Sometimes...

You know those times? The ones where things have finally seemed to have just barely rectified themselves between you and another and then WHAM! It happens. You open your mouth and say something stupid. Something out of place. Something that sounds really... really bad.

That was Thursday.

And then, you know how you try to fix it? You send an e-mail full of light-hearted apologies and compliments... and you wait.

...and wait.

...and wait.

...and nothing happens. No response. No acceptance. Not even a comment on your facebook status. Nothing.

All night... all day... and I've given up on tonight as well...

Yeah... so you know those times? Well, in case you don't, they suck. They're sucky. As Mom would say, "They suck eggs!"

Now, don't take this the wrong way... I'm not heartbroken over it or anything.

Just... disappointed in my friend and myself.

Adorable Things

Things I Adore (inspired by Mom over at More Than Just a Mom)

1. God and my family!

2. Fall... it's so pretty; brightly colored leaves, cool crisp air, pure rain coming down, a steady wind blowing... happiness!

3. Coffee. Coffee good.

4. Peanut M&M's... which I have new supply of (thank you Mom)!

5. Books... they just seem to go very nicely with fall, coffee and peanut M&M's.

6. Playing the piano! But allow me to specify: Rhondo ala Turca-- BAD Scarlet Pimpernel music from Broadway--GOOD

7. Drop Dead Diva!!!

Futility

So... today I was reminded via an old assignment sheet that I have been learning the Rhondo Ala Turca (by Mozart) for at least a year.
Seriously?
Yep. Seriously. The date on the sheet was April 2008. And I'm still working on it.
I know a big part of the problem is that I don't practice enough... but honestly!

So Many Books and So Little Time

I love to read. Reading is one of the most amazing things ever... there are so many good books that I would love to read!

I just have a tiny little problem... sticking with just one or two books at a time.

Right now, I'm trying to read:

1. Anna Karenina -Leo Tolstoy

2. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring- J.R.R. Tolkein

3. Macbeth- William Shakespeare

4. The Castle of Llyr- Lloyd Alexander

5. ... and I'd really love to pick up The Screwtape Letters- C.S. Lewis

6. And I'm at a stopping point halfway through The H.M.S. Surprise- Patrick O'Brian

So... I'm going to make myself finish them... and hopefully soon.

The Castle of Llyr is only with me until Friday... so that one has to be first.

I've been working on Anna Karenina the longest, so she'll be next.

Macbeth after that since I'm very much in a Shakespeare mood.

Lord of the Rings after that to please Emily... and maybe while I work on that I can do Screwtape Letters.....

And to top it all off, after that, I want to read Inkheart. :-)

Well, there you go. My weird homeschooler self in all her bookishness.

Poetry

First, let me be clear. I like poetry—when it’s real poetry. Poetry should rhyme, should mean something, should tell a story or prove a point. My American Literature book’s authors don’t seem to understand this concept. For example, yesterday my assignment was to read the four paragraph biography on Ezra Pound and the poem that followed.

Mr. Pound was born in 1885. He lived in Europe for the greater portion of his adult life. He was an imagist. He supported Fascism. He was charged with treason, got out of it on account of being declared insane, was confined for twelve years and then was set free by his lawyers, some congressmen and a guy named Archibald MacLeish. He lived the rest of his life in Italy and died in 1972.

Okay.

And now the poem, “In a Station of the Metro”:

“The apparition of these faces in the crowd;
Petals on a wet, black bough.”

Gee, that makes absolute gobs of sense.

Not.

Honestly, was this guy on drugs???

Now for the fun part, let’s see what questions my American Literature book wants answered (and I quote):

1. How well does Pound’s “In a Station of the Metro” fulfill the rules announced by the imagists and their nondidactic concept of poetry?

2. Though “In a Station of the Metro” uses neither rhyme nor meter, it employs sound patterning in such a way as to give an impression of poetic “shape.” What instances of sound repetition, or near repetition, can you detect? Is there some rhythmical parallelism?

3. The two lines of Pound’s poem form an elliptical sentence. What words would need to be added to fill out the statement? What figurative expression would the poem then exemplify?

4. What word in Pound’s poem has multiple meaning? What less ambiguous, one-dimensional word might have been used in its place? How does the additional meaning add impact to the imagery?

Seriously?

They really want me to even bother studying this thing? That’s not poetry! It doesn’t even qualify as a haiku!

The Jabberwocky is poetry. The Lady of Shallot is poetry.

So, tell me, why can some Fascist freak write a nonsensical sentence and become famous for it?

25 things

1. I have been attacked by a squirrel.
2. I’ve had braces for almost three years and am getting them off soon!!
3. I refuse to read Twilight.
4. My cat has schizophrenia and is bipolar… but he can still be very fun.
5. I’ve been to Washington, Idaho, Montana, California, Wyoming and Hawaii. Hawaii is BEAUTIFUL, Idaho and Montana are far too snowy, California is hot and I don’t know what I think of Wyoming.
6. Rainy, cloudy, windy days make me a very happy person. Don’t ask why.
7. Fall is my favorite season (it has plenty of windy days).
8. I love living on a hill overlooking the valley… there’s a rather nice view from our back field.
9. I’ve had two very cute foster-sisters who stayed with us for 11 months.
10. My second cousins (Chris and Wyatt) have lived with us off and on their whole lives.
11. My three favorite books (which are subject to change): The Princess Bride, The Scarlet Pimpernel and Les Miserables… yes I know, Katie, I haven’t read the unabridged yet.
12. I like London Fog Lattes.
13. I’ve never had to go to the hospital for myself… my family on the other hand…
14. I like to watch LOST. Weird, I know.
15. I despise it when people ask me, “So, what do you want to do with your life?” Honestly, what 16-year-old knows the answer to that?
16. My favorite toy as a little kid was the swing that my Dad made for me on the maple tree in the yard…. I spent hours on that thing.
17. I hate cows—nasty, smelly things always get out at the most inconvenient times.
18. My best friend and I are so similar it’s creepy.
19. I do pretty well at scrabble in person, but play against me on the computer and I will lose pathetically.
20. Three places I want to go: Oahu (again), Ireland and England.
21. I adopted a Grandma, since one is really weird and the other is dead.
22. I love working at Bible Club, Dunes and Kid’s Camp.
23. I like hats.
24. Little kids I know have called me Kito and Diso…. But my favorite is what Zoe and KK called me “Honey”
25. I am a night owl.

150 Things You Didn't Want to Know about Me

Snatched from Annie (a.k.a. my Mom)…


01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink – I think not…


02. Swam with wild dolphins – I don’t swim in the ocean. Or with big fishies…


03. Climbed a mountain – Nope.


04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive – I don’t drive, so that would be a little difficult.


05. Been inside the Great Pyramid –I’ve never even left the country.


06. Held a tarantula – Hm… a gigantic furry spider… no.


07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone – Um, no thank you- I bathe alone.


08. Said “I love you” and meant it – To my family, duh.


09. Hugged a tree – That might hurt a little.


10. Bungee jumped – Of course! Not.


11. Visited Paris – No. And I don’t really want to either.


12. Watched a lightning storm at sea – No, but it might be kind of cool!


13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise – Are you kidding? In the cold?


14. Seen the Northern Lights – No.


15. Gone to a huge sports game – Oooh!!! Yes! Let’s go watch a bunch of arrogant athletes throw a ball around! Or not. I have books to read.


16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa – Again, with the never-been-out-of-the-country thing…


17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables – With my Mom and brother.


18. Touched an iceberg – Why?


19. Slept under the stars – Does being in a tent count?


20. Changed a baby’s nappy – I’ve had two foster-sisters and a cousin who’s more like a brother. Of course I have.


21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon – Egad, no!


22. Watched a meteor shower – Never seem to see much.


23. Gotten tipsy on champagne – I don’t even know what that tastes like.


24. Given more than you can afford to charity – I generally don’t have money. But I do try to tithe.


25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope – Are you kidding? I OWN a telescope!


26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment – A year after my Grandma died, Grandpa FINALLY decides to bury her ashes. The Lutheran priest did something that my brother and I had been joking about. It’s awkward when you start laughing when you are burying someone.


28. Bet on a winning horse – Don’t care.


29. Asked out a stranger – Um. No.

30. Had a snowball fight – Who hasn’t? Lots of fun!!! Except when you dodge a snowball and ram your head into a vehicle. Twice.


31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can – Yes. And my Mother told me that I can only do that if I an bleeding or being kidnapped.


32. Held a lamb – I don’t remember.


33. Seen a total eclipse of both the sun and moon – Of the moon, yes. I’m still waiting to see the sun eclipsed.


34. Ridden a roller coaster – Yeesh, no! I cried on the ride that makes you spin in a circle a couple of times.


35. Hit a home run – I hate sports.


36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking – I don’t recall.


37. Adopted an accent for an entire day – Ooh! That sounds like fun! My best friend (we’ll call her Rosencrantz—it’s an inside joke) and I did go around goodwill acting like British people for awhile. That was fun!


38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment – Yes!

39. Had two hard drives for your computer – No? I don’t know.


40. Visited all 50 states – No.


41. Taken care of someone who was drunk – No. Although I did play twister with my tipsy Uncle once.


42. Had/Have amazing friends – Yes! Rosencrantz!


43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country – I can see that this is going to be a recurring theme….


44. Watched whales – No.


45. Stolen a sign – Why?


46. Backpacked in Europe – And again…. I don’t even have a passport yet.


47. Taken a road-trip- Yes!


48. Gone rock climbing - Nope


49. Midnight walk on the beach – Nope


50. Gone sky diving – Oh yes!!! Of course I have jumped out of a plane with nothing but a piece of cloth to save me from falling to my doom. Or not.


51. Visited Ireland – Again, the farthest I’ve ever been is Hawaii. But I would really LOVE to go to Ireland!


52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love – I’ve never been in love.


53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them – I don’t think that I have, actually.

54. Visited Japan – Okay, come on! Is this all just some big ploy to make me feel poorly traveled?


55. Milked a cow – You don’t milk beef cows (like the ones I live with).


56. Alphabetized your CDs – What, all four of them?


57. Pretended to be a superhero – Oh please! Why is everyone so obsessive about people who run around with their underwear on the outside??


58. Sung karaoke – NO.


59. Lounged around in bed all day – Well, at least half of it.


60. Played touch football – I dunno..


61. Gone scuba diving – No.


62. Kissed in the rain – Um. No. (I’ve never been in love, remember?)


63. Played in the mud – I live in the country, of course I’ve played in the mud. Anyone who hasn’t has missed a large part of their childhood.


64. Played in the rain – Yes!


65. Gone to a drive-in theater – Nope.


66. Visited the Great Wall of China – Okay, seriously people. I HAVE NEVER LEFT THE COUNTRY…. Need I explain this to you again??!?


67. Started a business – No, but I helped Mom with hers.


68. Fallen in love and not had your heart Jbroken – Never. Been. In. Love. Seriously.


69. Toured ancient sites – I’ve been up in the loft of our barn plenty of times! It’s got the whole dusty, rotten wood look down pat.

70. Taken a martial arts class – Once I was forced to do one class of it taught by some friends. I sucked.

71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight – ?

72. Gotten married – apparently, I do need to explain this again.

73. Been in a movie – No, but I’ve done some skits and a play.74. Crashed a party – How rude.

75. Gotten divorced – …you guys are really slow learners, huh?

76. Gone without food for 5 days – No.

77. Made cookies from scratch – Did you forget who my Mom is? Like, duh!

78. Won first prize in a costume contest – Yes. At the harvest party at Church several years ago.

79. Ridden a gondola in Venice – You’re just not getting this are you? Besides, if I were to leave the country, I’d go to England and Ireland.

80. Gotten a tattoo – No.

81. Rafted a river – No.

82. Been on television news programs as an “expert” – No.

83. Gotten flowers for no reason – No.

84. Performed on stage – Yes, lots of fun, that!

85. Been to Las Vegas – No.

86. Recorded music – No….

87. Eaten shark – I don’t like seafood.

88. Kissed on the first date – Okay. Let me clarify still more. I’ve never been on a date and I’ve never been kissed.

89. Gone to Thailand – Are you going to go through all of the countries in the world this way?

90. Bought a house – Nope.

91. Been in a combat zone – No.

92. Buried one/both of your parents – NO! Thank heavens!

93. Been on a cruise ship – No. I would prefer a tall ship.

94. Spoken more than one language fluently – Workin’ on that.

95. Performed in a Rocky Horror Picture Show – Sorry, what?

96. Raised children – Never been in love. Never been kissed. Never dated. Never had kids.

97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour – No. That would probably involve leaving the country.

98. Passed out cold – No. I’m thankfully not the fainting type.

99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country – And again.

100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over – Nope.

101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge – No. But I have driven over what has been deemed “the creepiest bridge EVER” by yours truly.

102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking – Oh, probably.

103. Had plastic surgery – Whatever.

104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived – nope

105. Wrote articles for a large publication – No.

106. Lost over 100 pounds – No. If I lost 100 pounds I would be toddler-sized.

107. Held someone while they were having a flashback – I’m sorry?

108. Piloted an airplane – I don’t even drive yet.

109. Touched a stingray – Ew. Why?

110. Broken someone’s heart – Shall we go over this again?

111. Helped an animal give birth – Ew! No!

112. Won money on a TV game show - Nope

113. Broken a bone - No

114. Gone on an African photo safari – .... I suppose you’ll figure it out eventually.

115. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears – No. It’s ugly and then my Mom would grab onto it and lead me around.

116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol – I don’t remember.

117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild – No. My Mommy taught me not to eat things that I find outside.

118. Ridden a horse – Yes. And looked like a dork because I was scared.

119. Had major surgery – No, thank you.

120. Had a snake as a pet – Ewww!

121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon – no.

122. Slept 30 hours in a 48 hour time frame – If I was asleep, I probably wasn’t counting.

123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states – Okay, seriously people…

124. Visited all 7 continents –And AGAIN!!

125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days – I think not.

126. Eaten kangaroo meat - No

127. Eaten sushi – Ooh, yummy. Raw fish…. Er NO!.

128. Had your picture in the newspaper – No.

129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about – I don’t know.

130. Gone back to school – Never left it.

131. Parasailed – No.

132. touched a cockroach – NO. NO. NO.

133. Eaten fried green tomatoes – Ew.

134. Read “The Iliad” – Did you forget who my Mom is? Yes!

135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read – Yep. Tolstoy. Dostoevsky.

136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating – No thank you.

137. Skipped all your school reunions – Not out of high school yet.

138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language – Vaguely.

139. Been elected to public office – I’ve been elected president in a mock election before.

140. Written your own computer language – Not really all that good with computers.

141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream – I don’t even know what my dream is.

142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care – No way!

143. Built your own PC from parts – Not good with computers.

144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you – I don’t draw.

145. Had a booth at a street fair – No.

146. Dyed your hair – Nope. These highlights are natural!

147. Been a DJ – No.

148. Shaved your head – No.

149. Caused a car accident – Nope.

150. Saved someone’s life – Nope.