Monthly Archives: May 2009
FYI
| May 30, 2009 | Filled under Random Thoughts |
I will be doing a liveblog of the MTV Movie Awards tomorrow night at 9. Join me?
Sad Empress in the Rain
| May 27, 2009 | Filled under Random Thoughts |
Yesterday was a hard day. I said goodbye to the missionary who baptized me. Someday (probably when I leave the city) I won’t have lessons with the missionaries anymore and then I won’t have the chance to form any sort of friendships with them and it won’t be a problem anymore, but for now I know I’ll have at least two more to say goodbye to.
It’s hard to explain, but I want to try. Imagine you walked down one street your entire life. And then one day you met some people who told you that there was another path you could take (and yes, it just so happens to be a straight and narrow path, thank you for asking). It wouldn’t always be easy, but it would be loads better than the way you had been going. Then they taught you how to read the map so you could figure out how to walk down that path. They walked with you for a little way, helping you if you weren’t sure of the next step. Yes, you might have done the walking, but they supported you the whole time. And then…they had to go back to the beginning of the path and help other people. And suddenly you have to walk alone.
Of course you never have to walk completely alone because there are others on the path, and some of them are good friends. Some have been on the path their whole lives and know it well, others are just learning like you. And you all will encounter new obstacles that you can learn how to overcome together. And you’re excited to have so many wonderful people to share this path with, but there’s still part of you that’s going to miss those people who first said, “Hey, why not come this way?” and helped you take those shaky first steps.
And so that’s where I am now. And while I don’t like the fact that they don’t trust the Harlemites with postage vending machines, I’m extremely thankful for the USPS and the fact I’ll at least be able to send an occasional letter to the missionaries. Speaking of the USPS, by the way, have you ever noticed that the post office is a lot like the DMV? People come out of the walls just to wait in line ahead of you.
*If you didn’t catch my title reference, it’s from this webcomic I used to read in high school. Cause I hadn’t learned to balance my nerd-dom and sophistication just yet.
Legally Blond(er)
| May 23, 2009 | Filled under Random Thoughts |
You all have stuck with me through the many hair-raising adventures I’ve had through the past months. And now I’m happy to report that chapter of my life has come to a tidy close.
Last week while I was at home I got to partake of the goodness that is having a personal stylist. My parents have been loyal patrons of a particular stylist over the past years and now she makes house calls. As my visit coincided with hers, I was treated to a new cut and color (thanks, Mom!).
We begin with what might be the ugliest picture of me ever taken. It only gets posted because it’s the before picture and no one is ever supposed to look good in a before picture:
Wow, I had no idea things were THAT bad.
Anyway, I was covered in foil, set, and rinsed. And then she said those fateful words: “Go look and let me know if it’s too blonde.”
Boys and Girls, is there really such a thing as too blonde?
We don’t think so:
Yeah, I need botox at 24. Anyway…
Here’s the final look:
See? I don’t actually have a double chin. That’s a trick done with mirrors. Or…without one, rather.
Anyway, having a new cut also means I have a new ponytail. And it’s probably the most adorable thing I’ve ever seen:
It’s also really hard to take pictures of your own profile. But you can see my thyroid if you know where to look!
The best part of this story is what happened right after I took these pictures.
As you know, I’m writing a novel. You know because I bring it up every other post. Anyway, I printed out a copy of it – which I’ll never do again because I might have killed a whole tree doing so – anyway, I printed all 160-some pages (which it was at the time, it’s longer now) and put them in a neat folder so I could take them to visit my editor.
I went about my usual leaving the house routine. A 10 minute conversation with the parents that only ever happens when I’m already running late. A discussion with L about how I’m leaving and he needs to be good while I’m gone. And I forgot about 20 things and had to go fetch all of them.
So I get in my car and I head off. I get about halfway up my street when I see a ream of paper go sailing off into the sunset.
Oh. No.
Yes, readers, I left my novel sitting on top of my car. And so all 160 – some pages were sitting all over the street.
To add insult to injury, there was a witness to my first blonde moment. A neighbor boy came out to help me pick all pages up. I just hope he didn’t read anything and think I was totally nuts. I was scheming excuses in my mind as we collected the pages just in case he asked about it.
I laughed for hours about this. The worst part? I didn’t number my pages. Who does that?
Travel Plans
| May 21, 2009 | Filled under Random Thoughts |
I have so many things to share about my time in Virginia that it may take me quite a while to actually share all of them. Meanwhile, my time here has slipped through my fingers. I’m leaving on a jet (blue) plane tomorrow morning at a very upsetting hour of the day. The next time I come back it will be for good (well, as permanently as I can ever claim something will be).
Sadly I’m not loving on my pillow just yet because I had the bright idea to wash everything I brought with me while I was here and laundry is free. I just put the last of it in the dryer a few minutes ago so I’ll be waiting up until it finishes. I’m not a morning person, so getting up early to pack is pretty much out of the question. If only I had stayed on top of this when I started it this morning I might be tucked in right about now.
Probably not though, let’s be honest. I’m a night owl. I just love this time of day when everything is softer and sleepier. Somehow I’m far more productive during these late hours than I ever am during the day.
What’s exciting is that my novel is now 175 pages long. And those are 8.5 by 11 pages. Imagine it in book form. And it’s not even finished yet. I’m a very happy writer right now. Stick around, maybe I’ll become a published author and then someday you’ll get to say, “I read her blog!” which hopefully you will follow with lots of praise for my well-developed characters and scintillating plot, not something like “I don’t know how she ever got published.”
And now, I wait for my laundry.
A Change of Plans
| May 18, 2009 | Filled under Random Thoughts |
In a perfect universe where I am in control of everything that goes on in my life, I would be doing laundry and packing to go back to the City. Of course, I am NOT in control (and without bearing my entire testimony, I’ll just say I’m thankful and humbled for that).
But that also means my suitcase still most nearly resembles something that might have happened if an earthquake had hit just that one spot on my bedroom floor.
Yes, I’m going to be hanging out in Stepford Northern Virginia for just a little bit longer. My flight will now be leaving on Thursday morning instead of tonight. Which is exciting in some ways, but annoying in others. I do have a life in the City that I can’t just walk away from, with all of these people to see and spend time with before I don’t have time to do that anymore.
Oh, and I’ve officially set a date for my move: July 10-12. Which means I will be here in time for Harry Potter (and we all know how I feel about that). But don’t worry, I have no intentions of dragging out the Slytherin t-shirt for the premiere. I keep my nerd-dom to a dull roar.
Speaking of which, we only have 6 months until New Moon comes out. I hope you are preparing yourselves accordingly.
All Quiet on the Blogging Front
| May 10, 2009 | Filled under Random Thoughts |
I’m in Virginia until the 18th. As such I have exponentially less time to sit around doing nothing. However I’ve done many things worth blogging about and promise to share them as soon as I can catch my breath.
I will say this much, however. Today I left the hardware store with 8 gallons of paint because it was on sale. Did you even know paint could go on sale? I had no idea.
Eight Things you Probably Don't Need to Know
| May 5, 2009 | Filled under Random Thoughts |
I apologize for the lack of posting lately. This week is running away from me.
And by that, I mean I’m re-reading the Twilight series, because watching the DVD every day wasn’t fulfilling enough. Yeah, don’t ask me why I bought it, that was mistake. But it was the best mistake ever in that I have gotten more use out of this DVD than I have out of any other DVD I’ve ever bought. I watched all the extras, all the commentary, etc.
Anyway, I’ve been in Twilight land for the past 2 days and so I haven’t written. Forgive me?
Miss Fiercehair tagged me, so I will pass this on to you.
8 Things I’m looking forward to:
1. Seeing my family this week
2. Watching Grey’s Anatomy this week with the Queen of the Pirates
3. Home improvement projects at my parent’s house
4. Finishing the Twilight series again
5. My Temple session tomorrow
6. Being with my Mom on Mother’s Day
7. Getting to watch SVU tonight unexpectedly.
8. The fact that Anna Duggar is pregnant. I know I don’t know her, but you know I feel like I do after watching their wedding on TV.
8 Things I did yesterday:
1. Made monster cookies
2. Taught a grammar lesson
3. Read all of Eclipse.
4. Learned how to wrangle an alligator
5. Mailed a letter
6. Ran into Maverick, randomly, on the street (which is SO random, seriously)
7. Paid my rent
8. Lost and found my checkbook
8 Things I wish I could do:
1. Eat some of those cookies I made yesterday. I shouldn’t have given them all away.
2. Make a living by blogging
3. Have daffodils and tulips on my fire escape
4. Have some chocolate. Ugh.
5. Be a wedding planner
6. Or be a decorator and go around making places beautiful
7. Stop thinking about food. Can you tell I’m hungry?
8. Not judge on people for what comes up when I start a google search. Seriously, I started typing “Can I go” and the second thing on the list was “Can I go tanning while pregnant?” Which means lots of people have asked – 284,000 results for that string. WOW.
8 Shows I watch:
1. Grey’s Anatomy
2. Law and Order: SVU
3. House
4. The Tudors
5. Jon and Kate Plus 8
6. 18 Children and Counting
7. Criminal Minds
8. The Office
And I only ran out of room to list all the TV shows I watch. Oh the shame.
I’m supposed to tag 8 people, but I don’t like that game because inevitably 6 of the 8 people I tag won’t end up doing it. So…do it if you like, and let me know.
Change
| May 3, 2009 | Filled under Random Thoughts |
How can you be expected to admit that all you need is a hug when you know the people you’re talking to aren’t allowed to give you one?
That’s pretty much how I felt this afternoon when I was talking to the missionaries about everything that has been going on in my life recently. And by talking, I mean crying, awkwardly, to two men who were probably kind of terrified by the unexpected emotional outburst.
I don’t feel like going into the details really at all. Things are changing, they’re changing for the better, but it still hurts. And it hurts me worse than it should because I tried to ignore it for so long.
I spent all week being supportive and holding hands and giving hugs and soaking up tears with my shoulder and buying flowers and making sure there were plenty of baked goods around (for people who can’t bring themselves to eat. such a waste). I listened to angry words that were empty and meaningless. I listened as people reassured themselves that this was the best way, the best thing. I sent up prayer after prayer that broken hearts might be healed, that they might not hurt so much, so deeply, so long.
I hid behind empty feeling words that I didn’t allow myself to put meaning into. I said I was sad, because I knew I was sad, but I didn’t let myself be sad.
It wasn’t until yesterday that I realized I had bigger feelings about this whole situation than I thought I did. Now I’m swimming in those feelings and kind of choking.
The thing is, I know better. I know this too shall pass, I know everything will be okay. I know that everything is happening because it is supposed to, that it’s for the best and everyone will come out better for having had this messy experience. I know that trials are put in our lives because Heavenly Father loves us enough to make us stronger and I’m so thankful for that.
But it still hurts. I still hurt. And I don’t want to.
BUT
I’m still standing.
Things that cheered me up today: Hearing from not one but two girls at church that they love my blog. G and J, you made my day (and I hope my rhyme there made yours). My dog and his drama queen tendencies. H’s trifle (I had two helpings and now won’t have to eat for the rest of the week).
