You know how there are just some things that you can never let yourself forget? Those things you do that you're so proud of that you have to hang it on the wall or fridge as soon as you get home? Ya, those. Well, I have a veritable rainbow of those...
Lifetime Achievements...
My lifetime achievements are very scattered in nature, including (as of my childhood) storytelling awards, science fair placements, drawing contest awards... and not much else, actually... but I do have a couple more to add to the list, now that I'm all through with Girls' Camp... (actually, it was a week or two ago... but that's ok.)
I WASHED MY HAIR IN A RIVER!!!
so this may come as a shock to some of you, but at Girls' Camp this year, we went-pause for effect-camping. yup.
Now normally when I go camping, I just kind of 'rough it' for the whole trip... which really only means that i don't shower... because there aren't any showers to partake of... but over the course of the week--actually on the first day--some of the girls and leaders announced that they were heading down to the 'river' to wash their hair. At first, my only reaction was slight amusement that they would think that to be a good idea, but as they walked away, I had an amazing epiphany:
This was the chance of a lifetime! It was a bragging right. I had to partake in the ritual.
So without further ado, I left my comfy camping chair by the fire and ran after my fellow adventurers. When I came upon a suitable location, I knelt down (IN A TREE!) and dunked my head into the water.
IT WAS FRIGID.
My fingers and scalp quickly became numb as I lathered the shampoo and conditioner through my frozen, golden blond mop.
After completing the siberian-esque task, I beamingly walked back to camp and with soaking wet... everything... informed them of my lifetime achievement. They were obviously jealous.
As I ponder this event, I can't help but wonder... What is it that makes these experiences so memorable and extraordinary? Is it the victorious conquering? Is it the recognition? Is it the distinctive barrier created between yourself and the run-of-the-mill American? Are you even American?
I think it must be a combination that depends on how conceded one is. A more weak person might be proud of their victory, a lonely person might relish the recognition, a conceded person might fancy the the distinction.
I decided that for my amazing self(and by that I mean __________, not self), it was clearly the latter. There's just something about being more than human.
and on that bombshell, it's time to end.
You're so very welcome for this great enlightenment,
__________
Sunday, July 21, 2013
Sunday, July 7, 2013
Grumpy Trigger
I don't know about you, but sometimes I get grumpy. True story, and I'll admit to it. This usually occurs when I have no one to talk to and I have some dreary, pathetic task placed before me...
Today, for example, I was grumpy. I got up in the morning with a huge headache and that was enough to do the trick, so I became grumpy. It was a conscious decision, however quietly it may have been made.
For some reason, whenever I get grumpy, I simply must do something counter-intuitively productive... That doesn't really make sense, but I mean that I do something that would be productive, except I have much more important things to do. Usually these 'something productive' things involve hobbies.
So this morning, when I slumped out of bed at around 10:30 with a pounding migraine, I decided to do something.
Grumpy Trigger
I walked down the hallway, turned right, turned right again, walked down the stairs, turned left, walked down another hallway, and turned right. I entered the 'craft room'. This room holds many memories for me, reaching all the way back to the year my family moved into our house when I was 5. I've always had some sort of crazy project going on down there.
As I entered this time, I had a plan forming in my head, a very loose plan mind you as it only had to do with the colors I would like to use... I walked over to the wall of cabinets and began pulling out and examining fabric.
All of it came from my grandmother, who was a seamstress. It's all very old and some of it certainly looks that way.
After a few moments of scrutiny, searching for perfection, I tossed a few denim scraps from old jeans onto the table. I just started throwing them together in a jigsaw type manner, finding whatever would fit together neatly. Without a thought in my head as to what the heck I was going to make with this, I sewed and sewed. Eventually my sisters came into the room:
_________, What are you making?
I don't know. Go away.
They just kept pestering me, berating me over and over with questions as to what on this sweet smelling earth I was constructing. Having no idea myself and being grouchy-as well as in 'the zone', I reacted with blunt rudeness. I'm sorry for that, by the way, my dears Pickle and Maydie.
So after a few hours of hard concentration, I came out satisfied with a sturdy backpack, which is all I've really made in the past forever, aside from various and peculiar other things...
Today, for example, I was grumpy. I got up in the morning with a huge headache and that was enough to do the trick, so I became grumpy. It was a conscious decision, however quietly it may have been made.
For some reason, whenever I get grumpy, I simply must do something counter-intuitively productive... That doesn't really make sense, but I mean that I do something that would be productive, except I have much more important things to do. Usually these 'something productive' things involve hobbies.
So this morning, when I slumped out of bed at around 10:30 with a pounding migraine, I decided to do something.
Grumpy Trigger
I walked down the hallway, turned right, turned right again, walked down the stairs, turned left, walked down another hallway, and turned right. I entered the 'craft room'. This room holds many memories for me, reaching all the way back to the year my family moved into our house when I was 5. I've always had some sort of crazy project going on down there.
As I entered this time, I had a plan forming in my head, a very loose plan mind you as it only had to do with the colors I would like to use... I walked over to the wall of cabinets and began pulling out and examining fabric.
All of it came from my grandmother, who was a seamstress. It's all very old and some of it certainly looks that way.
After a few moments of scrutiny, searching for perfection, I tossed a few denim scraps from old jeans onto the table. I just started throwing them together in a jigsaw type manner, finding whatever would fit together neatly. Without a thought in my head as to what the heck I was going to make with this, I sewed and sewed. Eventually my sisters came into the room:
_________, What are you making?
I don't know. Go away.
They just kept pestering me, berating me over and over with questions as to what on this sweet smelling earth I was constructing. Having no idea myself and being grouchy-as well as in 'the zone', I reacted with blunt rudeness. I'm sorry for that, by the way, my dears Pickle and Maydie.
So after a few hours of hard concentration, I came out satisfied with a sturdy backpack, which is all I've really made in the past forever, aside from various and peculiar other things...
It was rather stress relieving though. You should try it some time... It just takes like an entire day... and there you have it, something new and... hopefully... useful.
These are the times I wonder though...
What do Normal People do When They're Grumpy?
I honestly have no idea. In all of my conceded brilliance, I just cannot figure it out. Obviously, as we have all been told time and time again, there is no real Normal person, but what does the average Joe do to cope with his own frustrations? Read? Eat? Couch potat-ify? Exercise? Those all seem rather dull.
As I sit here, in my comfy roll-y chair, reflecting on the concept of normal-ness, I can't help but think of my dreams over the past few nights. To sum it all up quickly, The one dream was all about convincing 'self's' dad that he needed to buy more bananas and the other was all about 'the Lion King'... I have a very abnormal subconscious, or so I've been repeatedly told... So now I have a question for you, my lovely reader:
In what ways do you consider yourself to be normal/abnormal?
You don't have to actually respond if you don't wish to, but ponder that for a moment.
...
now that you've had your moment, in what ways are you Really normal/abnormal? Are you being a fat old Dursley and fancying yourself to be some level of normal that you are not?
just something to think about...
Grumpy and Bored,
____________
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
You've got a friend in me
Somehow, one post, one day, once a week is just not satisfying.
So instead I've elected to do two posts in one day, once a week-ish...
also, I've decided that I should make a very basic
characer list for you:
__________ -typically means insert my (as in the author) name here.
self-my very best friend who has become a part of me.
cowboy/bf^2-a friend of mine... actually my best friend squared... sups tots adorbs yo.
math buddy-a fabulous friend I met in math this past school year, she's also great friends with cowboy.
thief-a friend of mine who is very good friends with self... sometimes drives everyone crazy, but he knows we all love him.
So as you may have guessed, I was planning on talking about
FRIENDS [cue the music]
Everyone's gotta have 'em, no one can survive without 'em.
(First off, before I get into too much trouble, my dear friends, if you were not on that basic character list, please do not be offended! These are simply the people that will probably come up most, because I deal with them the most. I have many people I could've put on the list, but the names are incredibly hard to come up with [as you can tell by my level of creativity there...] and even harder to keep track of. I love you all just as much though, I promise.)
As someone very famous{William Butler Yeats} once said:
"there are no strangers here; only friends you haven't met"
(obviously, mr. Yeats had never heard of the so-called 'stranger danger', but the message is still valuable)
Over the past few months I've given this topic quite a bit of thought. Some of my dearest friends feel like they have none at all, and they couldn't be more wrong.
A considerably more famous{C.S. Lewis}(at least to the younger generation and christian society) man once said:
I believe what this beloved author stated to be so very true. These people we all interact with are so spectacular, so amazing, and yet some still choose to cast them aside as naught but a nuisance. I find it an incredulous folly to let anyone be pushed aside. If people only took the time to know them, they might find a treasure, but instead, they discard them as trash.
Not cool.
so on that very different note,
adios!
sayonara!
and You're so very welcome,
___________________
So instead I've elected to do two posts in one day, once a week-ish...
also, I've decided that I should make a very basic
characer list for you:
__________ -typically means insert my (as in the author) name here.
self-my very best friend who has become a part of me.
cowboy/bf^2-a friend of mine... actually my best friend squared... sups tots adorbs yo.
math buddy-a fabulous friend I met in math this past school year, she's also great friends with cowboy.
thief-a friend of mine who is very good friends with self... sometimes drives everyone crazy, but he knows we all love him.
So as you may have guessed, I was planning on talking about
FRIENDS [cue the music]
Everyone's gotta have 'em, no one can survive without 'em.
(First off, before I get into too much trouble, my dear friends, if you were not on that basic character list, please do not be offended! These are simply the people that will probably come up most, because I deal with them the most. I have many people I could've put on the list, but the names are incredibly hard to come up with [as you can tell by my level of creativity there...] and even harder to keep track of. I love you all just as much though, I promise.)
As someone very famous{William Butler Yeats} once said:
"there are no strangers here; only friends you haven't met"
(obviously, mr. Yeats had never heard of the so-called 'stranger danger', but the message is still valuable)
Over the past few months I've given this topic quite a bit of thought. Some of my dearest friends feel like they have none at all, and they couldn't be more wrong.
A considerably more famous{C.S. Lewis}(at least to the younger generation and christian society) man once said:
“It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods
and goddesses, to remember that the dullest most uninteresting person you talk
to may one day be a creature which,if you saw it now, you would be strongly
tempted to worship... All day long we are, in some degree helping each other to
one or the other of these destinations. It is in the light of these
overwhelming possibilites, it is with the awe and the circumspection proper to
them, that we should conduct all of our dealings with one another, all
friendships, all loves, all play, all politics. There are no ordinary people.
You have never talked to a mere mortal. nations, cultures, arts, civilizations
- These are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is
immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit - immortal
horrors or everlasting splendors.”
I believe what this beloved author stated to be so very true. These people we all interact with are so spectacular, so amazing, and yet some still choose to cast them aside as naught but a nuisance. I find it an incredulous folly to let anyone be pushed aside. If people only took the time to know them, they might find a treasure, but instead, they discard them as trash.
Not cool.
so on that very different note,
adios!
sayonara!
and You're so very welcome,
___________________
Summer! Peachy as Ever...
This last week was a veritable rainbow of events and activities...
My family celebrated my father's birthday, one brother coming home after a very LONG time away, another brother leaving... and not to mention all of the spontaneous other occurrences that have taken place throughout the week.
It has also hovered at around 100*F all week... ya, not so much fun there...
Throughout the week, however, there has been one common theme...
SLOW MORNINGS...
For the past few years, my inner clock has been beaten and abused. It no longer has any influence on the time I wake up at all...
I typically just sleep until something wakes me up...
(now don't get me wrong, I'm a very light sleeper and will wake up to just about everything, but unless it's something worthwhile, I just return myself to a colorful dreamland[see my other post from last month, A dream is a wish your heart makes...].)
Yesterday morning, for example,
I woke up to my mother's velvety voice at about 9 am. I filled the car up with folding chairs and returned them to my dear grandmother's house. As I returned home, I stifled a yawn. When I reached my bedroom, I immediately went back to bed until my mother again woke me... this time at 1:30 pm...
"_______, are you really still asleep?"
"maybe..."
"you need to get up and start calculus."
"okay..."
and then I got out of bed to start working on my online calculus class. bleh.
Most mornings start out in a similar way, but usually around 11:30. The only reason I got out of bed today was one delightful thought...
BREAKFAST. yum.
From the earliest summer memories I have, smoothies and milkshakes have kind of been the real summer breakfast. We never really had them every day, but they were an occasional breakfast treat. I have always been... how can I say this nicely... HORRIBLE at making them. I simply have no talent for making good tasting beverages with a blender. My concoctions are typically too sour and overall disgusting, but last week I decided to change that...
so I cheated. I went online and searched for a delicious strawberry smoothie recipe.
After about a minute, I found one that looked promising... So I made it.
It was heaven-sent. Not exactly what I'd expected though... by the name 'Delicious Strawberry Smoothie' I had expected three things:
1. that it would be delectable.
2. that it would be strawberry flavored.
3. that it would be a smoothie.
as it turned out, it was delectable, it was strawberry-BANANA flavored, and it was in fact a milk shake.
But that doesn't change the perfection level of it.
so now that your mouth is watering and you're entirely too jealous of my yummy drink(which I am currently sipping through a nice fat straw), I'll share this recipe with you.
ingredients:
1 cup strawberries (I've decided frozen are best for this)
1 cup nectar of the gods (more commonly known as 2% milk, but any percentage will work)
1 banana (I prefer frozen here as well)
1/4 cup sugar (the sweet kind)
directions:
blend.
and now that I've shared this recipe with you, hopefully you too can find adequate reason to get yourself out of bed.
You're so very welcome,
___________________
My family celebrated my father's birthday, one brother coming home after a very LONG time away, another brother leaving... and not to mention all of the spontaneous other occurrences that have taken place throughout the week.
It has also hovered at around 100*F all week... ya, not so much fun there...
Throughout the week, however, there has been one common theme...
SLOW MORNINGS...
For the past few years, my inner clock has been beaten and abused. It no longer has any influence on the time I wake up at all...
I typically just sleep until something wakes me up...
(now don't get me wrong, I'm a very light sleeper and will wake up to just about everything, but unless it's something worthwhile, I just return myself to a colorful dreamland[see my other post from last month, A dream is a wish your heart makes...].)
Yesterday morning, for example,
I woke up to my mother's velvety voice at about 9 am. I filled the car up with folding chairs and returned them to my dear grandmother's house. As I returned home, I stifled a yawn. When I reached my bedroom, I immediately went back to bed until my mother again woke me... this time at 1:30 pm...
"_______, are you really still asleep?"
"maybe..."
"you need to get up and start calculus."
"okay..."
and then I got out of bed to start working on my online calculus class. bleh.
Most mornings start out in a similar way, but usually around 11:30. The only reason I got out of bed today was one delightful thought...
BREAKFAST. yum.
From the earliest summer memories I have, smoothies and milkshakes have kind of been the real summer breakfast. We never really had them every day, but they were an occasional breakfast treat. I have always been... how can I say this nicely... HORRIBLE at making them. I simply have no talent for making good tasting beverages with a blender. My concoctions are typically too sour and overall disgusting, but last week I decided to change that...
so I cheated. I went online and searched for a delicious strawberry smoothie recipe.
After about a minute, I found one that looked promising... So I made it.
It was heaven-sent. Not exactly what I'd expected though... by the name 'Delicious Strawberry Smoothie' I had expected three things:
1. that it would be delectable.
2. that it would be strawberry flavored.
3. that it would be a smoothie.
as it turned out, it was delectable, it was strawberry-BANANA flavored, and it was in fact a milk shake.
But that doesn't change the perfection level of it.
so now that your mouth is watering and you're entirely too jealous of my yummy drink(which I am currently sipping through a nice fat straw), I'll share this recipe with you.
ingredients:
1 cup strawberries (I've decided frozen are best for this)
1 cup nectar of the gods (more commonly known as 2% milk, but any percentage will work)
1 banana (I prefer frozen here as well)
1/4 cup sugar (the sweet kind)
directions:
blend.
and now that I've shared this recipe with you, hopefully you too can find adequate reason to get yourself out of bed.
You're so very welcome,
___________________
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)