Some Pictures, a Short Film, and a Vlog--April 25th

Well, first off, I figured I'd just post some random pictures I've taken over the course of my second semester at college.  My favorite shots are ones of my friends, but I don't want to post them without their awareness, so I'll keep pictures of others to a minimum.  After the pics is a vlog where I talk about how I haven't done anything fun or interesting in a while... though, honestly, this semester really has been a pretty great one.  I got pranked, went to the Hunger Games premiere with some friends, went to a reptile show, sorted through trash, got a JOB, held a cute little snake, found out I'm my best friend's best friend, and actually got some homework done.  Also, as covered in the vlog, I was hospitalized and got beat up on a granite mountain.  But you'll have to watch for more info on that  ;).  Without further ado, some pics.

A prank someone pulled on me--yes, that is ALL OF MY BEDDING STAPLED TO THE WALL.

The quad on a lovely spring day.

At a festival, where I joined some other volunteers in sorting through trash cans for recyclables.

Myself and the egg I dyed on Easter.

An awesome Asian water monitor, on my head, at a reptile show.

A snake a friend of mine found while we were out by a local creek.

A picture my sister snagged over spring break, when we went hiking off the blue ridge parkway.

A anole found by that same local creek.

My knees after shooting the short film--later, the red turned to purple, then started to fade.

If you care to see the short film, here it is.  BEFORE WATCHING, read the following disclaimer:

I acted as instructed to act--frequently in an overdramatic fashion, with tantrum like moments, and my character was a bit of a hotheaded idiot.  So yeah, there's that.  Also, I managed to get punched between the eyes once, and punched my counterpart in the mouth at one point... so while no animals were harmed in the making of this film, students WERE xD lol.  Overall, it was a lot of fun... I hope you enjoy if you watch it:

And, last but not least, the vlog with the latest updates from a sleep deprived Lizabeth xD lol.  Here I am folks...

With a Little Help From My Friends

Hey everyone! I'm sorry for not posting in so very long… I've really been struggling with managing my life outside of my blog and simply haven't made time for it. Sleep has become my closest friend and worst enemy, as my levels of exhaustion have risen dramatically. I had blood work done over Christmas break, and it was determined that my D levels were practically non-existent, so I've been taking a supplement to help with that. Unfortunately, however, I managed to lose my pill case last week, and was a wreck as a result(found it a couple days ago though, and am on the road to recovery).

As most of you are aware, my grades last semester were pretty terrible, and I'm afraid I have bad news--so far this semester, they aren't really improving. So, school right now=stressful. Largely due to the fact that I struggle to stay awake in class and while I try to do my homework.

But, in more positive news, I managed to find a job with the help of a dear friend and am now working at my university's IT Service Desk, which I'm thoroughly enjoying (most days anyway). I did get threatened with termination because I'm always sleepy, but my boss was having a bad day, and since then my work schedule has changed so that I'm coming in a bit later one day, and traded an early morning shift on Tuesdays (when I always have a paper due) to an afternoon shift on Mondays. Work=mostly good.

As far as my personal life goes, in one regard it is complicated. One of my friends and I have been on the verge of being more for a while now, and our friendship took a more than friendly turn… per his suggestion, we're taking a break from spending so much time together/resting together until after Spring Break, at which time we'll evaluate our relationship and decide if we'd like to pursue something. Also, like the last time we spoke, I'm lucky to have the friends I do. They've all been there for me despite the fact I've been downright pathetically weak and don't really deserve any support, and that blessing has kept me sane.

Yesterday one of my friends, my first real friend here at college(and someone in whom I confide), figuratively held my hand as I called the counseling center to set up an appointment. The stress has just really gotten to me, and with my little collection of physical issues (D deficiency, hormone deficiency, depression, malrotation, etc.), the combination is overwhelming. Also, one of my instructors who is fairly aware of how I've been doing suggested that I contact the dean of students to see if they can help me out with my other courses--I slept through an exam worth 1/5 of my grade for my Mass Comm class the other day (about 5 days into going without medications), so I'm going to see if they can help with that (I think). SO, what's the point of this post anyway?

Well, it's actually me taking the opportunity to get a grasp on the issues I'm facing and lay out a battle plan. Here goes!
-School: meet with counseling center, contact dean of students in regards to MC, improve sleep schedule
-Work: take more extensive notes, talk with my mentor about FootPrints, improve sleep schedule
-Personal: try and respect his desire for a break, be patient, rejoice in my blessings, and improve sleep schedule.
-Common theme: life would be a heck of a lot better if I wasn't tired all the time!

I guess what matters at this point isn't the hole I've managed to dig myself into(dwelling on it won't make it disappear)--it's how I'm planning on getting out of it. And I AM planning on getting out of it--hopefully the steps I'm taking in seeking aid, instead of stubbornly and silently suffering like last semester, will be what I'm looking for. After all, it's pretty hard to pull yourself out when you're in over your head. Thanks for letting me vent--I hope to have something more interesting to post next time :). Miss you guys--feel free to email me whenever!

Life is Sweet/Happy New Year

Hey everyone! I just wanted to wish you all a very happy new year, and share with you the highlights of my 2011 and my goals and wishes for 2012.

2011 was a very eventful year for me, and a year in which I was very blessed. I got to spend more time with my sister than I have in ages, got to be an extra in the movie of my dreams as well as a TV show, became a National Merit Finalist, received an amazing scholarship to a great school, started my first year at college, and made some amazing new friends. I also got to celebrate the coming of the new year with one of my best friends from back in the fourth grade, and it reminded me that celebration of the new doesn't mean a complete abandon of the old. Just because I'm looking forward to and celebrating having a fresh start in 2012, doesn't mean I need to celebrate the ending of 2011. Because all in all, 2011 was a VERY good year. Sure, a lot went wrong. My cancer scare, my mom's various bouts of illness, and my craptastic grades last semester… but the fact is, the good outweighed the bad, big time. What can I say--life is sweet.

Dear God, thank you! Thank you for the year two thousand and eleven. Thank you for the opportunities you've given me. I'm sorry for not taking the chances I've been given and making the most of them--but I hope not to repeat that mistake this year. Thank you for Sarah. Thank you for all of my friends at school. Thank you for the people I love and the people who love me, at home, at school, and even those I only know through my little ol' blog. Just… thank you for everything. All of it. Both the good, and the bad which helps me appreciate the good all the more. Thank you for loving me even though I don't deserve it. I'm sorry for having such difficulty accepting it, accepting YOU. But thank you for it nonetheless.

2012 is the year in which the world will supposedly end. I don't know if that's happening or not, I don't know anything about the future for certain, but I do know that I'm going to make the most of what I can. This past year's blessings won't go to waste. My resolution? To do my best. To do my best to abandon my fear of failure. To do my best to trust. To do my best to love. To do my best to have faith. Because my best is really all I can do.

Happy new year, everyone, and God bless,

A Scavenger Hunt, a Dance, Finals, My Birthday, Old Salem, A Museum, Final Grades, and Upcoming Christmas.... The Readers Digest Version!

Hey everyone! Since my last update, I've attended a winter formal (dance), taken my finals, been sent back home for Christmas break, celebrated my 19th birthday, gone to Old Salem, gone to Reynolda House Museum, and gotten my final grades for the semester.

The formal was a lot of fun, as was the manner in which Jonathon asked me to it! I basically was sent on a cross campus scavenger hunt down memory lane, and it was pretty amazing :). Each clue was attached to a memory that he and I shared, and it was so wonderful reliving all of those good times at once! I also had to climb a tree for the first time in years, which was fun! We had a great time at the dance--even though Jonathon and I were dates, we still went with our group of friends, and we all had dinner together before we attended the formal. I wore my prom dress (some of you may remember it--very colorful), as did some of my friends, and one friend's sister curled my hair. Here's a pic of Jonathon and I from before the dance:


And here's a few candids:





In the weeks following formal, I had to prepare for and take my final exams. I actually did really well on my finals (95 in one, which required two essays to be written by hand in 2.5 hours… the scariest thing in the world for me xD), but even a 95 couldn't make up for the fact that I didn't finish half of my work on time… but more on that later.
Right now, I'm writing from NC, back at my parents house. I got a ride from another NC student at my college, who we met at a Charlotte summer send off party. Coming home from break filled me with apprehension, and I'm still a bit stressed to be here. Generally speaking, I'm looking forward to going HOME home--back to my residence hall. I am, however, enjoying some of my time here quite a bit, thanks to my sister. First off, we celebrated my birthday at Concord Mills (a mall, for those who aren't NC residents), and my brother and sis in law wound up meeting us there after a while. My facebook status from that night sums up what we did pretty well:



So that was my December 18th :). The 19th was a long day at the house (where I seem to be automatically discontented… need to work on that), but on the 20th Sarah and I went to Old Salem, and that night she let me sleep over at my brother's house (where she lives). When we got up on the 21st, Sarah asked if I wanted to hit an art museum, and naturally I said heck yes! :D. We went to the Reynolda House Museum of American Art, which had an exhibit on loan from the Smithsonian called Modern Masters. One of the pieces I liked:



Back to my grades--they suck this semester. I got one F (for an online course I repeatedly forgot about until I just gave up on catching up), one NC (for an ENGLISH course, which are typically my easiest courses… because I didn't turn in drafts for the second to last project, or the project itself, which were huge parts of the final grade. Everything I turned in I got great scores on), two D's (for my biology lab and for my liberal arts course, which I love), and one B (biology). Why are my grades so bad? Because I didn't complete half of the homework… I don't know how to explain, and don't want to make excuses, but I need to seriously reorganize my mind and stop with the perfectionism crap. I know I've posted it before, that I've got perfectionism issues, but they've never had these kinds of consequences before. I've always been able to keep myself under control and force myself to get crap done, and have always had straight As as a result… so this is kind of hard to digest. But next semester I'm determined to do better--largely because I know, if I don't, I could lose my scholarship and be stuck back in this house for much longer :/.


So, what's next? CHRISTMAS!! :D :D :D. I've done the majority of my shopping online, and am worried that gifts won't arrive before I head back to college (when I'm planning on giving my friends their gifts), but a few things have arrived and been wrapped :). I've already received two very thoughtful gifts from friends, and it's making me even more excited to GIVE gifts! I want to make people as happy as those made me :). My sister and brother and his wife will be coming over Christmas eve to celebrate, and I'm really looking forward to it. Well, I think I'm finally caught up… my goal was to be posting about Christmas BY Christmas, and there you have it. I hope that your holidays all go fantastically, and that you're able to spend time with those you love. That's what really matters in the end, anyway… the people you love, the relationships you have with them, and what you really mean to eachother. I've been so blessed to make such wonderful friends at school, and am looking forward to spending time with my 'family' again. I've also been blessed to have the siblings I do, and in a certain way I'm blessed to have my parents as well. They have, after all, helped shape me into who I am, made me stronger… and for that I'm grateful. There's a lot for me to be grateful for this holiday season, and I betcha there's a lot for you to be grateful for too--if you only take the time to think about it. Merry Christmas everyone, and God bless,

Time is Running Out

You've probably heard that phrase before--I know I have a million times. Deadlines over school or tasks at work, time is always running out to accomplish something--or at least, that is the way it seems, with those deadlines we choose to create. But what about REAL deadlines in life? Personally, I've been thinking about that a lot lately. Heading off the college in the fall is going to tear me away from my parents and siblings and friends, but there's always next summer to spend time with them, right? What about my grandparents that I never see? My grandparents that love me but live so far away we don't see eachother, my grandparents who are beginning to have issues with health or memory, my grandparents who won't ALWAYS have next summer. Yet, do any of us truly have a guarantee of next summer? Life is short--sometimes much shorter than expected. And only in these past several weeks have I begun to LIVE in a way that acknowledges that. My sister and I have been spending more time together, I'm hanging out with the girl across the street, I just visited my family in Georgia… I'm focusing more on what matters, and what matters is relationships with people. I hadn't seen my grandparents in GA in quite a while, and when we arrived and I hugged Papa, I told him I loved him, and he quietly said "I love you too" and got tears in his eyes… and in that moment I couldn't remember why I ever considered not coming on this trip. Sure, I had reasons--I've got deadlines to meet for school, need to finish shopping and getting my books and making decisions and paying bills, and I haven't blogged properly in ages(even missed my one year blogoversary)--but in the end, all of that is relatively inconsequential. My Papa means so much more to me than that. And so does my sister, and my mom, and my brother, and certain friends. It is so. freaking. easy., especially in this day and time with the advances in technology, to forget how much more important human relationships are than impersonal updates on facebook or funny videos on youtube. This coming week I've chosen to go to a movie with someone I don't know all that well, but would like to, go whitewater rafting with the girl across the street, and go to Ohio to visit my relatives on the other side of my family. Yet another trip at one point I considered missing out on. Yet more time away from college preparations. But it's worth it, because you never know how much time you've got left. And I guess that's the point of this post--time is precious, and so are the people you love, so why not spend what time you have with them? These past several weeks I've enjoyed my life more than I have since… well, as long as I can remember. It's a pity it took me so long to figure it out.

Goin' to the Lodge (Great Wolf Lodge) :D

Earlier this week, my family and I spent three days at Great Wolf Lodge(an indoor water park, for those who don't know) to celebrate my mom's birthday! My parents, my sister, and I were there all three days, and my brother and his wife came on the 14th for dinner and spent a little time touring the park. The trip was a lot of fun, and while I didn't get many pics (and those I got are crappy), I'll share what I have :). First things first, the entrance:




The room:







The view from the balcony:




The park:










The first ride we rode is called the Howlin' Tornado, and we all thought we were going to die. It was probably a bad idea for all four of us to ride together, because my parents aren't exactly as slender as I am, and the weight upped the momentum and the tube was literally on its side ready to flip several times throughout the ride. My dad was ABOVE my mom, because they were sitting opposite eachother, and she thought he was going to fall on her and kill her! Lol, it was pretty crazy. Anyway, I couldn’t' get pics ON the ride, but here is a pic of the inside I found online:




And here is a pic of the outside:




For those who haven't ridden it before, it is essentially a huge funnel you're dropped into, as you can kinda tell from the pics :). Anyway, after riding that, my mom didn't want to go on any more rides, so we hit the outside pool:







My sister and I went ahead and hit other rides, including Alberta Falls and River Canyon Run. We pretty much just enjoyed everything the park had to offer that day :).

The next day, my mom's birthday, my dad suggested trying the Howlin' Tornado again, so he and I went and wound up paired with two little kids, and the ride was still wild but we didn't think we were gonna die-it was actually a heck of a lot of fun! Seriously, I LOVE that ride. So next we convinced my sister to join us, and she my father and I all rode together, which was a mite crazier but still non-lethal. We enjoyed all of the rides, including the cool racing one, all morning and afternoon.




We also raced across these lily pads and log rounds things… here is a pic of the setup:




Sure it is for little kids, and my sister and I couldn't even stand up-right, but we raced with our heads held high like the little kids we really are inside :D. Oh, and I almost forgot: I won ;).

After spending the day in the park and at the outside pool, my mom and I got decent then headed out to play Magi Quest, an interactive magical experience :D. She really wanted to do it, so she bought a wand and we had at it. It was a lot of fun, but WAY too much exercise-seriously, four stories of running all over the place and hunting down paintings and gems and wolves and treasure chests and battling dragons can really take the energy out of ya!

After playing for a couple hours, we got ready to go to dinner, where my brother and sister in law were waiting to surprise momma. She couldn't believe they were there, because my brother was supposed to be in DC meeting congresswoman Slaughter to discuss a bill she is proposing (which has to do with the mass use of antibiotics in the agricultural industry-really long story, but fascinating-read a summary HERE, about the bill, if you want. Also, if… four people or more ask, I'll explain what it is that my brother wanted to discuss with her. It is kind of complicated, and I'm too lazy to write an essay on it here, but will expand on the issue if you want). Anyway, congresswoman Slaughter was feeling sick, so her secretary rescheduled all her appointments for the week. So yeah, we drove on over to the Mayflower to grab some seafood, which my mom loves:







And when she saw my brother she totally freaked :). Here is my sister in law, brother, and sister (from left to right). Do I have beautiful siblings or what?




After dinner we went back to Great Wolf, and gave the family a tour of the waterpark. Here is a shot of momma and all her chilluns ;).




After THAT, we managed to talk my brother into riding the Howlin' Tornado with my sister and I. We were riding along the tube, chill and everything, then hit the drop off point where you enter the funnel and start FLYING, and my brother shouted the F-bomb way loud xD. My sister and I couldn't stop laughing at him. Then, after the ride was over, I got caught in the water in the exit area and was being dragged back toward the tunnel by the current, still laughing hysterically, and the employee holding our tube pushed it over to me and helped drag me out. Here is us getting off:




Then, them off and me drowning(see my head behind the tube?):




And finally, I emerged victorious, looking like a demon possessed drowned rat:




After that, my bro and his lovely wife left, because she had to work that night, and the rest of us just chilled. The next morning, we packed everything up to go, except swimsuits (check out was at 11, but you're allowed to use the park until it closes). Then momma and I went on more Quests, and finally beat the stupid dragon:




After that, momma and I got into a bit of an argument, and things got really tense and uncomfortable, and we got something to eat, then hit the waterpark, and things were all better :). It was more complicated than that and took hours, not just a sentence, but it did get better. When we hit the park, we chilled outside, then managed to talk momma into riding Alberta falls… she'd been so traumatized by the Howlin' Tornado she didn't want to ride ANYTHING. But she and I hit it together, and she loved it so much she went again! Here we are:




Then I had my sister take a better shot of the two of us.




My sister wouldn't ride anything because she'd gotten a temporary tattoo, that said SEXY in Chinese or Japanese or something, and didn't want it to wash off xD. Eventually, we had all the fun we could handle, and got dressed and ready to go. At the front door, an employee was willing to take our picture, so you can see us in our weird haired glory.




And then we were off! It was a lot of fun, and momma really enjoyed herself, which was the point :). My entire body hurts, from hauling myself over those lily pads by the ropes (I almost entirely used my arms), and from climbing all those stairs for the rides and the Quests, but I'm glad I did everything I did :). Oh and Max, I did have tons of fun, but not as much as I'd have had if I'd gotten to meet you there ;). Sorry for not posting for a while people-it took a bit to get all the pics together from the different cameras then assemble the post. Huge thanks to Grey for following! I hope you enjoy what you find here :). Until next time,

Kreativ Blogger Award

(this post was written three days ago)

Ten thousand years ago, I was awarded by Kenzie of Soul! This award is called the Kreativ Blogger Award!

The rules are simple-tell ten random facts about yourself, then pass it on to ten blogs you always read! Here I go…

1 - My favorite pairs of shoes are my converse chuck taylor all stars with double uppers, and my black high-heeled boots. I like converse and I like high heels. Deal.
2 - I have never had a Red Bull or a Monster, but I LOVE the Monster logo xD.
3 - If there is a camel cricket crawling on a wall, and someone is afraid, I will grab that camel cricket in my hands and walk away and throw it. Apparently, some girls call that brave once they feel safe again. You're welcome.
4 - Queso makes me SO selfish. I do NOT want to share Queso. I want my own jar, and my own bag of Tostitos, and leave. Me. Alone.
5 - I'm working on cleaning my room, something that hasn’t been done in many, many, many months.
6 - I don't handle forward guys very well. When they make assumptions, I react poorly (like giving my # to this dude because he was smart enough not to ask, but to whip out a pen and say "I'm assuming it starts with (area code)?" and look up at me sheepishly, and I didn't wanna lie, so I said yes, and wound up giving him my #. Dumb.). When asked a direct question, I respond better. Like, 'will you go out with me?' or 'can I have your phone number?'-those can be easily answered with 'no' :D.
7 - My white shirt that says 'Angel' on it is hanging next to my black shirt that is covered in skulls. Can you tell I'm sitting in front of my closet as I write this?
8 - I was 100% against e-readers until I got the new Kindle as a graduation gift. I LOVE it. Already read Wither, The Running Dream, and started on Divergent :D.
9 - My Hawaiian name is Elikapeka.
10 - I still use physical CD's to listen to music in my room. Right now, it's Relient K's 5 Score and 7 Years ago (felt a bit sentimental today).

I'm proud of myself for thinking of ten things! How Kreativ of me! xD LOL sorry. So, now to award ten blogs I always read (though sometimes REALLY late, I never delete):

1 - A Selection of Varied Topics by Bethany
2 - Not Much of Importance by Max
3 - That's So Diabolical by Steph
4 - Thrive by Lauren
5 - As Told by JinnyD (by Jinny D!)
6 - Farmgirl Writes by Amanda
7 - The Book Blog by Shaynie (now that I've got more free time, I'm allowing myself to read reviews! YAY!)
8 - Pandora by Stephanie
9 - Outside Into Life by Antonia
10 - My Thoughts in One by Lia (sorry I've been absent lately-I got a little confused with the name change and haven't been online too much-will catch up soon!)

Also, Soul by Kenzie, the amazing blogger who granted me this award! And if your blog isn't listed, doesn't mean I don't read it-I just picked the first ten that occurred to me ;). Can't wait to hear ten facts about all of you!

Mi Familia

Steph just did a post on all her family members, and asked her followers to do the same, so I figured I'd give it a shot :D. I'm not using the real names of my family members, but just saying Sis and Bro and Liz for my sister, brother, and sister in law (well, I'm using her real name). Lol, moving on, in order of age…

Momma: My mom is crazy, and fun, and sometimes drives me nuts, but at the end of the day I know that she loves me with all her heart and would die for me in an instant. She works as a CNA in a hospital, a job which she generally likes, but right now she's taking care of people in rehab who are 300+lbs and it is taking a serious toll on her body. Soon, she's moving to another hospital and will be in a mother/baby unit :D. Much smaller patients… lol. She LOVES to fish, and the beach, and driving, and cooking ridiculously unhealthy but delicious southern food. She's from Georgia and proud, and proud a million times over of us three kids-the best things she's ever done, she says :). She is clingy and overprotective, and keeps making comments about me abandoning her when I go to college, but I'm growing up and I know as time passes she will come to accept it. The single most annoying thing about her is that she wastes words-she'll ask me to do something I know how to do, and then go into detail, wasting precious air and making me stand there longer when I could be doing it. Yes, that is a major pet peeve of mine, and not entirely her fault.

Daddy: Daddy is a really mixed bag of insanity. I guess I'll start with the basics, the 'what the neighbors see' deal. He works from home, in our rec room, as a computer programmer/web designer. He goes to church every Sunday and helps people take down trees, and takes care of the dog all day and used to get the newspaper out of our elderly neighbor's driveway and put it on her porch for her, but she's in an assisted living facility now. He's happy to lend out tools and waves at people when he walks around the block. He packs my mom's lunch every morning and when she gets back from work waits on her hand and foot. He also is prone to psychotic fits of rage, has told me that I must do what he says when he says it and that he doesn't care what I think about anything, and has screamed at me for opening a can of soup. He cussed at my sister the other day for asking to borrow his phone, and turned around and complained to me about it, but he took me to the hotel and to the drop off location for filming every day for the couple weeks I was on set, and was nice as could be the whole time. He refuses to contribute a dime toward my college education, despite his financial success, which made me ineligible for need based awards-praise be to God for National Merit and the scholarship I received-I genuinely thought I wouldn't get to go at all. We think he's bipolar, he thinks he's perfect, and I don't know if he'll ever change. He also thinks children are nothing more than the byproduct of a healthy marriage. I'm a byproduct. Joy.

Bro: I LOVE MY BROTHER!!!!! He is 28, and sarcastic and intelligent and amazing and funny and protective and loving and the best big brother in the whole wide world. Haha, he really is! He's in charge of all the computers in the hematology/oncology wing of a large hospital, but says he still doesn't know what he wants to do when he grows up. He's taught me that you can make mistakes and life still goes on, and that I don't have to be perfect to have success in life. He offered my sister and I a place to live to escape my father, and has always said he is there for me no matter what. I believe him.

Sis: I LOVE MY SISTER! Haha, she is 20, HYSTERICAL, and loving, and really emotional but in a good way. I tend to be cold and disconnected, and she is NOT. When she's upset, it comes out right that second, and when she's happy the world knows it. She tends toward 'blond' moments, all the time, and doesn't like to read, but she's got some street smarts and when she knows something, she KNOWS it. She's shown me that hard work can get you anywhere, and is kicking butt in nursing school even though it has been an uphill battle sometimes, and I have the utmost respect and admiration for her. When we were little I drove her crazy, but now I truly consider her my closest friend, even though she lives with my brother and I don't get to see her as much anymore. She likes cats and wants to help people and likes to talk, and has a beautiful smile and the darkest brown eyes, and is just a beautiful person inside and out. I really love my big sister <3.

Me: I'm 18, and overthink everything. I tend to be sarcastic and harsh sometimes, and am emotionally disconnected. My semi-robotic behavior leads to hilarity when I'm around my sister, because our opposite personalities bounce off of each other into… well, I was gonna say banter, but it is mostly me catching every logical fallacy that comes out of her hot tempered mouth xD. I'm an introvert, and tend to do more observing than interacting with the world around me. I love reading and music, and both allow me to emotionally connect in a way that my life sometimes doesn't. I know pouring my heart into my favorite song or a good book isn't going to hurt me, unlike my parents sometimes. I love poetry and art and creative expression, and English courses are some of the easiest and most enjoyable I've taken throughout school. I also love Chemistry and Biology, and am hoping for a career in biochemical/biomedical/tissue engineering. I wouldn’t be surprised, however, if I wound up a journalist. I was actually just featured in my local paper, and 'presadential' was written there. I really want to replace the head editor. My Myers-Briggs personality type is INTJ-and it describes me and my authority issues in a nutshell. I'm also a pained perfectionist, and am easily paralyzed by the threat of failure/imperfection. I cannot do something if I lack confidence in my ability to excel at it. I tend to shut people off, unless I trust them, and don't let others care about me though I tend to care about people quite easily. When I consider someone a friend, I'm serious about it, and will defend them without hesitation. Psych and House are two of my favorite shows, and Muse and Breaking Benjamin are two of my favorite bands. And I'm tired of talking about myself right now. Here is a pic of Sis and I (for those who don't know, I'm the one on the right):



Well, I'm the baby, so I guess that's it… actually, let's throw the pets into this.

Angel-Angel is SEVEN (I can't believe it!), and a white long haired cat that is NOT a Persian (her face isn't flat). She is beautiful and has depth perception issues (I've seen her NOT land on her feet a couple times, disproving the old adage), and lately has become extremely needy and vocal. She loves attention and is generally really sweet-she's the best behaved pet we've ever had. And she's MY baby-when I went and saw the litter of kittens, she was the ugly little flea ridden runt that didn't want to let go of me, and I loved her to death. Now she's GORGEOUS.



Spaz and Greco-These two are my lovely leopard geckos, Spaz is the fat one and spazzes whenever people try to hold him, and Greco is the smaller one who is gentler and enjoys being handled. Here is a picture of Greco… all my awesome pictures of the two of them are on a different machine, so we'll have to settle for this:



Peanut-Our little hot dog… Serious bladder control issues, but sweet as can be. My mom brought him home, but he spends most of his time with my dad and me.



And I guess that's it :). So what's your family like? I'd love to hear about them!

We lost power around 7:20 today, and I decided to write a post on something I actually cared about while it was off. That something is a charity called To Write Love on Her Arms, a fantastic organization whose goal is suicide prevention. It means a lot to me, because I almost committed suicide in the 9th grade, and I know how hard it is to go through those feelings alone. This charity provides support for those battling depression and runs a suicide prevention phone line, and has a solid message: what makes the biggest difference is showing love. You can read more about how this organization got its name by reading the story behind its origins-you won't regret it. It is something I am passionate about, because so many do not realize how careless they are with their words, how much they can hurt someone. It seems like people, especially young people, are downright cruelly clueless-not knowing that every day they make a snide comment about some girl's weight, she's vomiting up everything she's eaten. Not knowing that jokes about that goth guy have him cutting himself daily. Not knowing that little miss perfect actually hates everything about herself, and is breaking down under the pressure to maintain an image she's been assigned. We judge each other endlessly… on what others say, on what they wear, on how they do their hair and makeup or the movies or books they like. We have labels we apply as we compartmentalize everything: slut, gossip, emo, nerd, loser, whore, prep, goth, dumb blonde, jock… and then people turn around and conform to the labels that society has assigned them, because they don't know what else to do. And then we look, and we see a label, and we stop looking before we see that the jock has a love for art and poetry, that the gossip is talking about everyone else's lives because her parents are abusive and she doesn't want to talk about her own, that the whore is just looking for love in a world that has never shown her any. That they each have lives and interests and personalities BEYOND that single word, and that they're people with depth who deserve to be treated with basic human respect. And if you believe in God, then you should know to show His love to EVERYONE, regardless of how you feel about their life choices! God loves us all, and we would just learn to love like Him, to love without prerequisites or conditions, then there would be a lot fewer people in this world who cry themselves to sleep at night, who are utterly alone and judged and hurt. I guess the point of this whole rant is, people are SO MUCH MORE than meets the eye. And when we fail to see that, and fail to care, we fail them entirely.

My Favorite Quotes

Hey everyone! The question of the day on formspring several days ago was "what is your favorite quotation?", and because I have several (and didn't want to list them all there), I've decided to make a post out of it :). Which one of these do you like most? And what are some of YOUR favorite quotes?

"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." - Voltaire

"In my life I have seen,
People walk into the sea,
Just to find memories,
Plagued by constant misery,
Their eyes cast down,
Fixed upon the ground,
Their eyes cast down…
I'll keep my eyes fixed on the sun"-Cage the Elephant

"Some men see things the way they are and say, 'Why?'
I dream things that never were and say, 'Why not?'"
-Robert F. Kennedy

"It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities" -Albus Dumbledore (so what if he's fictional-GREAT quote!)

"We must overcome the notion that we must be regular... it robs you of the chance to be extraordinary and leads you to the mediocre"-Uta Hagen

"Follow through
Make your dreams come true
Don't give up the fight
You will be all right
Cause there's no one like you
In the universe"-Muse

"I am among those who think that science has great beauty. A scientist in his laboratory is not only a technician: he is also a child placed before natural phenomena which impress him like a fairy tale"-Marie Curie

"We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them."-Einstein

"All of us get lost in the darkness,
Dreamers learn to steer by the stars"- Rush

"When we are motivated by goals that have deep meaning, by dreams that need completion, by pure love that needs expressing -- then we truly live life."-Greg Anderson

"When you have a sense of your own identity and a vision of where you want to go in your life, you then have the basis for reaching out to the world and going after your dreams for a better life"-Stedman Graham

"You've got to be the best
You've got to change the world
And you use this chance to be heard
Your time is now"-Muse

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit"-Aristotle

"Peace cannot be kept by force. It can only be achieved by understanding"-Einstein

And last, but not least, one of my all-time favorites:


"The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and all science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed."

Recovering from the Weirdest Day of My Life (thus far)

This tale is not for those who are weak of heart, because it’s really freaking weird. Oh, and HG Lova, you kind of have to read this. Today, I did the following:

Went to physics class, which was a review in prep for the final, and other than me looking like crap because I had a random unexpected breakout on the side of my face, it went great.

Came home because I was starving because I hadn’t eaten, only to realize I didn’t have TIME to eat-I was running late for a doctor’s appointment.

On my way to the doctor, got in a car accident with one other vehicle, holding three generations of women (my first accident ever).

I melted into a puddle of hyperventilating and waterworks, repeating over and over “I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry” (I think I was in shock).

The two younger people with whom I collided were from Maine, visiting the third person, the grandmother, who was behind the wheel. The middle woman grew up in the Bahamas, because the grandmother was a missionary, and the young daughter also grew up in the Bahamas.

The younger daughter was 19, and very nice, and homeschooled. She told me they lived in Maine with a large garden and lots of farm animals, and that she was the youngest of seven siblings, all of whom were married. She reminded me to trust in God while making all of the huge decisions that come with graduation, a reminder which I desperately needed.

My entire town lost power, so I couldn’t get a hold of the insurance guy and my mom couldn’t look up the doctor’s phone number to tell him I’d be late.

My dad arrived at the scene of the crime to assess the damage and make a decision whether to work it out personally or bring in the cops (which the other people did NOT want, at all).

We agreed to go to an Auto Body shop that the grandmother always used in order to get an estimate on the price of the repair of their headlight area (which slammed into the side of my car, which we will not repair… I’d have to pay to fix it, and honestly the car still drives, so I’m okay with it).

It wasn’t her first collision, and she knew the man who ran the auto body shop.

After hearing his name, my dad asked if he was related to a recently departed family friend, and it turns out he was. They wound up talking about Mr. Terry for a while, and Mr. Terry was such a good, Godly, man, so I started fighting tears again.

A price was settled upon, and the man said he would do part of the work for free (generosity which was completely unexpected).

Both vehicles went to the bank, where my dad got a cashier’s check and paid them the agreed amount. Then we said goodbye to the missionary family from Maine, who really were a blessing to get in an accident with (I mean, what if it had been an angry man?!?!).

We swung by the doctor to see if I could be seen, and I couldn’t for forty five minutes, so we went home so I could eat.

We arrived, and my mom said she’d take me to the doctor and we’d go to her interview for a great job afterward, and I STILL didn’t have time to eat, because I was running around doing stuff to help her get ready.

Momma and I went to the GI doctor (I’ve been having severe stomach pains and digestive issues for months now, and we thought antibiotics fixed the mystery problem but they didn’t, so I got a CT a bit back and they found out I have malrotation. Click the link if you want to know just how screwed up I am.). The doctor suggested a second colonoscopy, this time a full one, but he doesn’t know if he’ll be able to do it because my intestine is shaped like a paper clip (again, click the above link for details). We scheduled it for Friday morning, which means I can’t eat anything after midnight tonight, and need to prep(drink some colon cleansing crap) tomorrow.

After the doctor’s appointment, we rushed to the hospital for my mom’s interview at a mother/baby unit. My mom is a CNA :). I sat and watched John Wayne movies while my mom had her interview and went on a tour, and everything went AMAZING, and she’s pretty much hired. It was a real high-point for the day.

We FINALLY ate, hitting the amazing Cracker Barrel, and when we arrived my dad called and told me I had a message that would excite me when I got home-and that it had to do with a casting call I went to (click the link for details).

The food was great, but we had to hurry, because we still had errands and haircuts were scheduled for tonight.

After eating, we hit Michael’s and I got some more triangular gems (the triangular sunshine earrings sold, but I know they were a favorite of some of my giveaway enterers, so I’m making more).

After Michael’s, we came home, and I listened to the message. I am one of the very first extras to be cast in the Hunger Games movie, and was told that I definitely should be excited, as I was one of the first picks. My only hesitation was scheduling-I have my college orientation May 30-June 1.

I called the casting agency back, and scheduled a sitting/costume fitting for tomorrow morning at 9 am. The lady, when she heard about my orientation days, was wary, but I was crossing my fingers I’d be able to reschedule.

After that was straightened out, I sat down and was looking for the email address of the orientation people, to ask how easy it was to change days, when THEY CALLED ME TO ASK IF I HAD QUESTIONS. No bull, I was looking for the email, and they called that moment about my orientation.

Turns out, it should be easy to swap days, so when I go tomorrow I’m just going to wait and see what the filming days wind up being.

In summary, today I went to school, got in a car accident, scheduled a colonoscopy, my mom got hired at an awesome place, and I got cast in the movie of my dreams. Pretty much the weirdest day of my entire life. I mean, how RANDOM can you get? The people I collided with were amazing, the repair guy was a friend of a friend, and the phone rang just as I was looking for the email of the caller? Super freaky. SO, the next few days will be just as weird:

Thursday, 9am, going to my HG sitting/fitting.

At 12, I begin my prepping for the colonoscopy.

When at home, I need to take all of my EOG testing in one day.

On Friday, I have my colonoscopy in the morning, and will be out of it all day.

On Saturday, we leave for vacation, which is why I have to hurry it up with the EOGs.

Is my life insane? You tell me.

Zebras, Giraffes, and... Rhino-seros? (a Trip to the Zoo in Pictures)

The trip to the Zoo really started the night before, when my sister called at ten pm and asked if I wanted to hit the zoo in the morning. I'd been outta my head because of family crap, and was eager to get outside and enjoy the pretty weather and see my sister some more, so off to the zoo I went :). The funniest part was her reading a sign, not a minute after we entered…
"Zebras, Giraffes, and 'Rhino-seros'… I wonder why they put only that one in Spanish"
*I walk back to sign and stand there*
"how exactly do YOU spell rhinoceros?"
*she comes back over*
"you're kidding me… hahahaha, that's ENGLISH!"
"yeah, it is…"
She then said "maybe I shouldn't be the one holding the map…" xD lol. Gotta love my sister! We saw lots of animals, and though my camera is difficult to work with, I did manage to get some pretty pictures. Nothing spectacular, but you can usually tell what I'm taking a picture of (and one of them I actually really love). I'll stop boring you with words now, though ;). See for yourself!






























































Well, I'm too lazy to post any more, and I'm sure your eyes are worn out from all of those xD. My favorite is the flower shot, with three, and with a vertical orientation. Those flowers were just so beautiful! Anyway, I hope to do a post with more substance soon. Thank you all so much for the congratulations! I'm excited :D. Until next time,