Where you have two papers and three final projects to do, all of them only really half done, and all of it due within the next week?
And then the actual tests for those classes the week after?
And yet, despite all this, it's all you can do to keep yourself in front of your computer and at least act like you're doing something minorly productive?
But it's not due tomorrow. So I'm okay... right?
Not to say that I would put off these very important things until the day before. Oh, no.
Think hours before.
I kid.
But only a little.
My mind is filled with questions like, why is pink lemonade pink?
Why is America such a jerk to Palestine?
What happens to people who overdose on Motrin?
What is the implicit irony is listening to Adele's Skyfall while I'm staring at such my pretty sky?
How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
When is Daryl going to text me back so I can find out when I'm escaping my house tonight?
Is it embracing my feminine nature to eat an afternoon snack that consists of pink lemonade, blueberry bagel, and strawberry cream cheese?
What did they do with that table over there when they put up the Christmas tree in the GCB?
Should I make myself do something productive today before I leave my house?
Do I want to go to history class?
When am I going to finish working on my harp?
Why is a capella music so awesome?
Why are dandelions the way they are?
Am I ever going to get around to getting this chipping nail polish off my fingers?
Will this blog post ever end?
Ok, now that all this is out in the Internet, I can go and do something productive with myself.
Friday, November 30, 2012
Sunday, November 25, 2012
What if Money Didn't Matter?
I recently watched a video online, asking its audience the question: what if money didn't matter?
It was a beautiful and lovely video, and the question does bear some thought.
What if money didn't matter?
What would you do if money didn't matter?
In that video, lots of people said that they would become artists, poets, do other artistic things, all of them beautiful. All of them not much for steady money in the earning department.
The video ends, telling the audience to go off and live your life like money doesn't matter, because you'll be doing what makes you happy, and that's the only way to live.
Because happiness can buy bread.
To counter that, money cannot buy happiness, no matter what you think it may cost.
I like to think that my actions in life have not been set by money or a lack thereof. My goals certainly haven't.
What if money didn't matter?
But money has no bearings on my desires in life.
I still want to graduate college. Yeah, that requires money to do so, but even if I didn't have any money that would still be a desire of mine. I like learning, I enjoy the process of gaining skills and putting them to good use.
I've changed my major from English to Political Science. You might say that has been monetarily manipulated, as I've got more career options with a PoliSci degree than an English degree, where all I wanted to do was write books. That's not why I changed. I changed because I like politics. I like watching it, and participating in it. I have a bigger chance of helping people with this degree than with an English degree. It expands my ability to make a difference.
I want to make a difference, and help people. I want to get involved in a worthy cause. Whether that cause is teaching my future children how to be good people, or helping a friend who's lonely, or putting a smile on someone's face because of something I've written on here. Even better, inspiring someone to do something good because of what I've written on here. I can't start a huge charity or donate huge chunks of my time to volunteer organizations. I don't have the time or the money. But I've learned in my lifetime that it's not the big things that count the most. It's the little things that we can all do, and money doesn't play any part in that.
My dearest wish of all... I wish to get married and have children and create my own little family. Money has nothing at all to do with that.
Money does matter. We need it to survive, to feed ourselves and our families and put roofs over our heads and all those good things we need.
But even then, money, or a lack thereof, does not give one happiness.
Even doing what you love does not bring you total happiness.
What brings us happiness is something else entirely.
We're happy when we're working. When we accomplish goals. When we help people.
We're happy when we're with those we love. When we're part of a community that accepts us and allows us to grow and become better people.
We're happiest when we're left a little wanting. When we need to stretch just a little higher to get what we want. When we have a goal to reach for.
We're happy when our needs are met, and we're healthy and safe.
We're happy when we're creating something. When we look at something and see what no one else does.
We're happy when we feel the touch of grass on our toes, cool water pouring over our feet, or see a brilliant sunset. When we see nature.
We're happiest when we love and are loved. When those we care for the most are happy.
Money is a means to an end. It shouldn't have any bearings on our desires or whether or not we act on them.
Do something good, something to make someone happy. Everything will work out in the end.
It was a beautiful and lovely video, and the question does bear some thought.
What if money didn't matter?
What would you do if money didn't matter?
In that video, lots of people said that they would become artists, poets, do other artistic things, all of them beautiful. All of them not much for steady money in the earning department.
The video ends, telling the audience to go off and live your life like money doesn't matter, because you'll be doing what makes you happy, and that's the only way to live.
Because happiness can buy bread.
To counter that, money cannot buy happiness, no matter what you think it may cost.
I like to think that my actions in life have not been set by money or a lack thereof. My goals certainly haven't.
What if money didn't matter?
But money has no bearings on my desires in life.
I still want to graduate college. Yeah, that requires money to do so, but even if I didn't have any money that would still be a desire of mine. I like learning, I enjoy the process of gaining skills and putting them to good use.
I've changed my major from English to Political Science. You might say that has been monetarily manipulated, as I've got more career options with a PoliSci degree than an English degree, where all I wanted to do was write books. That's not why I changed. I changed because I like politics. I like watching it, and participating in it. I have a bigger chance of helping people with this degree than with an English degree. It expands my ability to make a difference.
I want to make a difference, and help people. I want to get involved in a worthy cause. Whether that cause is teaching my future children how to be good people, or helping a friend who's lonely, or putting a smile on someone's face because of something I've written on here. Even better, inspiring someone to do something good because of what I've written on here. I can't start a huge charity or donate huge chunks of my time to volunteer organizations. I don't have the time or the money. But I've learned in my lifetime that it's not the big things that count the most. It's the little things that we can all do, and money doesn't play any part in that.
My dearest wish of all... I wish to get married and have children and create my own little family. Money has nothing at all to do with that.
Money does matter. We need it to survive, to feed ourselves and our families and put roofs over our heads and all those good things we need.
But even then, money, or a lack thereof, does not give one happiness.
Even doing what you love does not bring you total happiness.
What brings us happiness is something else entirely.
We're happy when we're working. When we accomplish goals. When we help people.
We're happy when we're with those we love. When we're part of a community that accepts us and allows us to grow and become better people.
We're happiest when we're left a little wanting. When we need to stretch just a little higher to get what we want. When we have a goal to reach for.
We're happy when our needs are met, and we're healthy and safe.
We're happy when we're creating something. When we look at something and see what no one else does.
We're happy when we feel the touch of grass on our toes, cool water pouring over our feet, or see a brilliant sunset. When we see nature.
We're happiest when we love and are loved. When those we care for the most are happy.
Money is a means to an end. It shouldn't have any bearings on our desires or whether or not we act on them.
Do something good, something to make someone happy. Everything will work out in the end.
Thursday, November 22, 2012
Things to be thankful for.
So, as per usual, while my family was eating Thanksgiving dinner, we talked about what we were thankful for.
Here's the list of things we're thankful for in my family.
Food.
Friends.
Family.
Dihydrogen monoxide.
Ancestors.
Salt.
Job.
Education.
Sleep.
Sitting down.
Pepper.
Photosynthesis.
Light.
Chemical energy.
Dead animals (to eat).
Life.
Respiration.
Water.
Gravy.
Bacon.
Sugar.
Glucose.
Ice cream.
All in all, I think those are all great things to be thankful for.
Here's the list of things we're thankful for in my family.
Food.
Friends.
Family.
Dihydrogen monoxide.
Ancestors.
Salt.
Job.
Education.
Sleep.
Sitting down.
Pepper.
Photosynthesis.
Light.
Chemical energy.
Dead animals (to eat).
Life.
Respiration.
Water.
Gravy.
Bacon.
Sugar.
Glucose.
Ice cream.
All in all, I think those are all great things to be thankful for.
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
What a Child Would Do for Her Country
Let's time travel for a moment here.
Back a few weeks. The election of 2012 was almost upon us. (We won't stay here long, I promise. I wouldn't want to stay there for an extended period of time ever again.)
I come home from my history class. I'm in the kitchen, playing with stuff. Mom's in there too.
"Carina, look at this." She hands me a piece of paper with my little sister Annie's untidy but somehow still legible scrawl scattered across it. (I shouldn't talk. It's the same handwriting I had when I was her age.) "You're gonna love it."
I read it. I loved it. I have never been so proud of my little sister as in this moment.
It was an assignment that had been given to the children at the local elementary school, to write a paper on what they would do if they were president. I had only read the rough draft, it still needed some subject-verb agreement and punctuation help and spelling fixes, but her ideas rang loud and clear.
In fact, so loud and clear I suspected possible parental involvement. Mom reassured me, "The teachers stated quite clearly that parents were NOT to help with this assignment. All we can do is help with spelling and grammer and such. They still have to write it themselves."
I didn't think it was possible, but I was that much more proud of my little sister. She came up with these wonderful ideas on her own.
I wanted to post this immediately, but like I said, it was a rough draft. It was also for a contest at school, and I didn't want to get my little sister in trouble by possibly influencing some of the teachers or judges (those who might read my blog).
So I decided to wait till it was over. Annie didn't win, but she might have gotten third place. (or she might have gotten nothing. I honestly don't know if mom told me or I'm just imagining things). Our neighbor, and Annie's friend, got first place, and I offer my hearty congratulations.
So, now it's over, and you've read through all of this patiently, so I shall write her letter presently and you can all read it.
*******************
If I were the President of the United States, I would want more schools to be improved. When more schools are improved, more people would learn things in school. Instead of started at 8:00 am, I think we should start school at 8:30 am, and end school at 2:30, so people will have more time to get ready for school. That way the kids would not be tired and would pay attention more. In elementary school, people should be able to choose what they want to learn. That way they would be interested in learning since they had chosen the subject.
If I were President of the United States, I would give homes to the homeless. When more homes are being built, more people will live happier lives. Instead of giving the fancy homes to the rich people, I would give them to the poor and homeless, so more people will have good houses. When people are buying houses, people should be able to buy it at a reasonable price. That way people can live in an affordable house.
If I were the President of the United States, I would have more people saving energy. I would recommend that people bike or walk to work and shopping to save money and energy. I would have people plant more trees in their yard to help provide shade. Trees are good for our environment. I would also recommend that factories don't pollute our air. That way we can have clean air to breath.
If I was the President of the United States, I would improve schools, give homes to the homeless, and work on the environment. I think that all these things are important for the President of the Unites States of America to do.
********************
This just kinda sorta makes me really super happy.
Back a few weeks. The election of 2012 was almost upon us. (We won't stay here long, I promise. I wouldn't want to stay there for an extended period of time ever again.)
I come home from my history class. I'm in the kitchen, playing with stuff. Mom's in there too.
"Carina, look at this." She hands me a piece of paper with my little sister Annie's untidy but somehow still legible scrawl scattered across it. (I shouldn't talk. It's the same handwriting I had when I was her age.) "You're gonna love it."
I read it. I loved it. I have never been so proud of my little sister as in this moment.
It was an assignment that had been given to the children at the local elementary school, to write a paper on what they would do if they were president. I had only read the rough draft, it still needed some subject-verb agreement and punctuation help and spelling fixes, but her ideas rang loud and clear.
In fact, so loud and clear I suspected possible parental involvement. Mom reassured me, "The teachers stated quite clearly that parents were NOT to help with this assignment. All we can do is help with spelling and grammer and such. They still have to write it themselves."
I didn't think it was possible, but I was that much more proud of my little sister. She came up with these wonderful ideas on her own.
I wanted to post this immediately, but like I said, it was a rough draft. It was also for a contest at school, and I didn't want to get my little sister in trouble by possibly influencing some of the teachers or judges (those who might read my blog).
So I decided to wait till it was over. Annie didn't win, but she might have gotten third place. (or she might have gotten nothing. I honestly don't know if mom told me or I'm just imagining things). Our neighbor, and Annie's friend, got first place, and I offer my hearty congratulations.
So, now it's over, and you've read through all of this patiently, so I shall write her letter presently and you can all read it.
*******************
If I were the President of the United States, I would want more schools to be improved. When more schools are improved, more people would learn things in school. Instead of started at 8:00 am, I think we should start school at 8:30 am, and end school at 2:30, so people will have more time to get ready for school. That way the kids would not be tired and would pay attention more. In elementary school, people should be able to choose what they want to learn. That way they would be interested in learning since they had chosen the subject.
If I were President of the United States, I would give homes to the homeless. When more homes are being built, more people will live happier lives. Instead of giving the fancy homes to the rich people, I would give them to the poor and homeless, so more people will have good houses. When people are buying houses, people should be able to buy it at a reasonable price. That way people can live in an affordable house.
If I were the President of the United States, I would have more people saving energy. I would recommend that people bike or walk to work and shopping to save money and energy. I would have people plant more trees in their yard to help provide shade. Trees are good for our environment. I would also recommend that factories don't pollute our air. That way we can have clean air to breath.
If I was the President of the United States, I would improve schools, give homes to the homeless, and work on the environment. I think that all these things are important for the President of the Unites States of America to do.
********************
This just kinda sorta makes me really super happy.
Monday, November 12, 2012
A Partnership Founded On Ice Cream
So, as you all found out in my last blog post, Amber and I recently finished writing our manuscript.
Glory be and hallelujah.
Anyway, she wrote a blog post about the experience (she beat me to it), which I found hilarious and absolutely true, which, I might add, is not something quite so good when class is about to start.
Here's the link, I hope you'll all read it:
http://www.thescribblerscove.blogspot.com/2012/11/co-writing.html
And, like Amber, I did learn a lot of things about writing and myself during this process.
Co-Writing:
-Communication is absolutely necessary. No duh. But seriously, those chapters where we didn't communicate, one of us would do something terrible. One of the reasons partnerships of all sorts fall apart is because of a lack of honest communication. Luckily for us, communication comes easily, due to some sort of mental connection and living close by and the all-encompassing Internet.
-Also completely necessary is compromise. I had to learn how to rein in my goofy fluff, and Amber couldn't get a flying train. (And no, I couldn't write fluff if she got a flying train.)
-If you're stuck, you have someone to bug for help, because it's their story as well. On the flip side, if they need help, you have to be a wall or create something logical to help them. Llamas don't solve everything.
-I have a good reason to get out of the house. Ice cream for brainstorming sessions is totally legit.
-Brutal honesty. I learned several times the art of rewriting a chapter, and the fantastic things it does.
-You need a lot of patience. Especially when your partner does not write well on demand. (And trust me... she does NOT write well on demand.) Waiting for the next chapter is one of the more painstaking things to do.
-There is no sympathy for getting stuck or having to write a difficult scene. Most difficult was one of our last scenes. We both had no idea how to write it. Amber wrote her chapter up to the hard part, and dropped it in my lap for the next chapter. Grinning maniacally. Probably laughing as well. It was indeed revenge for all the times I did that to her. One of our most common lines, "I don't know. You get to write that chapter."
-You will fight and want to kill your partner. Usually that feeling is temporary, but it's still there.
Other things that don't quite pertain to co-writing:
-There appears to be no force on this earth that can stop me from temporarily killing my main character. In all the manuscripts. (I'm working on it, Amber, I swear!)
-Amber is creepily good at writing torture scenes. And brainwashing scenes. It scares me sometimes.
-Never give your POV character an odd habit. Like biting her lip. Guess who's going to bite her lip for the next several years now. (meeeee!)
-Revenge is indeed best served cold. Especially when it's petty. So very petty. And so very worth it.
-I write on demand fantastically. In fact, it's almost necessary for me to write well, knowing that I have people who need to read it and keep going.
-Amber does not write on demand well. Cue the patience.
-The worst feeling ever is killing a character then discovering that he had a wife and daughter and an unborn son. We sobbed for a couple hours over that.
-I dream weird dreams about the story that I should never ever write. Make your partner write those, after you draw a doodle telling her about it.
-Our parents are oddly cool with us practicing torture on bread dough.
-Also, ice cream fixes everything. Unless it's mint chocolate chip ice cream. Then it's a lot worse.
-You should do research into cultural traditions BEFORE you start writing.
-Making depressed people happy is weird.
-Never ever tell a writer that you saw that coming. Cue the petty revenge.
-Amber loses all sense of punctuation when writing tense scenes.
-There is no such thing as emotional stability.
Despite the blood and tears and effort, we finally finished, and it's actually not that bad. I had a lot of fun, and would gladly do it again. Working with Amber was a lot of fun.
But later. After I get some emotional recovery. Much much later.
Glory be and hallelujah.
Anyway, she wrote a blog post about the experience (she beat me to it), which I found hilarious and absolutely true, which, I might add, is not something quite so good when class is about to start.
Here's the link, I hope you'll all read it:
http://www.thescribblerscove.blogspot.com/2012/11/co-writing.html
And, like Amber, I did learn a lot of things about writing and myself during this process.
Co-Writing:
-Communication is absolutely necessary. No duh. But seriously, those chapters where we didn't communicate, one of us would do something terrible. One of the reasons partnerships of all sorts fall apart is because of a lack of honest communication. Luckily for us, communication comes easily, due to some sort of mental connection and living close by and the all-encompassing Internet.
-Also completely necessary is compromise. I had to learn how to rein in my goofy fluff, and Amber couldn't get a flying train. (And no, I couldn't write fluff if she got a flying train.)
-If you're stuck, you have someone to bug for help, because it's their story as well. On the flip side, if they need help, you have to be a wall or create something logical to help them. Llamas don't solve everything.
-I have a good reason to get out of the house. Ice cream for brainstorming sessions is totally legit.
-Brutal honesty. I learned several times the art of rewriting a chapter, and the fantastic things it does.
-You need a lot of patience. Especially when your partner does not write well on demand. (And trust me... she does NOT write well on demand.) Waiting for the next chapter is one of the more painstaking things to do.
-There is no sympathy for getting stuck or having to write a difficult scene. Most difficult was one of our last scenes. We both had no idea how to write it. Amber wrote her chapter up to the hard part, and dropped it in my lap for the next chapter. Grinning maniacally. Probably laughing as well. It was indeed revenge for all the times I did that to her. One of our most common lines, "I don't know. You get to write that chapter."
-You will fight and want to kill your partner. Usually that feeling is temporary, but it's still there.
Other things that don't quite pertain to co-writing:
-There appears to be no force on this earth that can stop me from temporarily killing my main character. In all the manuscripts. (I'm working on it, Amber, I swear!)
-Amber is creepily good at writing torture scenes. And brainwashing scenes. It scares me sometimes.
-Never give your POV character an odd habit. Like biting her lip. Guess who's going to bite her lip for the next several years now. (meeeee!)
-Revenge is indeed best served cold. Especially when it's petty. So very petty. And so very worth it.
-I write on demand fantastically. In fact, it's almost necessary for me to write well, knowing that I have people who need to read it and keep going.
-Amber does not write on demand well. Cue the patience.
-The worst feeling ever is killing a character then discovering that he had a wife and daughter and an unborn son. We sobbed for a couple hours over that.
-I dream weird dreams about the story that I should never ever write. Make your partner write those, after you draw a doodle telling her about it.
-Our parents are oddly cool with us practicing torture on bread dough.
-Also, ice cream fixes everything. Unless it's mint chocolate chip ice cream. Then it's a lot worse.
-You should do research into cultural traditions BEFORE you start writing.
-Making depressed people happy is weird.
-Never ever tell a writer that you saw that coming. Cue the petty revenge.
-Amber loses all sense of punctuation when writing tense scenes.
-There is no such thing as emotional stability.
Despite the blood and tears and effort, we finally finished, and it's actually not that bad. I had a lot of fun, and would gladly do it again. Working with Amber was a lot of fun.
But later. After I get some emotional recovery. Much much later.
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Little Big Things
I have a lot to tell you guys. Soooo much.
Let me start at a reasonable beginning, since I'm sure this isn't going to happen in chronological order.
1) I changed my major. It was English, but I have since switched it to Political Science.
Because I love politics. I might eat and sleep writing and reading, but I breathe politics.
2) My uncle and aunt and dear sweet baby cousin came to visit us last week. It was wonderful and I'm so glad they came. I don't get to see them nearly so often enough.
3) AMBER AND I FINISHED THE FIRST DRAFT OF SHADES OF GINGER!!!!
That definitely deserved all caps. And four exclamation points. After almost four months, 72 chapters and an epilogue, 243 pages, and almost 100,000 words, we finished. It is done. It is done it is done it is done and maybe if I say it enough I'll start believing it. We went to celebrate this last Friday. Ice cream. We also decided it shall be several months before we start working on the sequel. Because we definitely have emotional trauma we need to get over before we start being mean to those poor characters all over again.
4) President Obama got re-elected. Actually, the same night me and Amber finished writing the draft. Twas a night of far too much excitement for me.
5) I got a letter from my cousin who is on a mission. It was very nice to hear from him.
6) I started NaNoWriMo. That's National Novel Writing Month to all you who have no idea what I'm talking about. And good for you, because it's insane. Don't do it if you value your life and sleep. Also, make sure your story is long enough to work. I'm pretty sure mine isn't, but each story must be told no matter what the length.
7) Our piano got tuned and fixed. It's heavenly, being able to play middle C again.
8) Seven is such an odd number. So here you are. I hope I'll get back to posting more regularly soon. I also hope I'll start sleeping more regularly soon, but there you are.
Let me start at a reasonable beginning, since I'm sure this isn't going to happen in chronological order.
1) I changed my major. It was English, but I have since switched it to Political Science.
Because I love politics. I might eat and sleep writing and reading, but I breathe politics.
2) My uncle and aunt and dear sweet baby cousin came to visit us last week. It was wonderful and I'm so glad they came. I don't get to see them nearly so often enough.
3) AMBER AND I FINISHED THE FIRST DRAFT OF SHADES OF GINGER!!!!
That definitely deserved all caps. And four exclamation points. After almost four months, 72 chapters and an epilogue, 243 pages, and almost 100,000 words, we finished. It is done. It is done it is done it is done and maybe if I say it enough I'll start believing it. We went to celebrate this last Friday. Ice cream. We also decided it shall be several months before we start working on the sequel. Because we definitely have emotional trauma we need to get over before we start being mean to those poor characters all over again.
4) President Obama got re-elected. Actually, the same night me and Amber finished writing the draft. Twas a night of far too much excitement for me.
5) I got a letter from my cousin who is on a mission. It was very nice to hear from him.
6) I started NaNoWriMo. That's National Novel Writing Month to all you who have no idea what I'm talking about. And good for you, because it's insane. Don't do it if you value your life and sleep. Also, make sure your story is long enough to work. I'm pretty sure mine isn't, but each story must be told no matter what the length.
7) Our piano got tuned and fixed. It's heavenly, being able to play middle C again.
8) Seven is such an odd number. So here you are. I hope I'll get back to posting more regularly soon. I also hope I'll start sleeping more regularly soon, but there you are.
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