Sweater Weather (Which is also a song. Y'all should look it up).

The time of year has come upon me again. The time of year when all my finals are done, all the papers are written, and I have no academic responsibilities for a whole month.
Winter Break.
This is both a glorious and tedious time of year.
I mean no harm to my family members who will read this post.
I love you all and love coming home to see everyone and finally spend some time with all of you crazies, but after two and a half weeks I crave the company of someone my own age. Someone to go out and listen to music with me late at night who also has no obligations because...imagine that! They are on break, too.
And honestly, I have some great family that will go out with me and listen to music or shop around or grab a coffee and chat for a few hours, but there is something about the company of someone your own age that changes the scene a little bit.
Hopefully some of that makes sense.

Either way, the break has come and I have five weeks to do things I don't have a lot of time at school to do:
Read for fun.
Play my uke.
Play with the dogs.
Upgrade my phone.
Cook.
Eat.
Paint my nails.
Go to dives and honky tonks in Nashville and listen to music.
Bug musicians about when they are playing next (because I have an "in").
Terrorize my mother.
Do laundry without having to pay.
Shower for as long as the water stays hot.
Decorate the Christmas tree.
Make a mess because it drives my mom nuts.
Hang with my uncle and aunt when they doesn't have to work.
Bug my Babajo (grandmother) even though she is supposed to be working.
Take my camera out for a walk.
Search for 40mm film for my camera.
Blog about nonsense.
Think about illegally downloading music (because who actually does that and doesn't feel guilty for cheating the musicians out of their hard-earned cash?)
Draw.
Paint.
Watch movies.
Bake.
Play Little Horse, Big Horse with the fam.
Eat again.
Sleep (when my internal alarm lets me).
Go thrifting for sweaters. (Freaking love thrifting).
Visit my Papa in the hospital (just got a double knee replacement).
Make stupid lists.
Dance around the living room.
Surf the web.
Youtube.
Hulu.
Go slowly insane.

Yup.
That about covers it.
Great time of year.
Very productive.
*snickers*

Procrastination sounds like...

I'm definitely getting the work done.
Right now.
Hell, yeah.
Productivity.
Let me just check my email to see if the Prof emailed me back.
Hmmm...nope.
What is with that?
It's the age of technology and it takes hours for Profs to get back to us.
#firstworldproblems
Well, since I'm on the internet, I might as well check Facebook.
OH! A notification!
Dang...just someone else commenting on something I liked.
Hey, this looks like a cool video.
Haha...puppies.
No.
No.
I need to get this stuff done for tomorrow.
Right. Now.
Hey, I forgot to look up that song I noted down last night.
I'll just do that real quick.
*two hours later*
Dang, that's a bomb diggity song.
What the heck...10pm?!
How did that happen?!
Right, now I have to stop screwing around!
Enough is enough.
I need to get my head in the game.
*5 minutes of reminiscing about High School Musical*
Okay.
I will stop and get to work.
Finally get stuff done.
Jesus, I don't want to do this.


This is about what goes on in my head as I try to get stuff done and I only have 3 days until I go home for winter break. It's torturous because I'm doing it to myself. All this work really isn't that hard, there is just a lot of busy work and I hate that. Doesn't feel like there is any real purpose to it, but that's life. If you are currently procrastinating, then I will help out because that is the kind of lady I am.

Here is a song I am currently listening to on repeat:
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93ASUImTedo

The beat for this song gets be every time. I don't care how I'm feeling, what I'm doing, or where I am I will literally start wiggling and bobbing because I need to move when I listen to it.
Good jam.
As I struggle to focus, I hope you have an easier time than me.
If you are just like me...glad to know we are kindred spirits.
But, I'm going to stop writing and get back to work.
For real.
Maybe.


...Probably not.

Thinking Some Thoughts

Hey everyone!

I'm not going to write a whole post seeing as I should be editing my work for a creative writing portfolio, but I was eating breakfast and watching some videos and came across this one. Thought everyone should see it!
Hope you have a great day today!

http://www.upworthy.com/something-every-teacher-should-watch-and-student-and-person?c=reccon1

Musical Disorder

I had a thought the other day when I was browsing around Youtube looking for some new musical awesomeness that I think I have a problem. For some this might not seem that strange, so maybe you have a problem, too. (Food for thought.)
I think I have a Musical Disorder.
Sounds weird, right?
I mean, in today's society, what with electronics taking over our world, everyone is plugged in all the time. So it shouldn't seem that strange that I have a Musical Disorder.
Obsession is probably a better term.
Technicalities and such.
Let me list the reasons why I think it is a real problem:

1. The other night I probably spent a good two to three hours looking around on the internet for new songs/bands to listen to. Part of that process involved looking up the website for the radio station my mom listens to (102.9 The Buzz out of Nashville, in case you are curious) and proceeding to look up all the artists I had never heard of before - including Alt-J, Young the Giant, Twenty One Pilots, and Artctic Monkeys.
2. I have dated a drummer and continue to find band members extremely attractive. The moment I find out someone can play an instrument - doesn't matter what it is - they are automatically 100% more attractive. I understand this is a problem, but I can't stop it.
3. I can happily listen to a song or album on repeat for hours or days with absolutely no problem. It will never become annoying, boring, or uninteresting. Figure that one out.
4. I purposely bought a used iPod classic (used because I am poor) because I would be able to fit all my music on that amazing 80 gig box of magic.It lasted through my abroad travels and then died when I got home. I was devastated. I still have no idea what is wrong with it and it sits on my desk, lonely and begging me to fix it. Don't worry, Edna, you will be fixed as soon as I can afford it!
5. I play my music ridiculously loud when I have my earbuds in because I like feeling as if there is a tiny concert going on in my head. My roommates have constantly scared the crap out of me because I had no idea they were behind me since I couldn't hear them. I am currently not the best at hearing and I have a feeling by the age of 50 I will need hearing aids. Whatevs.
6. I am not too picky about what genre I listen to. I will admit that I am not a huge country fan - I realize that I am from Nashville and should love it, but this is not the case. I honestly have gotten a lot better at appreciating this genre, for example Josh Turner can do no wrong, but I still hold some reservations on it.  However, I like basically everything else: punk, pop, indie, alternative, metal, rap, electronic, etc. 
7. I absolutely love going to concerts. It doesn't matter if it is a huge sold out concert or a little show in a restaurant or backyard. I love going to see live music to the point of craziness. My college has something called D-Day (Denison Day) and they bring someone to our college every year to play. This year I got to see Matt and Kim play. It was freaking amazing. I had only heard a few of their songs before, but it was so fun to go and see how into it they get when they play. I love the vibe of a good audience, the lights, the excitement, and the feeling you get when the concert ends and you step outside thinking, "That was probably the most fantastic thing I have seen in months." It's a religious experience of sorts.
8. When I am walking around anywhere and I am plugged into my iPod, I catch myself constantly pretending to play the drums, which I have no idea how to play and bobbing my head as I keep the beat with the song. I have seen people stare and I have no shame enjoying my music. People should try it sometime, it feels pretty good to jam out when you are heading somewhere.
9. Whenever I am in the car, the music MUST be on. I not only feel awkward in silent vehicles, but I feel like the ride is not as enjoyable. Because it's not. We can talk and listen to music at the same time. It happens all the time.
10. I am your typical poor college student and I constantly have to battle with myself when it comes to buying music. I will basically tease myself and see how much albums cost and then have to talk myself out of buying it because in my head I know that I need to save my money for when I graduate - which is way too soon - but I have this terrible need to buy music. I can almost always talk myself out of it, but I have had times when it was impossible. I've even gone half and half  with friends before for an album that I wanted because I knew that friend wanted the album, too (The Great Gatsby album is an example).

So, yeah.

I'm almost positive I have a real problem.

I even write blogs about music.

Case and point: this blog.

Jesus.

Love those thighs, ladies.

I want to spend this blog talking about what we think about, hear about, and obsess over all the damn time: Beauty. The way we look. Sometimes I wish it wasn't even a thing. I think as  human beings we would be so much happier if we didn't think about it, if we didn't care about it.

I bring this up because this link popped up on my Facebook:
http://www.upworthy.com/2-people-described-the-same-person-to-a-forensic-artist-and-this-is-what-happene?g=2

I think it is great this is being circulated around so much because it is really important.
Every day we see ads and other things of women and men who - I am almost positive - are not as happy as the photographer made them out to look.

Let me break this down for everyone.
I am a 21 year old woman who has always been hyper aware of my looks (as I sure everyone is). There are days when I wear an outfit and think I am rocking it...only to wear it later and think I look absolutely hideous because my thighs are huge and the muffin top is visible.
It's overwhelming how awful those thought are, but how can we stop them when everyone is always pointing at them? Ads want you to be as ecxiting as that couple in the commercial, stores might not carry your size because they don't want a person with meat on their bones to wear their clothes, and celebrities are usually no help.

When I have a daughter/son one day how will I make her believe that she/he is beautiful if everyone else is telling her she needs long blonde hair, big boobs, and no hips. Which is physically impossible, by the way. How the hell do people think woman are capable of carrying babies? It's all in the hips people!

Honestly, I'm not skinny and I am working every single day to be 100% okay with that. Because I don't think anyone who really matters cares very much about it, if at all. It might sound corny, but I make sure to look myself in the eye every morning and tell myself that I am beautiful just the way I am. All the problems I could see with myself, no one else sees anyway! For example, my best friend always complains that her calves are super big - their not - and I never understand why she says that because she is healthy and lovely in every single way. I think she is one of the most beautiful woman I have ever met, but she thinks her calves are too big.

What the heck is with the world?!

I'd like to be an example here of what people actually want to see.
When I look at magazines and see what they think a hot guy look like, I never really fall for it. Yeah, he is nice to look at, but who the heck wants to cuddle on the couch with a rock?? No one, that's who.

Let's look at these guys -

(I have a type. Sue me.)

These guys are healthy, but not super macho and I LOVE that! You just want to get close and nuzzle, for goodness sake. 

Come one, who doesn't?

Same goes with these women - 

These women are gorgeous! They are curvy and who wouldn't want to be? No one wants to cop a feel from a woman who is all bones. I'm just sayin'. 

So from now on, I am going to think of only the good things about myself. Sure, I need to get into shape, but that is completely different than losing weight to be thin so everyone will love me. That's just a bunch of bull. And you know it. 

Love yourselves people. It's probably one of the biggest turn-on's in the history of the world.

Fact.

Pardon My School Work: Openly Straight

Warning: This is not a normal blog post, this is a creative outlet for a project in one of my education classes. Proceed with caution.

I just finished a book called Openly Straight, by Bill Konigsberg. Before I go into depth about my thoughts on the book, I wanted to say a few things about the author. Konigsberg lives in Arizona with his partner, Chuck. He was a sports writer before he became the full-time fiction writer that he is today. To learn more about this interesting character, here is a link to his website:

http://billkonigsberg.com/about/

Alright, now to the nitty-gritty.
Openly Straight is about a boy named Rafe (full name Seamus Rafael Goldberg). His parents both went to school at Oberlin - I'm sure you can picture that dynamic duo - and his best friend is a girl named Claire Olivia Casey. At his school Rafe hates feeling like all anyone sees when they look at him is "a gay guy". He feels limited in what he can do socially and he is so frustrated by this label that he decides to start over fresh at a new school: Natick, an all boys boarding school in Massachusetts. At this new school he quickly becomes involved with the soccer team and is happy to be hanging out with this group as one of the guys, something he had never been able to do even though he had been in the soccer team at his old school. At Natick he didn't have to worry about making eye contact with the other guys, being in a locker room with everyone, or having the whole school look at him as only a gay kid.

Rafe could be a normal guy
Something he craves very much.

At Natick, Rafe is taking a Writing Seminar with Mr. Scarborough that he quickly refers to as his favorite class and his favorite teacher. In this class every student has to keep a journal that only the teacher will read. In the book there are multiple sections that act as chapters where we get to read an entry Rafe wrote, then read Mr. Scarborough's responses. All the entry's reflect something from Rafe's past that is sort of connected to what is happening in his everyday life at the school. In these entries, though, Rafe is openly gay with his teacher, the only one at the school who knows the truth about Rafe.

On the soccer team, there is a boy names Ben. Rafe and Ben slowly become best friends in a way that they have never been best friends with another person before. When they are alone they are able to let their guard down and talk about whatever comes to mind: Random philosophy (as Ben is a big "idea guy"), sex, family, what they like and dislike. It works for both of them.

Until it doesn't.
***Spoiler Alert! If you don't want to know the ending skip down until you get to the words - I have to admit...

Thanksgiving break comes around and Rafe asks Ben if he wants to go to Boulder, Colorado (where Rafe is from). Ben accepted and they went, all the while Rafe has still not told Ben that he is gay. So at home his friends and family grudgingly help him and don't talk about Rafe being gay or make any comments that would allude to that fact. It is just ignored, a big elephant in the room that everyone knows about except Ben. Besides that Thanksgiving goes well and during some time the boys are alone and talking about how glad Ben was that he was able to be at Rafe's for the holiday, Rafe leans in to kiss him.

After this things start to change, but both of them are thinking of the situation in different terms. Ben thinks this is both of them experimenting, trying to figure themselves out. But Rafe already knows he is gay and he sees this as a sign that Ben might be gay. They love each other, but both of them have different meanings when they say they love each other. One loves for friendship the other is in love.

Things hit a new level when one night Rafe heads to the bathroom in the middle of the night after waking up all hot and bothered to, as he says "take care of business", and he is a few steps past Ben's room when the door opens and Ben is standing there, a little tipsy. Rafe ends up in the room and they talk a little bit. One thing leads to another and they end up having sex together. Rafe goes to sleep happier than he has ever been.

But this is a turning point for Ben. He realizes that he is not gay from this experience, even though he wouldn't mind what other people say about it if he were. He tells Rafe that he just wouldn't feel like himself  if he were gay. It is important to really emphasis here that I never got the feeling while reading the book that Ben was gay. He talked about his ex-girlfriend Cindy - not that he could have been covering up being gay, but I honestly never thought he was gay, even when he and Rafe were getting a little more physical.

Even though Rafe was happy to have been with Ben, he feels so guilty about not telling Ben the whole truth, especially because they start growing distant. They end up in Ben's room and Rafe finally tells him the truth, the whole truth. They have a fight and when Rafe continues to think the issues is that Rafe didn't tell Ben he is gay, Ben says, "The barrier isn't straight versus gay; it's real versus bullshit" (p. 290).

In the end, Rafe comes to the realization that no one else was putting labels on him except himself. People weren't looking at him strangely all the time because he was gay, sometimes they might be looking at him and thinking about themselves. It wasn't always about him and that was important for him to understand.

The books ends with Rafe being openly gay again at this new Natick. He and Ben are not really friends anymore, but in their last interaction Ben says that he knows Rafe didn't do what he did to be a mean and devious guy. There is the potential for friendship later. Rafe is a little more okay in his skin and he celebrates differences.

***For those who didn't want the ending spoiled, this is where you can tune back in.***

I have to admit that my first impression of the book was not a positive one. I can't remember the last time I read a young adult novel, but I think the last one I read was by Sarah Dessen (for those of you who read my last blog post, that will not be a surprising claim). The reason I say my first impression wasn't good is because of the use of language. The way Konigsberg writes is in such a way that it can be more accessible to more kids  that if it had been written with more mature language. A lot of the books I read now are not as casual in the tone, not as talky - if that makes sense. I was caught up in the way the book read and it was really annoying for me. Rafe came off as this irritating, self-absorbed guy who can't really look at the world through any other view than his own. The more I read and the more that happened in the book, the less distracting the authors tone was, but I still caught myself reflecting on the use of language throughout the book.

On the outside, this is a book about a gay boy who decides not to tell his peers at his new school so as not to be treated differently, but I believe there is a lot more beneath the surface. One of the things that struck me the most in this book was that Ben and Rafe couldn't be the friends the way they were behind closed doors when they were in public. When they were alone they could hug, cry, talk about whatever they wanted to, but they felt they couldn't do that in public. I never had this happen to me, but I couldn't stop thinking about how terrible that must feel for people who have to do this with their friends. I'm the type of person who thinks if you are not yourself all the time, than people don't actually know you. Rafe learned that the hard way.

When I think back to my experience in high school I can't remember being labeled as anything, but there were people at my school that had a label: The hicks, the stoners, the jocks, the drama-kids, the gamers, etc. I had friends in high school that were - and still are - gay, but that was not something they felt labeled as, the only defining factor of their being. But Rafe felt that being gay was his only identifier. He wanted to be a normal guy, but I honestly don't think that guy exists. As human beings we like to categorize everything into nice and neat little groups, including people. I have never in my life heard of a group being referred to as "the normal guys". It just doesn't happen. Because no one can define what normal means. What I deem normal and what someone else deems normal could be completely different. That is why we define people by something more broad, like jocks and drama-kids. Unfortunately for some, their label might be their sexuality whether they like it or not. I think Rafe could have gone into the school as an openly gay guy and have still been a part of what he was a part of if he didn't make as big of a deal about being like everyone else. Near the end when he was open at Natick he started doing just that and found that no one did care if he was gay or not.

Because this text was so plot-driven, I paid more attention to the events in the book and how everyone reacted to those events. It was almost as if the people didn't really matter except for Rafe because there was not a whole lot of character development except for a few characters, but you still don't really know those characters extremely well. Personally, I don't think I would have read this book on my own if I were in a book store and saw it. I think there are some great scenes, but as a whole I have read more exciting books or books that touched me more than this one.

I don't know if I made a whole lot of personal connection to this book, either, but when I was growing up I moved around a lot and went to many different schools. I understand what it means to be the new kids and how great it feels to fit in with people you might not have fit in with at a different school, but when you think about it, the cool kids a one school could be the geeks at another school. I think the "celebration" of differences, like Rafe talks about in the book, depends on the student body and their interactions. I think another reason I didn't really connect with the book, again, is because in a store I would have read the first chapter and put it back on the shelf. Because we picked books from a list in class, I didn't really get a clear vibe of the book before picking it.

This book is fun at parts and has some great moments, as I said, but I don't think I would ever use it in a classroom. I think there would be better YA books for me to use in class that deal with labeling people or how people perceive someone else, one example (since I brought up Sarah Dessen earlier) could be Just Listen. In that book there is a boy who no one really knows and there are so many rumors about him and a girl who was raped but hasn't told anyone and she doesn't have friends anymore because of it. That would be a more interesting book to use when it comes to what is really going on inside someone versus what other people think of that person. Openly Straight is interesting because it looks at a kid who happens to be gay, but I don't think his sexuality really matters, I think the fact that he thinks he is seen as one thing is the important detail.

(For more on Just Listen go to this link: http://sarahdessen.com/book/just-listen/).

It is so interesting to go back and read a young adult novel after not reading them for a few years. I might just have to go through the YA section of Barns and Noble sometime and get reacquainted with the books there. I have read some really great ones in the past and I'm sure there are just as many good ones still being produces.

Barnes and Noble? Here I come!!


--> This post is brought to you by Miaja St. Martin the Denison University student. For anyone who is not my professor who read until the very end, I commend you. I would high five you if I could, but seeing as this is a blog, you will understand if I don't. Also, I want to put it out there that this is not how I write academically. That would be terrible. This is just a fun way for me to write a book review, because my professors is great and appreciates creativity. Just sayin'.  

I can't help if I'm a romantic!

I have a confession to make.
I'm a romantic.
I know.
Gag.
But here's the thing: I love a good, sloppy, cheesy, ridiculously schmaltzy happy ending.
I think most of that comes from the fact that I haven't seen a whole lot of real happy endings in life. I'm sure they happen, but in my life I have never seen them. Want to know why? The reason is because there really never is an ending until someone has died. Once they die, we can see if they had a happy ending.
That's reality.
However, I don't like to live my life thinking about that because not only is it depressing, but it isn't very encouraging. I can sit outside on a beautiful day or night and think about what my guy might look like someday. I'm sure tons of girls have done this and will continue doing this until the dawn of time.
That's reality as well.
Dreaming of what might come until it actually gets here.
I haven't met my guy yet, but I know that when I do, it will not be the guy of my dreams.
People aren't perfect.
They can't be perfect.
You can't ask them to be.
Because there is no such thing.
But you can think they are perfect for you....you might hate some of the things they do and they might get on your nerves sometimes, but they could fit you like a glove. They might get annoyed that you do certain things, like maybe you aren't supper affectionate or maybe you forget to hang your towel up. But that's who you are and if they really care about you, all that other stuff won't matter in the long run.
Both people will need to adjust.
And I hope it happens to me so unexpectedly.
Out of left field.
I really do.
Because it will be so much sweeter.
So much more exciting.
Even if it looks ordinary on the outside.

I'm talking about this today because of a post I read and I wanted to respond and had no idea where to respond.....then remembered that I had a blog conveniently waiting for me. Imagine that. Here is the link to what I read:
http://sean.terretta.com/dont-date-a-girl-who-reads-charles-warnke

I really appreciated where the writer is coming from and have met a few people like the one he's describing. A person who really understands reality will know that there is no such thing as your absolute perfect match. It doesn't exist. However there are going to be people you fit with, just like your best friends fit you, and the two of you can work together to make something really great. I love reading romance novels, but I know they aren't real and that those endings don't happen, and if they do it is very rarely.
Life isn't a movie, it's life. I think people forget that sometimes.
But for people like me, there is nothing wrong with daydreaming or dreaming up a little romance.
That, too, is reality.

Nibbling on November

Hello Reader,

Today I wanted to talk about the month of November. To be more specific, I wanted to talk about how November is NEVER a good month when it comes to my work load at school. No one wants me to go on a tangent of all the things I have due before my Thanksgiving break (but I'll have you know it is absolutely frightening, hospital trips might be inevitable).

For some reason professors believe that November is the perfect month to have everything and their mothers due because they have realized that there are only four or five weeks left of the semester.
It is frightening for them, too, and as a future teacher I can appreciate that.

I'm also going to be teacher the little tikes of the nation and not college level students.
They are too opinionated for me once they hit 5th grade.


Back to my work load.
It's extraordinary.
Truly.
If you don't believe me I have a final paper due if 5 days. And by final paper I mean the biggest percentage of my grade will be determined by the paper I am able to produce this weekend and hand in to my professor.
No pressure, or anything.

In other news, I am taking a creative writing class this semester forfun and I wrote a poem I think y'all might enjoy.
Here ya go:

A Lesson in Dance

Let us say we have a date,

A partner who wants to touch,

Who wants to get close to smell

The soft curve of skin at your neck.

We feel the rhythm of the music

And decide whether to be

A leader or a follower.

We take our place and begin

The dance of lovers, a dance of

Giving and taking.

Back to front, hands on hips,

We guide each other as if following

A map laid out years before us

That generations of people have been

Consulting since the beginning of time.

He might gain confidence as she

Encourages the roaming hands that

Caress the condensation of her skin

And bring about goose bumps

Even though the air is thick

With the mingling of excited breath and

Stale fog from a machine.

She might take risks, ignoring

The warning from her mother

That actions speak louder than words

When she reaches back to feel damp

Hair between her narrow fingers

And allowing her body to press back

To feel the thrill of another person’s need.

They might slow down depending on

What the DJ plays next, but they

Have an understanding of how two bodies

Come together, move together, stay together

In an environment that thrives

On hearts beating and people meeting.

Hello? Where did fall go?

This is my favorite time of year.
Fall.
Autumn.
The time of changing leaves.
The time of flood collecting for hibernation.
Losing yourself in a sea of warm blankets and tea.

Where the heck did this season go?!

It was fall, right? I was loving it, wearing my cute leather jacket every day. Rockin'.
Then today it it freezing to the point where I wished I had my gloves (which are still at home because it isn't winter yet). It even snowed this morning. SNOWED. I don't know how you feel about these white flakes, but I hate them. Despise them. Wish we could stay in a perpetual autumn season forever. Flannel season.
But, no.
There was snow.

Ugh.

90's Child

I have been reminiscing today about the good ole days....which for me is the 90's. What got me started was the fact that I just bought a pair of teal colored Keds.
If you aren't sure what Keds are, here is a picture:

When I was a kid, my mom had a pair of these and I remember - wanting to be like mom because she was the most BA person I knew - I wanted a pair just like hers. In the 90's, Keds were the poor people shoes, so mom was like,
"Sure thing, I can afford those."
And now they cost up to $50 depending on the design of the shoe or where you buy them at. No one has time for that.

I also came across this in my internet exploration:
 http://www.buzzfeed.com/daves4/things-that-look-just-like-childhood

Definitely my childhood summed up in 50 photographs.

Because of this nostalgia for the past, my roommate and I decided to play MASH. Every 90's girl that ever attended a slumber party, or had friends, should know what this game is. If you don't, let me explain it to you.

1. MASH stands for Mansion, Apartment, Shack, and House.Those are your possible future living arrangements.
2. You pick other categories such as Career, City you live in, Husband (or partner, since we are living in the current day and understand that people love people no matter what gender), how much money you will make, how many kids you will have, and what kind of car you will drive.
3. Fill in the categories with 4 or more things. For example, under my Partner category I might have: Channing Tatum, Jake Johnson, Ashton Kutcher, and Rupert Grint.
4. In each category your friends gets to add an option you have no say about. They can either be really nice and add a young Johnny Depp, or they can be eggheads and add PeeWee Herman. Who knows.
5. You draw a spiral until your friend says stop and the number of lines til you get to the middle is the count for the game.
6. You start at the M in MASH and count through the lists, cross off whatever you land on until you have one option left in each category.

You end up with some pretty awesome stuff.
My roommate had it pretty good after her game.

She lives in a house in Chicago, married to Joseph Gordon-Levitt, working as an Environmental Activist for 100,000 a year with two kids.
Not bad.
Not bad at all.

If you feel the need, I would love to hear how your life turns out.
In MASH, that is.

Sleep, Lists, and Linebackers.

Long time no blog...sorry I'm not sorry 'bout that. I went abroad and had a bomb-diggity of a time.
But I'm back.
Watch out!


This year I am a senior in college - granted it is undergrad, and I have mad respect for any and all persons in grad school - and with this position comes a lot of extra baggage. Since I am trying to be as organized as physically possible with my life right now, why don't we make a list?

Things That Miaja Has to do Before She Graduates:

1. Make sure I can graduate  --> This means that I have to check to make sure I have enough credits to graduate as well as having the right credits for my Education major and Studio Art minor.
2. Remember to get all my work done in classes
3. Work as much as I can (I have an on-campus job)
4. Make sure everything that needs to be done for my internship is taken care of -->This includes recruiting people for various programs, teaching 4th graders (D'AWW), and doing anything my supervisor tells me to do.
5. Update resume
6. Have multiple people read resume
7. Look for job opportunities (I already decided to skip grad school)
8. Apply for jobs
9. Go on interviews
10. Remember I have friends
11. Remain sane through the whole process
12. SLEEP

This list is constantly running through the back of my mind and it has been since the end of last year when I realized I was going to be an actual adult real soon.

Reality tackled me like a 275 pound linebacker. 

Makes breathing a little difficult.

Notice that sleep is at the very end of the list? Yeah, me too. And it sucks so bad. I should also probably clarify that I'm basically a granny ...I have a hard time functioning properly after 8pm. Academically, I'm sure you could see why this would be a problem. So, I write papers, turn them in, and hope to heavens I didn't write anything in them that would embarrass me. It hasn't happened yet, but I'm still waiting for that day to come when I get a paper back that just says WTF on the front of it.