Wednesday Things

 

1. Obviously, I couldn’t start this week’s Wednesday Things with anything other than the announcement that I’m ENGAGED!! A whole post dedicated to the details will be posted sometime this weekend. 
2. The semester is just about officially over. I’m so excited — especially now that I have a definite real thing to dedicate my time to!
3. I really just have to clean my room. It’s… such a mess. How does this happen? Dude, I just cleaned it last week. I like to think that I’m not the only person who has this problem, but I might be. All of the boxes and shipments from my online shopping for Black Friday and Christmas do not help.
4. Speaking of which! I know I missed posting Wednesday Things last week, but last Wednesday was my Thanksgiving, so I was busy with the cooking and the being a family thing. Wednesday was my Thanksgiving because Thanksgiving I had to work!
5. This weekend is my best friend’s senior piano recital in Pennsylvania. I’m totally stoked. I’m leaving tomorrow to see her (and celebrate each other!) and she is the best ever and I know it will be amazing.
6. My favorite podcast gave out a code for a free book on tape from Audible, and I’m telling you that I do not know why I never got into Audible sooner! It’s perfect for how much I drive. No, really, I drive a LOT. I was shocked when I found out that the national average for miles put on a vehicle in a year was 10,000. Uhhhmm, I’ve put on more than twice that in 6 months. I drive quadruple the amount as the national average. This being said, I’ve been flying through books. In the last two weeks, I’ve gone through three. I’m very sad that I can’t like, highlight quote or phrases, but I know if I let just that be an excuse for not letting myself listen to books, I’ll never have the time to sit still and read them. Like I said – I’m a busy girl. School, work, wedding planning, social life… Driving is the only time I sit still if I have to, and I am thrilled to be loving audio books!
   
7. I totally just found out that the next John Green book I want to read is only about 8 hours long. My trip to Pennsylvania this weekend is 5 hours long just to get there. I will be done with this book and started on a new one by the time I get back. Ah-mazing.
8. I’m still loving my subscription boxes! I accidentally missed my selection window for Beauty Army somehow (upsetting) and so I’m stuck with the surprise of whatever they picked for me. I also get Birchbox, and will be getting my first trials of Wantable and POPsugar. I’m so excited. I’m getting myself all the presents this December!

12/12/12 (with 12 Days ’till Christmas)

In spirit of the day, here’s 12 things I… well, just 12 things.

1. It looks like I can start working through the application process to go to London next fall to study for a semester!

2. I swear the Thought Catalog knows my life and publishes pieces that are eerily applicable to my life all the time.

3. Parenthood, the TV show, is perfect and gives me all sorts of feelings and I think everyone should be friends with my friends who are the characters on the show.

4. I don’t think I’m the only one who can say this, but I really wish I still thought Christmas is magic and that it brings miracles and that everything is magically okay and easy and no one feels out of place anywhere including me.

5. I really hope 2013 beings better and more promising that 2012 did. I am looking forward to that.

6. Random fact: I need to get back to focusing my health after exam week. New Year’s resolutions to jump start and all that.

7. Oh yeah! EXAMS ARE OVER. I made it. I don’t know my grades just yet but I’m done with this semester and I’m so very much enjoying having no responsibilities when I’m not at work and being able to sleep in until unreasonable hours.

8. Should I be done with my Christmas shopping? Are normal people done with their Christmas shopping yet?

9. I want more money but I don’t want to work more. Hrmm.

10. There’s a play I want to audition for and the role that I am best suited for as far as description, but… “she is age 18-40: Very pretty, kooky, with large horn-rimmed glasses. Quick to strip down to her underwear, and then runs around wrapped only in a sheet.” Yeahhhhh. That last part won’t fly. Shame.

11. It’s time for bed right now but I have to finish this list.

12. Today was rough. This week/month/semester has been rough. Time for a sleep coma.

And goodnight.

December.

For me, December means a lot of things.
It means living in a snow globe – which it certainly feels like here in lovely GC, considering it hasn’t stopped snowing for three or four days straight.
It means watching the movie Elf.
It means being with people who aren’t judging you or assuming or trying to make you feel little.
It means doing things you love with people who enjoy it too – heck, maybe they even love you for loving it.
It means drinking my mother’s eggnog. And hot cocoa made with milk – with marshmallows, naturally.
It means the Christmas lights in the living room window.
It means staying up late doing silly things like playing Apples to Apples and Super Mario Bros and Mario Kart and laughing with people so hard that you cry.
It’s spontaneous snowball fights while on walks.
It’s mittens and cold noses.
It’s movies on the TV all day and cuddling up under blankets.
It’s simple pleasures – like PB&J, photo albums, and the snow on your WordPress blog.
It’s baking more cookies than you think you have room in your house for.
It means that driving at night has become so much more enjoyable, and everyone in the car “oohs” and “ahhs” at the lights and storefronts and postcard-perfect scenery.
It means stocking up on presents for everyone!
It means more home-cooked meals.
It means loving.
It’s parades and Santa hats and candy canes.
It means stupendous holiday sales. ;]
It’s Christmas music in the background. Constantly. Everywhere.
It’s catching up in coffee shops.
It’s not defending yourself, or worrying about school.
It means stopping, staring, and marveling at the individual snowflakes that land on your black scarf.
It means peace. Whether things are calm around you or not, you’re okay.

December, be good to me.

the first snow.
I love it.
When you walk outside into this wondrous scene, everything
everything.
is quiet.
muffled.
muted.
Even the air your lungs try to obtain seems to be far away from you,
waiting.
Still.
holding its breath.
All you can hear is your own boots shuffling along on the concrete sidewalks
and a little place in your mind is sure that time really has stopped, and you don’t even need to go to class
or that you might be the only person left on this planet.
or that perhaps you’ve finally gone deaf.
But you’re walking,
and it comes to mind that you want to be walking with some one.
Now, I don’t care who it is, or what your relationship is like,
but you want them with you.
Perhaps smiling at you over a steaming mug of stupendous hot cocoa,
or speculating about the best defense strategy were you to get ambushed by snowball-throwers.
Or, even some one to there to catch you if you slip.
and you’re never sure if that electrifying jolt of adrenaline is because you nearly fell,
or from their arms protecting you
from melting away
seeping into puddles and icicles and snowflakes and trees
Whether you prefer indoors or outdoors in wintertime, walking inside is so much better this time of year.
the rush of warmth,
the heat hugging you enveloping you
it’s cozyand the white dust in everyone’s hair
melts
away
and you are all left with damp, imperfect tendrils
and rosy cheeks
and cold noses
All the energy and lightness
the Christmas trees(!)
and sweet Christmas lights (!!)
and the giving and the getting and the glowing
and the loving and the lighting and the listening
and the sweets and the songs that get stuck in your head
“bury me in your quiet love
and we
will blow
away”
breath becomes visible
as if a reminder
that you are doing something.
that you are living.
that you are here.
and that the air you’re breathing and living on is the same air sustaining every other person
As for me,
I’m a snowfall kind of girl.
indoors, outdoors, cuddling, curled alone with a book
it’s all for me
this
winter
is all for me
and better call me inside
or I will become part of the snow.

Ignorance and Obnoxiosity.

I hate my Brit Lit class.

Not because of my teacher – I actually really like him.

Not because of the assignments – I’ll admit, there’s a lot of homework, but it’s managable.

Because of the other students.

They all take everything personally- differentiating interpretations of poetry, when you use a word they don’t know, when you answer a question when they knew the answer, too, but the teacher picked your hand first. It’s terrible.

And here’s the thing.

Consider My Fingers Crossed.

Crossed for the next two days to pass quickly (Christmas break!).
Crossed for not failing my two tests on Friday (AP History and Honors Chem).
Crossed for  my brain to start functioning again (it’s stopped in anticipation of Christmas break).
Crossed for landing a good role in the Spring musical (the Sound of Music!).
Crossed for a good Winter (not like last year).
Crossed for my Christmas wishes (I’ve got quiet a few).
Crossed for a really great social life during break (Hayley Joy, Deanna, Neal, Danike, movies, cooking, Brent, shopping…).
Crossed for snow days (we haven’t had any yet this year!).
Crossed for my Christmas list (mostly consisting of a ceramic curling iron, gift cards, and books).
Crossed for a good Solo and Ensemble performance (even though it’s in January).
Crossed for raising my grades (Two A’s, but I need to get my two B’s up…).
Crossed for a chance to organize my school notebooks and binders ASAP (all my school stuff is in one three-subject notebook).
Crossed for my varsity jacket (it’s ready, but my mom wont’ give it to me until Christmas – because it’s not like I need a winter coat before then, before halfway through the winter, not like it’s seven degrees farenheit or anything).
Crossed that my mom will be happier this Winter (this time of year has been hard for everyone since her dad died).
Crossed that the people that I can’t get enough of couldn’t get enough of me (it has been improving…).
Crossed for crazy amounts of photo shoots over break (I swear, I’m so itchy for some.)

Crossed for being able to uncross them.

The best days I’ve had in a long while.

I have had the best last few days.

Thursday night was my choir concert. We were called to show up way earlier than we needed to be there (four-o-clock call and the concert was at seven-thirty), but I was able to get to know the people in my show choir a lot better. Justin said I look like Doris Day, so that’s what he calls me now. =]

The all-girl show choir went before the senior show choir, the one that I’m in.   My group was hanging backstage manically dancing to the other group’s music.  Oh, it was so much fun! Even though I’m in show choir, I’m not one to just… dance.  But back stage, everyone just let loose and I think I might have actually been doing it right.

I will admit, I made more mistakes this concert than usual, but it was still fun.

I had some great people come see me, so that was pretty much amazing. A lot of alumni choir friends came to the concert, too, and that was really great to see them.

Friday night, I had dinner with my family and my sister’s boyfriend. That was pretty cool because I was able to geektalk with my nerdy dad and sister. 

After that was my show choir’s Christmas party.  My hair was great and I had a great outfit.   ;]  Near the end of things, we went caroling.   When we approached a house and rang the doorbell, everyone had a great idea to

Thanksgiving!

       Ah the familiar sounds of Thanksgiving:  Pots and pans clanging, the radio playing AM talk shows and Christmas music, the coffee pot bubbling, the fire alarm going off…..     All the traditional things that just get you in the holiday spirit.

      This year was such a good Thanksgiving.  I had my friend Danike over and that was awesome.  My sister, Deanna, came over too!  We watched I Am Legendand I didn’t even flinch once! I hadn’t seen it before, but I really like it. We also watched Charade (by Alfred Hitchcock) with Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn.  I had seen it about a year ago, but the DVD we rented had the last thirty seconds just about annihilated and those last thirty seconds really make the movie! Like woah!   After that, Danike and I holed up in my room and watched Wall-E.

       My mother is the best cook ever; if you didn’t spend Thanksgiving at my house, you missed out.  The best turkey ever, chestnut stuffing, cheesy onions, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, sweet rolls, pumpkin rolls, muddy buddies, haystacks, apple pie (thanks to Danike), virgin egg nogg, and corn pudding.

       What did you guys do for your Turkey Day?  =]

“Tomorrowish” = Within the Next Two Weeks.

Okay, so my apologies for the complete and total neglect of this blog. I admit it.

But I’m gonna give you what I promised in my last post….

First off, I am a choir girl. And, we often get bored.  When we hate a song, we will alter it to our liking. for example, I give you the lyrics to the drinking version of “Christmas Time Is Here” from Charlie Brown:

Christmas time is here,
We’ll be drinking beer.
Fun for all that drunkards call
their fav’rite time of year.

Whiskey in the air,
Booze everywhere,
Olden times and ancient wines
of red and white to share.

Vomit in my hair,
Vomit ev’rywhere.
Tonic by the fireside
and joyful mem’ries tere.

Christmas time is here,
We’ll be drinking beer.
Oh, that we could always see
such spirits through the year.

Whiskey in the air,
Drunkards ev’rywhere;
Vodka by the fireside
and blurry mem’ries there.

Christmas time is here,
We’ll be drinking beer.
Oh, that we could always see
such spirits through the year.

Oh, that we could always see
such spirits through the year.
Now, I’ll admit that I do not drink, but I very much enjoy this version.  😀
If you’ve never heard the original song, check it out.

So little time! =[

Wow… I hate that I’ve gone so long without updating.

But! But!  I promise you:
Tomorrow(ish?) I’ll post a long one.  It’ll be fun;  It’ll inculde a drinking version of “Christmas Time is Here” from Charlie Brown – along with a list of the amazing songs that my Chorale is doing now, avoid-ation (just go with it) of election talk, a picture of my new haircut, links to Youtube videos that are awesome, other blog reccomendations, and probably some irritated venting about my AP US History class.

 

So don’t give up on me! I’m making up for my abscence ASAP!