A Work in Progress

I have finished my first week of college classes (four, not five, days a week of classes)! Ahead of me I can see my long weekend and a decent amount of homework. Thus far, all of my assignments have been doable and I've managed to get ahead in the game! But, not by much.
Right now, my hardest task is keeping my room and desk clean since that's where I do all of my homework. On a regular summer day I have "clothing-colored carpet" and my desk is so cluttered that it's virtually unusable beyond the title of storage area. But, this school year I've been fairly good at keeping up on it. Each day when I come home I toss all of last night's clothes in my hamper and clear a working space on my desk. After everything is in order I can begin the tedious studies I've devoted myself to this year.
So, in an attempt to show you all just how much crapola I do... take a look at this picture! Heck, there's even a bottle of hand sanitizer hiding behind my books (the green bottle). And if you want to see the picture, just click it to view a bigger image.

Prison Escape

While school sometimes can seem as an escape from reality where Ritual had sex with Systematic Order and together they birthed the hum-drum monotony that will glide a student easily through about eight hours of a day, it can also use those same elements to become a torturous prison. Last year it was a prison. But this year, I am making a daily prison break as I scramble out of the school doors, gasping for the clean air of the outside world-- an air that is not filled with echoes of long division, John Brown, nor participial phrase lessons. How can I manage this and not be marked truant as I walk out right pass the principal standing guard? Well, I only have one class at the high school and the rest are at Kent. Luckily for me, HS started on Wednesday while Kent doesn't classes until next week.
It's giving me time to get things organized and get back into the swing of things for school. All the while I get to snicker as everyone else is trapped listening to lectures upon rants upon self-help videos. But, I can't help but to feel as if I should be deathly ill because that's the only time that I'm home from school.

Rant and Rave

She rants, and everyone who reads it raves! Unhinged has some of the best rants by far... check out this one! http://stillunhinged.blogspot.com/2005/12/75-minutes.html

I Need Some Drugs!

Well, at least that's what my mom told a friend of hers-who works in a doctor's office-in this email... Read and enjoy!

From: DiAnne
Sent: Friday, August 15, 2008 12:01 PM
To: 'TRUDE'
Subject: Hey...wanna be my drug supplier??

Yo! How would you like to fix my daughter up for a supply of those good things that the drug reps bring in?

Of course, I’m talking about pens and post-it notes and whatnot. She’s not into the actual drugs, just the, errrrrr, paraphernalia that they bring!

Anyway, Beth starts school next week and she was just going through my “goodie drawer” where I keep all the office supplies and she was saying, “ooh!! I like this, can I have it?” “Cool! This is mine!!” She particularly liked the yellow Januvia pen that had post-it flags attached to it. She also liked the Zometa pop-up post-it packages. Plus, pens, pens, pens. Of course, she has to sort through the drug names and make sure there aren’t any Levitra, Cialis, or Viagra names on them (because those pens make it HARD to write LOL).

So anyway, I don’t know what the supply is like at the office, but we were thrilled with the last goodie bag you handed me. If you get a chance before we have dinner next week, could you see if there is anything else you could get? Of course, if it is a problem, don’t worry about it.

Looking forward to dinner! I finally remember the name of the restaurant – Hot Rod Heaven or something like that. Yumm!

DiAnne

Economy Down, Gardens Up!

Across the street from my house, every thursday when crop season hits a climax, there is a Farmers' Market where people tote their personally harvested crops from their backyards or farms and sell them in the park. Generally, if one doesn't get there by 9am everything is gone; and, on a regular day, the farmers usually show up around six or seven in the morning... their customers are quick to follow. My grandma and I would frequently go over and purchase an astounding variety of fruits and vegetables (granted, sometimes she'd have to go without me because I'd sleep in). Their prices were often far below that of the prices at the store and we'd stock up-- filling the picnic basket many times! (and because I'm such an amazing granddaughter, I would carry it for her.) This year, we've only gone once! The economy has been in such a horrible downturn that a) people cannot accommodate the high priced-and continually rising- price of foods that are basic staples, and b) the farmers can only purchase enough seed to fill their family with little to sell.
But, the lack of goods worth buying at the Farmers' Market is not why we have only made it once, it's because grandma has been growing her own garden!
I absolutely love it because I can create a salad in my mouth each time I walk out to the back yard to get into my car, all I have to do is grab a piece of leaf lettuce or romaine and snatch up a cherry tomato from the vine and just pop it in my mouth! She doesn't use pesticides for this very reason. The other day I went out there with a salad bowl and prepared a salad as I sat in the garden! Of course, I added more when I went inside.

Tomatoes, cucumbers, leaf lettuce, romaine, and zucchini all from the garden along with store bought mandarin oranges, crasins, and pumpkin seeds topped off with French Flair spritzers dressing with a side of natural black tea. Amazing. Grandma can actually make her own tea from the peppermint plant we have in the garden, but we've raided it so many times that we need to let it grow some more before we can harvest it again, but just let me assure you, it is delicious to have something so home made as that tea.

A Fashion Show and When Two Worlds Collide

Saturday, I spent the day in my room cleaning, organizing clothes, ditching the unnecessary, and folding the good ones to be placed in an orderly fashion in my dressers--which are now virtually bare.
A ritual I absolutely despise, and always have but seem to be forced into: "Fashion Show"
In my family, we all tend to be pack-rats and never get rid of anything, despite it's uselessness. (We actually have an old record turn table that has never been used; we purchased it in hopes that Mom would transfer our old records into cds. Never happened.) When Mom takes it upon herself to enforce the fashion shows, Heather and I have to take EVERYTHING out of our dresser drawers and closets and compile each thing into one massive pile. Each of us try on every article of clothing to see if it fits and then decide if we would ever wear it again, then toss the unwanted things into one mega pile and the keeps in another pile to be folded later. Such a grueling process that takes hours of my life that shall never be returned-- it should be banned! It is a necessary evil.
The reason this year was unique is because this year was the first time I was unleashed to do it on my own rather than under mom's watchful eye.
Starting with this:

And eventually I whittled it down so that most of it ending up in two baskets that were set to become profits for Goodwill (our favorite store). As proof that we are extreme pack-rats, I found clothes in there that I wore in FIFTH GRADE and that haven't seen the light of day since then.... pack-rats.
After that catastrophic explosion of clothes followed by impulsive organizing I got onto IM and held a conversation that proves that individual lives, unique worlds, collide daily and can prove to be quite interesting.
Usually, I do not bother with discussing shopping, fashion, or money situations just in a principal basis, but this was one exception. Jordanne and I experienced our world colliding! (I cut out the excess to spare you, the reader, of our mindless rantings and senseless babble that could only be understood by those who delve into our heads.)

Jordanne says (10:06 PM): How was your day
Jordanne says (10:06 PM): It was interesting
Beth says (10:07 PM): my day was spent organizing my clothes
Beth says (10:08 PM): 20 school shirt 15 home shirts (pj shirts) 1pj outfit 5 undershirts
Jordanne says (10:08 PM): New?
Beth says (10:08 PM): that's all that i have... left
Beth says (10:08 PM): total
Beth says (10:08 PM): i don't go school shopping every year
Beth says (10:08 PM): we don't have the money to do that
Beth says (10:09 PM): so, yeah, i weeded through my old clothes and that's what i have left that i'll actually wear... the rest were stuff from like eighth grade and whatnot
Jordanne says (10:10 PM): that sucks...
Beth says (10:11 PM): how's that suck? that's a lot of clothing!
Jordanne says (10:11 PM): that you dont get to indulge in getting new clothes
Jordanne says (10:11 PM): but then again you're not much of a shopper
Beth says (10:11 PM): pfft, even when i get "new clothes" they're from goodwill
Beth says (10:11 PM): lol
Jordanne says (10:12 PM): lol
Jordanne says (10:12 PM): mom can't keep me from to things: new clothes and healthy food
Beth says (10:12 PM): *two
Beth says (10:12 PM): and if given the money, i'd love to shop my little heart out for clothes
Jordanne says (10:12 PM): i probably get new stuff every 3 months...but only a thing or two
Beth says (10:12 PM): but, i don't have that money
Jordanne says (10:12 PM): yes i kno
Jordanne says (10:12 PM): two
Jordanne says (10:12 PM): lol
Beth says (10:13 PM): :P
Jordanne says (10:13 PM): haha
Jordanne says (10:13 PM): i didn't think you liked to shop
Beth says (10:14 PM): it's a bother when you don't have the money to do it because you have to function under a budget and not to mention the entire thing of looking at myself in a mirror to test out the stuff... but yeah, if i were to actually have the right money, i'd probably enjoy shopping for clothes
Beth says (10:15 PM): WAIT! YOU SHOP FOR NEW CLOTHES EVERY FEW MONTHS!
Jordanne says (10:15 PM): ???
Jordanne says (10:15 PM): !!!
Beth says (10:16 PM): that's insane!? like, how much do you get.... better yet, how much do you spend?
Jordanne says (10:16 PM): Depends on who I'm with
Jordanne says (10:16 PM): It's not that insane...do any of your other friends do that?
Beth says (10:16 PM): ok... um no!
Beth says (10:17 PM): but then again, i only have two other close friends
Beth says (10:17 PM): that are girls
Jordanne says (10:18 PM): Kayli's family lives from paycheck to paycheck and she gets new stuff every few months...but anyway...i don't know a few shirts a pair of pants/jeans or two
Beth says (10:18 PM): that means nothing... how much do you actually spend!?
Beth says (10:18 PM): jeans can run from 5 bucks to 50 bucks
Jordanne says (10:19 PM): Well...hot topic, a&e, aeropostale and hollister stuff...but i get stuff on the sale rack at hollister...with mom, about 60 bucks. with charlie anywhere from 50-120
Beth says (10:20 PM): damn!
Beth says (10:20 PM): mom spends max of 50 between heather and i both!
Jordanne says (10:20 PM): :(
Jordanne says (10:20 PM): I'm sorry
Beth says (10:20 PM): nothing to be sorry about
Beth says (10:20 PM): i'm jsut shocked
Jordanne says (10:20 PM): I've never had that reaction before
Beth says (10:21 PM): dang, now i want a shopping spree with your step mom
Jordanne says (10:21 PM): Haha
Jordanne says (10:21 PM): A little thrown off
Beth says (10:21 PM): ?
Jordanne says (10:21 PM): Might as well mooch off of dad while I can
Jordanne says (10:21 PM): She's spends more than I do when we go haha
Jordanne says (10:21 PM): She loves Pac Sun
Beth says (10:21 PM): heh, wish i could do that. my dad would spend buckets of money on my clothes... he used to
Beth says (10:22 PM): anyway
Beth says (10:22 PM): still!!!! DAMN! i wish i could have that much money to buy clothes
Jordanne says (10:23 PM): Ahhh
Jordanne says (10:23 PM): You make me feel insecure
Jordanne says (10:23 PM): lol
Beth says (10:24 PM): how so? i shouldn't...
Beth says (10:24 PM): it's just different money situations
Jordanne says (10:24 PM): I'm not used to that kind of a reaction
Jordanne says (10:25 PM): that's all
Jordanne says (10:25 PM): i kinda feel bad
Beth says (10:25 PM): what kind of reaction shock?
Jordanne says (10:25 PM): i always give mom crap about not having more stuff
Jordanne says (10:25 PM): yea lol
Beth says (10:25 PM): !!!!
Beth says (10:25 PM): what!?
Jordanne says (10:25 PM): Jeez
Jordanne says (10:25 PM): Bad Beth*hits nose*
Beth says (10:26 PM): no, honestly. that's shocking... :P
Jordanne says (10:26 PM): Not a lot
Jordanne says (10:26 PM): Of crap
Jordanne says (10:26 PM): I mean
Jordanne says (10:26 PM): Just sometimes
Jordanne says (10:26 PM): Very rarely
Beth says (10:27 PM): well, i gotta get off here quickly... apparently we have a newly set 11pm bed time
Jordanne says (10:28 PM): Yikes
Beth says (10:28 PM): and dearie, don't let it get you down. it's just shocking to me... it's just two different lifestyles.
Jordanne says (10:28 PM): Shocking to me too
Beth says (10:28 PM): heh
Jordanne says (10:29 PM): You guys spend more on books and timewarner
Jordanne says (10:29 PM): tell mom to get dial up and you guys will have more clothes
Beth says (10:29 PM): lol... we hate timewarner... but its the only thing avalible
Jordanne says (10:29 PM): lol
Beth says (10:30 PM): well, chickadee... i gotta go to bed now... well, shower, then bed

That was quite strange... Now I just wish that her step mom would abduct me and take me on a shopping spree with Jordanne to council me for my lack of fashion sense.

Baby Got What?

We've all heard Sir Mix-A-Lot and his famous one-hit-wonder song "Baby Got Back" but have you ever heard Southpaw's "Baby Got Book"? Compare and see if you get my point. It's hillarious how good the spoof is, and I love it.

Baby Got Back


Baby Got Bible

A Second Home

Everyone has a place that they tend to frequent where the other inhabitants know you by name and you feel welcomed. It may be a friend's house, a local hang-out, a church group, or even school. Mine is the local library-- my second home. I have found pictures of me (a few among the many thousands) of me wearing a pink coiled bracelet that had my key-chain sized library card attached to it... I was five. Each librarian knows me by name, as I am in there at least once a week-- often more than that.
A year or so ago, Mom acquired a mega-sized bag that says Boston Public Library on it and it has become my bag that I tote around when I make my trek to the library. I frequently check out 6-10 books, so this bag is ideal rather than the small, plastic, grocery bags they offer. Yesterday, I dragged Corey with me to the library; to keep him occupied I showed him the music books in the non-fiction half of the library. I naturally ventured off into the Fiction section. After about thirty minutes I developed a stack of six books and headed for the check-out (Corey was relieved).
Today, when I sat down to engross myself in the world of books, I opened a book and a small piece of paper slithered its way out onto my lap. It was a cut-away piece of notebook paper with perfectly cut edges. A smile crept over my face. It was my bookmark from the last time I had checked out this book; I had failed to find the time to read it all.
But, this incident raises the question: How many students actually read? For a bookmark to be left in a book for TWO years provides a slightly dismal testimony to the fact that most people of my generation are too attached to their video games, the internet, and their cell phones to take the time to expand their minds with one of the earliest forms of entertainment.

Everywhere Vampires!

Recently there has been a lot of hype for everything Vampire-related. With teen girls and their mothers going wild for Stephanie Meyer's Twilight series, and the impending movie and new book release (I've read every book and seen every movie trailer), there has been a notable increase in every other thing that relates to vampires (or vampyres if you so desire). To make my point even more clear, this is a picture I took while in Borders of their lovely vampire display that was all prepared for the party taking place tonight for the release of Breaking Dawn (see the poster?). This is the living proof that even things that "suck" can sell!
Along with all the hype that stores world wide have placed on the new release of Breaking Dawn, there has been serious coverage on the Internet, TV, and in many magazines. The other day when Heather brought in the mail she directly handed the Entertainment Weekly to me, even though I only really look at the books section. Puzzled, I looked at the magazine in my hands... it was all Twilight! They had done an entire section based around the books, and then toped it off with a section all about the movie! I abducted Mom's toilet reading and took it to my own room and devoured each word. They not only discussed that in there, they also illuminated other vampire books. Inside, there was a chart that I skimmed over only to discover that I have read nearly every book they discuss! They chart the abilities of various vamps that live in the public eye via novels and television. I'll leave it up to you, the reader, to decide which powers the vampires in your mind are endowed with.
On the side column it reads: Sleep in Coffins, Repelled by Garlic, Affected by Sunlight, Retractable Fangs, Obsessed with counting

Then it lists the compared vampires: Twilight, Interview With a Vampire, Bloodsucking Fiends, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, 30 Days of Night, Blade, Marked, and Count Von Count (from Sesame Street).
It surprised me the next week when this showed up in the newer EW magazine. I was, in fact, so taken aback that my sister and went to the website listed and checked out to see if it would just be a promotional spoof for Breaking Dawn. Nope, it had no mention of Stephenie Meyer or her books, it was all informational! I checked the quote at the top again and discovered that it says "Vampire Were People Too"... the first time I glimpsed it, I made the wrongful assumption that it said "We're" rather than "Were" and that made it all the more funny!

So, it is official! Vampires are everywhere (even if they may only exist in fictional media---- but, I'll let you be the judge of that).

*** And if any of you want to see the picture in their full view, just click them and they'll appear bigger so you can read them.