synonyms for happiness

Monday, June 26, 2006

Cats

Angel This is my adorable kitten. Who's really three years old, but trust me, she's not counting. She's just a little camera shy, but amazingly beautiful.

Saturday, June 24, 2006

Books

Erin and I went out for breakfast yesterday. It was fun, and of course we talked about books. Actually it wasn't really at breakfast that we talked about books. It was later, at starbucks, over coffee and pomegranate soda that we discusses books.
She made a good point. It is sometimes difficult to read books that are to realistic. Especially depressing ones. Abusive boyfriends, people with eating disorders, holocaust historical fiction stories, and just generally slightly angsty teen novels. These, however are like a drug to me. It wasn't exactly an intentional addiction (are there any?), and I didn't admit that I even was addicted to them until recently. I realized that as I tried to read books that are classics and such I was "rewarding myself" with the thought of being able to read a teen fiction book when I finished Anna Karenina or some other book. Not that I didn't enjoy Anna Karenina. On the contrary, I loved it. As much as one can love a book of that caliber. But after it, I felt relieved reading Jane Eyre. Not an easy read in itself, but a much faster story. So I began reading multiple books at once. Usually one "classic", maybe two, a teen fiction novel, sometimes a biography, maybe some poetry, a fantasy book, recommended by Chloe or my mom, and a contemporary or adult fiction. For example, currently I am reading: Emma, Mating Season, The Au Pairs: Skinny Dipping, Keeping the Moon, and The Devil Wears Prada. Oh, and I just finished 13 Little Blue Envelopes.
So, apparently it's not only teen fiction I'm addicted to. And, unlike a drug addict, my "dealer" doesn't charge anything.
But now if Emma becomes too tedious (Jane Austen's writing's fabulous, but Emma is so real, she sometimes gets on my nerves.), I can simple switch over to Keeping the Moon. Too depressing (Sarah Dessen can get that way)? Switch to The Devil Wears Prada. It is a fail-proof plan.
I sound ridiculous.
I know it, and that's the first step, right?
So there are some fabulous fireworks going on outside right now, and I'd not like to miss any more of them.

Wednesday, June 21, 2006

Summer, Discovery, and Forgetfulness (podlessness)

I love summer. Hot weather, berries, fresh farm carrots, lettuce, peas, other wonderful vegetables, swimming pools, sleeping in, getting up at 5:00 to see the sun rise, knowing I don't have to get up at 5:00 to see the sun rise if I don't want to because there is always tomorrow, and the next day, and the next day . . . But one of the most amazing and wonderful things about summer is the spectacular phenomenon I like to call . . . (drumroll) . . . THE SUMMER THUNDERSTORM (and tornado watch apparently I find as my computer beeps weather alerts at me). It is truly a thing of beauty to know that I can stay up as long as I want (or am able to keep my eyes open without being lulled to sleep by the steady rain) and watch the lightening and hear the thunder. My cat apparently is not as fond of the thunder as I am, but she is utterly adorable.
I have just discovered what real blogging is. There are incredible people out there with fantastic and tremendously busy lives and they are sharing them with the rest of the world. Or at least with those of us who care. This new and enlightened view was brought on by my first visit to the to a really cool blog which happened by total chance, because I thought the name sounded interesting. I have read all of the entries from june 2005 and it is amazing!
Yesterday I had my last flute lesson for three weeks and left my bag with my water bottle, book, and ipod at Jaimie's house. We went back for it tonight but since we were about two hours later than I told Jaimie we would be, there was no one there. So, as my mom put it, I am currently "podless". At first I didn't know what she was talking about, because when I hear the word "pod" I think "peas!" . . . yeah, apparently I have vegetables on the brain. So Jaimie is soon going out of town for three weeks, so hopefully I can recover my possessions before she leaves.
I have one more thing to say.
I hate the word "veggies". Is it that hard to say "vegetables"?? Just like it doesn't take that much more effort to say "bathroom" than it does to say "potty". These just bother me, but especially "veggies". It sounds so derogatory and diminutive. I just want to scream "They're grown up VEGETABLES for gosh sakes!!! They're not children! They (and everyone else) can handle the grown up term!!!"

Saturday, June 03, 2006

Acting and the Survey Trip

I went and saw the eighth grade's play last night, "You Can't Take it with You". Quite a few of them are actually very good actors. I have to be sure to do drama club next year, because I'm sure the play will be incredible. They will probably be taking our classes current title of "Drama Class" which we never really asked for in the first place, so it won't be any great loss. Chelsey's sister, especially did so much research for her role and has the Irish accent down almost perfectly. She was incredible. Chelsey is also a very good actress, but cares more for her horses, which is understandable.
The Pistons lost last night, and while carly may be able to see a good side to it, I can't, not yet, at least.
I want a new Stars Hollow Podcast. They always put me in a good mood, and now that I'm going on the trip and I won't be able to update my ipod for ten days I'd like to get the latest one before I go.
I got an incredible urge to act last night. I miss so much, doing a class play at the end of the year. Agamemnon was ok, but because it wasn't something every class did and it was made to seem optional at the beginning when it really wasn't, there just wasn't the solidarity and excitement surrounding it like there is for an end of the year play. Also, our work load in other classes wasn't reduced, which was also one of the most enjoyable things of doing a lower school play.
I hope the survey trip goes well. I'm worried about who is my cooking partner, who will be in my group to survey with. I hope, that just because I'm a more advanced math student I'm not placed with people who will treat the surveying as something that's not important at all, when it's still school, and I think that the math part could be sort of fun.