Random Tuesday Thoughts: Disappearing Bicycle Edition

I have been putting off writing an article for Skipping Breakfast for about a month. I really need to just write it and be done with it. So I've told myself that today is the day I will finish it. We'll see how that works out.

Could someone please tell my razor to stop chewing up my legs, or I will be throwing it away very soon. Thanks.

Near downtown, there's a big warehouse full of books. (Or I assume so, because I've never been in there.) I'm only aware of it because they usually have a person with a big yellow arrow with the word Books written on it standing on the side of the street. The other day as my mom and I drove past, the guy was wearing nothing but underwear, and holding the sign just so, to make it look like he wasn't wearing anything.

There are 13 medical marijuana dispensaries between my house and my school. That's about 4 miles. Thirteen.

Getting soap up one's nose is never a pleasant thing. And I've found there's really no way to get it out. So last night I went to sleep with little soap bubbles all through my sinuses. Lovely.

Going over a bridge into downtown, there's a tower type thing on the right. It's really the only thing in the immediate skyline. And for the longest time there was a bicycle sitting on top of it. It had been there for as long as I could remember. Suddenly, it disappeared. No explanation. (Because they need to announce these things, maybe even let people vote on it.) Every time I passed it, it made me smile, and it made me wish I had brought my camera. Now it just makes me sad.

Weekly Winners

Creative Juices Still Running

I finished this painting several weeks ago:

The quote says "Your are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here."

The one I am very close to finishing has a "key" theme. I really like it. We'll see what I think when I get it home and on my wall. The walls never lie.

And my teacher and I started talking about my next piece today. It will have another quote-yet to be decided-and be some sort of collage, newspaper component. I'm excited. It's good for me to be creative. All the numbers make my brain hurt.

A Post That May or May Not Have an Over-Arcing Theme

I feel like I've forgotten how to write a post on one, semi-cohesive thought. Even if the thought is just catching up on my life. A post without pictures or lists.

My life:

This week my body has been busy feeling bad. My brain has been full of homework. And feeling like it's going to burst at any given point.

I have missed two (out of two) days of school this week. It hasn't been hard keeping up, but stinks to know that I'm not there. "There" being not here.

My teacher has been really nice and understanding, though. Yesterday she told me to think positive thoughts and drink hot chocolate.

Which was totally appropriate (the hot chocolate, not the positive thoughts. It's probably always good to think positive thoughts. Here I go randomly. Okay, I was going to talk about the weather...(Thrilling, I know.)) because yesterday was the first day that felt more like winter-fall than summer-fall.

Which I am totally cool with. I like the winter. Being able to wear jeans and hoodies all the time is nothing short of amazing.

I love the possibility of snow, and with it, snowdays.

The hats, seeing your breath, and new photography opportunities.

This isn't to say that I won't complain, or be similiarly excited at the prospect of summer.

Maybe change is good.

Random Tuesday Thoughts

I don't know who I should be mad at, so I'll just be mad at the TV. Friends re-runs used to be on at 5 PM every weekday. No longer. Now, How I Met Your Mother is on. I have nothing against How I Met Your Mother, except it's not Friends. TV, please fix this, so I can get my 1/2 hour of laughs every day.

I should say, in the interest of full disclosure, that I can watch Friends whenver I want. I own the whole series. (Best gift ever!) But that's not the point.

I have a strange, rather irritating habit of clipping my nails on my bed. This means that all the pointy nail clippings end up all over my bed. There has to be a simple solution to this.

One of the books I'm reading is written in a really interesting way. Instead of giving all the background on whatever first, the author just jumps right in. It took me a while to get used to, but now I kind of like it. This way, when I'm reading all the background, I know there's a point to the rambling.

It is good for my soul to take a break during the day. Go say hi to the cat, or whatever. I can get so busy "doing nothing" that I never take the time to actually do nothing.

I love when I know Smokey's entered a room because I can hear her purring.

100 Posts Equals 100 Things You May or May Not Want to Know About Me

1. I always want to know why
2. I'm taller than my mom
3. I hate the word happy
4. I have had two best friends in my life
5. I always have a bowl of Crispix and milk for breakfast
6. I've traveled to 16 countries
7. I've traveled to 13 US states and 1 territory
8. I try to laugh at least once a day
9. I have a love/hate relationship with computers
10. I don't text
11. I've worn glasses since 2nd grade
12. I'm named after a tree
13. I was due on my mom's birthday but arrived 5 days early
14. I have complete trust in my Magic 8 Ball
15. I talk to myself a lot
16. I talk to inanimate objects
17. Sometimes Terrie talks about herself in the third person
18. The longest I've been away from home without my parents is two weeks
19. I am a Harry Potter fanatic and proud of it
20. I can't do a front flip
21. I hated middle school
22. I don't know what I want to be when I grow up
23. My favorite grade was fifth
24. My hair and I are on good terms, most of the time
25. I like to make my parents laugh
26. I have never been in love with a movie star
27. I don't have a favorite color, just some I'm partial to
28. I would rather go up a hill than down
29. I have climbed one mountain-14060 feet
30. I paint, but don't consider myself an artist
31. Ditto for writing and photography
32. I love to learn
33. My ears aren't pierced
34. I skipped third grade
35. I don't like taking baths or showers, but I love feeling clean
36. I'm not a big soup person
37. I was a good speller until the words got big
38. I'm very good at sewing on buttons
39. I never sleep with my windows open
40. I've lived in the same house my whole life
41. My parents and I all have blue eyes
42. I can't whistle
43. I don't believe in fate
44. I make my bed at night
45. I got my cat the day after my sixth birthday
46. I played the French Horn for three years
47. Hearing my writing read aloud bothers me
48. I love to read
49. I usually read multiple books at a time
50. I love music
51. I make lists about everything
52. I don't like cursive
53. I don't love my handwriting (or my signature) but I've stopped trying to change it
54. I rely heavily on Google and Wikipedia
55. I'm not a morning person
56. I could live in jeans, PJ pants, and T-shirts
57. I name inanimate objects
58. I've never broken a bone
59. I love my room
60. I don't eat red meat
61. I'm not religious or spiritual
62. I have the utmost respect for people who are, unless they try to convert me
63. I have chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia
64. They are a part of me, but they don't define me
65. I don't have a favorite song; there are too many to chose from
66. I have 13 first cousins
67. I can get really defensive
68. I love to write
69. And sometimes I hate to write
70. I can't sing
71. I wear a watch
72. Toilet paper goes over, not under
73. I like orange juice, but not oranges
74. Chocolate milk should always be drunk through a straw
75. I'm very picky about books
76. I wish I didn't dream
77. I try not to use hate
78. I don't like cooked carrots
79. I don't take naps
80. I love to bake and cook
81. I already spend too much time on the computer without having a MySpace, Facebook, or Twitter account
82. I love painting my nails bold, crazy colors
83. I get irritated with all the love songs
84. The best way to ruin a book is to make me write about it
85. I love looking at crazy pillows in stores
86. I used to be really self-conscious about my laugh, until I realized no one cared what it sounded like, as long as I was laughing
87. My room scares me when it's really clean
88. I'm really bad at describing myself in a few sentences
89. I apologize too much
90. I don't think I photograph well
91. I'm not very good at selling myself
92. I wear socks to match my mood
93. I only eat green grapes
94. I don't like creamy salad dressings
95. I don't eat mayonnaise
96. I hate all fast food on principle, although I occasionally eat it
97. I had a bracelet on my wrist that was on for 3 years, 29 days
98. My right hand is significantly bigger than my left
99. Lukewarm milk bothers me
100. I don't normally talk about myself this much
101. I don't like even, regular numbers

Weekly Winners: Fall?

Nature is confusing me. Some plants are covered in buds, while the rest are doing the expected. Leaves are covering the lawn, the grass isn't looking quite so green, and another blanket has been added to my bed.

Fluffy

Fall colors

Out of season

Mister long legs

Change

Enjoying the sun, the wind, the life

Admiring the sun, the wind, the life

I told my dad he'll become my new favorite model when he looks this cute:

Random Tuesday Thoughts: A Constipated Snail

Friday needs to hurry up and get here.

My dad took his class on an extended field trip, so he will be gone for most of this week. I discovered Monday morning that he took the plastic bowls that I always eat breakfast in. And I mean always. (I may be just a little OCD.) I seriously considered having something other than my standard Crispix for breakfast, but the only thing that would have been acceptable would be hot cereal, and I was too lazy to make it. So laziness can be good, when it combats my OCD.

My Spanish teacher taught us the word for constipated. Don't worry, you can hold off on calling Child Protective Services just yet. A student wanted to know, so she told him. Granted, she did then write a story about a constipated snail...

My toilet seat cover has, for the longest time, squeaked. Lately it's been one of those things that just really irritated me and sounded like the loudest noise possible. So I finally made the effort to walk the five feet or so from my bathroom, grab the WD40, and oil it up. Now the lack of sound makes me smile. When was the last time you smiled when you opened the toilet seat cover?

I have a birthday in a little over a month. (Wow, just looked at the date. 30 days. That's soon!) My mom asked me the other day what I wanted for my birthday. And my list is still about two items long. I guess this is a good thing, because it means I won't be drowning in useless stuff. However, it does leave a lot of decisions up to my parents. (Not that I don't trust them or anything.)

Weekly Winners: Not Forgotten

Not forgotten
(Although these people apparently did forget, seeing as I took this yesterday. Half mast!)

I Should Be in the Record Books

This morning I woke up at 9:46. I had overslept by about an hour; I had turned my alarm off instead of hitting the snooze button. This wouldn't be a problem on most days, just a mild inconvience. Today, however, I had a meeting at school with my teachers and counselor and tutor at school, at 10:15. That meant we were supposed to leave a minute before I was awake.

So I was awake, mostly, with contacts in, clothes on, and full purse, in 6 minutes. It took another 3 minutes to grab a granola bar, put shoes on, and get in the car. So yes, I definitely belong in some sort of world record book. Because, nine minutes to wake up and be out the door? Pretty amazing. At least in my book.

The meeting went fine. Nothing earth-shattering, and it seems like all the teachers are pretty willing to work with me, and hand control over to my tutor. Which will make my life a whole lot easier than last year.

I got info on the PSAT, which I am taking in a month. I will not freak out.

I got lucky because my tutor's husband surprised her with a massage for her birthday. It just happens to be at the time we were supposed to meet this afternoon. It's a win-win situation; she gets to have a massage, and I don't have to do work.

Now I'm off to Spanish class. Adios.

Erase Hate

If you have not read The Meaning of Matthew by Judy Shepard, go out and get it and read it. I'll wait.

(Bring a box of tissues.)

The Meaning of Matthew is written by the mom of a man who was murdered because he was gay. It tells Matthew's story, and makes him more than a victim of a hate crime; it makes him a person. It tells of his murder, the time he spent in a coma, his death, the nationwide reaction, and the trials of his two murderers. It is a deeply touching, personal story.

It is very true and honest and open. It does not make Matthew out to be a saint, it makes him a human. It is a wonderful story that makes no effort to mask a mother's grief, yet also talks about how she makes it through. And the most amazing thing is that the family managed to get one good thing out of their son's murder.

They created the Matthew Shepard Foundation. It started when people who had heard about Matthew's murder sent the family money. They used it to create a foundation whose goals are to "erase hate, ensure equality, and put youth first". They team with the Human Rights Campaign as well as other organizations with similar goals.

Reading this book yesterday and this morning actually ties in perfectly with something I've been wanting to say. I didn't know quite how to say it, or whether it would even be worth it, with so many other people saying the same thing. (And now the President.)

But I think it is important to show the church in Florida that intends to burn the Koran (full story here) that it isn't only government officials that don't agree with what they want to do. It is "regular" people like me, who find the act of burning the holy book of any religion or group despicable. The fact that it is Islam's holy book makes the possible ramifications much larger and much more severe.

Countless people from the UN, the US government, Afghanistan, and elsewhere have spoken out strongly against the church and their intent. It puts soldiers' lives at risk who are in Islamic countries, and it will also give the Taliban propoganda to use against the US and to recruit new followers who will be taught that hate and violence are acceptable.

This is morally and ethically wrong, as well as wrong because of the huge and potentially catastrophic consequences for soldiers in the Middle East, attempts to eliminate the Taliban, and relations between the US and Islamic countries, which are already strained, at best.

I was moved by Judy's story, and it encouraged me to speak out against hate. Their message is, in many ways, a simple message.

Strive to have no hate in the world. Work for equality for all people, no matter their sex, race, language, age, medical condition, sexual orientation, faith or belief.

So think about your actions, and how they may be perceived by others. Strive to make your world hate free, so that someday, hopefully soon, our world will be hate free.

Random Tuesday Thoughts: Not-Chocolate Chocolate Sauce

It disturbs me that on the back of the chocolate sauce container, it says it has a real chocolate taste. So then, there can't be any actual chocolate in there, otherwise they wouldn't have to make it taste like chocolate. Huh, sometimes I wish I didn't read labels so carefully.

Despite the radio ad's best efforts to convince me otherwise, I am very doubtful that a beautiful smile will give me a "lifetime of happiness". 

It has been hot here. Not any hotter than it was on any given day for the past two months, but my body seems to be noticing the heat a lot more. I think I've reached my limit with summer (Not the doing nothing part. The hot part. I can never have enough of the doing nothing part.). At least I have good timing. Most people consider fall to have officially started. Labor Day is past, and school has started. Heat, time for you to say your goodbyes. I won't miss you.

I recently seem to be attracting lots of bad books and worse movies. I seem incapable of attracting (see how I don't say choosing, because that would put the responsibility on me) anything good to watch or read. I'm stuck with semi-depressing books about the Iraq War (interesting doesn't make it less depressing), bad, not-funny movies, and summer re-runs on TV. 

I see one speck of hope in the distance; fall means moderately less-bad TV.

Go get your random fix over at The Un Mom's.

Weekly Winners: Pieces and Parts

My week felt pretty crazy and fragmented, so here are some pieces of what my week was like.

Crazy Week

I'm full of random. Maybe one of these days I'll get my random together for Random Tuesday Thoughts. Until then, here I go with my random all by myself.

I can't remember what I wrote last year about school and tutoring. And I'm too lazy to go look. So, quick recap--last year I had a tutor who came to our house and (!) tutored me. Which worked really well. But getting there was a total mess/disaster/failure. It didn't start until the beginning of October.

So this year, I felt so confident going in. Because I'm naive/hopeful/optimistic. Not exactly smooth sailing. My application has been at the tutoring office for three weeks and we were told yesterday that all I need is a note from my doctor. (Beyond the one she's already written.)

Gotta love buraucracy.

Our house was crazy full with people last weekend. A bunch of friends managed to coordinate their lives and so three families from everywhere (including India!) came through for a few days of insane fun.

I had such an amazing time. But I am now suffering for my fun. It was totally worth it, except for the pounding and utter-exhausted-ness.

Everyone left by Monday evening, but it took my body another 24 hours to realize how tired I was. I fell asleep on the surprisingly comfortable (or maybe I was just that tired) wood floor.

Twelve hours of sleep did little to improve my headache or fatigue, so I've been taking it easy for the rest of this week.

I took a break from the couch and taking it easy yesterday to poke my head into the orchid shop. It's so much better than a candy store. And almost impossible to walk out of empty-handed.