Today, I'm weary and tired.

Have you ever found yourself suddenly, unexpectedly anxious? Every once in a while I will be overwhelmed by panic, as if the walls are closing in and I can feel my heart trying to escape my chest, and then as soon as it began, it's gone. It is exhausting.

Quiz Mastery.

My brother and I are currently embroiled in a sporcle war (taking a re-fueling break at the moment) and I just whooped his tush in the quiz "can you name the countries of Europe?" The quiz gives 8 minutes to name the 47 European nations, including micro nations. He scored 29/47 by the time it ran out. I got all of them with 4:46 minutes left to spare- boo ya!

Now for more quiz-sparring. Huzzah!

Deja Vu.

Today was spent researching colleges. Again. I've now done this just about ever few months for the last four months. At this point, I truly feel like I've become a professional college researcher. Maybe I should skip college all together and just become a college finder for others... Fingers crossed, this will be the last time I have to search for a school to get an undergraduate degree though. This is just getting ridiculous.

Just in Time.

I have a strange affinity for completing assignments within minutes of them being due. In high school, I used to refer to my Advanced Placement classes as an education in Advanced Procrastination. Last semester I didn't begin my term papers or final projects until the day I had to hand them in. I can't tell you why I'm such a terrible procrastinator, but for some reason it seems to work for me. One of these days this habit will bite me in the ass, but until then, I'm going to keep testing the limits. Tonight, I began an assignment at 11:03PM, knowing it was due at midnight. I've known about it for well over a week, and it's for my international business class which I really do enjoy. Seeing as it was the first homework assignment, most people would try to give themselves the most possible time so they made a good impression. Obviously, I'm not most people... I waited as long as possible, knowing that this professor expects highly detailed responses from his students. I answered the questions as quickly (though effectively) as possible, and was able to submit the properly spaced, spell-checked assignment at 11:57. Now, I don't wish to boast about what I perceive to be a major win, but I'd just like to say one thing: Fuck yeah! That is a new personal record considering the length and quality of the work. I just love to race against the clock like that. I know it's foolish and I'm bound to loose to father time, but for the moment, I have to bask in the glory of success. It really is the small things in life...

Merci Beacoup.

I'm sorry I've been absent the last two days. I was suddenly hit with an onslaught of homework and other things to occupy my time. I will keep up with this to the best of my ability, and hopefully with more interesting posts. Thanks for hanging in there.

Simply Said.

Tired. Cold. Must sleep. Tomorrow will bring more adventures.

Birds of a Feather.

Today I woke up to a lovely, yet insufficient-to-cancel-my-class dusting of snow. When I arrived, we were given a basic run through of what the class would entail. The instructor seems very nice and I believe we'll have a good semester. Since it's a social psychology class, we'll be doing a fair amount of social activities within the class and as projects. The first of them was an ice-breaker which involved these loud rubber chickens that squawk. The object of the game was to learn each others names through repeatedly tossing these chickens both forward and backwards around the circle, proving the name "flipping the bird" rather appropriate (the alternate name is "Choking the chicken", of course). It wasn't a terribly useful game, but I did learn one thing: I can not throw. I hit one of my classmates in the head four times. Whoops.

Yes, this was the highlight of my day. No, I'm not proud.

On another avian-related note: If people who are in in love are called "Love Birds", shouldn't couples who fight be called "Angry Birds?" Bahaha.

No, I'm not particularly proud of that either.

Homework Time.

I did my first homework assignment of the new semester this afternoon, and it actually feels kind of good. I'm only taking four online classes this semester, as opposed to six last time, so I'm going to hold myself to higher standards as far as keeping myself on track with handing in assignments and such. Tomorrow we're in for our first decent snow of the winter (about 4-7 inches in total) so this may mean my once-a-month class will be cancelled. Whoops. I guess mother nature would prefer I use my talents to shovel rather than studying tomorrow. Seems like a good plan to me (assuming I don't have to wake up at the ass-crack of dawn to find out).

Censorship in America.

Since all of my readers are in Europe, I don't know how many of you have heard of this hot-topic. Tomorrow the U.S. government is set to decide whether or not to pass the SOPA and PIPA acts. In short, these acts were proposed to protect anyone who creates anything from copy write infringement. While I applaud the idea that individual's content should be protected, there is a major problem with the way the government plan on going about it. Anyone who dares to use an image or something they found on the internet may be reported to authorities, and if someone has ten strikes in a period of six months, they can risk a prison sentence of up to five years. Now, I've always tried to cite images and information, but who hasn't grabbed the first Google search result they could find to use in a project or presentation? Even blogs and small business websites may be subject to these laws, making it more difficult to share ideas and contribute on a larger scale. Of course I've signed the petitions against it and written my representatives as asked. I've even tried to raise awareness of this using social media as many are doing today, but I'm a bit concerned about how much impact any of this will really have. This is all a very scary concept for someone who was brought up to believe the government couldn't impose their will on private lives for the sake of it. I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but this whole situation has a distinct "Big Brother is Watching" undertone to it which is a little difficult to grasp. I'm not hard-pressed to imagine that if these bills do in fact pass, it will only be the beginning of real censorship in America unlike anything we've ever seen.

London Love.

I've been watching the Travel channel sporadically throughout the day, because as anyone who knows me knows, I have a serious case of wander lust. I want to see and do everything I can. There is literally a list tucked safely in my email inbox that is chock-full of all the adventures I've planned. Barely a country will be unvisited if I get my way- see the northern lights in Iceland, experience Holi in India, go zorbing through New Zealand, fly fish in Mongolia...I want to do it all. To do this, I will have to begin now, which is why I'm trying to plan a visit to London before this years Olympic games cause the cost of plane fare to skyrocket. This should be a bit of a challenge, but there's no time like the present to begin my adventures, so I'm excited. I don't have a specifically ordered list of which countries I will visit, though I know I'd love England to be the first. I'm an unapologetic anglophile in almost every sense of the word (mock me if you must, but I enjoy every second of it), and can't wait to see London in person. The furthest I've ever been is New Hampshire, and I've yet to see an airport, let alone sit on a plane, so if I could make a trip abroad happen this year, that would absolutely be a welcome change of pace. Especially to London.

Nom Nom Nom

This evening I decided I'd make my favorite homemade stir-fry thing. I honestly don't know what to call it, but it's tasty. I put on some brown rice on the stove to cook while I sliced up some carrots, onions, garlic and broccoli. I put a little oil in the pan and turned up the heat to medium high. When it was warm enough, I added the onions and garlic. After they started to brown, I added the carrots and broccoli with some onion powder, garlic, salt, pepper and oregano (all by sight based on what appeals to you). I also added a hefty spoonful of minced garlic because it adds a really nice nutty taste (and most importantly because I'm a not-so-secret garlic lover). Then I threw in about a tablespoon of cubed butter around the pan and just let it cook until the broccoli florets began to brown a bit and the carrots were tender. Then I added the cooked rice and voila! You can add some cheddar or Parmesan cheese to it, but it can certainly hold it's own without it. This is so good that I have made this at least once a week for the past month or so. I promise I'll take some photos next time- it's pretty as well as tasty.

Pain in the eye.

Hello all. Yesterday I woke up feeling positive that I had caught pink eye for the first time. My brother had some friends over last weekend, and they had their germ riddled hands all over everything. My right eyelid would only open half way, and a dark bruise like mark is on the inside of the upper eyelid. As the day went on, my eye improved, and I figured I had just bruised it. I've been able to open my eye about 80% of the way today, though now the inside corner of my left eye had begun to hurt with mild pressure. I have no idea why, but it's really getting on my nerves. Oi veigh. I hope everyone else is having a better night than I am.

Prison Time.

Has anyone seen the show Beyond Scared Straight? This show introduces at-risk teenagers and young adults to the realities of prison. Most of these teenagers are insolent and arrogant, while deluding themselves into thinking they're 'hard'. When they're brought into the prison and shown what life is really like behind bars, their faces are absolutely hysterical. Of course some of them try to keep up their tough exterior, but a surprising proportion of them look like they want to run home to their mommy. I don't know what will become of them in the long run, but this program seems like an incredible second chance for many of these kids. Now, I could never imagine being in that position, mainly because I was raised by the daughter of a correction officer who has no tolerance for misbehavior like that, but I imagine if I were in that position and being offered a second chance, I'd do everything I could to take it. What baffles me most is the complete lack of interest in most of these kids. I understand bad childhoods and situations can lead people astray, though I'll never understand the stagnant emotions that lead them to simply not care about their futures. Whatever their reasons, I do hope they will one day get back on track, and until then, I will be entertained by their prisoner-induced-fear.

Snow Day.

Today I woke up to a beautiful layer of snow. It isn't deep, but it's beautiful. The sky is this beautiful grey color and illuminates everything in a completely unique-to-snowy-days way. I don't even mind shoveling our driveway (ok, I mind a little, but it's stupid-long. At about 100 feet, it gets ridiculous after a while). We haven't gotten a lot of snow so far, but hopefully we'll see a few feet soon. For now I'll procrastinate the shoveling and heavy-ish labor until someone can keep me company out there. Bring on the hot tea and movies!

Wrong.

As of today I am 20 years, 5 months and 16 days old. However, I was asked by my brothers friends mother which grade I am in. She was referring to High School, because apparently I didn't look much older than the fourteen year old boys playing with legos a few rooms away. Now, I'm not all that surprised that she couldn't guess my age since most people seem to struggle to do so, though the astonished face when I share my real age is becoming a bit mundane. For almost all of my childhood I looked a good few years older than my classmates, to the point that my mother once had to bring my birth certificate with her to prove to a nasty movie theater attendant that I was, in fact, just nine years old, opposed to "at least fifteen" as she had argued. It seems however my visual appearance has regressed somewhat, seeing as the last time I went to the dentist, one of the very kind nurses asked if I wanted my mom to come hold my hand. I'll have to see what I can do to make myself look my age, because as flattering as it may be later on, right now it's a a giant pain in the ass.

Attempting Tabbouleh.

Today I made a dish I recently found online. It's called Tabbouleh (though I couldn't tell you how to pronounce it). It consists of bulgur wheat or couscous mixed with an array of fresh herbs such as basil, mint and green onions. I added a bit of tomato and dressed it with a lemon and olive oil mix. It was surprisingly tasty and is completely adjustable to taste depending on personal preference. It's also somewhat healthy, so it's a nice way of breaking up the monotony. I think next time I'll add more veggies and leave out a bit of the grain factor, since I wasn't crazy about the texture.

And thus begins the recipe portion of this blog, though I'm doubtful it'll be a common factor.However, I promise next time I'll take photos, because it's a really pretty salad.

So Many Ideas.

I have so many ideas running through my head at every moment of the day. It's surprising how much one person can think during mundane tasks. In the time it took me to brush my teeth this morning, I mentally planned out a trip to Iceland and considered creating my own business. The problem is that no matter how many lists I write, or mental commitments I make, all of my grand ideas roll around in one jumbled mess. I never used to be as scatter brained as I feel I've become. Don't get me wrong- I still keep commitments and stay on top of my responsibilities, but in the past year or so I've begun to really understand the many opportunities open to me, and I can't help but to become excited about the possibilities. This may have something to do with the fact I have no idea what to do with my life. For years it was mapped out, and then I changed the plans. Now I have pro/con lists littering my bedroom floor for almost any career I can think of. I know I have plenty of time to really decide (and on the other hand, I'm rapidly approaching the point at which I won't be able to say that anymore) but the limitlessness of my ideas an incredible feeling. Should I become a 9-5 pencil pusher, or should I learn how to make shoes? Admittedly, I'm not particularly fond of either route, but it's the process that counts...

Thoughts on Acting

After watching the gag reels of the Big Bang Theory- which is, I should say, my favorite show- I wonder if I'd be able to cut it as an actress. I've never been all that interested in acting in general, but it doesn't strike me as being all that difficult. Of course given my history with stage production (a different story for a different time), I should cut my losses now and never think of it again. I doubt I'd ever be involved with any sort of acting, but it just seems as if it wouldn't be a hard skill to master to some extent.
Maybe one day I'll give it another a try and report my personal findings.

Mind Boggled.

Last night I tossed and turned all evening. I had strange dreams throughout my bouts of broken sleep. The most notable consisting of sitting in my bathroom with two friends of mine while we watched an orange miniature alligator eat my shoe.

Can anyone explain this? Do I hate my shoes and want them to be eaten, or do my orange mind-alligators simply have a taste for rubber soles? I won't even ask for opinions about the bathroom setting... I don't think I care to know.



Psychoanalysis can begin...... NOW.

Bedtime Stories

Last night I found myself freezing cold, despite being under a couple of cozy blankets. My body was achy and I was ready to hit the hay (just as I am now incidentally). Before I did however, I decided I'd do some light reading through a book I recently received for Christmas called "The Six Wives of Henry VIII" by Alison Weir.
Now, anyone who knows me knows I enjoy most historical based literature, especially Tudor history, so this book is right up my alley. Thus far I'm roughly 160 pages into it, and just getting into the nitty-gritty details of the Anne Boleyn saga. The writing is fluid and paints a perfect mental image for me, which is quite a feat in itself. After learning the author has a similar book about the heirs to the Tudor throne called "The Children of Henry VIII", I've already caught myself considering breaking one of my New Years Resolutions (don't look at me like that).

Now I'm going to see how much I can polish off before falling asleep. Hopefully this time I can manage to strategically place the book in a way that won't cause me to wake up to a cameo of King Henry VIII. That's not the first face I recommend seeing in the morning.

Finders Keepers!

Sometimes I really hate technology, but today I'm actually quite fond.

This morning I decided to drum up some extra money for my travel fund by selling the old text books that are piling up around the house. Considering I've shelled out hundreds of dollars on them in the past few years, I figured I might try to get a little something back. While I was online, I decided to check my pay-pal account and realized I had a few bucks just sitting there since the last time I sold something in August 2010. Admittedly, it wasn't much, but it's just like finding $5 in the pocket of an old pair of jeans- it's a really awesome feeling.

Admittedly, it's not "technology" that provided the found money, but my previous forgetfulness, but hey, it still made my day.

It's the little things in life...

A Brand New Year.

Hello.
Today is January 2nd, 2012. While I'm sad that the Christmas decorations are down, and the music has reverted back to being terrible, I'm also excited for the promise of a new start January holds. Every year presents an opportunity to see your life through a fresh set of eyes, which is incredibly appealing if you think about it. This year I have decided to set some goals for myself. While I'm not typically prone to making (or keeping) New Years Resolutions, I'm feeling optimistic about this years batch.

So far I've settled on these goals, though the list may change over time. (Who says resolutions can only be set on New Years day?)

-Develop a healthier relationship with food. I am not going to use food as a source of comfort, punishment, or guilt.
-Travel to another country. Preferably England, but Canada if I have to.
-Exercise for 30 minutes a day, increasing increments by 5 minutes a day until I have reached 1 hour. Then maintain.
-Read the books I have in my book closet before embarking on any more. (Exception being any books gifted to me for any reason, and of course, text books).
Do atleast one craft project a week.
-Learn to sew on a sewing machine.
-Learn to play one song on keyboard.
-Volunteer atleast three times.

I suppose time will tell just how many of these stick.