My Ramblings

*sigh* Well hello again. Today is just one of those days huh? Things are going well and yet, I'm not feeling so hot. And I don't mean physically. 


Class went well this morning. It was quite a long lecture today (more than usual for speech class). And dare I say it but I now have Darius and Brad flirting with me. Joy. Robert is the only one I can have a decent conversation with. At this point, you may be wondering why they're all guys. Well, I haven't really warmed up to any of the girls in class. One I thought would make a really good friend and then it turned out she's..... well we won't go into it. Also, girls cause drama! Heh, but I'm one to talk right? I know I know. But sometimes, it's just too much. 


After class I got home and ate a salad for lunch. I feel like a rabbit! Sooooo many vegetables! Maybe I'll grow rabbit ears and start hopping around everywhere. Then my dad might rethink asking me to do this diet again. I will say though, the one good thing about this diet is that my mom introduced me to iced green tea. Let's just say that I'm officially addicted. Yeah yeah, I realize I just got off coffee but this stuff is good! 


So, on the schedule for today. I've decided not to do homework because I don't feel like it. So there. In a little while I'm leaving for work and after dinner, I'm meeting with my mentor, Jessica! 


In writing all that, it got me thinking. Why am I in such a blah mood? Is it the homework load? Is it the lack of chocolate? Is it the hard work days? Is it that today marks three weeks? I don't know. Probably a combination of everything. *sigh* Ah life. 


Until next time. 

Bits And Pieces

I have one more person on my list of close friends. Someone very dear to my heart, whom I am proud to call my best friend. Someone pretty wonderful if you ask me. However, due to certain very undesirable circumstances, I can't go into much detail right now. So you can just put your curiosity back in it's box. No no. Don't ask again. Let's steer away from memories and move on to current events. 


While I've been writing all these posts about my friends, you may have been wondering what's been going on with my life. Well I can tell you, you didn't miss anything. Just the usual, working at the daycare, homework, sleeping, breathing, you know, all that. I hope you did something fun for your Labor Day holiday. I had planned to do some serious reading but I got recruited to help clean out the basement instead. Maybe that's why they call it "Labor Day". 


Speaking of being recruited, my dad recruited me to do this insane diet with him. The restrictions? For fourteen days (well, twelve now), I can't have any sugar or bread of any kind. Yeah I know. That's tough. I open the refrigerator to see all the things I can't eat! Though I don't really have the right to complain as at least I can eat whereas I know others who can't (namely Rachel :( ). And really, it's been interesting finding things to make. I have to be creative. Tonight for dinner, dad was at Bible Study so I had the pleasure of making both my parents and myself the meal! Along with some sliced tomatoes, I cooked shrimp in olive oil, garlic and rosemary. It turned out really good and both my parents said it was definitely a keeper! :D Maybe I can cook a little after all? 


Oh! Did I mention that I've not had my usual morning coffee in about two weeks? Oh yes! Feel free to applaud. 


Ok, now I know you've been waiting for DAYS for a song but of course the one I wanted to post, I couldn't find. And it was completely and utterly epic too! Humph. Oh well. I found something just as good. :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMR7oHJoXTA

Well, that's about it. Ah life. Seems like I'm being thrown a lot of "No"s lately. Just makes me wonder what God is doing. 


Ok, I'm really done now. Until next time!

To Zach

Now I'm going to talk about my newest addition to my tiny circle of friends. Ironically, it's Joe's older brother, Zach. 


I'm not exactly sure how this one happened actually. It began back at the end of May I think. Suddenly we were friends on Facebook and talking on Gmail and Skype. The next day, he had my number and was texting me constantly and calling me at least once a day. The next day, I became his girl advisor to whom he came with all his girl problems. And being the awesome advisor I am, I solved them all! Yeah right. ;) Anyway, he's turned out to be a pretty awesome guy. 


He's an awesome listener and will just sit in silence and listen to me ramble which isn't very fun. Not only that but he's very understanding and great at giving advice! He likes to tease me too (but I'm finding that normal for my friends). He also takes on his friend's concerns as his own. Oh, and did I mention that in conflict, he always picks the right side (aka, my side)? Yeah. He's cool. 


Until next time!

To Joe

Next on the list, dearest Joe (aka Poppet)! 


I've known Joe now for almost two years. How we met is kind of a strange story. He was dating one of my friends from Co-op and being "the boyfriend", I began talking to him on Gmail, just to make sure he was a good guy and all. Not long after, he and my friend broke up. However, Joe and I kept talking and have been fast friends ever since! Most of our relationship has been over the internet (since he lives so far away) but I had the privilege of hanging out with him for a few hours almost every Thursday this past summer. 


Honestly, Joe is one of the most sincere people I know. Not only is he just all around awesome, he genuinely cares about his friends and will do anything to help them. He has a great sense of humor and whenever we talk, I always end up laughing more than talking. 


Our future dream: Joe wants to start a band and we decided that I would be his housekeeper. Meaning, I'd do the cooking and the cleaning of the trailer and the laundry, etc. etc. etc. And by the time we're both 40, if we still aren't married, we'll just marry each other. ;) 


There you have it! Until next time!

To Garrett

I really liked writing about Rachel yesterday so I decided to keep going through my list of close friends. Next up, my brother Garrett. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I would definitely consider my brother a close friend. 


Our story could go on for a while, knowing him since birth and all. However, when I was first introduced to him, I didn't like him all that much. My mom reports that a few days after he was brought home, my two and a half year old self said "His mommy can come pick him up now." Whether things got better or worse from there, I'll let you be the judge. We were really close as little kids. We played Barbies together and dress up and house and most of these usually ended up in a fight over something or other. But hey! He didn't do exactly what I wanted! And being the big sister, I'm more important right? Heh, good thing I grew out of that mentality eventually. Anyway, as we grew, our fights became more and more frequent and we kind of grew apart. A few times, we actually got into screaming matches (usually when I was babysitting and trying to play mom).


In 2007, Garrett took a missions trip to Brazil. Two weeks later, he came back a gentleman! I still don't know what happened! Ever since then, we've been the best of friends! He's so sweet and thoughtful and being my brother, he knows pretty much everything about me. He'll randomly bring me Dr. Pepper or tell me I look pretty at one point during the day. He loves to go on bike rides with me and run errands with me, even if they're just a quick swing by the store for ice cream. We have a fantastic time jamming to the radio in my car and our talks are usually pretty deep. We can bare each other's souls to each other and we know that our secrets will be kept that way, secret. I've discovered that it's nice to have a brother like that. You always have a friend who is there for you, literally 24/7. Needless to say, I love him a lot. :) 


Until next time!

To Rachel

I just got off the phone with one of my very good friends. In fact, she used to be my best friend but has been upgraded to adopted sister. :) Our conversation lasted about two hours. Ok, technically, an hour. We laughed nonstop for the second hour. And when I say "nonstop", I mean nonstop! "*laugh, gasp, exhale, silence, laugh, inhale, laugh, repeat*" After an hour of serious conversation about school and boys and my issues, the random words started flying. "Jello" *laugh* "Refrigerator" *laugh* "Bicycle" *laugh* You get the idea. Oh wait! Maybe you don't! Well then, let me tell you me and Rachel's life story! 


I met Rachel at Bible Study Fellowship back in 2005. I was a little ignorant 8th grader and it was my first time going to BSF so I didn't know anyone. Walking in, I took the first open seat I saw.... right next to Rachel. We began talking and cue beginning friendship. After a little while, we started talking on Gmail and visiting each other's houses every so often (as often as we could for living so far away). In early summer of 06, we began our epic co-authorship of The Itheryn Chronicles. We had an amazing plot, characters described to the tiniest details, maps of our world and even a few written chapters (too bad it didn't go anywhere)! That's what spurred my interest in writing. She's still the one who proofreads just about everything I write. She was also the one who introduced me to one of my favorite artists, Celtic Woman:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_ADDVL7sco

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRLzLE4jaI8

In return, I got her to be ok with Jane Austen and chick flicks. :) Oh the hours we spent just sitting and talking and laughing. We both have our stories. Rache sneaking up on me and scaring me half to death. My little e-mail joke I sent her that she took seriously and didn't open for TWO DAYS. Ah good times. 


Ever since we clicked, she's been the best friend to me that a friend could be! We've gone through so much together and she's always proven herself to be that one constant friend. She ever encouraging and supportive. She listens to me rant and rave and go on and on and on about something or another. She even gets blazing mad at those who hurt me in any way, shape or form (and lately, she's taken to clicking a pen to death when that happens). When I'm down, she knows exactly how to make me smile and laugh. And if that wasn't enough, she spoils me with flowers and chocolate ice cream and beautifully handwritten letters! She constantly reminds me how much she loves me and in doing so, I am constantly reminded of how lucky I am to have such a sweet, caring, wonderful, quirky, faithful, lovely, encouraging, amazing friend! I love you Rachel! Always have and I always will!


Until next time!

Music

My apologies! I completely forgot to include today's songs in my last post! So here you have it!

First up, my new favorite Christian contemporary song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vul3ovWEYtQ

Now, for those of you who don't prefer music with words, here's the theme from my new favorite soundtrack:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqZq5fM4TBo

Enjoy! Until next time!

Content?

Right now, I can honestly say I'm feeling quite content and let me give you a description of why. Laying here on my bed, both my windows are open and the breeze rushing past comes in to play with my hair. The sun trails it's away lazily across the floor to the edge of my bed. It's as reluctant to get up as I was! The sounds of Mozart float through my room while the birds sing along outside. Beside me sits a little unfinished homework and my cup of Pumpkin Spice Latte. 


My thoughts dwell on all my friends. Garrett and our long bike rides, inside jokes and secret sharing. Joe and his sweet encouraging e-mails and texts that I receive often nowadays. Zach and his playful and flirtatious but sincere nature. Carl and the long talks we used to have. Rachel and her wonderful steadfast friendship and love that I don't deserve. Shannon and Danni's quirky ways. Karie's listening ear and ready hugs. Becky's encouragement that always makes me feel like I can do anything. My new friends, Brad and Darius, and their silly comments in class. I'd say I have it pretty good. 


And from where I sit, I can really relate to my mom's saying: "The future's so bright, you gotta wear shades!" It's true. Things might be slow right now but throughout this week, I've had countless God moments. Whether it was spending time with Lucy or having a conversation about Christ with Robert in class, He's present in everywhere in my life. Oh, and I'm still seeing those butterflies everywhere. :)


I hope your day leaves you content with your life, my dear reader. Until next time!

Class, Piano And Requirements

Another good day so far! First of all, class went really well today! I spent two hours talking to Brad on Facebook last night and coincidentally, we were the first two in class this morning. So we spent an interesting 15 minutes talking. Then class started. Mostly I got to just sit and take notes of other's speeches except for one thing we did where we had to present a poster to the class (Brad of course sat there trying to make me laugh. dork.). Now I'm home, about to eat lunch, do some homework, work later and hopefully another bike ride with Garrett this evening! Oh! As for another triumph, many of you know about my addiction to coffee. Well, I'm attempting to break this addiction and I can say that I've not had coffee since Sunday morning! You should be proud of me. :) 


One thing I discovered this past week is that playing piano is a good outlet for my emotions. When I'm feeling content/happy , I play this: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JabYvSUDF8

When I'm feeling fidgety, I play this.... but a lot faster:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CTYymbbEL4

When I'm mad or frustrated, I play this: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wzb9HKf01Eg

There are others as well but those are the main ones. It's a good way to express what's inside! I can pound out my frustration on the keys or put lots of feeling into something soft and pretty. Whatever the emotion for the day, the piano benefits from it. And so does my mom. :) 


Speaking of my mom, we had a good conversation yesterday evening about some things. She was talking about how it's taken her a really long time to realize that my dad really does love her and isn't going anywhere. It made me think, I want to be loved like that. I don't want to get married to someone just because I'm the puzzle piece that fits all his desires for a wife. I found this little poem and I thought it fit with this subject:


Will you love me in December as you do in May?
Will you love me in the good old fashioned way?
When my hair has all turned gray,
Will you kiss me then and say
That you love me in December as you do in May?
~ James J. Walker


I love that because it's so true! I don't want to be loved for just what I believe in but also for who I am! That kind of love is the kind that lasts. When you love just as well old and gray as you did when you were just a young whippersnapper. I hope and pray that God has that in store for me in my future! 


Ok, enough of my blabbering. Homework time. Until next time!