School starts this week. And so does work. After a wonderful week and a half off, the madness is about to begin again. Hang on to your hats, ladies and gentlemen; studying, procrastination and massive amounts of reading are in the very near future.
One of the things I appreciate about being an English major is all of the books I have to buy. I love, absolutely love, books. I used to read all the time. I would disappear for hours with a book. Of course now I waste time on my computer, but my love of books has not diminished in the least. (I literally have my own personal library.) Anyway, this semester, the grand total is fourteen. I already own two, so that lessens the blow to my wallet, so to speak. It's less than what I had to read last semester. That was almost two dozen. Needless to say, I only finished about five. I'm sure the same will happen this semester as well.
What I don't like about being an English major is having to contribute to class discussions all the time. I am in no way an extroverted person. I spoke up in one of my history classes and nearly had a heart attack. I'm also not that good at reading into what the passages really mean. Is the character questioning his masculinity? Does that relate to what is going on in the community?
Oh, college. Learning skills I'll never need again.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Friday, August 5, 2011
Green
My lunch today consists mostly of green stuffs. I am, by no means, a vegetarian. I love a melt-in-your-mouth roast beef just as much as the next person. But fresh food is sometimes just so good. Especially in the summer. So what exactly is my lunch? Kiwi, green peppers and hummus, gouda cheese, tomatoes and fresh basil on crackers, a salad, and an iced tea. Hold the applause, I don't usually eat this healthily. So what's on your lunch menu?
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Adventures in Book Selling
Thrift stores are amazing places to find cheap books. In almost brand new condition sometimes. I had an idea, what I believed to a be brilliant idea, of buying these cheap books and selling them online. I sold two, and ended up paying to sell them. Why? Because I was unfamiliar with what was the cheapest way to ship the darn things. So I unlisted most of the books; the ones I could in no way make a profit from. And I finally made a profit from one. A measly eighty cents. Which was a little over a three hundred percent profit. But still....
I have finally found a job. After more than thirty applications and four interviews, a job has been obtained. Alright, so most of those applications were just submitting a resume, but I got two interviews out of it. The hilarious thing is that there was no interview involved. I was on a wait list for this job and got an e-mail. We need you to come in and fill out an application. Okay, not a problem. Thanks for stopping by, we would like you to join our team, there is a mandatory meeting next Wednesday. Granted, it's not really the most glamorous job in the world: I'll be working in a cafeteria, truth be told, but it's a job none the less. And hey, it isn't retail. The work is only supposed to last for five-ish weeks, but hopefully they will let me stay into the fall.
Remember that hysterical, comical history book I was quoting a while back? Apparently you really do have to have an appreciation for the actual historical events. I was reading it to a few of my friends a couple of days ago and they didn't understand the humor. One basically said he was waiting for the punchline. The other just thought the situation was funny: me trying to convince them that the book was laughable.
The sermon this morning was on Elijah and the prophets of Ba'al. The pastor said we are uncomfortable with the fact that God had all the prophets killed after they were proven wrong, that we don't understand it. I beg to differ. I am not uncomfortable with it. And I think I sort of understand it. God is a jealous God, right? If the prophets were left alive, they would continue to be a distraction to the Israelite people. They would also be a temptation for them to turn from God again and worship Ba'al.
I have finally found a job. After more than thirty applications and four interviews, a job has been obtained. Alright, so most of those applications were just submitting a resume, but I got two interviews out of it. The hilarious thing is that there was no interview involved. I was on a wait list for this job and got an e-mail. We need you to come in and fill out an application. Okay, not a problem. Thanks for stopping by, we would like you to join our team, there is a mandatory meeting next Wednesday. Granted, it's not really the most glamorous job in the world: I'll be working in a cafeteria, truth be told, but it's a job none the less. And hey, it isn't retail. The work is only supposed to last for five-ish weeks, but hopefully they will let me stay into the fall.
Remember that hysterical, comical history book I was quoting a while back? Apparently you really do have to have an appreciation for the actual historical events. I was reading it to a few of my friends a couple of days ago and they didn't understand the humor. One basically said he was waiting for the punchline. The other just thought the situation was funny: me trying to convince them that the book was laughable.
The sermon this morning was on Elijah and the prophets of Ba'al. The pastor said we are uncomfortable with the fact that God had all the prophets killed after they were proven wrong, that we don't understand it. I beg to differ. I am not uncomfortable with it. And I think I sort of understand it. God is a jealous God, right? If the prophets were left alive, they would continue to be a distraction to the Israelite people. They would also be a temptation for them to turn from God again and worship Ba'al.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
food, etc.
I have discovered the perfect way to make fries. Well, maybe not. I should probably experiment a bit more, but they were pretty good. Slice a Yukon Gold potato and fry it in olive oil until both sides are brown. Add some salt. Voila. You now have fries. Although, butter might taste better. Maybe I'll try that tonight after I go to the store and buy some. I'll let you know.
I have an interview today at a coffee place. Not holding my breath. Of the three interviews I've had in the last four months, none have panned out. And apparently a fair amount of people have already been interviewed, people with more experience. We'll see. I may have to go back to retail. And I really. really. really. don't want to.
The homework and lectures, they beckon.
I have an interview today at a coffee place. Not holding my breath. Of the three interviews I've had in the last four months, none have panned out. And apparently a fair amount of people have already been interviewed, people with more experience. We'll see. I may have to go back to retail. And I really. really. really. don't want to.
The homework and lectures, they beckon.
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Quotes and Such
The past week has been interesting I suppose.
Last weekend my family went to grandparent's cottage. It was fun. My Grandma, Aunt, and I got a lot of knitting done, I read about 50 pages of The Witches of Eastwick, and two pages of my homework, and played find the hidden object games on my computer for about five hours. Of course, I had intended to get completely caught up on all of my homework, but I discovered that realplayer doesn't work unless you're connected to the internet. And hicktown (as my brothers call it), does not have a single internet connection. Just as well I guess.
One of the good things about this town is that there are lilacs everywhere. Simply everywhere. The smell wafts on the breeze. So heavenly. And the bushes are massive. Seriously; they are as tall as the cottages in the area. I love it.
And then I got horribly sick the day after I got home. It was bound to happen. The day we left, my brother told me he had a cold. So I might be exaggerating a bit, but I hate being sick. Wednesday night was awful. I can't remember the last time I had a night like that. Either too hot or too cold, tossing and turning, runny nose. I probably only got three or four hours of sleep, but I still felt better the next day. Maybe the germs were boiled out.
But... I woke on yesterday with eight pages of papers due at midnight and by about noon I only had two pages due. I love the history prof for that class. The t a for the class on the other hand.... She's absolutely bonkers! She wants assignments, mind you assignments, to be a formal paper. With direct and indirect quotes and plethora of examples. These are only one to two page papers. Nearly everyone in the class has a one point and it's only three weeks in. A girl I know does more than I do in the same class, and she is having the same problems.
So, on to quotes I guess. I've been reading this book. Absolutely hysterical. Although, I guess you have to understand history to think it's funny. My roommate doesn't find it funny at all. I had to explain it to her. Anyway, here are some quotes to tantalize you.
"...the Mayans, were constructing a culture down in Mexico featuring a calendar so advanced that it can still, to this very day, tell you where various celestial bodies such as Venus and the Moon will be at any given moment. They will be out in space, states the miraculous Mayan calendar."
"When Columbus returned to Spain with the news of his discovery, everybody became very excited and decided to have an Age of Exploration. Immediately, a great many bold adventurers- Magellan, de Gama, de Soto, Chrysler, Picasso, and others- set forth on Voyages of Discovery, only to have their ship bang into each other and sink at the harbor entrance."
"The two sides quickly learned to communicate with each other using a stripped-down bartering language, as shown by this painstakinly researched historical re-creation:
French Trader: How does this look?
Native American: Honey, that pelt is you!
French Trader: Really, Red? You don't think it's too bunched at the hips?
Native American: Listen, bunched at the hips is the look in the New World.
French Trader: I'll take it. "
I guess that last might be taken a tad offensively, but I nearly died laughing when I read it. The entire book is full of similar humor. Well worth at least a glance.
Last weekend my family went to grandparent's cottage. It was fun. My Grandma, Aunt, and I got a lot of knitting done, I read about 50 pages of The Witches of Eastwick, and two pages of my homework, and played find the hidden object games on my computer for about five hours. Of course, I had intended to get completely caught up on all of my homework, but I discovered that realplayer doesn't work unless you're connected to the internet. And hicktown (as my brothers call it), does not have a single internet connection. Just as well I guess.
One of the good things about this town is that there are lilacs everywhere. Simply everywhere. The smell wafts on the breeze. So heavenly. And the bushes are massive. Seriously; they are as tall as the cottages in the area. I love it.
And then I got horribly sick the day after I got home. It was bound to happen. The day we left, my brother told me he had a cold. So I might be exaggerating a bit, but I hate being sick. Wednesday night was awful. I can't remember the last time I had a night like that. Either too hot or too cold, tossing and turning, runny nose. I probably only got three or four hours of sleep, but I still felt better the next day. Maybe the germs were boiled out.
But... I woke on yesterday with eight pages of papers due at midnight and by about noon I only had two pages due. I love the history prof for that class. The t a for the class on the other hand.... She's absolutely bonkers! She wants assignments, mind you assignments, to be a formal paper. With direct and indirect quotes and plethora of examples. These are only one to two page papers. Nearly everyone in the class has a one point and it's only three weeks in. A girl I know does more than I do in the same class, and she is having the same problems.
So, on to quotes I guess. I've been reading this book. Absolutely hysterical. Although, I guess you have to understand history to think it's funny. My roommate doesn't find it funny at all. I had to explain it to her. Anyway, here are some quotes to tantalize you.
"...the Mayans, were constructing a culture down in Mexico featuring a calendar so advanced that it can still, to this very day, tell you where various celestial bodies such as Venus and the Moon will be at any given moment. They will be out in space, states the miraculous Mayan calendar."
"When Columbus returned to Spain with the news of his discovery, everybody became very excited and decided to have an Age of Exploration. Immediately, a great many bold adventurers- Magellan, de Gama, de Soto, Chrysler, Picasso, and others- set forth on Voyages of Discovery, only to have their ship bang into each other and sink at the harbor entrance."
"The two sides quickly learned to communicate with each other using a stripped-down bartering language, as shown by this painstakinly researched historical re-creation:
French Trader: How does this look?
Native American: Honey, that pelt is you!
French Trader: Really, Red? You don't think it's too bunched at the hips?
Native American: Listen, bunched at the hips is the look in the New World.
French Trader: I'll take it. "
I guess that last might be taken a tad offensively, but I nearly died laughing when I read it. The entire book is full of similar humor. Well worth at least a glance.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Recently Acquired...
Lately I've acquired some more cultural appreciations. And by that I am referring to music and tv shows. (Yes, I can hear thoughts of derision.) Let's start with the music shall we?
I saw a dance choreographed to this song a while ago and watched the music video the other day. After listening to some of her other songs, I have come to the conclusion that I appreciate her music. It's sort of interesting. Not outside of my normal indie genre for sure. But the music is almost soothing while the words are quite... not soothing?
Another artist whose music I've recently discovered is Ingrid Michaelson. She also is an indie artist with catchy tunes. Her lyrics are rather more upbeat than Christina Perri's.
Enough about music. We're sick of your indieness, you say. Well, my cousins have mentioned a tv show called Downton Abbey. And a blog I read mentioned it. So I decided to check it out, considering my fondness for all things British. (As Time Goes By, Midsomer Murders, Agatha Christie, Jane Austen, strong unsweetened tea. That last is probably arguable.) As might be expected, I love it. It shows life from both sides instead of just one... something I feel is probably rare in a movie or show.
In other less exciting news.... Summer is finally here. But it's not as exciting as I dreamt it would be. Sad day. The reading and crafting is not getting done. Neither is the homework. Procrastination is one of my character flaws apparently. So is joblessness. At least thirty applications, three interviews and nothing, zip, zilch, nada. Not really sure what's going wrong. How's this for shifting the blame? Maybe they're calling my previous employer and they are giving me a bad review? Even though I heard they aren't actually allowed to do that. Oh, well. Something will turn up. Someday. Maybe.
I saw a dance choreographed to this song a while ago and watched the music video the other day. After listening to some of her other songs, I have come to the conclusion that I appreciate her music. It's sort of interesting. Not outside of my normal indie genre for sure. But the music is almost soothing while the words are quite... not soothing?
Another artist whose music I've recently discovered is Ingrid Michaelson. She also is an indie artist with catchy tunes. Her lyrics are rather more upbeat than Christina Perri's.
Enough about music. We're sick of your indieness, you say. Well, my cousins have mentioned a tv show called Downton Abbey. And a blog I read mentioned it. So I decided to check it out, considering my fondness for all things British. (As Time Goes By, Midsomer Murders, Agatha Christie, Jane Austen, strong unsweetened tea. That last is probably arguable.) As might be expected, I love it. It shows life from both sides instead of just one... something I feel is probably rare in a movie or show.
In other less exciting news.... Summer is finally here. But it's not as exciting as I dreamt it would be. Sad day. The reading and crafting is not getting done. Neither is the homework. Procrastination is one of my character flaws apparently. So is joblessness. At least thirty applications, three interviews and nothing, zip, zilch, nada. Not really sure what's going wrong. How's this for shifting the blame? Maybe they're calling my previous employer and they are giving me a bad review? Even though I heard they aren't actually allowed to do that. Oh, well. Something will turn up. Someday. Maybe.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
breaks in the monotony
Have you ever played telephone pictionary? It's a pretty fun game. Each play gets several pieces of paper, however many people are playing. You start out with a phrase and the person next to you has to draw the phrase. They pass it on, and the next person has to write what they think is going on in the picture. By the end, the original phrase has usually been completely demolished. We played that tonight and the results were pretty hysterical. My phrase was "The child with the afro started chopping down the apple tree". Along the way, someone decided the tree looked like a nuclear bomb and it disintegrated from there.
I took that English exam this morning. So glad the class is over, but I'm probably going to have to rewrite one of my papers. I didn't finish the exam, even though it was open note. I figure if aced all of what I did answer, then the best I can get is about an 85 percent. Which is roughly a 3.0-3.5 . I don't think I was the only to not finish though.
I should really start writing that one paper that's due on that one day.... but I don't feel like it. I think I will tomorrow. How's about I go make some popcorn and watch video clips online instead?
I took that English exam this morning. So glad the class is over, but I'm probably going to have to rewrite one of my papers. I didn't finish the exam, even though it was open note. I figure if aced all of what I did answer, then the best I can get is about an 85 percent. Which is roughly a 3.0-3.5 . I don't think I was the only to not finish though.
I should really start writing that one paper that's due on that one day.... but I don't feel like it. I think I will tomorrow. How's about I go make some popcorn and watch video clips online instead?
Monday, April 25, 2011
un deux trois....
Since I'm such a creeper, I decided I'd update the single reader of these random scribbles on my life lately. (See these musings.)
It's reached that point in the semester where I've begun counting down the days 'til the end. Let's see, there's tomorrow, and the day after... Does Friday even count? And then the next Monday; you get the general idea. Depending on how many papers I decide to rewrite, there is approximately a week and half left. Summer break can't come soon enough. I haven't yet come to a conclusion on whether or not this week will be easier or more difficult than the week three papers were due. Oh, didn't I complain about that? One week I had a paper due on Monday, Thursday and Friday. It was absolutely fantastic. The one due on Thursday was supposed to be ten pages. Par for the course, I waited until the last minute to start the darn thing. Needless to say... sleep that night was rather elusive. This week I have an exam on Wednesday, which will be easier than previously expected, a paper due Friday, an exam next Monday, and an exam due next Monday (which is going to be a pain: it's two three-four page papers). Not to mention up to three paper revisions.
This summer should be marvelous. I'm planning on taking a couple of history classes online and hopefully working. And a lot of my friends are planning on staying in the area, so that should be fun. My roommate has also threatened to make me watch movies I've never seen listen to mixed cds. This is because most of the music I listen to is alternative indie, so she believes I am somehow deprived. And the movie thing is self-explanatory. She also said, in apparently no uncertain terms, that we are going to a festival I have never been to. I guess it's a big deal in this region of the country and even though I've lived here all my life, I've never been. There are also innumerable books to read and crafts to finish, etc. I'm planning on finishing all the novels I didn't this semester. Haha. There were probably about eighteen and I only really finished at most five. Shows how dedicated I am to homework.
I have finally discovered why no one shows any interest in me. It's because of my brothers. They are too tall. I have three, but the ones that count are both over six foot. Apparently, a guy wants to be taller than a girl's brothers so he feels like he has some measure of power/control. One of my guy friends told me this... he might have been joking, but he could have been a bit serious. I guess they could be a tad intimidating. I hadn't thought of that. They work out and they're tall. But they don't really look buff... you wouldn't be able to tell I don't think. It is funny though. One of my brothers is in high school and can do fifty consecutive push-ups. One of my college guy friends can't even do twenty. My sister wisely pointed out that none of my friends here know my brothers. True. However, they have easy access to pictures of them which point towards their height. I told her we were doomed to lives of spinsterhood.
Ah, well. Such is life.
How much do you think I'd be able to get for an autographed copy of a Jodi Piccoult book? I found it used for pretty cheap and it's in nearly new condition.
Speaking of books, I discovered an amazing new study spot. This bookstore has a cafe and they serve amazing paninis. And when they give you tea, it's in a french press. Je adore.
It's reached that point in the semester where I've begun counting down the days 'til the end. Let's see, there's tomorrow, and the day after... Does Friday even count? And then the next Monday; you get the general idea. Depending on how many papers I decide to rewrite, there is approximately a week and half left. Summer break can't come soon enough. I haven't yet come to a conclusion on whether or not this week will be easier or more difficult than the week three papers were due. Oh, didn't I complain about that? One week I had a paper due on Monday, Thursday and Friday. It was absolutely fantastic. The one due on Thursday was supposed to be ten pages. Par for the course, I waited until the last minute to start the darn thing. Needless to say... sleep that night was rather elusive. This week I have an exam on Wednesday, which will be easier than previously expected, a paper due Friday, an exam next Monday, and an exam due next Monday (which is going to be a pain: it's two three-four page papers). Not to mention up to three paper revisions.
This summer should be marvelous. I'm planning on taking a couple of history classes online and hopefully working. And a lot of my friends are planning on staying in the area, so that should be fun. My roommate has also threatened to make me watch movies I've never seen listen to mixed cds. This is because most of the music I listen to is alternative indie, so she believes I am somehow deprived. And the movie thing is self-explanatory. She also said, in apparently no uncertain terms, that we are going to a festival I have never been to. I guess it's a big deal in this region of the country and even though I've lived here all my life, I've never been. There are also innumerable books to read and crafts to finish, etc. I'm planning on finishing all the novels I didn't this semester. Haha. There were probably about eighteen and I only really finished at most five. Shows how dedicated I am to homework.
I have finally discovered why no one shows any interest in me. It's because of my brothers. They are too tall. I have three, but the ones that count are both over six foot. Apparently, a guy wants to be taller than a girl's brothers so he feels like he has some measure of power/control. One of my guy friends told me this... he might have been joking, but he could have been a bit serious. I guess they could be a tad intimidating. I hadn't thought of that. They work out and they're tall. But they don't really look buff... you wouldn't be able to tell I don't think. It is funny though. One of my brothers is in high school and can do fifty consecutive push-ups. One of my college guy friends can't even do twenty. My sister wisely pointed out that none of my friends here know my brothers. True. However, they have easy access to pictures of them which point towards their height. I told her we were doomed to lives of spinsterhood.
Ah, well. Such is life.
How much do you think I'd be able to get for an autographed copy of a Jodi Piccoult book? I found it used for pretty cheap and it's in nearly new condition.
Speaking of books, I discovered an amazing new study spot. This bookstore has a cafe and they serve amazing paninis. And when they give you tea, it's in a french press. Je adore.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Assumptions
Sooo.... When it is dark and rainy out, and you need to turn around because you missed your turn... never assume that store driveways/parking lots have an entrance and an exit. Because if you do, you'll find yourself stuck in the mud in need of a tow.
Let me elaborate.
All of the Christian groups on campus are doing outreach this week. We all got together to kick it off on Sunday night. The group I'm a part of drove the church vans, but I drove myself. Some of my friends wanted to stay a little later than the rest of the group, so they were going to ride with me. When we left, I missed the road I was supposed to turn on. So I turned into the driveway of some flooring store, thinking the driveway would circle around back to the road. It was dark and raining and I was flustered because everyone was saying I missed the road. Alright! I admit, I may have been a tad distracted by the person sitting in the front seat. Anyway, I drove on the grass for a good twenty feet before said person asked me, "You know this is grass right?" At which point I tried to back up. The end of my car was literally even with the pavement when I got stuck. He couldn't push me out; not even with the help of another person in the car. I would have called a tow then (I get free towing) but my roommate wanted to see if some of our friends could come and help. No, you need a tow. It took the guy about twenty minutes to get there. Oh, well. I'm blaming my contacts. That d--- grass honestly looked like cement to me. And no, I was completely and utterly sober. When I called the store the next morning, they seemed glad that I called and told them what happened; they didn't want me to do anything. At least I have a hilarious story to tell future friends and generations.
In other news, after at least five months and countless applications, I finally have some jobs leads. Yesterday, a company I sent my resume to called and asked me to officially apply online. And later that same day a bookstore called and asked if I was still interested in coming in for an interview. Wow. Sort of flabbergasted. Nothing for so long and then two things in one day. I guess when God wants (or doesn't want) something in your life, He makes it pretty darn clear.
Let me elaborate.
All of the Christian groups on campus are doing outreach this week. We all got together to kick it off on Sunday night. The group I'm a part of drove the church vans, but I drove myself. Some of my friends wanted to stay a little later than the rest of the group, so they were going to ride with me. When we left, I missed the road I was supposed to turn on. So I turned into the driveway of some flooring store, thinking the driveway would circle around back to the road. It was dark and raining and I was flustered because everyone was saying I missed the road. Alright! I admit, I may have been a tad distracted by the person sitting in the front seat. Anyway, I drove on the grass for a good twenty feet before said person asked me, "You know this is grass right?" At which point I tried to back up. The end of my car was literally even with the pavement when I got stuck. He couldn't push me out; not even with the help of another person in the car. I would have called a tow then (I get free towing) but my roommate wanted to see if some of our friends could come and help. No, you need a tow. It took the guy about twenty minutes to get there. Oh, well. I'm blaming my contacts. That d--- grass honestly looked like cement to me. And no, I was completely and utterly sober. When I called the store the next morning, they seemed glad that I called and told them what happened; they didn't want me to do anything. At least I have a hilarious story to tell future friends and generations.
In other news, after at least five months and countless applications, I finally have some jobs leads. Yesterday, a company I sent my resume to called and asked me to officially apply online. And later that same day a bookstore called and asked if I was still interested in coming in for an interview. Wow. Sort of flabbergasted. Nothing for so long and then two things in one day. I guess when God wants (or doesn't want) something in your life, He makes it pretty darn clear.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Shameless book promoting and such
Just a quick side note-- don't assume the food in the fridge is yours. Otherwise you might find yourself cracking an egg while your roommate yells down the hall that s/he bought those last week.
One of my favorite (I'm not sure what label to place it under) nonfiction book is C. S. Lewis's Mere Christianity. He builds such a strong case for Christianity and the existence of a Creator God. I'm really not sure how one could refute it, but there are probably philosophy professors out there who do. Regardless, I'm even more convinced than I already was. He starts out by simply establishing that there is a moral code in the world. And if there is moral code in the world that every man adheres to and knows about, then there must be something or someone behind that moral code. After that he gets into more of the nitty gritty aspects of Christianity. Definitely worth at least glancing through. Would you like a taste?
"But the most remarkable thing is this. Whenever you find a man who says he does not believe in a real Right and Wrong, you will find the same man going back on this a moment later. He may break his promise to you, but if you try breaking one to him he will be complaining 'It's not fair' before you can say Jack Robinson."
"The truth is, we believe in decency so much--we feel the Rule of Law pressing on us so-- that we cannot bear to face the fact that we are breaking it, and consequently we try to shift the responsibility. For you notice that it is only for our bad behaviour that we find all these explanations. It is only our bad temper that we put down to being tired or worried or hungry; we put our good temper down to ourselves."
"God cannot give us a happiness and a peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing.
'That is the key to history. Terrific energy is expended--civilisations are built up--excellent institutions devised; but each time something goes wrong. Some fatal flaw always brings the selfish and cruel people to the top and it all slides back into misery and ruin. In fact, the machine conks. It seems to start up all right and runs a few yards, and then it breaks down. They are trying to run it on the wrong juice. That is what Satan has done to us humans."
Anyway. How about some more shameless book promoting? Hehe.... Remember that hat I finished over break? Well, even though I'm in the midst of crocheting a blanket, I felt a new knitting project was in order. I own several knitting and crochet project books, but I especially like this one. The projects seem easy and they are so useful. I'm currently working on one of the dishcloths.
One of my favorite (I'm not sure what label to place it under) nonfiction book is C. S. Lewis's Mere Christianity. He builds such a strong case for Christianity and the existence of a Creator God. I'm really not sure how one could refute it, but there are probably philosophy professors out there who do. Regardless, I'm even more convinced than I already was. He starts out by simply establishing that there is a moral code in the world. And if there is moral code in the world that every man adheres to and knows about, then there must be something or someone behind that moral code. After that he gets into more of the nitty gritty aspects of Christianity. Definitely worth at least glancing through. Would you like a taste?
"But the most remarkable thing is this. Whenever you find a man who says he does not believe in a real Right and Wrong, you will find the same man going back on this a moment later. He may break his promise to you, but if you try breaking one to him he will be complaining 'It's not fair' before you can say Jack Robinson."
"The truth is, we believe in decency so much--we feel the Rule of Law pressing on us so-- that we cannot bear to face the fact that we are breaking it, and consequently we try to shift the responsibility. For you notice that it is only for our bad behaviour that we find all these explanations. It is only our bad temper that we put down to being tired or worried or hungry; we put our good temper down to ourselves."
"God cannot give us a happiness and a peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing.
'That is the key to history. Terrific energy is expended--civilisations are built up--excellent institutions devised; but each time something goes wrong. Some fatal flaw always brings the selfish and cruel people to the top and it all slides back into misery and ruin. In fact, the machine conks. It seems to start up all right and runs a few yards, and then it breaks down. They are trying to run it on the wrong juice. That is what Satan has done to us humans."
Anyway. How about some more shameless book promoting? Hehe.... Remember that hat I finished over break? Well, even though I'm in the midst of crocheting a blanket, I felt a new knitting project was in order. I own several knitting and crochet project books, but I especially like this one. The projects seem easy and they are so useful. I'm currently working on one of the dishcloths.
Monday, March 14, 2011
A few thoughts
Oh my word! Posts two days in a row... completely out of character.
Apartments are wonderful places to live in. The snow is plowed, the lawn is mowed, the only bills you have to worry about is rent, electric, phone; depending on where you live, of course. Don't get me wrong. I love it. Having my own space, not living at home anymore. But I want a house. Why? So I can a have a garden with an outrageous amount of flowers. Roses, cyclamen, lavender, delphiniums, peonies, lilacs, hyacinths, grape hyacinths..... The list goes on. And a vegetable, fruit, and herb garden. Peppers, potatoes, corn, carrots, basil, rosemary, lettuce, berries, tomatoes.... Ah, me. It would also be amazing to have a (sunny) room just for my books. Shelves and shelves of books with a couple of overstuffed chairs and maybe a painting or two. I have a list of the books I own and currently the number is around 280. Somehow, though, I don't think that is a lot. Especially as a fair number of them are less than mediocre. There are so many more to obtain too! Madame Bovary, more Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayer, Margaret Atwood, E.M. Forster, C.S. Lewis, Eudora Welty. Again, an endless list. Oh, that there were more time in a day to read all the amazing books in the world.
Speaking of which... I have been buying books lately. Lots of books. Okay, really lately only means within the past week. But I find the best deals, I promise! A thrift store in my hometown sells used paperback books for fifty cents each! I got nine. Nine books for less than five dollars. If any one of you passed that opportunity by, I would slap you right in the face. A few of the titles? The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Friday Night Knitting Club, Heidi, Miss Julia Speaks Her Mind, The Fires of Heaven. I got a coupon in my email for fifteen percent off one item at a bookstore so I used it. And today, I went to one of the bookstores in town. They have a rather large used section. Four books for eleven dollars. Not bad. Total? Fourteen books, twenty four dollars.
Now a couple more serious topics.
Just a thought. Never tell a person who is depressed they should wake up and tell themselves to be happy, it will be okay, etc. A depressed someone cannot do this. At least, not unless they have a really... nope. I've been there before, many times. The reason I bring it up is because someone once told me I needed to wake up and decide to be happy. (Incidentally, the same person said a couple of months later: when on her cycle and depressed, not something she can snap out of.) This statement is no doubt meant to be kind and helpful, but it isn't. It is instead slightly hurtful, and may make the depressed person feel like they aren't doing enough/ what they should be to get back to normal.
A couple of months ago, one of the girls in my Bible study said that it annoys her when people say Satan is tempting them. She believes people give too much credit to the devil. In her eyes, it is the culture we live in that is telling us lies and tempting us, etc. Apparently there are only so many demons and they can't be everywhere at once. While I agree with her about the so many demons aspect, the rest, I question. (Clarifying statement- I think there are only so many demons, but since it is impossible to know exactly how many, it's probably best to err on the side of wrong and assume they are everywhere.) It scares me, because I don't think she is giving the devil enough credit if that is possible. After all, isn't Satan the one behind the destruction of all morals, and therefore a skewed culture? In the NIV, Matthew 6:13 says "And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one." Thus equating temptation with Satan. And in Ephesians 6, when Paul is talking about the armor of God, he says, "In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith,with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one." To me, that seems pretty clear cut. The culture is not an entity out to grab your soul. It can be used as a means to hurt it, but ultimately, Satan is the one trying to get you to stray.
I had a thought last night. What if people I know read this chatter? The dashboard of this blog hosting site has two little boxes: one that tells you how many people have visited your blog and another that tells you if anyone subscribes to your blog. The site stats box, as it is called, also shows what websites referred the viewer to your page, if any. Currently no one subscribes to my blog, but every once in a while someone will visit it that isn't referred by some random website. (If this is you, please don't be totally creeped out, these are just some random musings.) The reason I wonder if I know said person(s?) is because once in awhile I'll follow those links and they lead to weird websites. (So really, a computer is probably just looking at these words.) And sometimes the viewer goes straight to the homepage. But in order to do that don't they need to know the url? And I've told no one in my life the name of this blog. Also I used to subscribe to a couple of people's blogs that I knew. And I'm not sure exactly when wordpress put that little box down in the corner telling you who is stalking your writing. Wow. Did not think this would turn into such a long paragraph....
Apartments are wonderful places to live in. The snow is plowed, the lawn is mowed, the only bills you have to worry about is rent, electric, phone; depending on where you live, of course. Don't get me wrong. I love it. Having my own space, not living at home anymore. But I want a house. Why? So I can a have a garden with an outrageous amount of flowers. Roses, cyclamen, lavender, delphiniums, peonies, lilacs, hyacinths, grape hyacinths..... The list goes on. And a vegetable, fruit, and herb garden. Peppers, potatoes, corn, carrots, basil, rosemary, lettuce, berries, tomatoes.... Ah, me. It would also be amazing to have a (sunny) room just for my books. Shelves and shelves of books with a couple of overstuffed chairs and maybe a painting or two. I have a list of the books I own and currently the number is around 280. Somehow, though, I don't think that is a lot. Especially as a fair number of them are less than mediocre. There are so many more to obtain too! Madame Bovary, more Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayer, Margaret Atwood, E.M. Forster, C.S. Lewis, Eudora Welty. Again, an endless list. Oh, that there were more time in a day to read all the amazing books in the world.
Speaking of which... I have been buying books lately. Lots of books. Okay, really lately only means within the past week. But I find the best deals, I promise! A thrift store in my hometown sells used paperback books for fifty cents each! I got nine. Nine books for less than five dollars. If any one of you passed that opportunity by, I would slap you right in the face. A few of the titles? The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Friday Night Knitting Club, Heidi, Miss Julia Speaks Her Mind, The Fires of Heaven. I got a coupon in my email for fifteen percent off one item at a bookstore so I used it. And today, I went to one of the bookstores in town. They have a rather large used section. Four books for eleven dollars. Not bad. Total? Fourteen books, twenty four dollars.
Now a couple more serious topics.
Just a thought. Never tell a person who is depressed they should wake up and tell themselves to be happy, it will be okay, etc. A depressed someone cannot do this. At least, not unless they have a really... nope. I've been there before, many times. The reason I bring it up is because someone once told me I needed to wake up and decide to be happy. (Incidentally, the same person said a couple of months later: when on her cycle and depressed, not something she can snap out of.) This statement is no doubt meant to be kind and helpful, but it isn't. It is instead slightly hurtful, and may make the depressed person feel like they aren't doing enough/ what they should be to get back to normal.
A couple of months ago, one of the girls in my Bible study said that it annoys her when people say Satan is tempting them. She believes people give too much credit to the devil. In her eyes, it is the culture we live in that is telling us lies and tempting us, etc. Apparently there are only so many demons and they can't be everywhere at once. While I agree with her about the so many demons aspect, the rest, I question. (Clarifying statement- I think there are only so many demons, but since it is impossible to know exactly how many, it's probably best to err on the side of wrong and assume they are everywhere.) It scares me, because I don't think she is giving the devil enough credit if that is possible. After all, isn't Satan the one behind the destruction of all morals, and therefore a skewed culture? In the NIV, Matthew 6:13 says "And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one." Thus equating temptation with Satan. And in Ephesians 6, when Paul is talking about the armor of God, he says, "In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith,with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one." To me, that seems pretty clear cut. The culture is not an entity out to grab your soul. It can be used as a means to hurt it, but ultimately, Satan is the one trying to get you to stray.
I had a thought last night. What if people I know read this chatter? The dashboard of this blog hosting site has two little boxes: one that tells you how many people have visited your blog and another that tells you if anyone subscribes to your blog. The site stats box, as it is called, also shows what websites referred the viewer to your page, if any. Currently no one subscribes to my blog, but every once in a while someone will visit it that isn't referred by some random website. (If this is you, please don't be totally creeped out, these are just some random musings.) The reason I wonder if I know said person(s?) is because once in awhile I'll follow those links and they lead to weird websites. (So really, a computer is probably just looking at these words.) And sometimes the viewer goes straight to the homepage. But in order to do that don't they need to know the url? And I've told no one in my life the name of this blog. Also I used to subscribe to a couple of people's blogs that I knew. And I'm not sure exactly when wordpress put that little box down in the corner telling you who is stalking your writing. Wow. Did not think this would turn into such a long paragraph....
Sunday, March 13, 2011
This instead of That
A paper should be blissfully flowing from my brain onto a piece of paper and then to the computer screen. Instead, here I sit. (Does this ring any bells?)
Break went swimmingly. I went to a seminar at which the speaker expounded the similarities between Jewish weddings and Christ. I got all of my homework done (if you believe that, you really can't read). The knitted winter hat that has been in progress for nearly two years was finally completed-- so excited! I wore it around the house that day, I'm such a geek. Saw a movie with my mother and sister. Went shopping with said sister. Hung out with one of my favorite cousins and her kids. And watched at least ten classic animated disney movies. But, it was bound to happen, all of my fresh food was spoiled when I got back.
My Aunt has this pumpkin muffin/ bread recipe which, of course, she shared with my mom. Recipes get shared in families right? So now I have it and it's fantastic. One of my roommates and I have dinner once a week with some of our guy friends at their Christian frat, and I bring the bread every now and then. They love it. I made too much once, and the next day one of the guys told me they "destroyed it". It may seem rather silly, but I like knowing that at least I can bake.
Random, silly little worry. My roommate went on a missions trip this past week. I'm glad she went, I love going on them. It's just... will she think the conversations we used to have are meaningless babble? Not that they were much anyway. They mostly consisted of her talking about whatever and me giving the appropriate responses. But still....
You might also like to know that I got contacts! So excited. It takes forever to get them and two minutes to remove them. Go figure.
Okay. Really. How does one reduce the use of first person in a blog entry? Said usage is becoming extremely annoying.
Break went swimmingly. I went to a seminar at which the speaker expounded the similarities between Jewish weddings and Christ. I got all of my homework done (if you believe that, you really can't read). The knitted winter hat that has been in progress for nearly two years was finally completed-- so excited! I wore it around the house that day, I'm such a geek. Saw a movie with my mother and sister. Went shopping with said sister. Hung out with one of my favorite cousins and her kids. And watched at least ten classic animated disney movies. But, it was bound to happen, all of my fresh food was spoiled when I got back.
My Aunt has this pumpkin muffin/ bread recipe which, of course, she shared with my mom. Recipes get shared in families right? So now I have it and it's fantastic. One of my roommates and I have dinner once a week with some of our guy friends at their Christian frat, and I bring the bread every now and then. They love it. I made too much once, and the next day one of the guys told me they "destroyed it". It may seem rather silly, but I like knowing that at least I can bake.
Random, silly little worry. My roommate went on a missions trip this past week. I'm glad she went, I love going on them. It's just... will she think the conversations we used to have are meaningless babble? Not that they were much anyway. They mostly consisted of her talking about whatever and me giving the appropriate responses. But still....
You might also like to know that I got contacts! So excited. It takes forever to get them and two minutes to remove them. Go figure.
Okay. Really. How does one reduce the use of first person in a blog entry? Said usage is becoming extremely annoying.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Wasting Time. And a Few Lists.
(Apparently the previous post was/is quite popular. But to tell the truth, I don't really think actual people are reading these ridiculous, silly thoughts of mine. Whatever. )
Lately I have gotten quite adept at wasting time. I should be studying or reading. Instead I take a nap. Or watch just one more episode of that tv show. This is generally how all of my semesters go. I think, however, I should snap out of this habit. Remember those two papers I stayed up really late writing? I did horribly on them. Both profs gave me a 2.8. Ugh! Humiliation! I suppose this really isn't as horrible as I am making it out to be. I heard one girl say she got a 2.9, the highest grade she's ever gotten on a paper. But, still. There goes my "I'm a good writer" thought process. Maybe I am. Just after two or three drafts.
Onto lists. There was this app on a social networking site that had you list your top five. It doesn't work anymore, so here, dear void, are some of my top five.
Five Favorite Smells
Old Spice- my brothers wear this. They think I'm weird, but every time I go home, I can't help smelling them. So good.
Hyacinths- Instant air freshner
Clean Laundry
Rain
Cinnamon Spice Tea
Five Favorite Colors
White
Blue
Five Favorite Chocolate Bars
Extra Crispy Kit Kat
Take Five
Twix
Reeses
Russell Stover's Raspberry Whip Egg
Well, there you have it. You now know a little bit more about me than you probably ever wanted to. What about you? What are your top five favorites?
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Coffee Dates and Late Nights
This past week has been one crazy a** week.
About a half an hour after I woke up on Monday, I realized I forget to turn in some homework online. It had been due about when I woke up. Go figure. Where I live, they like to pack people on the buses like sardines in a tin. So on my way to class, when more people were getting on I tried to turn around and "move to the rear of the bus" to give them more room. The guy behind me was having none of that. Needless to say, I bumped into his chest. In my first class I went to rest my check in my hand. Who doesn't when bored? The prof thought I was raising my hand to answer her question : what did William Blake mean in his poem when he says "mark in every face"? At least I knew the correct response.
But wait. It gets even better. And on the same day no less. When I left my second class, an international student followed me half way done the hallway trying to get my attention. (I couldn't hear him because I was listening to music.) When I finally realized, he asked for help on his homework. When I had helped, he asked me out for coffee. I had to write a paper. Later this week? Umm, I'm busy, I have another paper to write... He wouldn't stop asking. Apparently you actually have to say no to a guy before he gets the point. With so many brothers, you'd think I would know that. Anyway, I finally agreed to Friday so I could leave and go home. He wanted my number but I wouldn't give it to him. The last time I did that, it didn't turn out well. I show up on Friday, with reinforcements sitting at a different table just in case. And he doesn't show. I couldn't have been happier.
Speaking of those papers.... I'm a procrastinator. If there were a prize for the best procrastinator, I would win, hands down. That said, I had two papers due this week. I waited until the day before on both of them. For the first paper, I had the entire previous day to work on it but watched six episodes of a tv show instead. The result of this was staying up until three a.m. The second paper the professor explicitly said not to wait until the last minute because his expectations are so high. (I wasn't the only one though.) I beat my record on that one. Usually it takes me hours on end to write. This paper only took five hours. Woot woot! Of course I was still up until 2.... We'll see how the profs like them.
I have a problem. I love tea. Especially cinnamon spice. The other day I told myself I was only going to browse the tea aisle at the store. No, I bought a box. Right now, I own at least six different boxes of tea. Hopefully I find someone who shares this enthusiasm.
About a half an hour after I woke up on Monday, I realized I forget to turn in some homework online. It had been due about when I woke up. Go figure. Where I live, they like to pack people on the buses like sardines in a tin. So on my way to class, when more people were getting on I tried to turn around and "move to the rear of the bus" to give them more room. The guy behind me was having none of that. Needless to say, I bumped into his chest. In my first class I went to rest my check in my hand. Who doesn't when bored? The prof thought I was raising my hand to answer her question : what did William Blake mean in his poem when he says "mark in every face"? At least I knew the correct response.
But wait. It gets even better. And on the same day no less. When I left my second class, an international student followed me half way done the hallway trying to get my attention. (I couldn't hear him because I was listening to music.) When I finally realized, he asked for help on his homework. When I had helped, he asked me out for coffee. I had to write a paper. Later this week? Umm, I'm busy, I have another paper to write... He wouldn't stop asking. Apparently you actually have to say no to a guy before he gets the point. With so many brothers, you'd think I would know that. Anyway, I finally agreed to Friday so I could leave and go home. He wanted my number but I wouldn't give it to him. The last time I did that, it didn't turn out well. I show up on Friday, with reinforcements sitting at a different table just in case. And he doesn't show. I couldn't have been happier.
Speaking of those papers.... I'm a procrastinator. If there were a prize for the best procrastinator, I would win, hands down. That said, I had two papers due this week. I waited until the day before on both of them. For the first paper, I had the entire previous day to work on it but watched six episodes of a tv show instead. The result of this was staying up until three a.m. The second paper the professor explicitly said not to wait until the last minute because his expectations are so high. (I wasn't the only one though.) I beat my record on that one. Usually it takes me hours on end to write. This paper only took five hours. Woot woot! Of course I was still up until 2.... We'll see how the profs like them.
I have a problem. I love tea. Especially cinnamon spice. The other day I told myself I was only going to browse the tea aisle at the store. No, I bought a box. Right now, I own at least six different boxes of tea. Hopefully I find someone who shares this enthusiasm.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Ridiculous
Today I skipped class. Shocking, right? It's the most boring class on the face of the planet. Considering the topic, "Social Perspectives on Africa" you might think it would be at least marginally interesting. No. False. There are times I can barely understand the professor, and he generally just reads from his presentations, which he then proceeds to post online. So I got tons of stuff done today!! Not. I did four loads of laundry, copied a few slides, called my mother, made dinner, and read twenty pages of a novel.
Speaking of, if your sanity is valued, don't read Absalom, Absalom! by William Faulkner. The sentences can go on for half a page and the paragraphs can continue for three or four pages.
So, just because it's hilarious, I was listening to pandora earlier today, and it played La Roux right after Michael Buble. What in the world? Completely different sound, methinks.
*This is sarcastic--I'm sure your lives are much more interesting than mine
Speaking of, if your sanity is valued, don't read Absalom, Absalom! by William Faulkner. The sentences can go on for half a page and the paragraphs can continue for three or four pages.
So, just because it's hilarious, I was listening to pandora earlier today, and it played La Roux right after Michael Buble. What in the world? Completely different sound, methinks.
*This is sarcastic--I'm sure your lives are much more interesting than mine
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Hold on to Your Hats....
The final count for this semester? Four classes, twenty-three books, three movies, and nine papers. I think I'm going to rent the movies. But I've obtained one of them because it was only a dollar. The others are outrageously overpriced. The first week of classes went swimmingly. Not. The first day, the first class, my teacher made me look like a fool in front of everyone. Granted it was, in all likelihood, unintentional. She asked for the definition of a word and no one said anything, so I raised my hand and gave what I thought the right answer to be. It wasn't and she proceeded to give the right one. It took her, I swear, a minute to give a two second definition. Then on Tuesday, I had to try and find something before I could catch the bus. So I missed it and stood waiting for about twenty minutes in the freezing snow. When two finally came, the full bus stopped and the double bus, the one that was nearly empty flew on by. Needless to say, I didn't stand there much longer before texting a friend to come and get me. He still got there before another bus came! Don't get me wrong. There were good parts to last week as well. I had dinner with friends, went to Bible study, the party, and studied with some friends yesterday.
My roommate bought me a box of hot cinnamon spiced tea. (I paid her back of course.) I'd been drinking it at the coffee shop and had fallen in love. You can buy them there, but once again: outrageously overpriced. She works at one of the chain stores, so she gets a rather lovely discount. I think the tin is already about a third gone. What can I say? I'm a glutton when it comes to good tea. Coffee just doesn't cut it.
My roommate bought me a box of hot cinnamon spiced tea. (I paid her back of course.) I'd been drinking it at the coffee shop and had fallen in love. You can buy them there, but once again: outrageously overpriced. She works at one of the chain stores, so she gets a rather lovely discount. I think the tin is already about a third gone. What can I say? I'm a glutton when it comes to good tea. Coffee just doesn't cut it.
Monday, January 3, 2011
A Party! A Party!
I'm not sure if I'm becoming increasingly introverted or asocial as time goes by, but more and more frequently parties leave me feeling blue. Typically, I don't make much of an effort to talk with other people, so it might be my own fault. When I do make that effort, it generally falls short and the conversation ends awkwardly. Let it be known though, that I am perfectly adept at carrying on a conversation when well acquainted with the person or when they are leading the chat.
All of that to say...the past couple of weeks I've been to several parties. What usually happens is that I sit and watch while everyone has fascinating conversations, myself the only silent personage. Who wouldn't feel like shedding a tear or two? The other day I went to a high school reunion type thing. I say it like that because it was put on by the school for the graduating classes of the past ten years. Some of my former friends showed up, but it was one of those "hi, how are you, what have you been up to, let me give you a hug and move on" sort of things. I went with my brother and sister and was standing with them then later meandered over to several classmates. One said laughed and jokingly said that I had to stand by them so that they remembered I graduated with them. (Our class was less than 50.) My science teacher later needed verification that I graduated the year he thought I did. I am, apparently a rather forgettable type of person. Blagh.
Please forgive me if you host a party and I don't seem very enthused about coming to it.
In other news:
I go home to my apt. on Wednesday. Admittedly, I am looking forward to it. My own bed. My bookshelf. No siblings rolling on the floor bickering. When I came home from break, I brought things that I never use there. Goal: to bring less stuff back. Goal has failed. My mother decided to buy us groceries, I received several gifts, and I bought a few things. Oh, well. Such is life, I suppose. Also, one of my English profs reduced the number of books we need for the course. Granted, only by one. But still. And they took off Heart of Darkness. I hate that book. It took me hours to read it last semester.
All of that to say...the past couple of weeks I've been to several parties. What usually happens is that I sit and watch while everyone has fascinating conversations, myself the only silent personage. Who wouldn't feel like shedding a tear or two? The other day I went to a high school reunion type thing. I say it like that because it was put on by the school for the graduating classes of the past ten years. Some of my former friends showed up, but it was one of those "hi, how are you, what have you been up to, let me give you a hug and move on" sort of things. I went with my brother and sister and was standing with them then later meandered over to several classmates. One said laughed and jokingly said that I had to stand by them so that they remembered I graduated with them. (Our class was less than 50.) My science teacher later needed verification that I graduated the year he thought I did. I am, apparently a rather forgettable type of person. Blagh.
Please forgive me if you host a party and I don't seem very enthused about coming to it.
In other news:
I go home to my apt. on Wednesday. Admittedly, I am looking forward to it. My own bed. My bookshelf. No siblings rolling on the floor bickering. When I came home from break, I brought things that I never use there. Goal: to bring less stuff back. Goal has failed. My mother decided to buy us groceries, I received several gifts, and I bought a few things. Oh, well. Such is life, I suppose. Also, one of my English profs reduced the number of books we need for the course. Granted, only by one. But still. And they took off Heart of Darkness. I hate that book. It took me hours to read it last semester.
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