The Things You Learn

Finals week.

I've spent the past several hours making a study guide for my criminal justice test tomorrow morning. I have yet to actually study the study guide and to put that task off even longer, I shall share some of the most interesting things I learned while making the study guide.

-The most common punishment in Greece and Rome was exile or banishment.

-38 states and the federal government use the death penalty.

-In the 1984 case, Minnesota v. Murphy, the Supreme Court held that the probation officer-client relationship is not confidential.

-The first private prison was opened in Kentucky.

-About half of all female inmates become members of "make-believe families," essentially adopting different family roles and acting them out like a game of house.

-A Sticky Shooter is a less than lethal projectile which uses stun gun technology to temporarily incapacitate a person at standoff range. It uses a low-impact, wireless projectile fired from compressed gas or powder launchers and is accurate within 10 meters.

The Room Was Romantic

Today in writing class my instructor decided to have the class do some writing exercises. I consider myself a terrible writer so I wasn't exactly excited. The first few exercises were rewriting sentences to make them more understandable. Then he started talking about writing styles. The next exercise was titled "The Room Was Romantic." We had to describe a romantic room without actually using the word romantic. Okay, sure. We all wrote our require half page of romantic room description. Unsurprisingly, when we all had finished our instructor asked for volunteers to read what they had written. Also unsurprisingly, no one raised their hands. I didn't raise my hand because I always volunteer to read my examples and decided to take the day off from volunteering. I was considerably proud of what I had written though. Then he started calling on random people. The first person he called on was a member of my group. I wasn't expecting what I heard. The guy read his thing and I felt like I was listening to someone narrate one of those romantic novels with Fabio on the cover. It was kind of weird. I wasn't so proud of mine anymore...

My Awards

I am not above telling others of my accomplishments. This is why I am willing to share all of the Spring 2007 staff awards I received from The Daily Evergreen. I was awarded the following:

Outstanding Rookie

Reporter of the Semester

Most likely to achieve future Evergreen glory

and

Outstanding Underclassman (For this award, my name gets added to a plaque in our hallway.)

I am very pleased. Though I would still spend all my free time in the newsroom, it's nice to know that all my work doesn't go unnoticed. Tonight we are putting together the very last issue of this semester. It is both satisfying and a little bit sad to be at the end, but I have thoroughly enjoyed this semester. Now that newspaper is done, I shall also have more time for blogging and reading and all those other free time activities I can never seem to get to.

Pain in the...

When you're sore, no matter which muscles hurt, the most challenging thing to do is go to the bathroom.

Following the IMDb Game

Guess the movie and I'll tell you if you're right.
I've added more clues. *#10's clues changed on IMDb when I went to get more clues...

1. Virgin Mary/Lover/House/Woman (Under The Tuscan Sun - Christina)
2. Love Triangle/Dead Brother/Gold Mine/Child Kidnapping
3. Con Artist/Caper/Mastermind/Perfect Crime (Ocean's Eleven - Mr.A)
4. Sibling/Piano/Parent-Child Relationship/Snobbery
5. Pirates/British Empire/No Opening Credits (Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl - Josh)
6. Judo/Romantic Comedy/Martial Arts/Heiress/Ellis Island New York (Hitch - Christina)
7. Character's POV Camera Shot/Disney/Turns Into Animal/No Opening Credits/ Magic (Beauty and the Beast - Todd)
8. Self Sacrifice/Teen/Heroine (Little Mermaid - TRP)
9. Police/Car/Death/Shoot/Accident/Mini Cooper (The Italian Job - Christina)
10. Brother Sister Relationship/Color Remake of B & W Film/Mirror/Librarian/Shot to Death (The Mummy - Christina)

A Few of My Favorite Things: Part VIII

1. When the cashier rings you up at the store and you find out the item you're purchasing is on sale.
2. Fresh veggies from the garden - If you run out of basil or dill or carrots you can just walk outside and get some more.
3. The beach - I think I've made a beach/ocean reference in every instalment of this list.
4. Milk - Helps build strong bones!
5. The Farmer's Market - local food, local products, local entertainment, awesome.
6. Summer time activities - softball, camping, BBQs, Bear Festival, swimming outside, quading, cooking outside, etc.
7. Craisens - the perfect sweet, yet healthy, snack.
8. Dried mangoes - they're just so good!
9. Nutella - What's not to like?
10. Laughing until it hurts or until I cry - feels great!

Not so favorites:

1. When people don't clean up after their pets - how rude.
2. Conjugating verbs - they make my brain want to explode.
3. Losing things - especially if they don't belong to me.
4. Motion sickness - bluuuuuuuh. It lingers for the whole day.
5. Snot suckers - use a decongestant or a tissue!

Oh My Josh!

Tickets went on pre-sale this morning for the second leg of Josh Groban's Awake tour. Pre-Sale was to start at 10AM and as I'm you probably guessed I was sitting in front of my computer at 9:30 ready for action. I stared at the clock in the corner of the computer screen and the instant it turned to 10:00 AM I click on the link that said "Buy Tickets."

I was totally ready. I had been practicing all night. You only have 90 seconds to type in all your information before the page refreshes and you lose your place in line. My credit card was out and I started inputting information. 2 tickets, best available, password, GO! It went. "We're sorry. You're request could not be processed." WHAT??!!! YES IT CAN! It did it again, and again and again, but it still couldn't be processed. They must have sold out in pre-presale for FOJG members only the night before. I was pissed (for lack of a better word). Frustrated beyond belief, I called my mom. "It just wasn't meant to be, honey." Why the hell not, I though.

That's when more anger set in. It would have been meant to be if there wasn't a pre-presale! Why would you do that? Have a pre-presale the night before to fan club members only?! That's STUPID! I'm a starving college student. I can't afford to pay $50 a year for fan club membership. I AM THE FREAKING FAN CLUB! I skipped my favorite class for this and they're sold out?! I grabbed my bag and stormed to class, late.

Needless to say, I was not a pleasant person for those two hours before I returned to my room. I was still in shock, so I check the Josh website again to see if I missed something, which I often do. Sure enough, there it was. "JG.com Pre-Sale Information." I clicked on it to see what they could possibly be telling me that I hadn't already found out. I was expecting to see "Pre-presale Tickets sold out in record time!" but no. It said the password. It was in all caps. I didn't use all caps...then the little voice in my head said "TRY IT AGAIN!!!!" So, naturally, I did. And guess what...I GOT TICKETS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Possibly some of the best tickets in the arena!!!!!!! I was in shock from the sudden reversal of my previous sad shock. Of course I called my Mama and said "Mommy! I think I just got tickets!!" "You think? That's never good." "NO I GOT TICKETS!!!! SECTION 114, ROW 4!!!" "Really?" "YES!" "Guess God was looking out for us." "GUESS SO!"

I'm kinda excited.

Sailor's Delight

I love to watch the sky. I am mesmerized as it turns from blues to purples to pinks to reds to oranges to yellows. What can be more inspiring? Even when there are dark clouds, sometimes they part just enough for golden beams of light to stream down to the earth as if to be blessing everything they touch. It's the same thing at the beach. The every person is silent for 5 minutes each evening to stare in wonder as the sun sinks below the horizon. Sometimes, if you're lucky, you can see the green flash of light just as the last bit of sun disappears below the endless sea.

How can you describe the mystery of the night sky? The ultimate representation of endless possibilities. The final frontier. It is a wondrous thing to behold, the stars appearing one by one and then suddenly all at once. Shooting stars, the Milky Way, satellites, all so foreign and yet strangely familiar.

Red sky in the morning means sailors take warning.
Red sky at night means...

A Ruined Cake

There once was a good little girl, who didn't care very much for vegetables. Still, this little girl was so good that she ate them anyway. As her reward, she got to have dessert. Her mouth watered and her eyes widened as a lovely piece of chocolate cake was placed in front of her. She tasted a bit of the frosting. It was delicious. Next, she cut into the soft, fluffy goodness with her fork and scooped up a big bite. But as she began chew, she realized something was wrong. There was something in the cake, something ... gross. Not just one thing, but multiple things. They were stringy and slightly firm, not soft and moist as a cake should be. The little girl screwed up her nose. This cake was no good. She slowly pulled out a stringy thing. It slithered out from between her lips like a worm. She poked at the cake and found other worm-like things. This was not what she had bargained for when she ate her vegetables.

This was my first experience with German Chocolate Cake. I did not know it was German Chocolate Cake. It looked like a normal innocent cake. This was also the day I learned I hate German Chocolate Cake. Coconut and pecans only corrupt cakes and should stay out, at least out of mine. The shredded coconut makes me feel like I am eating a cake full a meal worms and cake should be smooth and soft. Pecans are hard.

Today, I was again tricked into eating German Chocolate Cake. The cake looked innocent enough. It looked like a plain chocolate cake topped and filled with chocolate frosting. But no. It was German Chocolate. It was not good. I screwed up my face upon the first bite just as as I did when I was a good little girl.

A Few of My Favorite Things Part VII

1. Using big words - it would be cool if I could think of one right now...
2. Funny family stories - they make me want to do stand-up.
3. Going out to dinner - it's a nice change of pace.
4. Singing loud in the car - usually I have the volume up just to the point where I can't hear my own voice.
5. Bear Festival Food - Elephant Ears and Curly fries!
6. The way light reflects off water - not when it blinds you, but when you can see it reflecting on a wall or at the bottom of the pool, it's magical.
7. BBQ - the event and the food.
8. The food at McCleary middle/elementary - tator tot casserole, cheese zombies, mac n' cheese, Thanksgiving special, Italian dunkers...yum-o!
9. Chapstick/lip gloss - adds that little something extra to your face, and it generally tastes pretty good.
10. Good dreams - I hate that they're over when I wake up, but they put me in a good mood.

Not so favorites:

1. When it rains while I'm camping - it just sucks.
2. Mumblers - I can't talk to you if I don't understand what you're saying!
3. History papers - most papers in general are lame, but history papers are just disgusting.
4. When people have their pants tucked into their shoes - it looks bad.
5. Stupid questions - think before you speak. I have been guilty of this many times.

Panic Mode: Major

I have issues. I'm sure that has become quite clear. One of my biggest issues is anxiety. I get minor anxiety attacks for the stupidest reasons. For example, school. During high school on random days I would get stomach cramps and be nauseated and nervous. Sometimes because of a test and sometimes for no reason at all. I always got this feeling before a swim meet. It was the same thing with homecoming. The whole day leading up to the dance I was in a state of panic. I felt sick, and shaky, and nervous. Why? I had nothing to be nervous about. The same thing happened before prom. In both cases, everything turned out brilliant.

I bring this up because today in my math class I was thinking about how I'm going to hopefully be buying Josh Groban concert tickets on Thursday. As I was thinking, I felt that familiar twingle of panic. It always starts with tightness at the base of my throat, like a precursor to an asthma attack. Then my hands start to shake a little bit and it becomes hard to hold my pen. It's like when you've forgotten something really important and it's too late to do anything about it, but you freak out anyway. Then I felt my face get red and then fade. Why was I starting to freak out? It's just a concert. What if I screw it up though, while I'm online trying to order tickets? What if I type in my information too slow and the page refreshes and I lose great seats? What if I can't figure out what to do and by the time I do all the tickets are gone? It was madness. Then 5 minutes later I was fine again.

The other day I found out that my sister is bringing her new friend camping with us this year. I not sure how fond I am of this girl, I don't know her very well, but she is (as of right now) coming to my happy place. Strangers are not allowed at my happy place. That was the trigger. I started freaking out in my head. All of the negative possibilities came rushing in and then the twingle in my throat, the shaky hands, the nausea, this time there were even possibilities of tears. I was thinking I'm going to be alone, Ali will be spending all her time with her friend, I won't be able to do anything because I can't go anywhere alone while I'm there (long story), I won't be able to do my traditional 3 mile beach walk to the lodge because Christina won't be there, I'll be the third wheel, It's going to suck...etc. I wanted to come home from the trip and it hasn't even happened yet. Those are stupid thoughts that I'm still thinking now. I can't even tell you why.

Apparently, the future freaks me out.

Song of the Day

"Wide Open Spaces" by: The Dixie Chicks

I haven't listened to this song in a long time, but it really applies to my life right now.

Top 5 Olympia Resaurants

These are my top 5 picks for Olympia restaurants that I have been to:

• Ranch House BBQ - A little out of the way for most, but well worth the drive! They have won tons of awards including some from the Food Network!
• Lemon Grass - Really small, not a lot of seating, but great food. Wide variety and perfect portion sizes.
• Waterstreet Café - Prices are a little high, but the food is worth it. Dessert menu changes regularly.
• Oyster House - Perfect for seafood lovers on a budget. If you get the mud bay mud pie make sure you have someone to share it with!
• Urban Onion - Great for healthy eaters. Soups and Sandwiches are perfect for lunch! Great catering as well.

Other restaurants of note:

• Taco Bus - although not an actual restaurant, if you want authentic Mexican food check it out!
• Casa Mia - I'm not a big salad fan, but at Casa Mia salads are piled with olives and mozzarella. Delizioso!
• Apollo's - Fabulous pizza.
• El Nopal - Has the BEST salsa I've ever had! You can even buy just the salsa to-go!
• Farmers Market - All the food at the Market is amazing!
• Vic's Pizzeria - Also has amazing pizza.
• Plenty - Unique and yummy sandwiches.

Restaurants for me to try:

• Meconi's
• Cieloblu
• Bamboo
• Peppers
• Chopsticks
• Basilico
• Iron Rabbit
• Nonna Rosa

Any other suggestions are welcome!

The Courts and Abortion

I was conflicted when I heard about the recent Supreme Court decision to uphold a ban on a specific type of abortion, called intact dilation and extraction, or D and E. This type of abortion is typically used when a woman is 20 to 23 weeks pregnant and before the fetus is viable.

Proponents of the new measure argue that D and E is an unnecessary measure and that other methods can be used. Contrary to what I originally believed, the ban does not prevent all later pregnancy abortions, but just this specific type, according to The New York Times.

The law is perfectly clear, said Douglas Johnson, legal director for National Right to Life, which opposes most abortions. To violate it, Mr. Johnson said, a doctor has to plan to deliver vaginally a living fetus and then deliberately kill it when it is leaving the womb.
It is permissible to kill the fetus while it is in the womb, Mr. Johnson said, adding, “Anything goes inside the womb."

Earlier, the article explained,

The Supreme Court decision on Wednesday to uphold a ban on a type of abortion, has huge political implications but, as a practical matter, is unlikely to have much of an effect.

This is the cause of much of my confliction. Should law be used to make political statements? Upholding the ban doesn’t really change very much in the ability of a woman to have an abortion, but both sides of the abortion debate acknowledge its significant political impact. In this sense, the court has misused its resources. What did the court really change or do? They chose to rule on an issue that was much more a political matter, than one with a major concern of legality.

The decision also raises serious questions about the new court and opens the door for future decisions which are likely to please pro-life advocates. I am wary of the idea of trying to legislate morality and I believe the abortion debate is an issue of morality. There is also the issue of whether or not abortions, especially those occurring later in a pregnancy than usual, are a medical issue. If so, should the court really be regulating them?

I am still not sure about the decision. As D and E abortions seem less humane and there are other options available, I am not entirely opposed to the idea of ending this specific kind of abortion. At the same time, I question the means through which it was ended. Did the court actually have a right to do this? I think other avenues would have been more appropriate.

The End is Near

As I'm sure has become somewhat observable, I have become increasingly busy. The decreased number of my posts reflects the fact that I have not recently found myself sitting bored in the newsroom. As of late I have only had time to work in the newsroom and then am off to work on final projects. My last final, of my first year of college, is next Wednesday. Getting to that point in the future, however, is going to be a mad dash as I finish final projects and try to finish all the articles on the table for this semester. I spent last week interviewing different religious leaders about views of homosexuality and shortly after writing this post, shall begin working on shaping those interviews into a paper. So far this has become my favorite school project. It was interesting and I feel like I learned so much. As I said last time, I'll share more details later. Until then, I am off finishing this year of college. 11 days and counting

A Few of My Favorite Things Part VI

1. The Sound of the ocean waves - I basically love all aspects of the ocean.
2. Having a full tank of gas - so many possibilities.
3. Good surprises - I hate the bad ones.
4. Caramel - especially with chocolate.
5. Asking questions - as long as I don't feel stupid afterwards.
6. Dressing up - "I feel pretty. Oh so pretty!"
7. The woods/forest - unless they're spooky woods.
8. Inside Jokes - because they're funny!
9. Finding lost things - because then they're not lost anymore.
10. Free stuff - Duh! If I get it for free then I don't have to buy it!

Not so favorites:

1. Water I can't see through - makes me feel like I'm swimming in bacteria and that something I can't see is going to grab my legs and pull me down...like aquatic vegetation.
2. When the batteries in whatever I'm using die - always at the worst possible time.
3. The smell of wet cigarettes - the smell of normal cigarettes is gross enough.
4. When I don't have a hair tie - that's just annoying.
5. When my ankle pops in mid step/run - pain is bad.

"Are You Wearing Flip-Flops?"

This story is from a while ago, but I still think it's funny.

So for all of you who don't know, I wear the same ring on my right pinkie finger every day. I only take it off when I swim (usually). When I take it off at the pool I put it on the little hook inside the locker. I have never forgotten about it and have only lost it once (interesting story). One night after I swam, I was talking to my mom on the phone (Ali was there too) and I was going to fiddle with my ring like I usually do when I talk to people. When I went to touch it, it wasn't there! I had left it in my locker at the pool! So, I was like "CRAP! MY RING! I LEFT IT AT THE POOL!" and Ali was like "GO GET IT!" So, I grabbed my keys and my ID and ran out the door. I literally ran all the way to the pool, which is not that far, right across the street, but I DO NOT like to run. Anyways I was still on the phone the with mom and Ali while I was doing this and I ran in the rec. center, handed them my ID and ran into the locker room and opened the locker...if I was a cruel person I would just end the story right there. Anyways I opened the locker and thankfully there it was just hangin' there. So I grabbed it put, it on, and ran back out. The two people at the desk were just watching me like it was totally normal for a person to sprint into the locker room and sprint back out a few seconds later...and I was still on the phone by the way. Then I ran all the way back to my dorm. And my sister, who was still on the phone, was like "Are you wearing flip-flops?" "Yeah." "Wow, I can hear them, while you're running!" "Wow."

The other story of me losing my ring was a few years back. I took a shower and a few hours later I realized my ring was missing. I looked all over the house for it and finally decided that it must have fallen off in the shower and gone down the drain or something. Well, a few months later, I was shaving my legs and looked over at the huge bottle of shower gel that was there, on the bath tub, next to me and there was this weird green ring around the neck of the bottle. This wouldn't have been weird, but the shower gel was orange not green...so naturally I took the top off and stuck my finger in (if you see weird green liquid you probably shouldn't put your finger in it) and there was my ring. Then I remembered, when I was in the shower the day I had lost it (my ring not my mind) I had stuck my pinkie in the bottle to unclog it and it had slipped off because of the soap! Makes you wonder where all of the things you lose end up doesn't it?

A Few of My Favorite Things Part V

Halfway done...

1. Laughing for no reason - it's good not to take life too seriously all the time.
2. Liquid coffee creamer - Yum-o!
3. The Pacific Northwest - We have mountains, a rain forest, a peninsula, an amazing coastline, a rain shadow, drastic seasons on one side and not so drastic on the other (because of the rain shadow), lakes, rivers, valleys, earthquakes, volcanoes, plateaus...basically we have everything.
4. The Music of Olive Garden - "Como e` bella ce` la luna..."
5. Garage Sale-ing - One woman's trash is another woman's treasure.
6. Antiques - sometimes found while garage sale-ing!
7. Old Buildings - that have antiques.
8. Old Books - found in old buildings during garage sales.
9. New books - pristine, perfect, sleek, smooth...
10. Tiramisu - Thanks to Todd for trying (or pretending to try) and thanks to Jeff for coming through!

Not so favorites:

1. Driving in snow - just not safe.
2. Allergies - they ruin all the fun.
3. Pointy shins - I know it's weird, but until you actually encounter a pointy tibia you can't understand.
4. Disney sequels - destroying the imaginations of children everywhere.
5. The Smell of burnt popcorn - it gets into my pores.

My Happy Place

I have a happy place. It's a real place, not a place in my head. One week out of the year my family and I go there. When I am there I am at peace with the world. Nothing else matters for that week. The past two years I have taken Christina with me. This is a big honor. I don't allow just anyone to come to my special place. Family only. I consider Christina my family. She has been my best friend for about the past six years and has practically lived at my house during most of that time. You have to earn your right to come. You can't just be my friend for a few months and assume you are invited, no no. You have to earn my trust. I have to know that you will not take for granted the natural beauty and tranquility of this place. I need to know that you will not whine for not being to take a shower and that there is no cell phone service. Please, do not abuse my happy place. Do not ruin my favorite week of the year. Please don't make me want to come home. I love this place. It's my place. Unless you yourself have a happy place of your own you can not understand how I feel.

Dustin' Off the Teddy

So I've been extremely busy the past two days. For my English class I'm working on my final paper which is on different Christian perspectives on Christianity. I've been interviewing different religious leaders in the community. So far I've done LDS, Catholic, and Episcopal. It's all very interesting. I'll report back again when I have more research.

Anyways, before heading off to bed, I thought I'd share the experience that started my day. Early this morning I was bolted awake because I felt someone touch my forehead. But when I opened my eyes, heart pounding, I saw no one. There wasn't a dangling piece of cloth or anything either. I have no idea what it was. Maybe I've been drinking too much coffee. Maybe the stress is finally starting to get to me. Maybe it was a more vivid dream than usual. Who knows? I do not, but I do know that I'll be dusting off my teddy bear tonight. He'll protect me.

Also randomly, I learned about Swiss wrestling today. I encourage others to educate themselves similarly.

A Few of My Favorite Things Part IV

1. Aquatic Animals - Flounder, Sebastian, Nemo, Crush, Flipper...
2. Christmas Time - not the rest of the winter...just Thanksgiving through New Years.
3. Sunshine - Vitamin D is good for your bones.
4. Watching the Stars - there something magical about seeing a shooting star.
5. Jeans that fit well - until they rip.
6. Water - need I say more?
7. My Family - unless they're bugging me.
8. Warm blankets - snug as a bug.
9. Cooking - until I burn the garlic.
10. Art - except abstract...

Not so favorites:

1. Knowing I'm right, but being told I'm wrong - "All ways are my ways!"
2. Being lonely - "No body wants to be lonely."
3. Indecisiveness - I think...maybe not...yes...definitely yes.
4. Feeling stuck - in one place, in a rut, in a hole, with a crappy job...all senses of the word really.
5. Busy Work - it offends me.

Smarty Pants

I love knowing how things work. Especially the human body. Since I was little I've never hesitated to ask my mom questions about why the body does certain things. I always ask her because she's a nurse and well, she should just know. She's never been shy about answering my questions and I've never been shy about asking them, even the reproductive and/or digestive questions. We never went through the awkward "where do babies come from" speech, that I can remember, because we were really up front about things like that. I like to understand how my body works and my mom likes to tell me. I think it makes her feel smart, like I do after I know the answer to my question.

I get this natural inquisitiveness from both my parents, who are both full of the type of information I love to possess. Bless them both for their patience with me. If I'm not bugging them with questions, I'm boring them with my regurgitation of my useless information. I think they secretly love it.

Most of my friends also notice my sponge like absorption of information and often come to me with their random questions. Even if I don't know the answer I'm bound to look it up and get back to them.

It's funny because my spongy brain also rejects information. For example, Spanish verbs and history. While my dad loves to sit and watch the History Channel for hours, I find it rather dull. I like certain aspects of history, like art history, but wars and treaties and such don't click in my head. I feel bad for my history teachers, but especially my partners in my history classes, namely Christina. I wish when I was put on the spot to answer a question during H2O I could have said "I defer to Christina." That would have been nice.

Another problem with my fascination of random facts is that I am now interested in so many things. That made deciding on a major rather hard.

This post has gone in a different direction than what I had in mind. I was planning on talking about how much I love going to bio lectures and labs because I'm so good at it. I love when I'm the only person who knows the answers to some of the profs questions. I guess everybody likes being a smarty pants every now and again.

Song of the Day

"Dreamboat Annie" by: Heart

A Few of My Favorite Things Part III

1. Campfires - I like the smell, even though it takes 5 showers to get it out of your hair.
2. Softball - Just playing catch gets me all excited.
3. Sweaters - No one likes to be cold.
4. Music - Who doesn't love music? There's a style or two for everyone.
5. Feel Good Movies - I like to feel good.
6. Feel Good Books - or as I like to call them "Feel Book Goods."
7. Board Games - because you play them when you're bored.
8. Drawing/Doodling - one of my outlets.
9. Watching TV - I have at least one show for almost every day of the week. Pathetic.
10. Random facts - I am a fountain of useless information.

Not so favorites:

1. Litter - I come from the Captain Planet generation. "The Power is yours!"
2. Loud cell phones in quiet places - I'm sure the next time I'm in a quiet place someone will call me.
3. Ripping my favorite jeans - happens all the time.
4. Dirty Bathrooms - I hate community kitchens and bathrooms...bluhhh.
5. Dirty Kitchens - Two places that just need to be clean.

A Few of My Favorite Things Part II

1. Kalaloch - My favorite place
2. Potatoes - They're so versatile...bake, bake again, scallop, mash, boil, fry, mash then fry, hash browns, soup, broil, french fries, in perogi, dumplings, chips, the possibilities are endless...
3. Perfume - Makes me feel like a lady.
4. Sparkly jewelry - Makes me feel like a lady.
5. Disney - I am the Disney animated feature trivia Master. If Christina and I could team up and some Disney Trivia Knowledge Bowl Tournament we would so win!
6. van Gogh- "Café de Nuit" and "Starry Night" I love the colors.
7. Warm rain - not that we ever get any.
8. Thunderstorms - I love when the thunder rolls and you can feel it in your bones. It makes you feel so small and I like that for some reason.
9. Getting flowers - a rare occurrence, but it's nice when it happens.
10. Storms on the beach - I know it's weird that I like storms, but it just puts me in my place. It's a hard feeling to put into words.

Not so favorite things:

1. Not being able to find a bathroom - it's even worse when you're stuck in traffic and a truck with a Port-a-Potty goes by...
2. Burning garlic - It wrecks the whole dish.
3. Scary movies/TV shows - I personally don't enjoy being scared out of my mind.
4. Feeling stupid (education wise) - I know I'm smart, but sometimes...
5. Moldy bread - possibly the worst smell in the world. Makes me naucious just thinking about it.

Untitled...still

Slowly, but surely...

A Few of My Favorite Things Part I

For those who didn't know, I love making lists. Pro-Con lists, Top 10 lists, To-Do lists, you name it. I've even made a list about Christina, though sadly I lost it. A while ago I decided to make a list of my favorite things. It was probably around Christmas time because they always play "My Favorite Things" on the radio during Christmas, which bugs me because it's NOT a Christmas song! Anyways, here is the latest version of my 101 Favorite Things List in no particular order(I plan on doing 10 instalments):

1. Coffee - "sweet nectar of life!"
2. Chocolate - milk, dark, Dove, Hershey's, yes please.
3. Sunflowers - sunshine in a flower.
4. Ladybugs - it's complicated.
5. Terrible Ideas - "Don't ya just love those?
6. Camping - I just love it.
7. Foreign Languages - Ciao Bella! Vaya con Dios.
8. Shoes - what can I say? I'm a girl who loves shoes...I still want some red high heels.
9. Swimming - I know. It's a shocker.
10. The Ocean - "Like the ocean..."

These are a few of my not so favorite things:

1. Condescension/Patronization - don't speak to me like I'm 5 years old, please.
2. Mushrooms - seriously, they're fungi.
3. Big Bugs - "things that make ya go bluuuuuh"
4. Aquatic Vegetation - I'm not even kidding, it freaks me out.
5. Not having enough gas in my car - especially if I'm in a hurry.

Dear Daddy,

I learned, during my first year working on The Daily Evergreen, that each year for Mom’s Weekend, members on staff write columns for their mothers. We even produce a special Saturday issue in light of the occasion. Learning all this made me a bit disheartened. “What did we do for Dad’s Weekend,” I asked. I was informed that fathers get a football game.

For me, that’s simply not enough. Fathers deserve to hear they’re appreciated and loved just as much as mothers. In my case, this is even more important as it was my father who raised me, who loved me, who is responsible for who I am today. He raised my two sisters and me on his own, by himself. He played the role most often assumed by mothers; he was a single parent. To me, he was both mother and father. He was, and forever will be, my daddy.

My daddy is the most amazing man I know. Those who know me, know I am a daddy’s girl. He and I share a bond usually shared between a girl and her mother. He is my friend, my confidante, my ever present support system. He knows me better than anyone else in the world. He believes in me like no one else in the world. Desperate for me to do more with my life than he feels he has done with is, he taught me I can do anything I set my mind to. He encouraged me to reach beyond myself and to explore the world around me.

I was his first child, born in many ways when he was still a child himself. I don’t know if with only 21 years under his belt he was really prepared for me, but I came anyways. He’s loved me ever since. He continues to show me his love each and every day. He sacrificed so much for me and my sisters and I know he would be willing to sacrifice so much more. His happiness is tied to our happiness. Our success is his success.

I am so like my father, and this thought gives me comfort. His life has not always been the easiest. The life of a single parent never is. But he has taken it all in stride, never complained, and never regretted any of the decisions which led to bringing his children into this world. It’s difficult for me to imagine being loved by someone as I am loved by my father and loving another as I love him. His love is truly unconditional and unending. I know he will always be there for me. For giving me this knowledge, I want to thank him. Since I can’t tell him with the rest of the staff, I hope this will do. I wanted to have the opportunity to let him know, I love him too, much much more, than even these words can express.

Alaska is Full of It

I don't even know how to introduce this post. My good friend works at KTUU news in Alaska and told me about these stories, they are definitely worth watching. To see a silly weather man fast foreword to 15:50 and the two weirdest news reports immediately follow (19:00). Note: This video will change at 5:00 PM tonight.

I expressed my shock (for the lack of a better word) about the stories to my friend and his reply was:
"Moose nuggets are a souvenir though, they sell them in the gift shops."

Well duh...who wouldn't want to bring home souvenir moose pellets?

"my grandparents bought some and took them back to my uncle, they said "All Natural Alaskan Candy" on them, my uncle tried to eat it, it was funny"

We should sell elk dropping for souvenirs in Washington. They look like Milk Duds and that's a definite selling point.

My Book List

I love to read. It is one of my favorite activities. I am also always on the look out for new recommendations. I was pleased to find these suggested reads. Completing them all would most certainly leave one "classically and contemporarily wiser than most," and perhaps deserving of the title truly educated. But if after finishing them, you want more, I suggest the following. Most of my favorites are already included in the other sets and the following list may not provide the same level of intellectual stimulation as most of those, but I still find them enjoyable.

1) Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

2) A Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

Both of these novels are a similar read to 1984, though all are written in different styles. I always find it interesting to explore visions of the future.

The next three, though I would contend are all excellent novels, may be more palpable to the tastes of females.

3) Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

4) Emma by Charlotte Bronte (The first time I read this book, I did not like it. After reading it a second time, I was impressed by the amazingly detailed characterization of Emma.)

5) Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

And three additional classics

6) The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

7) The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

8) To Kill A Mockingbird by Nelle Harper Lee

I went through a period in middle school when I developed an interest in the Holocaust. I read many novels, but my favorite was

9) Night by Elie Wiesel

10) The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis (There are 7 books, not one in the series, but this is a series I think everyone should read. I would also suggest reading in chronological, not publication order)

Like a Fish Out of Water?

Last night, as I was trying to fall asleep, I started thinking about something I saw on a TV show I had just watched. The show was on the Discovery Channel and this lady had looked underwater and clearly seen sharks. This is something I just don't understand. How can you see such detail underwater without goggles? I have thought about this before and the only thing I can come up with is salt water. I am in the pool all the time and without goggles you can see shapes (which would explain the sharks), but you can't see details.

This is my possible theory: Maybe you can see more detail in salt water than you can in fresh/pool water. People's eyes are covered by a salty liquid. I know for a fact that chlorine affects your eyes. If you keep your eyes open underwater in a pool for too long, your eyes will get fuzzy and you'll see rainbows around lights and such. Trust me. I also know from experience that underwater in a freshwater lake you can see shapes and colors, but no details. However, I haven't spent much time underwater in the ocean recently, and I don't plan on doing so anytime soon. So maybe, because our eyes are salty we can see more detail under salty water. Maybe the mixture of the freshwater and the salty liquid of your eyes creates an estuary like anomaly. That could cause the eyes to blur and make it hard to see. On the other side of things, maybe saltwater mixing with the salty eye fluid does...something different.

I first really started thinking about this after I watched Poseidon. The characters spend quite a bit of time underwater motioning to each other, reading signs, doing whatever they have to to find their way out of the overturned ship. Kurt Russell's character even sacrifices himself to shut off the propeller blades. When he sees that the OFF button is broken, he flips a different switch to make the blades to spin the reverse direction, which allows the others to throw stuff into the blades and blow them up...blah blah blah. I don't see how this is possible. I realize it is a movie and fictional (it might be based on a true story actually), but it just makes me think. How did Russell's character see what the switches and buttons are for? He couldn't have been able to read the labels. Maybe saltwater does allow you to see better. I'll have to test this out someday.

Shrimp & Coke

Jessica's mom stopped by for a few hours today. She brought the suite a gift of shrimp cocktail. She said it was an impulse buy.

When Jessica and I were at the small market on campus the other day, we saw some Cherry Coke on sale. Jessica purchased a case.

Only in college would one have a snack of shrimp cocktail and Cherry Coke at ten o'clock on a Friday night.

My bump

In case you didn't know, I have a HUGE bump on my forehead. When I was about a year and a half old I fell out of a shopping cart. I had a big bruise on my head and one of the ladies nearby chewed my mom out for letting me stand in the basket. Trust me, she kept telling me to sit down, but I didn't. I remember this happening, even though most children don't start to remember things until the age of three. My mom says I only think I remember it because I've heard the stories, but I think I actually remember it.

It's interesting because some days you can see it really well, while other days it blends in to the rest of my head. It's also a bit funny because sometimes people I have known my whole life will come up to me and ask me what I did to my head. It usually confuses me because I tend to forget about my bump and think there's something else wrong, so I'll say "what do you mean?" They will proceed to touch my bump and say "you have a huge goose egg right there!" "It's always been there," I'll reply.

It's my permanent reminder not to stand up in shopping carts.

Thanks Jessica

My suitemate Jessica (Jess), who I often speak of, is quite the graphic artist. She makes banners upon request as a hobby in her free time. I watched her make one earlier today and asked her if she would make one for our blog. She agreed thus the recent changes to the header. I just wanted to tell her thanks and introduce her so that in the future she can be Jessica and not only identified as my suitemate.

Moms Invade Pullman!

Yes, it is indeed the time of year when mothers from across the country travel to the remote location that is Pullman, Washington. Mom's Weekend is a huge deal at WSU. Only Friday, and mothers are crawling everywhere, like ants on a dropped french fry. I cannot even count how many times someone has asked, "Is your mom coming?" I then get to launch into the unusualness that is my upbringing.

"No," I respond. "I don't have a mother."

People then get an awkward and confused look on their face. I'm not sure, but I think they wonder if they misheard or something was misunderstood. I only allow this distress for a few seconds, however.

"I suppose someone gave birth to me," I explain, "but I was raised without a mother. I have a single father."

Everything now makes sense, but the person is still slightly taken aback. I think today's society likes to think of itself as quite progressive. People hear about stay at home fathers and think good for them, way to break the stereotypical role. At the same time, little attention is given to single fathers, but single mothers, oh single mothers. Yes, single fathers are uncommon, but they exist. I would simply like there to be some awareness of their being. And I would like Dad's Weekend to be put together with the same amount of effort devoted to Mom's Weekend. I think my requests are perfectly reasonable.

Fill 'er Up- Regular

Yeah...

Awake Tour Extended!

Josh Groban's Awake Tour has officially been extended! The first leg of the tour didn't include the Pacific NW. I was obviously very disappointed. It turns out that the last leg of the tour will include Vancouver BC, Seattle, Portland, and Boise! I thought I had missed the pre-sale, which basically means they only way I would get tickets would be if I won them on the radio, but tickets aren't on sale yet. I'm so excited!! I hope I can get tickets!

Worrying Tummy Aches

After I walked over and collapsed on the couch, I lifted up my head to look at my suitemate.

"My tummy hurts," I said.

We both knew why. I had just eaten an entire pint of vanilla caramel brownie ice cream, the entire day's worth allotment of calories included.

After a few pathetic moans, I added, "Tummy is a rather childish word." She looked up from her computer screen and nodded her head in silent agreement.

"It's making your tummy hurt, the word tummy," she said.

I was puzzled.

"Tummy is a childish word, but you used it in reference to your stomach," she explained. "Now, not only does your stomach hurt from the ice cream, but you'll become all anxious about whether or not saying the word tummy makes you seem childish. You'll lay there and wonder if I'm thinking about the fact that you said the word tummy, which will in the end only make the tummy ache worse."

At this point, my tongue is beginning to thaw so I choose not to respond. I continued lying there and realized how sometimes I do indeed worry about the oddest things. I suppose it's nice to know she knows me well.

My Brain is Leaking

My brain must be leaking. I consider myself a fairly smart person, but for some reason I can't seem to keep Spanish verb conjugations in my head. I have always been pretty good at Spanish, but seriously, I still struggle with past tenses (yes plural) and that's second year high school stuff. Now I'm up to "knowing" 15 tenses! How is that even possible? In elementary school we are told that there are three tenses: past, present, and future. Liars! There are 15! Allow me to list them for you:

• Present
• Preterit
• Imperfect
• Present Perfect
• Future
• Conditional
• Pluperfect (haven't learned that yet)
• Preterit Perfect
• Future Perfect
• Conditional Perfect
• Present Subjunctive
• Present Perfect Subjunctive
• Imperfect Subjunctive
• Past Perfect Subjunctive
• Progressive

Isn't that ridiculous?! I'm planning on minoring in Spanish, but if I have to relearn all of these tenses every year, I don't see how getting a Spanish minor is possible. Also, every time I relearn these tenses they throw new rules at me! Why? I think I'd have to spend 15 years studying Spanish to really understand how to use the different forms (1 year per form). Did I mention irregular verbs? No? Well, there are tons of them. They don't follow any rules! Yes, I realize that English also has a seemingly infinite amount of irregular verbs as well, but come on, I already know those.

I can't imagine how terrible I would be if I hadn't been introduced to English grammar by Mr.Dent in 6-8 grades. I've met people here who still don't know about prepositions or nouns. I know my grammar isn't perfect and that there are lots of mistakes in all of my posts, but...wait, I'm off topic sorry.

My point is that my brain is leaking, therefore I cannot conjugate verbs.

Ciao Cristiano!

It's official folks! My TA for math recitation is Italian!!!!! Last week I wasn't sure if he was going to be from another country or not, but he is! He didn't actually say he was from Italy, but his name is Cristiano Garibotti, and you can't get much more Italiano than that! I wanted to speak to him in Italian so badly, but I'm too big of a chicken. I can't even use some Spanish, which I know a lot more of, to my Hispanic customers at Big 5 because I'm scared they'll be insulted. That whole thought is silly, really (what a poet), but I can't help it.

Cristiano was passing out a quiz to us and usually I say "thank you" to the person (whatever class it may be) who is passing something out, and this time I was so tempted to say "grazie mille" or simply "grazie" but I held back. When I was leaving I wanted to say "ciao" or "arrivederci," but I held back again. Why do I do this? Deep inside I really doubt that the person would be insulted to hear someone speaking their native language. They might even be delighted or excited. This is a work in progress. I still have 8 more weeks with the guy, so maybe we'll see some improvement on my part.

Another interesting thing is that Christina probably hates having a foreign TA as much as I love it. Even though she likes Italy and what not, she would probably find it a hindrance to her learning and distracting, where as I find it a way to be culturally exposed. Fascinating, isn't it?!

Please don't make fun of me for saying thank you when a teacher passes out a quiz. I know, I'm a nerd.

Random Phrases

Many things sound strange when taken out of context. For example

Can I keep my cheese in your fridge?

Why would you have cheese if you had no where to put it? Don't you have your own fridge?

Or

That singing cat is really old. The rapping Darth Vader is old too.

That conversation is courtesy of ebaums world.

A Week in My Life

While I haven't had much class this week, I haven't been without work. I've spent an increased amount of time in the newsroom. My suitemate always asks me what I do there. Here's a little run down on everything I'm working on this week. The work week for newspaper begins on Sunday.

Sunday: I write an article about White Activism fliers posted around campus.

Monday: I do interviews and write a preview for the 33rd Murrow Symposium.

Tuesday: I start working on a story about the libraries and get enough information to finish it. I then go to the Murrow Symposium at 7:30, come back to the newsroom, and write a story on deadline.

Wednesday: I come in to work on a story about the CUB, but my editor needs me to pick up some stories for Mom's weekend. I write a brief for a discussion with the WSU President for Friday, and then I write an article about the College of Veterinary Medicine Open House which will occur this weekend. I conduct interviews on a new sexual harassment policy. At 6:00, I cover a meeting at the WSU Children's Center.

Thursday: I will go to the Faculty Senate meeting at 3:30 to cover the vote on the new sexual harassment/discrimination policy. Will probably set up interviews for English research paper.

Friday: Com 101 test. I will cover the discussion with WSU President at 3:00.

Saturday: The only day this week I don't have to go into the newsroom. I will work on my English paper and a debate for my Poli Sci class.

Sunday: Need to have the story about the President's discussion and the new harassment policy finished by 4:00.

Monday: At 7:30 I will cover a speech by Washington's Chief Justice. I will also being working on the CUB story which I put off on Wednesday, and continue investigating the Children's Center.

Hopefully the rest of next week will be a little slower.

Mumblers

I can't stand it when people mumble. I can handle people talking quietly, but when they refuse to open their mouths a little wider so others can understand what they are trying to communicate makes me crazy! If it is really that difficult to enunciate then at least mumble to me and not to your desk. You don't have to look at me if you don't want to, but your mouth needs to be directed towards my general area. That way I can try to make sense of your mish-mashed words.

It is especially frustrating when people mumble in Spanish. It's hard enough to understand you in English let alone in a foreign language. Now add a loud classroom to that mix. The fact that I now can't hear you mumbling in a foreign language is just one more added challenge.

Isn't it frustrating for the mumbler when no one can understand them? I cannot understand this behavior. Speak up! I say. Speak up!

Reminiscin' This and That

While I was sitting in my English class this morning I started to tune out the voice of my instructor and make little observations about the classroom. The first thing I noticed was that there were two doors in the room. One was on one the right side of the room. This was the door we all used. The other was in the front of the classroom and was a little awkward. It didn't look like it had ever been used. In fact, it didn't even have a doorknob. It also sat crooked in it's frame. There was a definite decrescendo shaped gap at the top of the door. This made me wonder how well the builders made the rest of the building...the fact that I was on the 3rd floor made me worry a little.

My next observation was that the floor tiles were the exact same tiles that were on the McCleary elementary/middle school gym floor. Ahh nostalgia. I spent 10 years of my life playing on that gym floor. It seems like so long ago. I remember how dirty that gym/cafeteria floor used to get. It made it practically impossible to run across it without slipping. We did it anyways. Then I started to think about how great the food at McCleary was...YUM-O! That made me think about how bad the food at college is and then I realized that I was still in class...OOO Da Lolly!

How College Works

This post could take several different directions. I could talk about what kept me so busy yesterday I didn't have time to post, but the answer to that is really quite simple: Newspaper. I could write about how ridiculous it is that I had three classes canceled this week (two for the entire week, the third just for one day), but I've already complained about college. I don't think many of my peers would appreciate my complaints about my lack of classes anyways. It makes me sad though, because I enjoy being challenged. My courses this semester are easy enough as it is. Not even having to go is ridiculous.

This brings to mind yet another thing I could blog about. Sometimes I wish I wasn't such a good student. I don't mean that I wish I didn't do well in classes, but sometimes I wish I could overlook what I feel my obligations are as a student. No matter how pointless or boring I expect a class to be, I can't not go. I go to every class, even if it's just a review session. I should be happy when classes are canceled instead of feeling cheated. Other students are envious of my schedule. It seems like it should keep me satisfied too. But alas, I was hoping to get more out of college than a degree. I went into to college foolishly thinking I would learn things (including things outside my major). As I come to the end of my freshman year, I have learned that's not exactly how college works. Maybe upper division courses will be an improvement. One can hope.

Spring Time and No One to Play With

This has been a challenging year. I'm not speaking in the academic sense, that has been surprisingly easy thus far (knock on wood). I mean emotionally challenging. I have been by myself for the past 23-ish weeks. At first, I was fine with this...excited, really. I had the chance to start fresh, make new friends, conquer the challenge. Unfortunately, it wasn't as simple as I thought it would be.

As discussed, I am not a normal college student. I don't like to go to parties, I don't drink, I go to be earlier than many of my peers, and I always go to class. Therefore making me anomalous. I have no big problem with being a loner. I generally like it, but today...a few minutes ago...it really affected me.

I love spring and summer because you get to go play outside. I especially like it because softball starts up. I'm going to miss the beginning of my rec season back home because I'm stuck here, but I decided to play on an intramural team at OSU. Conveniently enough, my roommate decided to start up a team and asked me to join. Of course I said yes. I've been bugging her to go throw the ball around with me outside, while it's still nice, for the past few days, but we've both been busy. This morning it was nice again so I suggested that she, her boyfriend and I go throw later. She didn't really respond. When I got out of my bio lab around 5:00, I went up to my room expecting to go play catch, when I saw she was already out there with her boyfriend. I, being the weirdo that I am, was a little sad. I could have just gone out there and been like "OOOO I wanna play!" but my inner self and I argued that maybe they just wanted to throw together. If they wanted me to come I would have been invited, but I also wasn't there to be invited. So, now I'm pouting like a 5 year old, wishing my friends were here. I guess I'll go listen to the Song of the Day...

Actually, neither of my closest friends like softball or baseball. Ali would play with me though.

Don Diego de la Vega

Diego is my fish. I got him the week before I left for college. He is a beautiful little betta. I realize that bettas are from Asia, but I think Diego is part Hispanic. I speak Spanish (and a little Italian) to him and I'm pretty sure he understands. Take today for instance. Every other week I clean his bowl. When I do this he usually fights me because as a fighting fish it is in his very nature. I, being the motherly person that I am, told him "Vai! Vai!" (Go! Go!) as I was pouring out the bowl and trying to get him to go into his travel container. It's a very difficult process because I have to try to pour out most of the dirty water. Then, at the last possible second, maneuver his travel container with my free hand under the pouring water and plop him in. Diego, however, likes to swim against the water and usually ends up laying there on his little pebbles gasping for air. Silly fish! Then I must dump the bowl over to get him in the water. At this point, the travel container is no longer full of clean water, but dirty water, dirty pebbles, and a dirty (yet satisfied) fish. This time, however, I told him to "Vai! Vai!" and he did with minimal dirty water getting into his travel container. I was so proud. I'm sure he did this just to avoid hearing "Aye Dios mio," or the Spanish equivalent of SOB for the hunderth time. What a smart little fish I have!

Song of the Day

"Smile" by: Nat King Cole

I also recommend the Josh Groban version...duh.
There's no real reason for this song today...it's just stuck in my head.

The day I met someone from The NY Times

One of my favorite parts of being a journalist is all the people I have the opportunity to meet. While working on the administration beat this past semester, I have regularly met with university administration for interviews. No only have I spoken with President Rawlins several times, but I also had the opportunity to speak with and meet WSU's incoming President Elson S. Floyd. At the beginning of this year I interviewed Mike McGavick while he was on campus and have met numerous others whose names you would not recognize, but who I greatly enjoyed getting to speak with.

Just today, Ethan Bronner, a Deputy Foreign Editor for the New York Times, came into the newsroom to speak with The Daily Evergreen staff before going to a campus-wide presentation. Getting to meet such a prominent member of a field I am interested in was amazing. He also gave some sound advice.

On the ever present dilemma for print journalists on reporting versus editing, Mr. Bronner commented thusly:

"The difference between reporting and editing is like the difference between being single and being married with children. When married, there's not as much instant excitement, but you also have a sense of satisfaction."

For myself, who next semester will make the transition from reporter to editor, I also found his description of the role of the editor interesting. (I can already imagine myself missing the instant credit bylines provide.)

"To be a good editor, you find your glory in the glory of others."

He mentioned several issues facing newspapers including the rise of the Internet.

"People don't go to the newspaper for information anymore. They go online." (He even referenced the role of bloggers in this evolution, which places me in an odd situation. Am I supporting the means which will bring an end to newspapers and my future livelihood? I don't think so. I have faith that newspapers will find a way to survive.)

And lastly, he gave advice for competing in the field.

"To get a leg up, make yourself indispensable."

Joys of Pullman

When one is pushed off a sidewalk by the force of wind alone, one knows he/she is in Pullman.


Later

The day began with strong winds, but was bright and sunny. By mid-afternoon the wind had not subsided and the sky was clouded over by ominous grey clouds. Then it rained. Then it hailed. There was thunder. Weather in Pullman changes quickly and is unpredictable.

Twitterpated

The inspiration for today's Song of the Day came to me this morning during my English class. We were all seated in our desks working on an in class writing assignment when all of a sudden the birds outside started chirping and singing at an incredible volume. It made me smile because one word always pops into my head when the all the birds sing at once or when the frogs at my house croak together at night...My teacher walked over to the window to close it, but changed his mind.
"Wow those birds are loud," he said.
"They're just twitterpated," I replied.
"I haven't heard that word in a while," he said as he walked back to his desk.
Twitterpated is a word from Walt Disney's "Bambi". Ever since I was little my mom, sister, and I have used this word every spring. Oh the joys of Disney classics! I hope during this lovely month of April you all find yourselves twitterpated.

Song of the Day

"Little April Shower" From Walt Disney's animated classic "Bambi"

Untitled

Following tradition I have been working on another drawing this year. Hopefully I can finish it in 9 weeks...

Sorry about the shadow.

Matzah and Grape Juice

Last night I went to my very first Seder with a friend visiting all the way from Tacoma. The experience was interesting. I, myself, am not Jewish but being raised with religion, I was familiar with the story of the Israelite Exodus from Egypt. I enjoyed listening to the Hebrew prayers. Hebrew is an interesting sounding language and unlike any other that I've heard before. I also drank lots of grape juice, four cups to be exact. They were supposed to be four cups of wine representing the four expressions of deliverance and/or the four great merits of the Children of Israel, but grape juice was used instead. There was singing, a little dancing, and a lot of matzot (which I think tastes like a cross between rice cakes and unbuttered popcorn). All in all it was a pleasant time and I feel a little bit more cultured for having experienced it.

I am fond of learning about the traditions of others and expanding my horizons. Last Christmas I also went to Christmas Eve Mass with Ariel, though I am not Catholic. That too was an interesting experience. (They used real wine but as I didn't have any, that fact is rather irrelevant.)

Happy Easter!

I hope everyone has a wonderful Easter. My request is that you spend it with your family. Do it while you can because one year you might not be able to and trust me, it's sad. So, go to church (if you want) and Easter egg hunts. Eat tons of good food like kielbasa for breakfast and honey roasted ham with mashed potatoes for dinner, and be happy with your families.

Happy Easter!

Hole In My Shoe

I have a hole in my shoe. It's on the right heel of my favorite pair of flip flops. The left one is getting a hole too, but apparently I drag my right foot more than my left. The hole is about the size of a dime. I kind of like the little hole. To me, it shows that the shoes are loved. The question is...When should I throw them away? I don't want to throw them away, but at some point the hole is going to become too big. When? Maybe when it's the size of a 50 cent piece or maybe when it's the exact size of my heel? I guess I'll find out.

No More Cones For Me

In light of the lovely weather today, a few friends and I decided to walk across campus to visit Ferdinand's, an ice cream shoppe where the ice cream is made right here on campus. (The same shoppe also apparently makes some pretty impressive cheese.) I had not yet visited the shoppe and decided to get two scoops of ice cream in a waffle cone. I forgot just how large waffle cones are and how small my mouth is in comparison. Take into account the aforementioned warm weather and it was a recipe for disaster waiting to happen.

The scoop on top, cappuccino chip, teetered quite erratically. I was unable to eat it very effectively because too much pressure and I was certain it would roll right off the cone and into my lap. Eating became a delicate balancing act. At one point my friend looked up from her own cone and started laughing at me. She said that every time I took a bite (or tried to) I had a look of sheer terror on I face. My terror was quite justified. It took half an hour just to eat the darn thing and soon enough, about 2o minutes in, the ice cream was melting faster than I was consuming it and chocolate gooeyness dripped onto my shirt.

Waffle cones may seem fun and festive, but in the future I will stick with my cup and spoon.

Safety Pins, Kleenex, and Matchbooks

When I was home for spring break I did a lot of cooking. The food at college gets old fast and I was eager to make up for lost time. I even wore an apron. When I put the apron on I felt a little heaviness in the pocket. I reached in and pulled out a book of matches. I couldn't help but smile. There is always a matchbook and some Kleenex in the pockets of anything my mom wears. Even now, as I write this, I can't help smiling.

She carries tissues because in the spring and summer she has allergies (not as bad as mine) and in the fall and winter she carries tissues because when it's cold your nose runs.

She carries matchbooks because she'll pick the book up to light a candle, or start up the pellet stove, or light the burn pile outside. I'm sure she has more matchbooks than a person who actually smokes!

As I was standing there in the kitchen with the book of matches in my hand, she walked in.
"Mom, why isn't there any Kleenex in this pocket?"
So, she reached into her jean's pocket and pulled some out. I had to laugh.
"You always have tissues and matches in you pockets!"
Then she reached into her other pocket and pulled out a book of matches and smiled.
"I know," she said.
"I love it," I replied. "What was your mom like?"
"She always had safety pins on her jeans. She'd find them around the house and put them on her belt loop. She had some on every pair of her jeans. We always knew where to find a safety pin."

So I ask you: What was your mom like?
I ask so that one day when your children tell you something quirky about yourself and ask you about your parents you'll be able to tell them. I'm also really curious.