Monday, December 19, 2011

One more sleep till…

i can’t believe it’s nearly here. one more day. by this time tomorrow, we’re be on a plane. we’ll be flying away from the beautiful Hawaiian islands, we’ve come to know as home.

I’ve lived here for eleven years; Jake’s been here for six. While I’m excited for seeing everyone and snow, and everything, I’m also really sad to leave. This will be the first time I’ve ever been truly on my own. I mean, yeah, we’ve been married over a year, but we’ve always been within a hour and a half drive of my parents.

On the one hand I can’t imagine NOT living in Hawaii; on the other, I feel like I’m ready to move on. It’s time to say “Aloha Oe, Hawaii. Until we meet again.” I don’t feel like I’ll ever truly say goodbye. I know we’ll end up here again, but in order for us to grow, it’s time to fly the nest (literally). :)

Christmas was fun with my family. I guess all that’s left now is an Aloha Oe, a hug, and a kiss. :)

Sunday, December 11, 2011

A very short list…

image Vs. image

Now I am in absolute LOVE with Practical Magic (the movie), so I decided to read the book [the book is always better than the movie, right?]

Unfortunately I’ll have to add Practical Magic onto my very short list of Movies that are better than the book. [the only other movie/book on this list is Angels & Demons by Dan Brown].

So for those of you who have never seen Practical Magic, it’s filled with magic, mystery, love, loss, and laughter. I have always had a deep love of witches and all things magical. The book is filled with sex, the F-bomb, and not much magic. While it was fun to get to know the characters more, i feel like i connect with them more in the movie.

At least I still have the movie :)

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

the magic of music

i have two things i want to discuss first: my desire to dance, and my stirrings to strum (like those alliterations?)

My Desire to Dance

So i started zumba a little while ago—granted i haven’t gone in like a month, but i did START :) Anyway, so i started zumba and this magic began to well up inside me. i can’t explain it. i’ve never been a dancer. well that’s not entirely true. i danced ballet as a little kid and took a couple months of Irish step, but in neither case was i ever good enough to call myself a “dancer.”

Understand that for me, calling yourself something, like a runner or surfer or teacher implies that you ARE it. it is possible to run and not be a runner, to surf and not be a surfer, to teach and not be a teacher. see what i mean? so when i say i have never been a dancer, i mean i have never been a dancer.

Zumba, like Irish step dance, watered the teeny tiny seed i call dance. today, while driving home, Jake played a song. it was swing. my feet itched to tap and my hips wanted to sway (but of course swaying is hard in a car). we came home and Jake tried (for the bazillionth time, i might add) to teach me some swing steps. Now my body may have this little seed, but i think the one reason i never became a dancer was my complete lack of coordination. i’ve decided i’m going to try zumba-ing in the comfort of my own home. starting tomorrow. …well, i’ll try to start tomorrow. i’m not making any promises ;)

My Stirrings to Strum

So, as many of you know, we’ll be going to Korea to teach English for a year (or so). We’re pretty excited. one thing i’m pretty stoked about is learning to play the banjo. that’s right. i’m going to leave my guitar at Jake’s dad’s (or somewhere similar) and buy a banjo while we’re in Korea (and learn to play it). And this is going to be the first song i learn on it :)

i love this song ;)

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

a week :/

so seven days of pills and drops should get my ear back in working order. Here's the sitch:
my inner ear is clogged with water & bacteria (ew and OW) and my outer ear is red and swollen; so, best as i can figure anyway, i've got drops for the outer ear and antibiotics (pills) for the inner ear. Mostly, i just want my ear to stop hurting. Do you know how loud breathing is? and I can HEAR myself walk, not like my footsteps, noo, i mean like the actual impact of foot on ground. i CANNOT teach like this. i feel miserable and i can barely talk above a whisper because i can hear myself, and not only is it really annoying, but it makes it hard to think. i can't speak in my teacher-voice :(

pain, pain, go away....and don't come back...at least not as an ear infection...

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

misery is an earache :(

no amount of chocolate can help suppress the misery i am feeling with this darn ear. all of the sudden this morning, i felt pressure in my ear, now this wasn’t the first time i’ve felt it. the other times it went away. well, now it’s gotten worse. it hurts like a toothache. it hurts when i smile, laugh, yawn. it’s sensitive to loud sounds and movement. any ideas on what to do??

blagh.

Friday, October 21, 2011

No -Poo!

I'm officially going No-Poo (all this means is I am no longer using store-bought shampoo)

Don't worry, I won't be a stinky hippie :) I am still washing my hair, just not with chemicals anymore. Here's what I use:

1 tbsp baking soda/ 1 cup water

mix and multiply until my little bottle is filled (usually just a doubled recipe) I just brush it through my hair. I usually--didn't today cause I went to the gym and showered here at school--also do a honey rinse (1 tsp honey + 1 quart water). After my hair is washed, and I'm no longer bubbly and sudsy from soap (usually after the shower is off) and I just soak my hair in it. It's supposed to make my hair shiny and pretty :) it does--when i take the time to blow dry my hair after.

Well I'm on my second day; I've washed my hair with the baking soda mix before, but now it's ALL i'm using! wish me luck.

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

The urge to splurge on words

Have you ever been overcome by the powerful urge to write? and finally find the time to sit down and write only to discover you really have nothing important or profound to say?

yeah, i'm having one of those kind of days.

i guess sometimes i forget how lucky i am that i can express myself through words. there are lots of people who dislike writing (and reading for that matter). i can't imagine who i would be without writing. what would i be without words? yeah, people don't always laugh at my clever jokes (well, i think they're clever), but i still get a kick out of the enjoyment of finding words to make people laugh (every blue moon when they actually get my joke; jake says i don't let the joke marinate, but i can't wait forever)

i'm once again stuck in the rut i find myself in come October every year. the uncontrollable desire for magic in my life. (what does this have to do with writing? stick around and find out :p) i'm reading a series about a girl who's grown up in the Wicca religion and finds herself questioning whether or not it's true.

i kind of got knocked off track. my thought train wrecked and i forgot what i came here to say. the urge is still there, and well, if i get a ticket for that train again, i promise to let you know all about the journey and destination. until then, Merry Part ;)

Monday, October 10, 2011

Hello October!

i am desperate to add some fall colors to our little abode. we'll see if that actually happens. :) we can't use tapes, or stickies, or pretty much anything....so it's going to take some MAJOR creative juices to figure out how to get our tiny, little, obnoxiously-small studio (it's TINY!) all ready for the brilliance of Fall (which doesn't seem to exist in Hawaii...) that's ok.

So far school is going well. Teaching is a lot of fun, and my student seem to soak it all up. I really hope they learn to do that throughout their college experience, not just their Freshman year. One thing i really want to stress to them is to take what they learn in this class and help apply it to OTHER classes. for some reason the average student does not do this. they do not say, "OH! my last English teacher wanted a thesis statement, that must mean my English teacher NOW wants a thesis statement." You know?

I've been writing a lot :) I've started a new story. I won't tell you too much about it. There's a lot i'm still trying to figure out. if you're REALLY curious, let me know :)

i love Hawaii, it's wonderful...for summer.
But
(Warning: complaining Danica is coming out for a brief--hopefully--vent session)

i
want
fall

I want beautiful red and gold leaves. I want chilly and crispy air. i want to snuggle up in the wonderful quilt my mother-in-law made and read a good book, while everyone else runs around in the cold outside :)

ok. well. that's all for now

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

panic attacks before the plunge

did i sleep in?
...no danica, it's wednesday, your class doesn't start until tomorrow and it's at noon.

did i forget something important on my syllabus?
...no danica, you've been over it a gazillion million times and even IF you did forget something, you're human. get over it

did they order the right books?
NO! NO they most certainly did not. TIME TO PANIC. Let's all run around screaming with our hands flying in the air. No sense of direction, no sense of order. just complete chaos
DANICA...breath...now email the class NOW and tell them. it's two weeks before you actually read that book, it should have time to get here if they order now.

this has been brain since monday.
i literally broke down in my office because the bookstore ordered the wrong book. now i know this doesn't seem awful, but when your questions deal with line numbers and the book they ordered doesn't have them, it means you get to go back through and rewrite your assignments. While my husband was being wonderful and trying to give suggestions, all his suggestions seemed to emphasize the amount of work i had ahead of me due to this failure.
but i breathed.
i emailed the class
and now i breath again

i need a Lamaze class. or at least a heavier dose of yoga.


...


i start class tomorrow
my class is predominately white males
the ONE thing i was really worried about (other than them ordering the wrong books).

breath.
lots and lots of breathing

wish me luck

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

so little to do, so much time….wait

    • Spanish test (p.s. don’t actually speak spanish…..)
    • learn Spanish
    • revamp syllabus
    • read readings i will be making students read :)
    • write novel (finishing or at least making a good dent into at least one would feel nice
    • start packing
    • clean house
    • get passport (who knew they were so expensive)
    • pray for scholarship
    • dishes
    • sell mini fridge

    you might be wondering if i’m looking for some kind of sympathy or something. i’m not. this post isn’t necessarily for my readers. …all 3 of you… it’s more or less so i have a concrete list SOMEWHERE that doesn’t get lost. if there’s anything i’m better at doing than crossing things off my list, it’s losing the list entirely. :) we all have our talents, right?

    i’ve been thinking a lot about Korea. I’m really excited to go, and also really nervous. i know i’ll hopefully be less nervous after teaching English 101, but i’m pretty nervous about that so i guess it’s maybe paying a sense homage or whatever it’s called when you pay some first to take off what you pay later……and they’re trusting me to teach english…

    i love my job as a tutor. yeah, student’s sort of depend on us for their grades, but they also don’t. we can only help so much, the rest is up to them. as a teacher i’ll hold their grades in my hands (my hands aren’t very big…)

    overall, i’m not really sure what this blog is supposed to be about…i guess i just needed to write. i need a set schedule that puts writing in there. and yoga, i miss yoga.

    all right over and out

Saturday, July 23, 2011

a little holiday spirit

ever been in the middle of July and find yourself yearning for December? Well, maybe not. But every year i crave December. it’s my favorite month (not because it’s right before my birthday month). i love the rain, the general chilliness of the whole month combined with the warmth from all those wonderful things like good will toward man, yuletide and the emphasis that Christ loves us.

What brought this on? I listen to Taylor Swift when I cook, and I have her Christmas cd. Anyway this song came on and i found myself in desperate need of December. But then i realized i can have December all the time; yeah it’s cheesy, but tell me how the world could possibly be a worse place because one person decides to show charity, kindness and love for her fellow man year round rather than for a few months of the year?

Take a challenge. Keep your Christmas—your Christmas—with you all year. Even on these hot July days.

Thursday, July 21, 2011

....school's in....

and i'm not looking forward to it at all. Usually i'm pretty stoked for school, but since i don't have (and don't really want) any English classes this term, i'm not really excited. In fact, because i ONLY have Spanish 201 and i'll let you in on a little secret...i don't speak spanish.

Monday, July 11, 2011

“I was just sitting in the U-bend thinking about death…”

so I was sitting here working on my syllabus, and (naturally) I got distracted. My wonderful friend had just posted something new on her blog and I found myself reading all the blogs she followed. and i found myself thinking about death. It’s not a particularly warm topic but I find that I’m moved by it. Well I guess that makes sense.
Jake and I have talked about what we’d do if one of us died (heaven forbid, knock on wood, throw salt over your shoulder and all that other stuff). I know we talked about it, but thinking about it right now, I don’t know what I’d do. I told jake he’s not allowed to die until after I do. That’s the deal. I have a lot I want to say, but I feel like the words aren’t quite ready yet….

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

polo

i'm loving playing. i wish it wasn't ending next week. i also found out that i can play in the games. i thought i wasn't going to be able to because i'm 21 and most of these kids (yes kids) are still in either middle school or high school. i DO have to keep reminding myself not to compare myself to them because 1. they're in way better shape than i am and 2. i'm only here to help them become better players. As long as i keep that in mind i'm good. I still have plenty of stupid moments when i'm playing and i throw the ball and think "Who the heck was i throwing to?" i am afraid that some of the other girls will see me and my arm having a disagreement and decide i'm not good enough to pass the ball to. We'll see. so far so good. i've discovered that if i think too much about it, that's when i screw up. when i let my instincts play for me, then i usually do pretty well. Anyway, that's the update on polo. :)

Thursday, June 30, 2011

more books!

So I've read Dracula by Bram Stoker (phenomenally good by the way. Extra super creepy!) I've also read Ender's Game and Ender in Exile both by Orson Scott Card (i really liked Ender's Game and Ender in Exile was ok, but i thought the ending was kind of stupid...Jake says there's probably more in the series, but I'm too lazy to find out. ;)

Monday, June 20, 2011

Book Review

 Life’s a Beach by Claire Cook

image

so i got this book from Amazon for my kindle…for free.At first i was kinda ify. when i started reading it, i found out it was about this 41 year-old woman named Ginger and it was in first person. i have no issues with first-person novels, but i wasn’t really sure i was—as a recently married 21 year-old—interested in the life of a single 41 year-old. Anyway, the longer i read the more i realized she was about 23 at heart. 23 i can totally relate to :)

 

Basically the book was a blast. it’s about a woman who’s come to a point in her life where she’s asking “where the hell have i been for 41 years!?” and then figures some things out. it was pretty funny [i love Ginger’s sense of humor] and her family is quite the hoot—even her slightly irritating older sister, Geri.

3.5 stars out of 5 :)

Friday, June 17, 2011

don't worry...be happy

i know this is going to sound horribly selfish of me. but sometimes i forget what it is i love about hawaii so much. i know that those of you who have only ever visited won't understand. it's living in the same place for ten years, living through the tsumani warnings and the oh-my-gosh-we're-gunna-die storms ;) it's all the flood warnings and the praying your house will live through it that makes you forget that you live in hawaii. it's not being able to take a road trip to see your best friend's wedding (either of your best friends) because you live on an island.

but today isn't about those things.
today is about the palm trees. the way the wind is warm. the way the air is sweet--of course after you've eaten 1/3 of a loaf of cinnamon-banana bread with a cream cheese frosting, everything tastes sweet. today is about how you can watch the ocean for hours and feel like it's only been a couple minutes. it's about that one of a kind nap that comes only from surfing for 3 hours and being baked in the sun. (not baked like on drugs but baked as in sun baked).

today is about the immense love and saddness i have. i love hawaii. it's become so much a part of who i am and what i am. i want my children to grow up with ocean water in their veins and sand between their toes. i want them to love the ocean, to love the sky and the palm trees, and the wind, and the way the air is so humid you can almost drink it. i want them to look back on their childhood and know what it smells like when a plumeria tree has bloomed. what it tastes like to drink water from a hose. i want to scrub their little red feet that are stained because they never wear their shoes. --and this is where the saddness comes in.-- i also want them to get a good education. i want them to be clever and to be understood. as a tutor i've met kids here that went to some of the best ILH (Interscholastic League of Honolulu; they're basically the rich private schools of Hawaii) and can't write a thesis statement. I've met some that don't know what a run-on sentence is or how to fix one.

i love hawaii. i'm sad to leave it. but .... but i also can feel it--in my toes--i can feel that it's time to move on, not away, just on for now. we'll come back. i know we will. you can't live somewhere for 11 years and not come back. it just doesn't work that way. :)

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

waterpolo

i'll admit. i'm pretty stoked. there is an advanced girl's water polo class going on during the summmer [yeah, that's right now] and it's $65 to do it...and i just paid the $65. I went yesterday. it was basically like practicing with Kahuku's jv team (not that that is any easier lol. they swam circles around me).

i'm nervous about it though...for a couple of different reasons:
1. i'm afraid it will start to feel like waterpolo practice. i like the idea of a summer 'class' where we play because we love playing. i don't want to have to be nervous in the water.
2. i'm going to continue to get schooled by 8th graders... i mean i knew i was out of shape when i started but this is pretty ridiculous...
3. i'm going to start comparing myself again like i used to when i played in high school and succeed in nothing but being discouraged and frustrated.

but my hopes are high. as long as i think about it like i'm there to just fill in so these girls have enough players to get experience then i think i'll be alright.

we were doing shots yesterday and i shot and one of the girls looked at me and said (completely shocked....and in awe) "you're left handed?" i confirmed that i am and she said "wow" (which is where the awe comes in...) ;]
it's 3 times a week. i guess we'll see how this goes. overall, i'm pretty stoked.

Saturday, June 4, 2011

from nick-nacks to doo-dads

I found these pieces of paper with my notes from various sacrament meetings and relief society lessons. i figured i’d put them on here that way i could throw them out without feeling guilty about it :)

“God doesn’t want us to give up movie quotes, alcohol, smoking, or drugs; God wants us to give up who we think we are” (Brian Bowler).

“What the queen desired of him was his only desire” (Alma 19:7)

“We are all human beings; this means we’re all equal” (Ting Ting).

“Wist ye not I should be about my father’s business?” (Luke 2:48-49). I was sent to do God’s will, why else would we be here? Christ is an excellent example of understanding God’s will over the ‘to-do list’ of the world. He led a perfect life; as long as we strive for perfection, we can still make it.

Christ taught us to love and serve one another. “After his fast and his encounter with Satan, Jesus began his public ministry. He came to earth not only to die for us, but also to teach us how to live. He taught is that there are two great commandments: first, Love God with all our heart, mind and strength; and second, to love others as we love ourselves” (Matt 22:36-39 qtd. in Gospel Principles).

“Jesus Loved others with all his heart. Often his heart was so full that he wept. He loved little children, the elderly, and the humble, simple people who had faith in him. He loved those who had sinned, and, with great compassion, he taught them to repent and be baptized. He taught ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life’ (John 14:6)” (Gospel principles).

“A quality of life is God’s greatest wish for us. Life is to be lived well in whatever circumstances we find ourselves. There should not be a waiting period” (Marvin J. Ashton).

“The key to life is not to find yourself, but create yourself, through choices that make us who we do or do not want to be”

Life is 90% how we take it and 10% how we make it. Take it with a spoonful of sugar and make it magnificent.

Virtue is a pattern of thought.
Love makes us want to reach out to other, and reach out to God.

Love builds trust, Lust kills it:

1. Seperate ourselves from temptations

2. Acknowledge that people who have problems with lust need more than self-help

3.The only real control is self-control

4. Don’t throw open the door for lude thoughts. Throw these thoughts out. Substitute with loved ones.

5. Cultivated and be where the Lord is.

The devil lulls people into a false sense of security, All is well in Zion

“Teach me to walk in the light, teach me to walk in the light, Dad. And my response is Come, let me teach you”

It is time for the young women of the church to lead the world back to virtue:
“We are daughters of our Heavenly Father, who loves us and we love Him. We will stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things and in all places as we strive to live the young women values which are:
Faith, Divine Nature, Individual Worth, Knowledge, Choice & Accountability, Good Works, Integrity and Virtue.
We believe as we come to accept and act upon these values we will be prepared to strengthen home and family, make & keep sacred covenants, receive the ordinances of the temple and enjoy the blessings of exaltation.”

 

Qualities to look for in friends:
Honesty
Trust
Positivity
Fun/Funny-Sense of Humor
Loyalty
Common Interests
Respect
A Mentor
Encouragement
Happy for your successes

Why we have problems with friends:
pride
jealousy
envy
drawing comparisons

  • Pride stands in fear of Man’s judgment rather than God’s
  • Pride takes hold and we loose our freedom to Man’s judgment
  • We are a peculiar people; if we start comparing ourselves to the world, we become like them and we lose our weirdness as well as our blessings…

 

Although we may not be praised for the trials we overcome or the time we give, our acts of kindness will be accounted for by our Father in Heaven.

This next bit comes from Henry B. Eyring’s talk “Help Them on Their Way Home.” These are the parts I underlined:

“Brothers and sisters, our Heavenly Father wants and needs our help to bring His spirit children home to Him again. I speak today of young people already within His true Church and so are started on the strait and narrow way to return to their heavenly home. He wants them to gain early the spiritual strength to stay on the path. And He needs our help to get them back to the path quickly should they begin to wander” (1).

“Foreseeing the needs of His children, a loving Heavenly Father placed directions and rescuers along their way. He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to make safe passage possible and visible. He called His prophet in these times President Thomas S. Monson. Since his youth, President Monson has taught not only how to stay on the path but also how to rescue those who have been led away into sorrow” (2).

“I learned the power of simple faith in prayer and in the Holy Ghost when our children were small. Our oldest son was not yet baptized. His parents, Primary teachers, and priesthood servants had tried to help him feel and recognize the Spirit and know how to receive his Help. One afternoon my wife had taken him to the home of a woman who was teaching him to read. Our plan was that i was to pick him up on my way home from work. His lesson ended earlier than we had expected. he felt confident that he knew the way home. so he started to walk. he said afterward that he had complete confidence and like the idea of being alone on the trip. after he had gone about half a mile, it started to grow dark. he began to sense he was still very far from home. he can remember that the lights of the cars as they streamed past him were blurred by his tears. he felt like a little child, not the confident boy who had begun to walk home alone. he realized that he needed help. then something came to his memory. he knew he was supposed to pray. and so he left the road and headed towards some trees he could barely see in the darkness. he found a place to kneel down. through the bushes he could hear voices coming toward him. two young people had heard him crying. as they approached, they said ‘can we help you?’ though his tears he told them he was lost and that he wanted to go home. they asked if they knew his home phone number or address. he didn’t. they asked if he knew his name. he did know that. they led him to the nearby place where they lived. they found our family name in a phone book. when i got the phone call, i rushed to the rescue, grateful that kind people had been placed along his way home. and i have been ever grateful he was taught to pray with faith that help would come when he was lost. that faith has led him to safety and brought him more rescuers more times than he can count” (2-3). [wow, i cried just rereading and typing this up…]

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

don’t know if you noticed…

but i started a NEW blog….i know it’s kind of silly since i hardly write on this one as it is, but this other blog will be different! it’s dedicated solely to my cooking prowess (not that i have one, but if i did it would be totally AWESOME!) that’s actually what it’s called The Concepts of My Cooking Prowess. My plan is to cook throughout this 50 day period in which i have no school and to post the recipe i tried as well as a picture of the final product and some experiences i had while doing it. :) So far so good. i cooked Bread yesterday…well i guess the correct term would be I baked bread yesterday.

anyway, i’m pretty stoked. my only worry is that it might get a little expensive…but on the bright side, i should always have lunch now. lol. 

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Friday, February 18, 2011

Little Women

When i was younger, Jessie (my cousin), my sisters and I would play little women. Jess was always Meg because she was the eldest; i was Jo, i not only came in as next eldest but i was the writer of the group, then Audrey-she got to be Amy because of those golden locks. Becki, who should have rightfully been Amy because she was the youngest invented a character named Peppermint because no one wanted to be Beth because Beth dies. (sorry to those who’ve never seen the movie or read the book).

Here i am, 21 years old, who knows how many years later. i’m an English major getting ready to graduate and i’m still a writer. watching Little Women today made me remember and realize why i’ve always loved writing. it’s about inspiring people; keeping those who’ve passed on alive in pages; about preserving memories and creating worlds.

i greatly miss writing. i miss being able to dive into a completely new world; to leave the cell phones, ipods and crying babies (hello TVA) behind. to envelop myself in words has been my greatest desire for as long as i can remember.

it’s time to start writing again.

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Kingdom of Heaven

so i have to watch Kingdom of Heaven for my war & culture class. i’ve seen it before, and i’m sure i’ve had a lot of the same reactions i’m having now, but watching it this time around after reading A World Without Islam, it’s a different experience. i feel more for the Muslims.

[Warning: this next bit might sound slightly egotistical]

i’m glad i’m the kind of person who is willing to look at both sides and not simply accept one side of the story.

there are some really powerful one-liners in this movie. excellent things that i keep thinking “I could use that for the title of my paper” and i keep jotting them down (i haven’t figured out what i’m going to write about yet, so i can’t pick a title).

i think it’s sad how many people out there will only ever know what they’ve been raised on. it’s not wrong, it’s just kind of sad. there’s such wealth and richness in what we can learn from and about other cultures. it’s sad that some people will always and forever believe that Salt Lake City, Utah is it. that there is no need to travel or learn anything about anyone else.

yeah, i’m a mormon, but i don’t consider myself dogmatic (most mormons i know aren’t either, but bad apples and all that), nor do i consider myself close-minded (again, most i know aren’t but there are always a few). i want to learn everything i can about every religion and culture. i really wish i had the gift of tongues; i would love to learn all the languages. unfortunately, i’m a bumbling idiot when it comes to languages…what can you do? :)

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Things that make me smile

  • finding Legos when i pick up my school folders
  • finding my flash drive after HOURS of looking
  • vanilla ice cream with a strawberry swirl served in my “I’m allergic to mornings” mug
  • Taylor swift music; especially, “ours,” “never grow up” and “the best day”
  • knowing that God cares about when I lose things like my flash drive—even though it isn’t necessary to my eternal soul :)
  • rainbow bright
  • kittens
  • my husband
  • when puppies walk away from me (that cute little waddle with their tails flipping and flopping all over)

You would think...

being a tutor would afford me lots of pleasant one-to-one chats

working for 8 hours in a day would completely fulfill my need to communicate with fellow intelligent human beings

that if I came home and actually had energy, I would do homework and read for the next day’s classes

you would think i would, might… but i don’t.

I realized tonight as i tutored an old friend that i greatly miss conversation, even if it’s about brainstorming. i miss the little intricacies that come from having known someone for FOREVER. i miss being able to say more than “hey, how are you?” and “Here’s how we fix this sentence” my JOB is talking to people…so why do i still feel—at the end of working for 8 hours—that i haven’t said anything to anyone?

Monday, February 7, 2011

…drawing a blank

So i’ve been “trained” to look at a text and pop a paper out of it. Hello Moll Flanders, why is there no paper popping? It’s no use looking for literary devices…maybe hyperbole…that could work. Let’s see something like…

Daniel Defoe’s main aim in writing Moll Flanders is to demonstrate, through hyperbole, that it is possible to make mistakes and still live happily ever after as long as remorse comes eventually.

no.

that’s a horrible thesis.

is it even a thesis?

you know the worst part about this?

 

i’ll probably end up using that thesis for lack of a better one; the fact that the paper is due tomorrow almost ensures that will be my thesis.

bad Moll Flanders, blocking my brain like this. Sheesh.

Saturday, January 15, 2011

the frustrations of my computer!!

CONFLABIT!!

whew, just needed to get that out of the way first. ok so i-like most married people (or at least newly married people) keep pictures of their wedding as their desktop background. Let me first just say that I had an amazing wedding photographer and she shot some truly spectacular shots. Now the saddest part is that some of these are verticle shots and my computer feels compelled to STRETCH every single photo. I’ve tried changing the settings and all sorts of stuff, but nothing works. it has all these options but doesn’t accept them. I’ve even (as an experiment) made a 50 x 50 pixel dot on paint to see if i could get the desktop to have it as a tiled background. NOPE, i just ended up with a large, overly pixilated picture of a dot as my background! i’ve been trying to fix this since day one. the only reason i haven’t called HP on this is that THEY CHARGE YOU FOR HELP. i mean, fine, i get it. they’re computer doctors and we pay doctors, but i have one question about aspect ratio; where do they get off charging me on something that their company messed up in when making the computer. and if they’re going to tell me (which they might if i ever swallow my pride, get paid and actually call them) that the computer is just programmed that way then why the heck to the have the options to “center” pictures, “tile” them? why not just have the decency to DENY us the choice instead of pretending that we have the choice then not letting us pick anything anyway.

ugh.

Thursday, January 6, 2011

England 1660: Restoration

So i’m taking restoration lit. one of my new classes (and despite the negativity i’ve heard about it, i’m going to try to keep interested). so far i’ve started reading the introduction “The Restoration and the Eighteenth Century 1660-1785”

One thing i’ve noticed (and i’m only on the second page) is that all turmoil comes from the greed for power. I’m sure those of you (i should probably say ‘both’ of you) that read my blog have figured this out a long time ago. and to some degree i knew it too, but i think that it’s become more obvious for me. Everything is about power, “no political settlement could be stable until the religious issues had been resolved” (Greenblatt 2058). You can’t have a change of power until the source of power has first been discovered. Stability only comes when a set person is in power and when the majority of the citizens agree with having that person have power. i think England, or at least Charles II believed that lack of education, land and the inability to vote diminished a person’s power; to some degrees, he’d be correct, but in some like in the case of Alexander Pope who, because he was a Catholic, “[was] largely excluded from public life” it didn’t seem to make a difference (2058).

Anyway, i just thought this little epiphany should be shared. No plagiarizing! ;)