F my life.

They changed my schedule AGAIN.
So they pretty much eliminated any chance of my having classes with friends.
I won't be seeing at least 6 of my friends all year long.
It's pretty frustrating.
Chemistry, math, and history, which tend to be my worst classes, take up the first three periods.
And the teachers seem pretty nice.
But I kind of wanted to be in a bad mood about this year.
They switched up the band schedule, so I wasn't able to take my first choice of English.
Then, all of a sudden, I'm thrown out of my second choice into Women's Studies.
WOMEN'S STUDIES!!!!!
THAT class, however, seems like it might be pretty entertaining. The teacher is pretty funny and nice, and I've heard stories about her. Funny ones.
And PE is full of other lazy teenage girls who want to do Pilates and yoga. AWESOME.
But STILL!! AAAAARGH!
I don't have classes with practically ANY band kids!
Neither with my best friend, but whatever, I guess I've been replaced. Understandable, but lamentable all the same. And irritating. But whatever.
AAAAAAAAARGH, but for some reason, I have LOTS of classes with an overly amorous male aquaintance.
NOT INTERESTED. THANKS.
It's going to be one of those years.
I was hoping to keep boy drama to a minimum. Looks like that's not going to happen.
But friend drama...I guess I'm safe in that department because I'll HAVE NO FRIENDS.
And grades? Who knows. All the teachers seem fairly reasonable.
But I was kind of depressed walking into history. Because I realized any chance of my EVER having Mr. Walker as a teacher flew out the window.
Unless I fail Chemistry and take it next year.
There is nowhere I can turn, there is no way to go oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooon!
Darn. Javert is dead. The only thing left to look forward to is Marius' moving solo.
Well, that, and a rousing chorus of "Do You Hear the People Sing?"
I just realized: I HATE the song "Turning". Stupid stupid stupid. Of course they're dead. You could sound a little less happy about it!

Yukon, ho!

You Are a Mostly Polite Driver

You are generally an easy going, laid back person. However, you can't help but feel a little jealous and competitive sometimes! You tend to go by what you feel - not by the facts at hand. As a result, you tend to make a lot of uninformed decisions. You'd like to think you're a fair person, but you occasionally think you deserve a special kind of justice. You can be a rather tense, grouchy person - but you try to maintain your dignity. You have mixed feelings about authority figures. You understand their place, but you believe their power needs to be in check. You are somewhat focused, but you are also a bit scatterbrained. Distractions can get you in trouble. You don't feel a responsibility to anyone but yourself. You value your freedom more than anything else. Your ego is a healthy size. You don't think you're more important than anyone else.

What Does Your Driving Say About You?

Yaaaaaaaah! Back to school shopping!
Kristine did some sneaky recon with Jon and ended up at the South Center mall with us before she left.
I bought a hat. It has fuzzy earflaps.
And it was 20 BUCKS.
But that's okay. It was worth it.
My mom bought me a fleece jacket, too, so I'm all set for Refuel.
Or Yukon.
School starts in a week! Colorado already started. Parent Night is tomorrow, and I'm pretty pumped.
I just need to find a fedora...with feathers!
Like the Pranksters!
"30 Rock" is my new favorite show.
I'm trying to upload pictures onto my computer unsuccessfully. I have no idea what I'm doing.
I've been playing a lot of Harvest Moon lately. Sometimes 3-4 hours a day. Sad.
But I managed to woo Nami in 3 days!!
Well, 3 months in game time. But still!
Now we're married and have a kid.
He WILL be a musician. I know it!
Amby and I were talking about Harvest Moon the other day. You can get different colors of horses? Shocking!
Argh my schedule is still horrible. Hate hate hate. I have a lot of classes with friends that I don't see normally, so that's ONE good thing, but most of the people I DO hang out with...no classes. Probably not even lunch.
Argh.

Remember this?

I did this a couple years back. I kind of wanted to see what had changed in 4 years...
Put your music on shuffle (itunes, etc.) and answer each question with whatever comes up.

What does next year have in store for me?
"In the Light", dc Talk
How insightful. My eyes'll be opened to new possibilities and all that jazz.

What does your love life look like?
"Battery", Metallica
Oh dear. It appears I might end up in an abusive relationship. Great. Mrs. Lutz warned me and warned me.

What do I say when life gets hard?
"Wishes and Dreams", Stellar Kart
Yep...that's something an INFP would say.

What do I think when I get up in the morning?
"Calm Before the Storm", Fall Out Boy
Ha ha, how depressing. Although I'm not sure about the line, "He's well hung and I am hanging on." I'm trying not to take that line literally, but wouldn't that hurt?

What song will I dance to at my wedding?
"What Time Is It", HSM 2 cast
:D BEST. WEDDING. EVER!

What do you want as a career?
"Be My Escape", Relient K
I don't being God is a career option.

Your favorite saying?
"The Thenardier Waltz of Treachery", Les Miserables Original Broadway Cast
Hm, I guess I don't trust people too well, especially potential child molestors.

Favorite place?
"May the Horse Be With You", Relient K
The stable!? Awesome! I haven't been there in a while, though. :(

What do you think of your parents?
"I Got Nerve", Hannah Montana
Hmmm, I'm so rebellious, they're just holding me back!

Where would you go on a first date?
"Fridy Night", Slick Shoes
Well, it would be on a Friday, and we'd just go party, from the looks of things.

Drug of choice?
"Kill the Grey", Olivia the Band
Depression? Melancholy? Numbness? Appropriate choices.

Describe yourself:
"Don't You Know Who I Think I Am?", Fall Out Boy
HA! That pretty much says it all.

What is the thing I like doing most?
"Freedom", Fresh Digress
Dancing with my brothers and sisters in Christ? I guess that's all right...

The song that best describes the president?
"Facedown", The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
:O THAT'S TERRIBLE! I don't think Obama beats his wife...however...if the "she" in the song is the USA, he definitely feels like a man when he pushes "her" around. JERK!

What is my state of mind like at the moment?
"Awakening", Seven Places
I love this song... It's a pastor listing the Seven Places that Jesus bled for us when he died. My friend's dad is dying, and we've been praying for her... That's definitely been on my mind. Hm. Sad.

How will I die?
"Things We Go Through", Hawk Nelson
I'll die from the stress of life's little problems, like getting rejected by the girl I like and running away from home.

What’s your deepest , darkest secret?
"Lithium", Evanescence
I'M A MORBIDLY DEPRESSED DRUG ADDICT.

What am I doing right now?
"Dream Seasons", Blackalicious
Dreaming about the future, I guess...which isn't totally off.

BAND CAMP BAND CAMP BAND CAMP

It's intense! It's insane!
I love it.
AND I woke up at 6:30 today.
Sort of.
I fell back asleep.
But then I woke up at 7:10 and got ready.
BAM. 8:00. I was READY TO GO.
Again, sort of.
Got pumped up by some Spectacular! and Bandslam.
Screamed "TOMMY IS A CRACKHEAD" a couple times.
We get to play "Viva la Vida".
HOW HARD IS IT TO PLAY BASS DRUM?? The B flat concert scale never sounded so bad.
A SCALE. A SCALE sounded bad.
And their excuse for "The Star Spangled Banner"?
"I didn't know it was in 3/4."
Which shouldn't matter if you're playing on every beat...
And we get to do it again TOMORROW.

Good weekend so far...for a change.

"Bandslam" was not too bad.
Pretty cute. I liked the music.
And the fact that he was obsessed with David Bowie.
Screw Michael Jackson, he's the real king of pop!
Vanessa Hudgens was pretty enjoyable. The 5 is silent.
I bought two of the songs. I can't go on, I'll go on!
"Someone To Fall Back On" is my new favorite song.
Even though it's Aly Michalka.
Wanna know what's terrible?
Judging from my taste in movies, chances are I'll end up alone.
Or with a girl.
I HATE guy movies.
Hate them.
I like "Star Wars" and "Spaceballs" and "Vantage Point"...that's about it.
I'd rather watch chick flicks, or musicals.
Yet my best friend's GIRLFRIEND has a girlier taste in movies than I do.
This is stereotyping, and completely awful, but why is it that her favorite movies include "A Walk to Remember", "The Notebook" and "A Cinderella Story", and she's a lesbian?
I laughed my butt off during "The Notebook". The only Romantic Comedy on the list that I liked was "10 Things I Hate About You", and she HATED IT.
And yeah, different people like different movies.
But I hate most standard girl fare.
Oh well.
Good worship session! HORNS! They're too cool for earbuds. Uh-oh. Livin dangerous.
I helped my parents with their 4/5 year old Sunday school class. Cute kids.
Only one of them didn't get picked up after Sunday School!
So we went on a mission to find his family, but we couldn't find them.
And we tried to find his little sister, but she'd already been picked up.
Turns out his older brother had picked up the little sister and then stood around talking with his friends FOR HALF AN HOUR.
The kid was FREAKING OUT! He finally started crying and said, "I'll NEVER get to go home!"
We told him there was no way his parents forgot him, and he said, "But they forget things! Maybe they forgot and they're coming back."
It was so sad! But also kind of funny, the way he said it.
They picked him up. He got a hug. It was okay.
And he turned his back on us AND WALKED AWAY.
They grow up so fast...
Then Tie and I went on a walk and were attacked by an elderly Dachsund.
That's the second time this week.

H-e-double toothpicks!! Ha ha ha!

James Patterson kind of disgusts me.
He thinks he's a much better writer than he really is.
"Maximum Ride" makes me too angry.
I somehow used to love it.
I somehow used to love a lot of things, though, so this isn't that surprising.
Ugh. He's so smug.
Max irritates the crap out of me.
And I'm tired of the whole "save the planet" theme.
Max is pulling a Bella Swan, too, which is always fun.
"I love Fang...wait, no I don't! Let's make out, Fang...no wait, I changed my mind! I hate you...but I hate your redheaded girlfriend more!"
Fun stuff. I'm trying to get through "Max" as quickly as possible.
"House of Leaves" is giving me the creeps - and I'm barely 30 pages in!!
I literally stared at my closet last night for hours, just in case something in there was waiting for me.
Then I fell asleep and had weird dreams.
Like this one: my high school decided to put on "Les Miserables" and I had the part of Valjean, but didn't know any of my lines.
So I just improvised the entire time.
I walked into a spider's web today. Grossest feeling ever.
I sort of miss being tall and lanky.
Yep, still "tall".
Lanky, tho, not so much.
Woohoo, body dysmorhpia!
I'll be throwing up if you need me.

Down with Joe! We want Steve!

"Paris, Je T'aime" is good every time.
My mom and I watched Jayden and Natalie for a couple hours so Natalie could go shopping. It was pretty funy. Jayden is really smart, and copies everything you say. We watched "Blue's Clues" today, and I really miss it. It was good to see an old-school episode with Steve, rather than creepy creepster Joe, who ruined the show with his celebrity guest stars and blue and orange color combo.
Jayden agrees.
Then we played with Maddie and watched "Oliver and Company" while eating Bunny Crackers.
So. Friday night.
Instead of going to the youth group BBQ, I'm sitting at home.
I blame Sierra.
Sort of.
She said she didn't feel like going, and I don't blame her, cuz I've only felt that way myself a billion times.
But still. I was sort of pumped until all my friends bailed.
There are still the very defined "groups" in youth group.
And since mine would be nonexistent for this event, I didn't feel like going and trying to join another one.
Not like they're cliquey and would turn their back.
But, because I'm a socially awkward failure, I would feel complete awkward and stupid and moronic for sort of forcing people to hang out with me because I had no one.
And I'd feel BEYOND stupid if someone took pity on me and decided to hang out with me then.
Yeah. Definite ego booster, that.
But I still feel like I'm missing out.
Ugh. It's been bugging me since Wednesday, when I found I didn't have a ride in the first place.
So I've been feeling sorry for myself since then.
But that's not a new occurrence or anything.
SARK is the coolest! Her book on writing was actually helpful and, dare I say it, inspiring! And it was funny to read it and have the overall tone be, "Yeah, so I write in gigantic color markers all over the page. SO WHAT?"
Very cool.
"House of Leaves" is actually doing a good job at freaking me out.
"Stick it" was pretty funny.
Good books and movies all around.

Multitasking is not allowed.

Yeah, thanks.
I probably shouldn't complain about my internet when I'm making it more difficult by having 6 windows open at a time. Ha HA!
Mr. Kovacs always said it was impossible to multitask, because you can't have your full attention on more than one thing at once, so you're just flipping back and forth between projects while subconciously doing others.
And he didn't reccomend it, because you ended up doing a sloppy job on everything.
But who cares?
Anyway, he was supposed to teach me math, not life lessons.
And he taught math rather well.
And I was surprised to find he was an Anti-Gore conservative.
Not to mention a Christian! Cool!
So is another math teacher at Oly, but I haven't had him yet...and I don't want him. :P
My mom and I had a really good talk about stuff. William's at Great Wolf Lodge with a friend and Dad's in THE ZONE, so he doesn't feel like socializing.
In fact, he's MULTITASKING by listening to a recording of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" while painting William's room a girly shade of red.
William doesn't know yet.
But my mom read an article in Christianity Today that made a case for early marriage.
Because your bodies are ready to make babies and most guys are just going to go out and bang someone anyway.
Um...okay?
And then the author said stuff that sort of contradicted his argument.
Like, there's a shortage of young Christian men.
....
All right, but doesn't that mean you should wait.
No, his point was you need to snatch one up before another girl gets him.
Oh. Well, that's comforting. No pressure.
And he didn't hold guys to any standard whatsoever.
Cuz, you know, guys need to get it out SOMEhow.
But that's not really fair.
If a guy messes up ("I just couldn't help it!"): Aw, shucks. Well, at least you tried. We know how HARD it was for you.
If a girl messes up ("I just couldn't help it!"): What do you MEAN you couldn't help it? You should have prayed! You obviously don't trust God enough! Harlot!
My dad gets mad whenever I say this because he thinks I'm taking a feminist approach and am being unfair to young men, because it's harder for them.
Yeah. And it is harder.
But it's also true that a young Christian man "made a mistake", but a young Christian girl will be forgiven, but can never get her virginity back.
I don't know. There's more emphasis put on a girl's virginity and how vastly important it is.
That word isn't used as much around guys. The focus is just "staying pure" in general.
It might not sound like a big difference, but it is.
Argh, and the stupid Catholic argument against birth control still drives me insane!
Onan spilled his semen because he was selfish and knew the kid he fathered wouldn't be considered his; it would be his brother's kid.
It's not as if he was like, "Oh, well, I don't think I'm financially ready to have a child! And my career's just taking off, and I don't feel like staying home and raising kids, not to mention changing diapers."
And how Catholics think birth control is "evil" and "sinning", but other Christians look down on it, because the couple using it "obviously doesn't trust God enough NOT to give him a child". "He's in charge of your fertility, isn't he? Why can't you trust that he WON'T give you a kid?"
That's a fairly valid point, but it's also like saying, "You have cancer and you're STILL taking chemo? Don't you trust that God will heal you without all that?"
Why WOULDN'T you take efforts to heal yourself??
And you wouldn't want to take a chance if you're UNABLE to care for this child, like, gee, struggling financially? Or already have A BILLION KIDS?
And some couples feel convicted, that God has planned for them to have a *cough* LARGE number of children.
But that's not the case for everyone.
Argh. It seems like I can't post anymore without it becoming a crazy emotional rant of some kind about "beliefs" and "what it means to be American"...
...or something to that degree.
I think.
I need to get it out! Otherwise, my brain will explode!
Today was...a REALLY good day.
Except for it suddenly getting really hot in the little kid's room. And it was pretty stifling in the gym.
But I was in a strangely good mood today. Like...giddy and bubbly. Rather strange.
Anyway, we went down to Kidstuf and sang songs (which the kids hated and refused to dance to while all the teens dance maniacally) and explained what happened on the trip.
It seemed a TAD pointless (most of them were in 1st grade and none of them were listening...), but it was fun.
Then lunch, with the sun shining, then girl talk, and such.
I don't know. Good day.
Okay, there's more: another rant coming up.
My mom and I were still on the subject of marriage when we got onto compatibility, and it turns out COMPATIBIILITY DOESN'T MATTER.
Because, while it might help, even a relationship between two "soul mates" won't work if they're not willing to put in the effort.
Ha, like Pastor Barry. "Love isn't a feeling. It's hard work!"
And relationships between "incompatible" couples end up turning into amazing, loving marriages.
Like, gee...my parents? Exact opposites.
Oh, and my grandparents.
Which sort of debunks the theory that my "soulmate" is an ENFJ.
Oh well.
Which means I'll end up marrying an ESTJ.
YES!!!
Awwwww......this quote is sort of adorable.
Or possibly the cutest thing I've heard in a long time.
"You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams." -Dr. Seuss

How bout 8 pounds of cake?

Ha. Jim Gaffigan.
I know bagels are equivalent to 5 pieces of bread, but they're also delicious.
Well, the one I just ate wasn't. It was a little too...sweet.
And it was a plain bagel, not cinnamon or anything, so it the sweetness seemed out of place. Curse you, Sara Lee!
I can't seem to find cinnamon bagels. Not cinnamon raisin, just plain old cinnamon.
And I know they exist, because Mrs. Hamblet bought us a bunch and I ate at least 4.
But that's okay. They were mini bagels.
My mom and I watched "Once Upon a Mattress".
Too cute.
A mute king discussing the birds and the bees with his 40-year-old son?
All the possibilities...
Zooey Deschanel getting knocked up by the guy from "Glee"?
Oh dear. Can't say she didn't deserve it.
My favorite part was the wizard pretending to be the Nightingale of Samarkand.
"Ka ka ka ka ka, ka ka ka ka ka."
And then he got angry!
"KA KA KA, KA KA, KA KA KA, KA KAAAAAAAA!"
He was so cute, on his little swing!
But not as cute as the king, who was an adorable old man until he got his voice back.
Oh dear, I've spoiled the ending. Rats. Might as well spoil everything else.
It wasn't the pea!
It was jousting equipment!
I'm rereading the Harry Potter series for the millionth times.
Meanwhile, I'm trying to make headway in "Les Miserables" (I should just give up), while revisiting the "Peaches" trio and slogging my way through the new Maximum Ride (I really don't want to...curse you, James Patterson, and your political agenda).
The dog is exhausted. We took a long walk, and she got in a fight with a retriever puppy twice her size. But she won, which is all that matters.

The main character becomes much less attractive when revealed to be short.

Heh. Harry Potter.
After a nightmare planning, I finally saw HP6 with my dad and Emma.
Car rides with them is always sooooooooo fun...what with no one talking.
And then we got to the theater and it was attack of the Introverted Feeler Perceivers.
"Do you want popcorn?"
"I don't know, do you want popcorn?"
"Well, sorta. Does Emma want popcorn?"
"Um, no, that's okay."
"No, it's okay, I'll buy some. How about soda?"
"Nah. Do you want soda?"
"Well....yes."
"Buy some."
"Okay."
"And some popcorn."
"You want popcorn."
"Yes."
"Okay, I bought popcorn, but I didn't get butter."
"Oh."
"Oh no! Did you want butter?"
"Don't worry, I'll get some. Would you like some popcorn, Emma?"
Fun times.
And then we had to decide where to sit...
"Is this okay?"
"Um, sure. Do YOU think it's okay?"
And so on.
Previews. Still my favorite part.
They made a Sherlock Holmes movie? And it's an ACTION movie? Whaaaat?
But...it has Jude Law. :)
It also has Rachel McAdams. :(
And Robert Downey, Jr. :/
Meaning I'll probably go see it when it comes out.
But the movie ended up being REALLY GOOD.
Harry Potter, not "Great Scot!: The Sherlocke Holmes Adventure".
Which I thought was weird, considering David Yates is the one who gave us "Order of the Phoenix", yet managed to produce this 3-and-a-half star film.
Wow, David. What prompted this change?
And there were a few things.
But I'm probably the only one who had a problem with them. Because, yes, I tend to overexaggerate things.
But I don't care. There are times when it's "going overboard"...and there are times when some people *cough cough* should just ADMIT "August Rush" was terrible and leave it at that.
I like Michael Gambon, but not as Dumbledore. He would've made a good Gandalf...but it's too late for that now.
Ugh, Emma Watson. When in doubt, close-up on Hermione's crying face!
She can't even cry! Terrible actress.
At least her thing with Ron was somewhat believable. It was a little hard to believe in the other movies when she would continually throw herself at Harry.
I think they finally just told her to stop.
Hate. Hate. Hate. Hermione is supposed to be smart.
Tom Felton was brilliant.
Rupert Grint is, sadly, the best of the three, but not too bad. Might even be verging on good!
Little boy Voldemort was creepy and morose and sort of annoying.
Teenage Voldemort was FANTASTIC, and reminded me of a combination of David Bowie and Lord Sebastian Flyte.
So evil. It was great.
Slughorn was more of a fop than a pompous old windbag, but a funny fop. Perfect for the part.
Wow, when did Hogwarts receive its shipment of fantasically hot guys?
The movie was pretty much excellent all the way through, UNTIL THEY KILLED DUMBLEDORE!!
Not that I didn't know it was going to happen.
But Snape?
They sort of left out all of Harry's suspicions about Snape, assuming that everyone knew how much Harry distrusted and hated Snape.
But most of the movie was focused on his distrust and hatred for Malfoy. Hm.
And I guess they put in the Unbreakable Vow scene. But still.
So Alan Rickman kills Dumbledore like it's no big deal.
Then the Death Eaters LEAVE THE PREMISES, without even so much as a goodbye or a magical battle of some sort.
Well, Bellatrix was busy freaking out. But she always does that. Ugh, that's another thing: Helena Bonham-Carter. It's like she wants her character to be Jack Sparrow of the wizarding world. I think she's just mad that Tim Burton loves Johnny Depp more than he loves her. Still, mimicking Johnny Depp in a HARRY POTTER MOVIE doesn't seem to be doing her much good. Sooooo annoying.
So the Death Eaters go away, leaving Harry with Snape, and Harry's being Harry (even though Daniel Radcliffe managed not to be too useless in his movie and left the annoying whiny grunty groany thing he does when he gets upset at home), cursing him all emotionally.
And Snape's just casually deflecting.
Harry calls him a coward, and you can see Snape's face is full of pain, and you're waiting for him to snap and turn on Harry, admitting his shocking secret, LIKE HE DID IN THE BOOK.
Only he turns to Harry, after cursing him, and goes, and a FLAT, EMOTIONLESS VOICE, "How dare you use one of my own spells against me. That's right. I'm the Half-Blood Prince."
Or something to that effect. Then he SAUNTERS off into the darkness.
It sort of ruined the movie.
But then Harry went back to the Astronomy Tower and all the students were gathered around crying over Dumbledore's body.
Another close-up of Hermione's hideous crying face.
Then Harry goes up to the body and starts to cry. I started to get a little choked-up.
Then all the students raised their wands as a silent tribute to the fallen Dumbledore, and it was the cheesiest thing I've ever seen in my life, but I cried anyway.
Only I was sitting next to my dad, who doesn't cry EVER, and Emma, who gets embarrassed easily, so I didn't start bawling in my seat.
Best Harry Potter movie YET!
I'm so stoked for "Deathly Hallows".
It's just...there's SO MUCH.
They did really good with this movie, but they still had to cut out quite a bit (ahem. Tonks and Lupin!?!? All of a sudden, they're a couple!? What is this?).
And they are splitting the last book into two movies, because there's so much stuff.
But what if it sucks, like #4 and #5 did?
Or is boring, like the first two?
Argh. It's not coming out for a year...plenty of time...what'll I do until then?

Exploding volcano of passion

Lol, I just read a historical romance by Meg Cabot.
It was basically a rip-off of Princess Diaries. But she won't admit it.
And she wrote another romance with almost the exact same plot, word for word.
Seriously. Read these descriptions:
Nicola and the Viscount
It's only her first London season, but sixteen-year-old Nicola has made up her mind: Handsome, charming, poetry-reading Lord Sebastian is, simply, a god. So when the divine viscount starts paying special attention to her, Nicola is certain she's found her destiny.
Everything is perfect until the infuriating - and disturbingly handsome - Nathaniel Sheridan begins to cast doubt on the viscount's character...and on Nicola's feelings.

Victoria and the Rogue
Wealthy young heiress Lady Victoria Arbuthnot is accustomed to handling her own affairs - and everyone else's. So, when she's suddenly sent to London to find a husband, Victoria quickly finds a perfect English gentleman.
Everything is just as she wants it - that is, if the raffish young ship captain Jacob Carstairs would stop meddling in her plans.

Good times.
But the Nicola plot seemed suspiciously familiar.
A girl falls for a handsome, Aryan god, only to change her mind about him and go for her best friend's intelligent, dark-haired, good-looking BROTHER, Michael Moscovitz, er, Nathaniel Sheridan.
I was on the edge of my seat wondering how it would end! Would it be Sebastian? Nathaniel? Harold? Lol, I stayed up till 1:00 reading it. It had a completely satisfying ending...if you can call it that. But romantic cliches were plentiful and the historical anachronisms made me giggle.
And THEN, I find a preview of ANOTHER historical romance (sadly, not written by Meg Cabot) called "Catherine and the Pirate". The description alone was enough to set me aflame with curiousity...or something like that. It was hard to tell; I was laughing too hard.
Sometimes a girl does have her sights set on the right guy from the start, though. Take Catherine, of the next Avon True Romance, Catherine and the Pirate: she can't help but be attracted to Derrick. So what if he has an unsavory seafaring past? So what if he's her brother's best friend? So what if he acts as though he's not into her? That one kiss had to have meant something! Right?
They went on to describe it as a heartstopping, high-seas adventure.
"Nicola and the Viscount" had plenty of adventure. She was kidnapped by bad guys in broad daylight and locked in a tiny room in a London flat when she refused to bend to their will! Then, when one of her captors came in to torment her, she knocked him out with an ale pitcher and climbed out the window onto the roof! Grant, the evil cabby driver, began to pursue her, but felt himself beginning to slide off! Desperately, he grabbed Nicola's dress, bringing her down with him. Nicola thought she was going to die...but ending up landing in Nathaniel's arms. Grant fell into a water trough.
That's about as exciting as it gets around here.

Thank you, Sam Pratt!

For the friend suggestion.
At first I was like, wtf? But you know best, apparently.
Emma and I went "shopping" yesterday.
Meaning we complained about consumerism and America while wandering about the mall, where we went to three stores before getting stuck in Barnes and Noble.
Good times.
She bought me a book, which was nice.
Even though the book ended up being about the futility of the "intelligent design" argument and how Christians can (and should) square their beliefs with evolution, because evolution is right. Even the Bible says so.
Um, right.
They did make a couple of good points, I must admit, about proven fact and theories.
But I find it annoying that people that believe in evolution assume Christians believe what the people back in Darwin's day believed: that Genesis 1:1 meant that God LITERALLY created everything in the beginning, including every species of every animal ever.
Which I think is sort of ignorant. Because it's been proven that speciation and mutation DOES occur, but that doesn't disprove the theory that God made the earth.
And it doesn't prove that all those species come from a common ancestor (a sponge).
And it certainly doesn't mean that all existence exploded into being from nothing.
Which is sort of what the intelligent design theory is. But there's God involved, not...nothing.
So I wish a lot of people, especially my science teachers, would stop saying things like, "Adaptation happens! Mutation happens! Therefore, you're wrong! Oh, and we found fossils!"
And I wish loudmouth Christians who have no idea what they're talking about would stop standing by the old school Genesis 1:1 theory. Because it's not true.
And they certainly don't take everything else in the Bible that literally, such as Revelation.
It was weird to see how the book twisted the parable of the talents into a pro-evolution argument.
Just like the Catholics twisted an unrelated Bible story around their anti birth control argument. I still don't know where I stand on birth control, but I think their argument is absolute CRAP.
So whatever. My God is big enough for speciation and mutation and everything else. He made organisms infinitely complex, so of course he could have made it so animals *gasp* CHANGE OVER TIME!
And of course he's big enough for evolution, and some people use that argument.
But I'm still not inclined to believe we came from monkeys, even though that's easier to swallow than the "fact" that cows and whales are related.
Of course...
Anyway. Enough of that rant.
My dad thinks I might be in a cult.
Or at least dabbling in some kind of forbidden spirituality.
Because there was a test on this awesome personality profile thing I found that compared your personality to the personality you SHOULD have according to your zodiac.
And I already don't believe in that kind of thing. My horoscope is wrong half the time, and if not, why is it that my supposedly "Virgo" older brother is one of the most extraverted people ever? And my "Aquarius" dad one of the least friendly?
So the test showed that I only fit one of five Capricorn requirements. In short, I am the worst excuse for a Capricorn this world has ever seen.
I met a guy yesterday who put a lot of stock in the zodiac, and was like, "Yeah, well, we Libras get along so well."
Only I had to tell him I wasn't a Libra. And he said he never would've pegged me for a Capricorn.
Well, yeah, go figure.
Anyway, I showed my dad, because I found it fascinating...and kind of funny.
But, as usual, he focused on ONE detail rather than the whole picture, the whole picture being that I DON'T BELIEVE IN THE ZODIAC and I'd showed him the test because IT BASICALLY PROVED HOW WRONG IT WAS.
Actually, if it proved anything, it showed what a freak of nature I am.
But my dad decided to focus on the fact that the zodiac itself is "dangerous" and I shouldn't be dabbling in stuff like that.
?????
Ooooooooookay, dad. Thanks once again for listening.
He never actually listens to the stuff I'm telling him, only what he thinks he hears.
Argh. Frustrating.

Sunday morning fun

My mom and dad had to teach the 4 and 5 year-old Sunday school today.
Apparently, it wasn't a positive experience.
My mom is FREAKING OUT. She has a problem with one of the other teachers, who thinks little kids should have structure and discipline.
Well, yeah. To a point. But little kids don't do well with crazy amounts of structure. They rebel.
And she also has a different opinion than I do of chaos and disorder.
A FEW THINGS weren't put in their proper place, but they weren't cluttering up the room, and it looked FINE, like a nursery/Sunday School room is supposed to look.
But a few things out of place for her is disorder and chaos.
Whatever. I'm just a slob.
And she's lived with the ultimate neat freak for 20 years.
But still.
Anyway.
Primetime was interesting.
It's weird. Coming back from Stateside, I made all these "connections" and now I really feel like a part of the youth group.
And, surprisingly enough, I ENJOY Primetime now!
I don't know about Thrive, which was always the bane of my existence, since it hasn't been going on for a while, but Primetime is great.
Sort of.
All these "connections" and new friendships?
Unfortunately, we're all hiding out back in our little groups.
Ahem, cliques.
But I've got one, too.
And it's not like they're all being rude on purpose, and I'm not exactly initiating anything.
And some people are making an effort, which is...really nice.
But it's how the youth group has always been, and that's what I was always complaining about before.
It just seems sad that I spend 10 days with these people and get to know some of them really well, and want to CONTINUE to get to know them, but how can I if we don't really cross paths even when we go to the same church?
There's always FACEBOOK. But really. A little face to face time would be nice.
I just don't want to be stuck in the same lonely group I'm in now. I love my friends, but not all of them want to branch out.
Other than that...
Good sermon, Ben.
He said something along the lines of our feelings might trust God or think he's faithful, but we should always believe that he's faithful and loves us. Our emotions will follow.
I love how Ben always acknowledges "feelings", and how we're not abnormal for having them. They just HAPPEN. And I'm not even talking about ROMANTIC feelings, though he mentions those quite a bit (he thinks those are bull, though).
Unlike some T pastors I might mention.
ENFPs and INFPs of the world UNITE!
I'm going to join the junior group in Thrive again this year, since I actually belong there this time.
Partly because I finally have friends of my own that aren't kindly older kids...but mostly because Bess is gone.
Yes, I'll say it. She's gone. And I'm GLAD.
I know part of my deal with the youth group was my fault, since I made sure I didn't fit in.
But she made me feel like I didn't fit in. And she continued to do it the entire time I was there.
And her job is to make people feel welcome. Right. Thanks. You're an inspiration.
My brother's leaving tomorrow. :/ And I won't get to see him a lot, even at holidays.
He's been here for the entire summer and I was getting used to having him back.
But I guess we're replacing him?
We might be getting a 16-year-old Vietnamese exchange student.
She'll be going to the college, though, so I won't see her at school.
I'm a little bit like, "Crap." Because every time we had Japanese students, even for just three days, it took me forever to get to know them and I withdrew and they withdrew even more because they were all so SHY and POLITE, so that could prove difficult.
But it's a GIRL who'll be living with us long time, and if it's a good fit...who knows? It could be like the sister I never had.
Could be.
Could be.
Argh.
I need some depressing French music.
I AM WARNING YOU JAVERT! I'M A STRONGER MAN BY FAR! THERE IS POWER IN ME YET, MY RACE IS NOT YET RUN!
Fun times.
Playmobil soap opera? Tempting, tempting.
Myeah...not a bunch of bad ideas...LET'S DO IT!

Brideshead revisited...again

I can just hear a certain pastor's favorite joke, "The Department of Redundancy Department".
A&E said "Brideshead Revisited" wasn't that good, and I'd heard that the relationship of Sebastian and Charles was super flamboyant compared to the book.
It really wasn't that bad.
Charles and Sebastian kissed once, and Charles wasn't even that into it.
Sebastian and Anthony were apparently a couple (? not sure if that's true) before Charles showed up, and within 10 minutes of the film's beginning, we get a kiss from the couple.
I freaked out, more because THEY DIDN'T DATE IN THE BOOK.
It was still a little like, "Hellooooo, Anthony, good to see you...even though you have a moustache!"
Seriously, the moustache grossed me out. I'd pictured sideburns, not a moustache.
What bugged me was that Julia kept popping up and made this weird love triangle between Charles, Sebastian, and herself.
Ugh, I hated her. She couldn't act, and she wasn't even cute!
AND IT WASN'T IN THE BOOK!
Julia and Charles didn't have this epic love that stretched across time. He wasn't interested in her while he was with Sebastian. They didn't have this cutesy forbidden love that "wasn't meant to be"!
Ugh, it was so stupid and disgusting to watch. I guess it worked out pretty well for the director, since Charles' "betrayal" drove Sebastian to drink.
Since the book didn't give a reason, they couldn't leave it all vague. No, it had to be cinematic and theatrical.
Ridiculous.
Other than that, it stayed pretty true to the book.
Emma Thompson was CRAZY. She should play a psycho more often.
My mouth dropped open when I saw Lord Marchmain.
Because I hadn't expected Dumbledore.
And he's not allowed to do any movies besides Harry Potter, of course.
When it came to Catholicism, it seemed ironic that Sebastian, the homosexual dipsomaniac, came the closest. He admitted he needed God's love. Whether or not he found it...he did live with those monks. Cordelia basically said that was good enough, since it was a kind of faith, which went against everything her religion had taught her.
I never thought of Cordelia as stupid, the way the movie portrayed her. But oh well.
Bridey was perfect: ignorant, rude, determined, etc.
When Sebastian moved to Morocco...
It was a poignant scene in the movie, and I was too busy thinking how hot he looked.
Then I started to tear up, because Charles was crying whilst keeping a stiff upper lip. Those British.
It was weird how the movie ended without hope. Sure, Charles learned to RESPECT the altar and the faith, but he walked away after, probably never to be seen again. He just faded away, like the Indians in "Lagaan". Wow. Talk about crappy endings.
And now dinner.
How is it that it's hard to articulate in words what something means to you, but it's easy to write it down...in words?
Doesn't make sense.
Because it was hard to describe the movie to my mom, but if she'd asked me to write it down...
Obviously a career in public speaking isn't in my future. Oh darn.

What do you expect with dial-up?

My dad's freaking out. When you listen to itunes while you're online, the songs sometimes skip.
But whatever. It only does that when you're on the cpu and/or playing a CD while doing a billion other things.
But my dad is worried that the skipping means the songs themselves are flawed and will sound funny on his ipod.
He refuses to be pacified.
He's also worried that my brothers and I are having the Worst Summer Ever, because we're laying around the house doing nothing.
Or, in my case, spending ungodly amounts of time on Facebook and reading too much Meg Cabot (even though I dislike her strongly, I'm still rather addicted to Princess Diaries).
But no. We have to be doing Activities to be having any fun!
But then he worries that we don't like the activities.
So he's very stressed this summer.
He shouldn't be, though; we LIKE being lazy. That's the WHOLE POINT of summer!
I loved Stateside, it was great, and there was so much stuff to do, but now that it's over, even though I get a little bored with the light workload, I just want to relax.
And we had this weird conversation about the WEATHER of all things, where he freaked out because I'd heard something DIFFERENT from him.
It was so weird. He made it this big production, and it was like, "Dad, really, we watch different news channels. Who cares?"
I've learned a lot about him this summer, and I hope it's helping.
The black-bottom cupcakes don't have enough cream cheese!
Instead of being cream cheesy and delicious, they have a hidden pocket of cream cheese that's overpowered by devil's food!
WHAT WILL WE DO??
I would love it if my internet didn't have a heart attack every time I loaded a game of some sort.
I'm kicked offline 45% of the time because of this.
My dad is all, "Maybe at the end of the summer, we'll get high speed!"
Awesome! Seeing as we're years behind!
Oh my gosh, it's dead.