I like books

This morning I read that Amazon, in response to Barnes & Noble lowering the price of their e-reader, NOOK, has lowered the price of the Kindle to $189. I thought about it for a minute, do I want an e-reader? I admit I do think they are convenient and have their advantages like being able to carry over 1,000 books with you in a small device. Plus, if you got an Apple iPad, you have way more than an e-reader. But when it comes down to it, for me, I like books. I like holding a book in my hand, feeling the pages, turning them. I like the smell of books, I like the smell of libraries and book stores. With a physical book people see the cover and ask you about it, with an e-reader, they ask you about the reader, not about what you're reading. And who really needs over 1,000 books with them at all times anyway?

So, no e-reader for me. However, if I were not an English Lit major, where most of our books for class are novels, an e-reader would have been a more serious consideration for me. I would definitely choose a gadget if the alternative was lugging around heavy text books.

I cannot end this post without mentioning that Nintendo has stated that e-reader features may be in the 3DS, now that would be something else to consider since I already want a DS.

It's all crazy!

The times when I've had the most to post on the various blogs I've had are times when nothing else required much mental energy. Right now school requires most of my mental energy and a lot of my time. Lately I feel like people I know who aren't in school don't understand this. Yes, you work, and yes, that's very important, but your work doesn't have homework and papers to write. Unless you own your own business or have a very stressful job, you can hopefully relax and let go once you're off for the day. School doesn't work like that. It's not a big deal, but I wish people were more understanding.

However, I'm very excited about going to see mewithoutYou tonight, hence the title.

Procrastination

Procrastination does some weird things to me, or has weird side-effects, I guess. Today I should be working on one of the four papers I have due, but have I? Far from it.

Today I came home, ate, washed dishes, that's all normal. (Prepare for a really long run-on sentence) Then, I washed the sink, threw away gross stuff that didn't belong to me, thoroughly cleaned the counters, the stove, the microwave (that I hardly use), the cabinets, the fridge, the table, the tv, the trash can, swept the floor, dusted, wondered what to do about those nasty drip pans on the stove, didn't have any aluminum foil, googled it, decided to soak them in soap and ammonia, was going to swiffer with the wet jet, but was out of batteries because I put them in my Wii Fit, which is in Panama City, washed towels, made sweet tea, perused the interwebs, ate a not-quite-up-to-par peach, got annoyed with asmallorange.com because my site was down, searched for courses that may have opened that I could add to my summer or fall schedule, added History of Central Asia, then saw my site was back up and blogged about it all. Now I'm going to make some spaghetti.

The Pros

Much bigger room with a full size bed.
Only one roommate.
My own bathroom with a tub, not just a tiny shower stall. I've never had a bathroom all to myself.
Ceiling fans.
We haven't used the A/C or heat at all since I've been here.
Windows that open.
I'm on the top floor, which is also the second floor.
No elevators, I hate elevators.
My own secure wireless network (no special login for the internet so FON works).
Having more friends close by. Amy is less than 10 minutes away, that's closer than when we both lived in Panama City.
Quiet.
A lot of walking - campus is huge, I need the exercise.
Parking is a beast - this is a pro because it's my only complaint and if that's so than I'm doing pretty good. Plus I think it's getting better or maybe I was getting there too early.
I like being an English Lit major.
I had to choose a minor and had a hard time choosing but went with history. I'm currently taking 20th Century Russia and finding it very interesting.
Beautiful.
Winter exists!

Side-effects

After starting the process of going down on my medication (Prednisone) I've started to experience the side-effects over the past few weeks. I guess it's more of how long I've been on it than how much I'm taking. Least fun: moodiness (more than usual that is). Though it may sound vain the side-effect that bothers me the most is the puffy "chipmunk" cheeks Prednisone is known for. Other people might not even notice it, but I do and it makes me really self-conscious and definitely doesn't help with the depression. It fluctuates too it seems, one day my checks can be really puffy and the next it's not that bad. I'm also having a hard time focusing and getting my work done among other things.

In other news:
Today's my birthday, I don't like birthdays. If you like me you won't tell me happy birthday. No one here knows it's my birthday, I'm glad. I made myself brownies. Jeremy is supposed to take me out tomorrow, maybe that will cheer me up.
Most unstructured paragraph ever.

I hate it here. Not the city, not the school so much (though it is quite unorganized), I hate living in the dorms. I having a hard time finding a job though, so getting my own apartment isn't an option. I'm vaguely considering transferring next semester, where to though? UCF? I definitely won't be staying in the dorms, I can't take it.

The Diagnosis

This is the post I've been putting off (well, really I've been putting a lot of things off lately), it's hard to talk about, and it's not a fun topic that's for sure. I'm sure some of you that have been following this blog are curious though and I know there are at least a few of you who really do care and I appreciate that. So while this isn't something I feel like talking about, I'm posting it because I need your support and your prayers. And who knows, maybe one day this can serve as a story of encouragement for someone in a similar situation.

Two weeks ago, I had to have a colonoscopy and endoscopy, not something you ever want to do, especially a week before moving 7 hours away from your family for college. The doctor tells me I have Crohn's disease. I knew they were going to find something wrong, because I've known something was wrong for a while, but it's still very depressing to know that this is something I'll have to deal with for the rest of my life and that pretty much right off the bat I'm on my own to deal with it because of leaving for school. It also makes this time of transition even more of one.

The meds I'm taking have the scariest possible side effects of anything I've ever taken. Thankfully, I've had no real problems so far and taking four horse pills with lunch and supper does get easier. Though figuring out the logistics for me, food, and meds to be in the same place at the same time can get difficult. They do seem to be helping though, so who knows, I could get lucky be blessed and be in remission for years.

Is this normal? Things I don't get

• Not flushing.



• Leaving the cabinet doors open.



• Sitting a dishrag on the burner of the stove (whether it's on or not, don't do it!).



• Leaving a dirty pot on the stove so it gets nice and crusty.



• Missing the trash can and not noticing/caring.



• Leaving clean dishes on the counter instead of putting them up. For days!



• Not knowing how to use a paper towel holder.



• Having so many dish washing tools, yet feeling no obligation to wash your own dishes.



• Placemats on tablecloths.



• Not washing your hot pink wash cloth before using it, thereby creating a hot pink river in the shower. Good luck with your first load of laundry by the way.



• Not locking the door at night.



• Leaving the lights on when you leave.



• Going on and on about your own very minuscule problems without any consideration that the person right beside you may have a real problem.


• Going on and on about anything that translates as "me, me, me."



• Using the largest plastic storage bowl ever to eat out of, then keeping said storage bowl in the too tiny fridge even though it's only an 1/8 full.



• Getting the same take away meal that you already have left-overs of in the fridge and not throwing one out.


• Leaving a chair in the middle of the kitchen.


• Toilets without lids.


• Showers that are small to me (being 110lbs and 5'5") when there is plenty of empty space that could have been used for a bigger one.

There's probably plenty more to add.
Okay, so I've never had roommates before, but these are things people shouldn't be careless with around their own family! Most of these items fall under inconsiderate or just plain weird. I mean, who knew there were actually people who didn't wash their towels or wash cloths before they use them for the first time?

Real update coming soon (hopefully).

Language

It's been a long couple of weeks, and it's not over yet. I had family in town, then I got sick, then I went down to St. Petersburg for orientation, and now more family in town.

I felt like orientation was pointless for the most part, other than just getting to see the school. I did learn a couple things though, like that I have to have four semesters of a foreign language to get my BA. Maybe everyone else in the world already knew this, but I didn't. Who knew?

Don't get me wrong, I love language. I love words. I love learning things. I listen to foreign language podcasts. I have my flickr account set on French most of the time (used to be Italian). I can fake enough Latin to fool you (assuming you're not fluent in Latin). I can even count in Hawaiian—now that will be useful I'm sure. And I own a book on "Croatian Conversation."

Yet, I have a problem.

Unfortunately, in high school I had Spanish (notice how that language wasn't mentioned above), which for some reason was my only option at the time. It's been over seven years since I had Spanish in high school and I struggled with it then; I know there's no way I could survive Spanish III, I would have to start over completely. So since I have to start over anyway, I've decided to go with French. I've already been learning some from podcasts, and frankly, I'm more interested in it. While nearly half of south Florida speaks Spanish, I don't plan on being in Florida forever so that doesn't draw me in like it may others.

Do you know any foreign languages?

Things and Stuff

I've been stressing out a lot lately, as in more than usual. I'm just really worried about going off to school, getting an apartment, furniture, a job, that sort of stuff. I've lived away from home before, but there was always someone else who was responsible for the basic necessities, now I'll be responsible for those things myself. Not to say I'll be completely on my own though, I will have a roommate, which is some relief, and in the "pro" list of going to USF over UF.

My mom doesn't want me to take my bedroom furniture, which at first I was upset about (even though I didn't say anything), I mean it's my furniture. Now that I think about it though, it's best to leave my nice furniture here and not have to take the risk of it getting messed up. It's the furniture that I want to have when I make a more permanent move, so I'll get some other furniture to go with me over the next 2 years.

The 2 years is another thing that gets to me. 2 more years of school, I just feel old, and I feel like most people that for a 4 year degree are done by my age. It's just another one of those things where 10 years ago I thought I would be at a completely different stage of life now. I think back just 3 years ago and remember telling a co-worker how I really just wanted to be a housewife and a mom. I still wouldn't turn that life down, but I would do it with some freelance writing work on the side; I couldn't give up writing.

It's Official

I am now a college graduate!



Thursday was the last day of classes and I spend Friday cleaning up and getting rid of some papers. I actually keep all of my graded work, because I'm a dork and organize it according to class and semester in my filing cabinet.

Thursday morning was my AMH2020 (US history 2) final. I was actually sort of excited about it because I got to answer an essay question on "The Lost Generation," which includes some of my favorite authors (Hemingway, Fitzgerald). Anyway, I'm sitting in the class room before the test begins, going over my notes, when the girl who sits in front of my comes in. Now I don't think she's said a word to me the whole semester, but today she wants to talk, actually, she wants me to talk. First she says, "what's 'buying on margin'?" So I tell her. Then, "what's the Schiefflin Plan?" and I say, "I don't know," even though I did because I could see where this was going. Then she says, "What about laissez faire economics?" Now I've had it, is she going to ask me about every single term on the study guide? So I say, "You know, I'm trying study for myself here," and give her an 'what are you, an alien?' look.

The nerve of some people!

Now onto University! (hopefully). Still no word from UF, but I did get accepted to USF and it seems more appealing every minute.



In other news, here's a pic of another new (old) toy I got. I had to replace all of the seals in it as well, but now it and the AE-1 are loaded and ready. There seems to be dust or lint trapped under the focus screen though, and I can see it through the viewfinder, really annoying.

I Conserved Energy

And helped the environment, by not posting on Earth Day.

What did you do for Earth Day?



(Disclaimer: I, in fact, fully intended to post on Earth Day and even already knew what I was going to post, but I was very busy [Jury duty, lit paper, government presentation] and ended up not posting)

Summer Plans

I've been thinking about what I'm going to do this summer. I know I need to find a summer job so I can save some money that will be much needed once I'm off at a university in the fall. I've also thought about taking a couple summer classes, creative writing or something possibly. When I really think about what I want to do though I know I would love to just travel throughout the summer.

I would absolutely love to go somewhere overseas, Italy or Paris, or anywhere else I haven't been, but those are my top 2. Unfortunately I don't know anyone else who would go and I don't want to go alone to a country I've never been in.

It would be nice to see some places in the states I've never been to before, so I could settle for that. Right now I guess I'll just have to wait and see.

Anyone care to share their summer plans or dreams? I know you're out there, I can hear you breathing.

On Magazines

Fact: Magazines are expensive. Solution: Don't pay for them.
No, I'm not encouraging thievery of magazines, or to give them up. Actually, we should all be reading more of them. The answer is the public library. Not nearly enough people take advantage of the magazine rack at the library—not nearly enough people take advantage of the library at all for that matter.

A while back I read a post on Russell Davies' blog on "How to be Interesting," one of the tips was to read a new magazine every week. At first this sounded a bit ridiculous to me, I mean magazines are expensive. The Life magazine I posted about, for example, $11.99, that's a bit above average, but still magazines are not cheap. Being a full-time student with just a part-time job, I can't refuse to spend $7 each week on a magazine, not matter how interesting it will make me. But then I got to thinking, every time I have some extra time between classes why not go to the library and read a magazine.

So I started doing just that. Last week I read an issue of Time which had a great article about the Dali Lama, and whether it made me more interesting or not, I definitely have knowledge now that I lacked before, and I found interest in something I would have passed over normally. Another good thing about reading magazines in the library is that they also have back issues so you can even catch-up on events or topics that you've missed.

While it's good to read a variety of different magazines (sure, I may be female but I can still expand my personal bank of information and be entertained by Esquire), news magazines are about the best for this. They have current events, culture, politics, editorials, and entertainment all in one magazine. Sure the stories may be brief and not give a full picture of the topic, but there's 20 more magazines right there to give you the other side, and maybe even a specialty magazine with an in-depth look.

Knowing a lot about a few things is always good, but also knowing at least a little about everything else is even better. I think that is how this should work, it makes you interesting by increasing your knowledge and widening the scope of topics you know about. Perhaps the best part of reading more magazines is that it increases your ability to have something to talk about with just about anyone, which means a lot less of those awkward, silent moments when you can't find any topic you and the other party (or parties) are interested in talking about.

Spring Break ToDo

1. Finish up and email my articles (need to do that today actually)
2. Read for fun, not because I want to pass my classes. Starting Tropic of Cancer today.
3. Relax, if that's at all possible.
4. Start my Lit. paper or at least decide on a topic.
5. Publish this post that's been sitting in drafts for months.
6. Shopping maybe?
7. Look for new job? I had been thinking about getting a second job just for the summer, but now my job is changing in a way that means $20 less every week, so now I need a new job altogether.
8. Sun.
9. Remember what I'm forgetting.
10. Wii!
11. Clean out my reading queue.
12. Taxes, ugh.
13. List stuff on ebay.

"New Look!" or "New, Look"

New WordPress theme here, come check it out and let me know what you think. I'm not settled on the header image and the colors just yet, I still have a few things going through my head.

I also added content to the articles page that had been sitting there all blank and lonely. It now has the 2 most recent issues of my college's newspaper that can be read in full.

Speaking of articles, I finished reading Tom Cruise: An Unauthorized Biography and even already wrote my review of it. Unfortunately, it's way too long and I'm going to have to cut it down a bit.

I'm proud of myself for keeping to my goal of not procrastinating (at least for the most part, I should be studying right now though), but I'm really not doing so good on my goal of taking a photo every day.

How are your goals going?

How...original

This coming Thursday, March 20, would have been Mister Rogers' 80th birthday, and in honor of the best neighbor ever it is Sweater Day. Weather permitting, I will be wearing a sweater, how about you?

Next time you need to promote something, think of Christvertising it. Hilarious. (via Joshua Blankenship).

At this moment I am drinking my coffee with granulated sugar. I am not a happy camper. While I only have a few snobberies about my coffee, this is one of them. It reminds me from part of the movie Le Divorce, where Naomi Watts' character feels insulted by her mother-in-law calling her use of sugar grains "original."

"Sugar grains. Original."
Meaning how bizarre.

Meaning, "Why don't you have sugar cubes
like a proper French girl?"

I'm also listening to the music you guys recommended right now and will make a post about it shortly. Though I should be finishing up this book I'm writing a review of for the school paper, and doing my other school-related reading.

Aced

I'm very proud to say I got a 96 on my American History II exam! May not be a big deal to anyone but me; I've always had a hard time with history courses.
So what shall we do to celebrate? Ah, I know! Study for my State & Local Government exam, my American Government exam, and my Biology exam.
What am I doing online when there's loads of fun to be had!

Giuliani, Live

Candidate for the Republican Presidential nomination, Rudy Giuliani spoke on my college's campus today. Notice how I had to preface that with "Candidate for the Republican Presidential nomination," that's because I talked to someone today who didn't know who he was; of all the Republican candidates Giuliani is probably the most widely recognized name, yet people still don't know who he is. Pay attention!



I took advantage of my college newspaper ("Gull's Cry") press pass and skipped the very long line waiting to get in the conference room.

I actually recorded (video) the first 8 minutes of his speech (I need a higher capacity memory card) and I'm waiting for it to upload right now. Uploading to vimeo takes way too long, they need to work on that. Okay the video will be here later, so keep an eye on this post if you're interested.



More pictures on my Flickr page.


I wore my Huckabee sticker, but no one aside from those I was with saw it because I kept my jacket on. Disappointing I know.

Goals

Here's what I've come up with for my goals for 2008 so far:

Create more goals

Think without distractions. Don't let things hold back creativeness.

Write more (often). This ties in heavily with "Think." I need to do more creative writing outside of school work.

Get over photographer's fear. So many times I want to take a picture of something but I don't because I'm thinking about how people will think I'm weird for taking a picture of something seemingly mundane; I should just let them be jealous of my awesome picture.

Listen to more music, really hear it, not just the words, each note, each instrument. Feel the depth and beauty of it.

Read the Bible, or finish reading the Bible, or re-read the parts I've already read. For a while I was reading the Bible every day, but I'd say that was about 2 years ago; I'll be honest, I don't think I opened my (non-internet) Bible at all in 2007 and I don't feel good about that.

Take a photo every day. It doesn't have to be a masterpiece.

Increase reading speed. I've always been a pretty fast reader, compared to say other in my class in school, but I don't read as fast as I'd like to. Now, I don't want to speed read or anything, I think that's silly, but if I ever want to be a book editor I need to be able to read a bit faster, without losing any comprehension.

I guess that's it for goals. Now if I were to make a resolution, and I usually don't, it would be the same as a couple years ago: a never-ending quest to find beauty in everything, aka find God's love in everything.

Doh!

This whole time I had been thinking that school started back on the 7th. Today I looked at my schedule and it starts back on the 10th. Sure, it's great to have those extra days free, but now I have to tell my cousin she was right.

In a recent post on his blog, Joshua Longbrake has inspired me to create more goals for myself. As I commented on his post, "I have the bad habit of not making goals for fear of failing, but maybe it would be better to make a long list of goals and fail some of them while accomplishing others instead of no goals at all. So, you have inspired me to make my first goal: 1. Make more goals." (Yes, I just quoted myself).

Tomorrow I will reevaluate my 43 Things and add to them bigger (better?) goals.

Have you made any goals? Resolutions? Are they really that different? Yes, and no, and an undeniable yes.