (And I Liked It)" Or whatever the real title of that song is. Anywho, when I first heard it, I didn't think it was real. I thought it was one of those stunts radio stations do along with their terrible radio shows or something. I even remember the exact road I was driving on. As soon as I got home, I exclaimed to my sister, "You can't believe this song they played on the radio!" I looked up her other stuff, and there were some weird music videos I found... like one with a barbie doll getting revenge on a jerk ken doll. Or something like that. When I heard it, I never thought I would hear the song again, let alone hear of that Katy girl ever again. Ha!

As far as everyday memory, I am terrible at remembering anything. I forget names like crazy, I get lost because I never remember directions... Goodness. I really want to get better at remembering things. Repetition helps, right? What else helps memory?

Today was another one of those go go go days, ya know? I stuffed in a seven mile run right before work... which ended up going to work only with a washed faced and impromptu sponge bath-type thing. Yeah, that doesn't help the situation with my face breaking out lately.

So once again, I ask you: How do you improve memory?

There's a Fine Line Between...

There's a fine line between            and             .

You could fill those spaces with just about anything. Here's just a few:

There's a fine line between doing things for yourself because you should and doing things for yourself because you're selfish.
There's a fine line between a little indulgence and being a pig.
There's a fine line between standing up for yourself and being overly sensitive.

I've heard this type of phrase everywhere, and I'm almost positive that all of you out there have heard of it as well. This goes along with the idea of doing everything in moderation, but it's still a hard concept to figure out. No one knows what that line is. It's a vague goal that everyone strives for, yet not necessarily given a standard of what that is. Basically, it's like someone comes up to you and says, "I want you to find a ball. Not just any ball, but a specific one. It has no distinct markings on it, and no one knows where it is located. All we know is that it's red. Good luck!"

Yeah, I know that all of those "fine line" situations aren't that ridiculous, but some of them certainly feel like it.
It would be nice to simply know the answer to where the line lays. Sure, we get help with this from experience and the people around us.  That's the whole, "It's the journey, not the destination," talk. Makes sense, but... pish.

I suppose really the main thing I have to say is that life is weird. Like we didn't already know that. The main reason I've been thinking about things like this is because lately I have no idea what I'm going to do with my life. Am I living it right? Should I be doing things differently? Am I         ? Yeah, you know the drill.

Other than that, just another day of class and such. Now time to figure out how I'm going to fit a seven mile run in tomorrow, because it's going to be like Tuesday.

What's the most ridiculous "There's a fine line between..." phrase you've ever heard?

Leaving Early, Coming Back Late

Left the house at 7:45 AM. Returned home at 9:30 PM. Yeah, it's been one of those days.

One of the reasons I didn't make it home until so late was because my mom and I visited a family member in the hospital. He had surgery on his back which has been giving him problems for a long time.
When we got to the hospital, we saw my cousin (his wife) with tears welling up in her eyes. Before, I hadn't really been too freaked out about his surgery (don't worry, it went fine. It was just really long.), but when I saw her face like that, I was spooked. It wasn't really because she was teary, but because she's the family member I've always seen be strong. She's always been tough. I know it's just because she was worried and stressed, but when you see someone you've always known as tough at a weak moment... It's scary.

Brain fried, and it all starts again tomorrow. Woo.

Who's one of the toughest people in your life? Have you ever seen them at a weak moment?

The Thing About Monte Carlo

Well I had my first class of the summer today. So it begins.

There's been something that has been bothering me for quite some time now. This little thing that's been bothering me started as soon as I saw this preview:

"But Hannah," you ask, "Why on earth would this bother you so much? It's just a preview for a cheesy movie."

True, it does look like a cheesy movie. THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN MADE.

Did anyone else out there ever watch The Lizzie McGuire Movie? If so, you were one of the people who got deja vu when watching this preview.

Of course they re-create movies all of the time. It's just... that's part of my childhood. I have a distinct memory of watching that movie in the basement of my cousins' Ohio house over and over again. Actually, just this part:

And that really is the biggest reason that this new movie cannot top it.
Plus, I've never been the biggest fan of Selena Gomez. She seems... uppity.

That's seriously all I've got for this evening. Hope everyone has a lovely day!

Did you watch The Lizzie McGuire Movie? What are your thoughts on this new movie?

Right Idea, Wrong Time and 10,000 Hours

My talent for having the right idea at the wrong time is at full power apparently.

Confused? Let me explain.

As you know, on Friday I went up to go get a textbook for my summer class. One of the two things I needed to get done while up there was that, and they just happened to be taking inventory.
"Well, you don't really need it yet. I mean, what are you going to do with it beforehand, look at it?" my sister told me.
"I guess you're right," I replied.

Hmm. Actually, I do need it. Looking over the syllabus, I noticed that we have homework due the first day of class. Hoo boy. That just means I have to get up there as soon as the bookstore opens, then finish the homework in the hour and a half before class. That's all I can do.

The second instance of the right idea at the wrong time happened today, when I went into town to go get books from my mom's business. I had the key... To her part of the building. Did I have a key to the entire building? No. Pish.

In other thought processes, I've been thinking about the 10,000 hours concept. The idea is that you need to spend at least 10,000 hours working on a skill to become an expert in it. Being very type A personality, I want to get a start on that as soon as possible. The only problem with that is I don't know what skill I'd like to develop.

Oh geez. It sounds like I'm talking about majors. Similar though, isn't it?

What's your 10,000 hour skill?

Long Run Days and High School Friends

Can I just say I'm sore? Because my rear hurts, and my legs are plain sore. I guess that's what 15 miles does to ya.

I'm going to talk about events that occurred yesterday, because pretty much all I did today was either get ready to run, run, or slowly crawl out of running mode. Also eating. I'm probably going to gain weight, because I've had the craziest appetite. My dad need to stop buying PB Crunch, because I will devour it all.

Anywho, yesterday I ended up hanging out with two of my close high school friends, one of them being my room mate this year. As we wandered around town and watched goofy online videos, I noticed that they really hadn't changed. Or, it didn't feel like it. They may have not changed, but I feel so much more different. Sure, we laugh at a lot of the same things but when it comes to personalities, it feels like they don't fit together quite right. Similar to cogs that are out of sync. I know that it's good to have friends with different personalities than yourself, and I love my friends. However there's something that feels weird about it. We don't seem to want any of the same things in the future. I've always known that we've been different, but I guess I never realized how radically different.

Geez, do I talk enough about being different from high school? Apparently not. Still, that's all I've got for the evening. I hope everyone has a lovely one!

Are you still similar to your high school friends? Or are you very different?

Summer Plans List and High School Reading Materials

Does time just pass much more quickly during the summer? Because it sure feels like it.

I say this mainly because I feel like I didn''t have enough time to finish anything today, despite having as many hours in the day as usual. I guess that's a duh comment.

After almost a week of being home, I've finally made a list of things I would like to do this summer. Some of the goals are goofy, and are similar to goals that little kids make. Go to a drive in movie? It's on the list. Make up a song about a silly topic? Yes, that's there too. There are also a few goals that are "big kid" goals like getting accessories for my apartment next year and marathon training. Pretty much all of my goals involve less time with technology and more time... being a kid? I guess. Sure, I'm taking classes and working for my mom Monday through Friday, but I still need to make time for summer stuff. For the longest time, I wasted summers zoning out to the TV. Dang it, not this summer.

One of my goals that I personally think is the most interesting is my summer reading list. The list isn't full of easy reading, or the next big book. I've decided to fill my list with classic novels. The whole thing started earlier this school year, during my English classes. We'd always mention books that everyone should have read in English class. The Catcher in the Rye? The Lord of The Flies? Everyone read these books in high school, right? Apparently not in my high school. The only two classic high school reading books I remember reading were The Great Gatsby and Of Mice and Men. Hopefully the novels I read will be more like Mice than Gatsby. I hated The Great Gatsby because situations that did not need much detail were overly detailed. The part I remember the most? When one of the women is in a car accident and Fitzgerald goes way too much into detail about how she's been ripped apart. It's explained how her boob was ripped off her chest. That's what I remember.

I'm sure I'll think of other things to add to the list, but for now it's looking pretty good.
Tomorrow is a long run day! Ack. It's always scary when you have to run a distance you've never run before.

What are the High School Reading materials that you've never read? Do you have any suggestions?

Running Rubbing and Celebrity Friend Groups

I have twenty minutes! Quick, say something witty!

I'm not sure how witty it is, but I've come to discover that seven miles worth of chafing is not a fun thing. Yeah. My inner thighs still sting. Curse that terrible running skirt!

While I was running, I decided to think about celebrities. Curious to find out what celebrities have run marathons, I've discovered that Will Ferrell and Diddy have run marathons. Cool.

Another thing that I thought about with celebrities were celebrities that I would like to be friends with. First on my list? Isaiah Mustafa. Wondering who the heck that is?

Yeah, the Old Spice Guy. I don't know what it is, but he just seems like he'd be one of the greatest people to hang out with. Just look at his name. His last name is Mustafa. Kind of sounds like Mufasa, who is bad-ass in his own way by being a lion.

Guess what he was before Old Spice? A teacher. How awesome would it be to be able to say that you took history from the Old Spice Guy?

In my little group of celeb friends would also be The Lonely Island. Anyone who acts wannabe gangsta but goofs around with it is cool in my book. Honestly, I like to sing along with Golddigger. I can relate.

The last person in my little group that I can think of for now would be Kate Micucci. Once again, another quickly musician. Hopefully she would teach me how to play the ukulele.

There are quite a few celebrities that I like, but these are celebs that I think it would be fun to hang out with. There's just a difference, but I'm not really sure what it is.

I can't believe it's already this late. Goodness.

Who would be in your Celebrity Friend Group?

Running Errands and Weighty Realizations

My phone has been saying an old post has been publishing all day... Ought to figure out what's going on there.

I can't believe it's already Wednesday. I'm getting all of my days mixed up. Not a good thing for the week to come.

Even though I haven't been in school this week, I've been keeping myself busy. Today was a day of running errands, cleaning, and determining what clothes are needed and for what seasons they are needed for. Because of this, I've been trying on clothes to see what fits. This has led me to realizing just how skinny I've gotten.

I have always been the one to mutter, "Damn skinny bitches" under my breath whenever I've seen some models flaunting about or something onscreen. The weird thing about that is I'm pretty thin myself. I don't think I'll ever let myself realize that, because for the longest time I was the biggest one out of the group.

I've never been overweight. I've been lucky enough to have pretty decent genes, a.k.a. the thin ones on my dad's side. (With the hips and thighs of my mom's side, but still.) I was always average. The only problem with being average is when you hang around with a bunch of dancers. Almost all of my really good friends were on the dance team, meaning they were all stick thin. Just because I wasn't overweight didn't mean I didn't feel fat in comparison.
Since then I've lost weight, and running helps me stay this size. If I quit running, my weight would probably explode. That makes things intimidating. For instance, what's my weight going to be in the future? Will people shamefully look at me and sadly say, "Oh, that Hannah. She used to be skinny, but now... How depressing."

Am I over thinking this? Probably. That's why for now I'll simply look in the mirror and exclaim, "Damn I look good!" Like they always say, it's better to live in the present than be overly stressed about things that might happen.

Other than those thoughts going through my mind, simply been thinking about school, cleaning, packing, money, summer... You know, a lot of things.

What do you tell yourself to keep from worrying about weight?

Televisions, Waxings, and Super 8

I can constantly hear the muffled sound of televisions at home. I forgot how nice it is to have quiet, but I suppose there's nothing I can do about it. It just feels like everyone is continuously watching TV in this house. Now, I know I love Hulu, but for some reason I'm not much for TV.

My room right now? It's disastrous. I wonder how on earth I was able to get so much stuff into my dorm, because my room is insanely full of things. Where did it all go? I have no idea. I'm currently in the process, or should be in the process of cleaning things up. I keep on doing other things, or getting other things done, ya know?

In random news, I got my lip waxed for the first time ever! I've always been terrified of the idea of waxing my lip, but it wasn't that bad. She did use this numbing stuff though...

And yesterday, I went to see Super 8 with my sister and dad. SO GOOD. If a movie can put me through a spectrum of emotions, I tend to think it's a good movie. I don't really want to go into film review mode though, so I'll just leave it at that. Even if it is a little predictable.

A bit of a ramble, but that's just how things are working out lately. A lot of random thoughts just strung together. Have a lovely evening!

Have you ever gotten anything waxed before?

Hairdos and Apartments

I keep on thinking it's Sunday. Hm.

One thing I forgot to mention yesterday?

I have bangs now!

I pretty much did the complete opposite of what I was planning to do, and got more hair to mess with. However, I ran with the bangs today and they didn't really bother me. I just look like a goof with my hair all pulled back.

In today's news, I did quite a bit of driving. Oof, I do not enjoy driving. Still, I like the convenience.
Also, I have a place to live next year! I signed the renter's agreement, and I think it's just time to plan how I'm going to decorate.

That's all I've got for the evening! Have a nice night!
Do you, or have you ever had bangs? What are your tips for working with bangs?

Goals and Weekends

Geez, it feels like I've been go go going! I just got out of school, what is this?

Now, being out of school, I'd like to take a look at the goals that I set at the beginning of the year. I know that the goals are for my entire college career, but since I've gone through a year, I thought it would be good to do another check up.

1.Get a Degree
Hmm. Well, I suppose that at the beginning of the year, I had no clue what type of major I was even interested in. Now with the transfer, I think that I'm closer to finding out what my degree will actually be. I hope. A year done, a year closer to earning that degree.

2.Not Gain the Dreaded Freshman Fifteen
This I think I've done pretty good with, especially since it is the end of my freshman year. Still, we'll have to see how it'll go with this summer. Yeah, today not so great with food today. I haven't gotten heavier than the beginning of the year, but I did get heavier from losing a few pounds during the middle of the year. Eh, I'm a good weight.

3. Not much to say for this one, so let's skip it.

4.Stay out of debt
Hmm. I feel like this will be a thing that I'll feel the affects of later in time. I was told that I didn't spend that much this year, but I still have to worry about paying for my apartment next year and earning money this summer.

5. Keep my grades up
This? This I did well on... not sure about this last term, but a GPA above 3.5? I think that's good. One thing that seems weird about this is that my GPA for WOU won't really matter when it comes to my major, or studying abroad. It's like I have to start all over again. Not exactly, but you know it just feels like that.

6. Make Friends

I think I was successful on this. However, it's another one I feel like I'm starting all over again. New place, new friends. I'm happy that I was able to meet some cool people though.

7. Blog Entry

Lookin' good!

Yesterday a super great thing happened. I passed the half marathon mile mark! 14 miles, aw yeah. And it felt like the running gods were all on my side! I felt good, it wasn't sickeningly hot... Ah. I did stop at mile three because I really needed to go to the bathroom... yeah, don't want to talk about it. Still, I ran that distance! That's all that matters!

Another thing that the running gods blessed me with yesterday was the happy surprise of the Saturday Farmer's Market! Plus, my phone camera decided to start working, so I snapped a few shots. If my Internet will want to work right. Maybe later.

As for today, we had a cake making competition at my aunt's house... this was my sister and I's cake:

I've got to finish up! Hope everyone has a lovely night!

What did you do this weekend?

Busy but Good Thing Happening

Ah... first day of summer, and things are looking good!
So I won't be able to talk about the things that happened tonight, just because I can't get to a computer. And it's twenty minutes to midnight, and... oof. There's so much to talk about, but I'll talk about it tomorrow hopefully. Hope everyone has a nice evening!

The End of Freshmen Year and WOU

Today I finished my first year of college. I wore a sundress, but the weather was overcast. Two finals done, and I was off the campus by 4:00.

See you later, Ackerman

I'll see ya, Valsetz.

I'll miss you room 452



My landyard feels empty without you room keys.

Oh, favorite running path, will we ever meet again?

And my personal finisher's tunnel

It's weird that I'm done. One full year... really? I'll recap and see how I did on my goals tomorrow. For now... it's time to relax.

What were your thoughts as you finished freshman year?

Studying Time, Absurdly Disorganized, and Menacing Children on Bikes

Let's make it quick here, because I have to go back to some more studying before bed.

First of all, if I end up gaining the freshmen fifteen, or at least any weight, it's going to be during this week. At least the beginning of the week. Strangely enough, I haven't necessarily been feeling hungry, but I know that I should eat. So I do. My hunger gauge gets loopy after a cold. However, with the attempt of running my meal money out, it's been difficult balancing things out. I could be imagining things, I dunno.

Next, I have heard the phrase, "There's always Facebook," or a variation of that far too often in the last two days. It's sad seeing everyone go, especially since I won't be around next year. I don't think the fact that I won't be seeing any of the people 'round here anytime soon has hit me quite yet. All I know is that I'm almost all alone in the dorms. I suppose it wouldn't matter right now since all that I've been doing is studying for the past few days.

The room situation can be named "absurdly disorganized" currently. I can't help it! (Well, I'm not sure how true that is.) Still, I've been studying a lot, and the biggest reason things are scattered are because I haven't had enough time to organize everything to look pretty. I have packed away more things.

I guess the one thing I did other than studying and taking a final today was go for a run. For some reason, I keep on deciding that it would be best to run when the sun is at its peak. Every time, I curse myself and think, "I'll never do this again!" But I do. However, with the way my schedule is changing up, I'll be able to run either early morning or in the evenings.
Random thing: Apparently little kids really hate runners. Twice I was running and went to one side, but instead of going on the other side the kid would aim their bike directly at me. Seriously! Kids on bikes are mean.

Back to studying for me, but hopefully everyone else will have a lovely evening!

What part of your life gets pushed to the side when it's big event time? For me, it's definitely cleaning.

Seeing the Changes All Around

Everywhere I go, things are becoming even more empty than usual. For example:

My room mate is gone. No, she didn't take the mattress, but it is making a nice mat for the ground in case I'm too lazy to actually jump onto my bed to lounge. I forgot how echo-y the room would be without being filled with school supplies and things from home.

Apart from studying most of the day, I went off to enjoy lunch with a few friends and acquaintances. One member of the gang was going to leave right after the lunch, and since she's transferring as well she's pretty much gone for good.

The fact that everything is coming to an end is finally starting to hit me. People are packing up, more and more people to say goodbye to everyday... Crazy.

With this, I feel like the starting gun for the race went off ten minutes ago and I'm still lacing up my shoes. Sure, I have a lot of things packed. I'll be done with finals soon. Still, I'm getting the feeling that I'm being left behind in the dust.

College hasn't felt like college. College has felt like I've been at camp. Is that how it's supposed to feel? Maybe I'll feel different next year. No RAs going through the halls for checks, no "camp" based activities... Who knows?

I've got to get to bed. Eight A.M. final tomorrow... Woo!

When do you finally start to feel the affects of a change?

Looking at IDs

First final tomorrow.... If I don't have an A in the class that is. If I do, don't have to take it, aw yeah.

Today was one of those days where I was constantly going all day. I can't even believe how late it is, since it feels like it was just morning. Just a lot of studying, but I still feel like I didn't learn anything. Hmm.

Something I did that did not involve finals was go to the health center to work out. I keep all of my identification in my wallet, and my WOU id is necessary to get into the health center. When I went to grab my id, I almost swiped my new U of O id. Talk about awkward.

I've actually been thinking about my ids a lot lately, so I've decided to take a look at them. Don't worry, all of the important stuff is covered:

First is my driver's license. I had had my hair in braids before this was taken, hence the wavy hair. I look like my sister. Too bad I lost my old license, because my picture was a lot better.
Next is the WOU id. It's so...plain. This picture was taken right after I had gotten a haircut, and bangs were a new phenomenon.
Last one is the U of O, obviously. Probably the fanciest of my identifications? I think so. You know how I was feeling sick on my orientation day? This picture was taken right when the sickly feeling was starting to creep up on me. Oh, what an awesome time to take a picture. My mom also commented on how I kind of look like I'm not wearing anything. I did not think that one through.

It's just a weird feeling to have all of these different ids in my wallet. It feels like they don't belong all in the same space in my wallet.

That's pretty much all I can tell ya that's on my mind. Not a lot else other than the current situation.

Do you have multiple ids? Which one do you like the best?

Having Time To Do All of The Nothing You Want

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. It's finals week. Strangely enough, it doesn't really feel like it due to the fact that I don't have any finals until Wednesday. Therefore, it's pretty much been a long weekend for me. The feeling I'm getting is that it's summer break, or any of the vacation breaks. I still have to think about. School? What are you talking about? There's nothing else to study!

I know that I didn't write about a thing I learned from a fictional character, and today I'm almost copying something that I'd written before. However, it's in a different context this time I believe, and it fits with thoughts from today.

Getting ready to travel back to the dorms from home once again, I decided to mosey on out to the porch in the backyard. I laid out on a chair, reading a magazine at first, but ended up simply laying there. The leaves in the trees and the wind worked together to create a tune, birds happily flew around. I let myself think about anything I wanted to think about, without the influence of anything like a computer. It was fantastic.

 This brings me to an idea brought about by a certain comic character named Calvin. I've mentioned this line before, as I've said.

"There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want."

I'm not sure I really got it right when I first thought about it. Sometimes doing nothing feels good. But another thing that this line makes me think of is time in general. I'm pretty sure most people start to get thoughts like, "Oh, I'll start that project when I have time next weekend", or "I'm totally going to start eating healthier when the summer starts." I don't think there's a soul out there who is not guilty of this. Hell, I've done it plenty of times. Sometimes it's procrastination... Actually, it's mostly procrastination. We always thing we have more time to finish a paper, to plan an event, to prepare a speech, to do nothing. Of course, it's never as long as we'd like. Did you know it's been scientifically proven that as we age, time seems to speed up. So when your parents say something feels like it just happened yesterday, it's a lot different from when you think it felt just like yesterday. Why summers felt so long when you were a kid? That exact reason.

The main idea that I think this line is saying is this: Time flies, and you're always going to want more of it to do what you want. With that, it makes sense that the idea of living every moment to the fullest is a good idea.

I know I don't use every moment of my life as well as I should. I know I waste time, participate in mediocre activities instead of incredible ones. Still, it's good to just spend a little bit of time doing nothing.

With my thoughts outside during my nothingness time, I thought about typewriters too. I wish I was one of those wise, witty writers that would sit outside and write their great next story. Besides being a super amazing writer, I just think having a typewriter would be cool. Don't get me wrong, I love my computer but computers have the Internet. The Internet is so distracting! I know, you might say "What about pen and paper?", but there's just something about typing that sometimes feels so much more fulfilling.

What type of "nothing" time do you wish you had more of?

Giving and Finding Motivation

Finals week... It technically starts tomorrow, right? Hoo boy.

I'm feeling quite a bit better than I was yesterday. My head was killing me, and I was exhausted, but now I've got some more spunk in me. Which means I actually things today to talk about.

Last night I went to a concert on the quad of the local college which was fun! Strangely enough, I ended up seeing more people from my high school there than the graduation parties I attended. Granted, it was like six people, but still. Always a weird experience.

One of the weird things that's been happening lately is that people have been asking me for motivation lately. My sister asked me to help motivate her to eat healthier this summer. Yesterday one of her friends said she wished to talk to me about helping her get motivated to run a half marathon. The odd thing about this has been I've actually been feeling the complete opposite of what one would consider "motivational" for awhile. My last three runs haven't been the greatest, I'm gaining weight, and I've just been feeling gross all around. Motivational? Not in the picture.
Still, as I thought about it, it seemed cool that I could inspire others. Yes, I did run that distance. Yeah, I am training for an even longer race. It's just something I never expected to be.

Motivating others made me think of what motivates me. I know as I said before that I'm not feeling the greatest lately. Still, there are a lot of things that push me to be motivated. First of all, I know that I'm definitely motivated by being signed up for the marathon. One part of that is due to the fact that I threw down $145 for the thing. I'm not wasting that money. Another part of signing up for the race gave me an actual goal that I could work towards. It's a lot easier to have motivation to run if you have a race to work towards. The same idea works for something like a big test. You want to do well in the test, so you make sure you practice and study for it.

There are people who motivate me too. My friend Aaron started running this year, never really running before this to my knowledge. Now he runs 10 or 20 mile runs. It's wild. I feel like I don't want to disappoint him, you know? Also, hearing how people are proud of me when I run makes me want to run more.

I don't know how I can motivate my sister to make better choices. Since she's older, she's intimidating. The motivator can't be intimidated, it just doesn't work like that. Augh.

What motivates you?

Feeling Bleh and High School Graduations

I'll be frank. I'm not feeling the greatest. I was hoping that perhaps my snot filled throat and nose would magically be clear of the goop. That really only works if you get sleep if it does work, and I did not get much sleep. Therefore, feeling kind of blah.

Today was my high school's graduation, which meant stopping by a few graduation parties for congrats to a few of the folks I know. Now, I've come back to town since I graduated of course, but I haven't really seen anyone from town since then. It's a weird experience I don't really know how to describe it, but it just feels like you don't fit in as well as you used to. I suppose that should be obvious, but just how much you don't fit it makes it feel so strange.

Since I can't think much, and I'm off again, that's all I have to say for the evening. No questions, I just hope everyone has a lovely night.

Palm Reading and Disappointing Runs

Hmm. Today has certainly been an interesting day of sorts. There have been good things, there have been bad things.

First of all good things! Today was the last day of classes, hooray! Now comes a weekend that is kind of until Wednesday, when my first final is.
Also, there were some fun things that went on at campus tonight, including hanging out with people, games of sorts and a comedian. Also, I got my palm read which was... interesting.
Apparently, I have a lot of FIRE! I'm also going to have to travel for my job, but I'm going to go far. I'm going to be that girl everyone wants to be... so, pretty cool I guess.

Now for the bad. Which has to do with my running. Today was long run day, and it was not good. I felt awful and weak. Plus, I needed water like crazy despite drinking a ton of it. Really, I think the thing is that my body is worn down. I haven't gotten much sleep, and I'm kind of sick. I ended up stopping at the halfway mark to get some water because I needed it, and I never stop during my long runs. I ended up only going 11 miles. Bah. I was going to go 12, but I couldn't even go that. I had to walk the last mile home. It's just so frustrating, but I know that my body just needs rest.

I'm done for the evening. Oof.

For my runners out there: Do you ever stop during your long runs?
Have you ever gotten your palm read?

Running Worries and Favorite Classes

Tomorrow is scary. Events are occurring, I need to do my long run tomorrow... Gah. But that's tomorrow, let's think about today, shall we?

Actually, speaking of running, I am oddly sore. Really, I'm all off on my running mojo. This may be the reason I'm a little spooked on my long run tomorrow. However, what really worried me is what happened after my run this morning. Apparently, I was a lot hungrier than I thought I was after my run, because I got really light headed. Usually, I have some fruit before my run, and that's enough until after my run then later eat something else. While waiting for my food to cook today after my run though, I started to get dizzy. It wasn't until I was over at the dining hall that this started to happen, which makes it even weirder. Luckily, I got some juice in me for a quick fix until my food was ready. Still... worrisome.

A question that I've been asked, as I'm sure many of you have been asked has been, "What's been your favorite class in college?"
Before recently, I had no answer to this. I also understand that my opinions on what my favorite class has been will most likely change because I'll have taken many more classes. Alas, I believe that I've come up with an answer to this:
History of Fashion.
I'm not even sure if the time spent during the class has counted as my favorite class time. It's not necessarily about that though. I love the knowledge that I'm getting from the class. There are so many different types of clothing, and so many things look quite similar. On the other hand, there are so many things that I'd seen before and did not have a name for.
Plus, if you've never heard me say it before, I'll say it again. I love spouting out facts. This class has been perfect for that.

"Did you know the only women who wore togas were prostitutes or fallen women?"
"That shoe is called a Chopine, and it looks like a hoof. It's from the Elizabethan period. Also, during the Restoration period red shoes meant you were of nobility."
"People have worn some weird outfits. Do you want to see pictures of them, and see what they're called? Because I totally have pictures."
"Geez I want to wear an Ionic Chiton. Also a Fontage. They are so ridiculous, it's amazing."

I feel like I've become such a costume nerd, and I love it. For instance, when watching POTC, I was seriously thinking (and muttering, 'cause I'm a little crazy and I feel like it's necessary I speak my thoughts), these things:
"Hmm, he's wearing a Waistcoat and a Cassock coat. Oh, there's a Tricorne. Wigs! Ha, no wonder we call the Restoration period the Pirates of the Caribbean period. Dangit, what are the women's dresses called again? (It was a Manteau gown. I keep on forgetting those.) I think that's a Great coat..."

See? Costume nerd. Now, I don't know if this fasination with naming off costume parts will continue on after this class is over. Will I care after I no longer require the knowledge? I hope so.

Oh, and in case you're wondering, this is a Fontage:



It's the hat. Yeah.

It's a hat that so ridiculous it was made fun of even when it was in fashion. I think an example of that today would be Uggs. Or better yet, pants with writing on the rear.

That's what has been on my mind for the day. I've got a packed next two days! Goodness. Starting to get super nervous about tomorrow... We'll see how that turns out.

What was your favorite class in college?

Strugglebus and Being The President

Having a day off really messes with your mind. I keep thinking that it's Tuesday, and clearly it's not.

Speaking of that, I've been a strugglebus for this whole week. I realize you may not know what strugglebus means. It's a phrase created by my sister and one of my aunts to express that you are... well, struggling. Such as things that shouldn't take much effort are extremely difficult. The phrase is based on buses and cars that you see that look like they're barely able to putt along the road. This week has definitely been a strugglebus week. I stayed up late on Monday night to finish an assignment, and I haven't really gotten that sleep back. Also, I may be getting sick. Not a good thing.

Today I've been thinking about politics and such, mainly because we talked about it in one of my classes. There was another reason why, but I don't quite remember. Now, I'm not here to talk about political views, arguments, and all of that. I'm not really in the mood for argument or debate. What I do want to talk about is the President. I'm not just talking about the current president, I'm talking about the job of being a president.

When I was younger, I thought that being president would be an extremely amazing job. I remember reading So You Want To Be a President?, thinking, "Yes! Yes I do want to be president!" However, as I've gotten older, I've realized that being president would be a terrible job. I have two main reasons why.

Reason one? No matter how hard you try, no matter how many things you do, there will always be a group of people who hate you. I don't think I can ever think of a president who is an exception to this rule, and I don't expect to. You see, any party you are a part of is against another party. Well, duh but this leads to the point that there's always a group from the opposing side that doesn't like your face. Actually, they might like your face, but not what you stand for.

Reason two? First of all, you know that new POTC movie that's out? (which I saw last weekend). Anyway, the story is about the Fountain of Youth. Presidency is the complete opposite of that.
Perhaps you've heard the stories of terrible stress that many of the presidents have gone through. I want to say it's Eisenhower that was photographed in the war room with his head hanging low (I could be wrong, I'm not very good at remembering presidents), due to the stress caused by the war. Along with at least one group of people hating you, the president has a lot of stress to deal with. War, money, laws, all of that jazz. Much of the population might believe that the president has a lot more power than he actually has. Really, there are a lot of people all around him that make decisions about what's going down.
Anywho, about the aging thing? If you look at Obama at the beginning of his term, and where he is now... it's really depressing. I'd show pictures, but I can't find any good examples.

Therefore, as I've grown up I've had my political dreams crushed. In all actuality, the president can do some pretty great things. The president can bring hope, can affect the people emotionally... There's more that presidents can do obviously, but as I have very little knowledge in politics, I can't think of any good specifics.

That's what I've been thinking about today! Also, another fort was made in the hall. This time it was for a contest. We were the honorable mention. Meh. Hope everyone has a lovely evening!

Would you ever want to be President? Why or why not?