Um, Hi

Yeah, it's been a while. Internet access is limited. Tomorrow I'm headed to a tiny little town in Louisiana, where my grandmother grew up. Could be rather interesting or painfully boring, and I hope for the former. Anyway, since I don't feel capable of putting together several paragraphs of coherent thought, here is my Twitter-style post.

- Why am I going to bed past midnight if I'm not studying for finals?

- Many people have mistaken Daniel (aka The Democrat). He is a great guy. Who also found my blog. So, Daniel, if you're reading this, now you know what I think of you :D

- 1000 text messages per month is a great Christmas gift.

- Scotch tape is evil.

- Why couldn't the neighbors have decent wi-fi?

- Apple...PC...Apple...PC...

- Facebook and occasional phone conversations are keeping me sane.

- That short story I wrote will probably get posted on the other blog. It's such a thorough blend of fact and fiction one can't tell the two apart, unless one knows the background story, or surmises it from the story. As it involves people I know, and would reveal certain secrets of my own...I'm thinking about it.

- Why do I have weird dreams?

- Why can't Christmas at least be cold? I'll pass on the snow. But 65 degrees? Really?

- I miss college.

- I miss _________ (some of you know the name that goes in this blank...).

- My time online is almost up.

- Note to self: When one is testing a pepper spray tube to ensure it still works, one should relocate oneself to the great outdoors, so remnants of the spray will not fill one's room and make one watery-eyed and prone to fits of coughing.

Hasta luego!

PS - two days ago, I saw a silver Volvo S60 on the road. The license plate:

CULL-N.

God help America. No wonder some other nations think we're lunatics.

I'll just go ahead and apologize for how negligent I've been in reading blogs. It might not get much better - there's only one computer with internet capability at home. The wi-fi I, uh, borrow, is so weak it isn't worth borrowing. And Starbucks, rip-off artists, charge for their internet. The travesty...

I feel like I should have a lot to say. I do, actually, but little of it should be said, because secrets are meant to be kept, and so I shall keep mine/those entrusted to me. Since that knocks out most of what I've been thinking lately, I'm just going to freewrite a little something fiction for y'all, because it's been ages. Note, I said 'freewrite', which implies zero editing. So don't expect the next Goose Girl, not like I could produce that on a good day...

My brain is frozen. Give me a second. Or better yet, in the comments, leave random suggestions of what to write about for next time. I need help!

The idea banged against its prison door, tucked in a remote corner of M's brain. "Let me out of here! She needs me, alright? It's my job!"

The guard outside laughed. "Yeah, but this is my job."

The idea kicked the door, causing a resonant metallic ring. "You fool! Causing writer's block is no noble task! All it does is make our human frustrated and mopey - it's a total overload of toxic chemicals. Now open this door!"

"Nice try with the toxic chemicals part. I've guarded ideas like you before. They all said the same thing - let me go or the human will get frustrated, blah blah blah. Now keep quiet in there!"

The idea bit its lips and resumed its pacing. Fifteen steps out, fifteen steps back. Almost fifteen and a half if it took tiny steps. It should be able to escape this. It was a grand idea, after all, full of airplanes and car chases and love and adrenaline and fake deaths -

Yes! That was it. The idea threw itself against the door, making choking sounds. "He--elp!" It coughed like a chronic smoker, with a touch of dying pig for emphasis. "I'm d-dying!" The idea continued these contortions for another moment before it heard keys grating in the lock. Covering its smile, the idea flopped onto the floor and twitched as the guard entered. As the guard knelt, the idea spasmed once, released a quavery breath, and went limp.

One hour later, the idea shook off the sheet covering it, swung off the gurney, and hit the morgue floor with a cocky little laugh. Dusting its hands, it surveyed the dead ideas lined on autopsy tables, discerning causes of death (they could be most instrumental in the idea's...ideas). At the third one, it gasped.

KILLED BY AUTHOR. FLIMSY PLOT. WEAK ANTAGONIST. TOO SIMILAR TO THE DA VINCI CODE.

The idea stepped back, hands over its mouth. So its human was an idea-killer. It shook its head. So, if its ideas weren't brilliant enough, it would be done away with. The idea trembled and gulped. Then it took a deep breath. It was good enough. It was excellent. The idea was so perfect, in fact, it had to appear before the author's cerebral cortex. Right now.

Leaving behind its momentary suspicions - how could it have been so untrusting of its own magnificence? - the idea strolled out of the morgue toward its human, blindly unaware that its dalliance in the morgue cost him ten minutes, in which time another shining idea arrived before the author...

Okay, that's all my brain is producing today. Hasta luego!

So finals didn't kill me after all...

But they came dang close. And let's not forget the other bizarre and generally awful circumstances that helped them out, such as an injured hamstring (no running for an entire week), strange up-and-down temperatures (allergies!), and a lot of friends going through some serious crap. The weird thing is, all this started on the same day - for everyone. How odd is that?

So...I'm not even sure what to write. For a week straight, I didn't get to bed before 1 am, and two days were closer to 4 am. Some of this had to do with school. Some of this had to do with the fact that I am a writer, and therefore, more easily able to put myself into another's position. But oh well! For right now, everyone seems to be doing alright, which is a relief. I keep bracing myself for backlash, though. Call it paranoia, skepticism, preparation...

I've realized how much I like sleep - to be precise, I've slept for 10 and 9 hours the last two nights, respectively. It makes me feel better than 5 or 6 hours.

Okay, all I"m doing now is rambling, so I shall shut up and say hasta luego. Just wanted to reassure everyone I'm alive.

*deep breath*

Wowza. It's been a long last seven days. The good news is, things are looking up for my friend (and consequently me)...AND I FINISHED THE THREE HOUR TAKE HOME SHAKESPEARE TEST OF DEATH!!!!!!!!!! Can't you tell I'm excited? I never use all caps and that many exclamation marks. The deal is, I've gone to bed very late...or early, actually over the last four days. A sampling: 2 o'clock. 1 o'clock. 3 o'clock. Almost 5 o'clock. And last night was early - 12:30. A few months ago, I'd call 12:30 late, and anyone who stayed up past 1 that many days in a row absolutely crazy.

Well, crazy life = crazy sleep schedule.

More finals today...and a Shakespeare PowerPoint presentation. Blah. After I eat lunch. Hold on, did I eat breakfast? No, actually. A couple handfuls of Chex mix. I haven't been eating enough the past few days, and definitely too much sugar. I would have thought if I were to gain weight at any point, it would be finals week, but amazingly, despite not being able to run due to an injured hamstring (GRR), I may actually lose weight. Not like I need to or am concerned about it, I just find it odd.

Off to lunch...and tests...

Please Help

A friend of mine is having a really rough go of it - something bad came up with his family last night - no, actually this morning around 2 am. I don't know specifics, but please pray. I don't usually get 'feelings' about things, but I'm really worried. Right now, there's a spiritual battle going on with a lot of people. The last three days have been really intense. And not so fun. And a total wake-up call.

So please, pray for him and his whole family. And my fraying patience. As I said, I'm worried. And I don't help myself by internalizing. It's a curse of being a writer. I can imagine being in other people's positions all too well. And right now, both mine and his suck. But God is in control. I have to rest in that.

A Bipolar Day

No, I am not bipolar. The day has been bipolar. I woke up and did the first track workout of the season in 60 degree weather. Yes, I did say 60 degree weather. Winter in Houston sucks. So, I had my customary breathing issues as I do when it gets above 60. It could have been worse, but after the wonderful cool spell (of a single week), I was disappointed. At least it's supposed to get coldish again for the time trial on Friday.

I have two PowerPoint presentations coming up. One is Shakespeare, due originally tomorrow, but got bumped to Tuesday, Thank you Lord (I mean that sincerely). One of them I have been jittery about for three days now, and am steadily descending into the dark pit of nerves. Gah. I'm presenting in front of the other group (the Honors classes are split into two sections) because my partner is in that group. I don't know everyone in that group and -

Oh, how convenient. What would come up on iTunes right now but Disturbia. How perfect. Ha.

Anyway, then The Democrat is in that section. He's notorious for asking somewhat pointless but difficult to answer questions. And, also in that section is The B-

Whoops. Almost let that one slip. Classified information, you know. That would have been Very, Very Bad. I'm rambling now. Back to the point! I'm so-so at PowerPoint presentations. Really, I just sound stilted. I don't know - okay, that's a lie, I know darn well why I'm nervous. Which is so stupid. Gah!

The happy part of the bipolar day: I went Christmas shopping. I didn't have a lot of time today, so I employed some extreme hunt-gather-run tactics. Guys are hard to shop for sometimes unless I know what I'm looking for exactly. I found what I wanted (exactly! These items were perfect) for these people.

I even think I nailed the sizes, of which I feel rather proud. One guy isn't much taller than me, and the other...well, I had the remembrance of wearing his sweater to gauge his size, heh heh. Didn't even plan that one. And we were playing 21 questions on Facebook chat a few days ago, and the subject of favorite colors came up. I didn't plan that either. *does Snoopy dance of joy*

Girls, on the other hand, are so easy to shop for. My first go-to: Bath and Body Works. (To any guys who might read this, I'm giving sound advice. Girls, as a rule, like lotion, shower gel, body spray, and lip gloss). That was super-easy. And I found this for my mom (it's an even brighter yellow in real life). It was a solid one-two-knockout hour at the mall. CVS provided me with bags and tissue paper (easier than wrapping paper), and I'm about to go doll up the gifts.

Hasta luego!

A Day in My Life, Twitter-Style

- A lower-case 'i' looks better in Times New Roman than in Arial.

- I love it when my room doesn't look like a train wreck.

- Apparently, I am a clueless idiot.

- I hate coughing.

- Why do I overthink everything?

- Ethan Hawke in Hamlet? Or Pushing Daisies?

- @ Gretch-a-sketch: I <3 Pushing Daisies

- Dark hot chocolate with a splash of caramel creamer = muy delicioso.

- I. LOVE. WRITING.

- I should go to bed.

- This is somewhat odd to have a 45 minute facebook chat with someone I nailed with pepper spray in my dreams.

- I really should go to bed.

- Why did I wake up before my alarm?!

- I'm running my own darn pace next time.

- It's 70 degrees in November, thank you Satan.

- Why do I overthink everything?

- Do I finish the Aeneid paper...or write?

- Ethan Hawke as Hamlet, take three.

- Pizza = yum.

- Lauren = crazy.

- Apparently Finn of BOB and I have central heterochromia. Cool beans.

- Why can't I sleep?!

- Ice baths in 50 degree weather make for frigid walks back to the dorm.

- I'm cold!

- I like "Crush" by David Archuleta far too much, though it painfully resembles part of my life at the moment.

- Bar-ba-sol by David Cook = one awesome song. Get it.

- Two more sources for this paper. Gotta find them.

- Why do I overthink everything?