No excuse. /Shrug.

"Success supposes endeavor."
-Jane Austen


On that note. I've been referencing how often I've been neglecting my studies and it's finally caught up with me. This week I have two essays and one research paper due, and one World Civilizations test I haven't studied for. I'm not looking for sympathy (unless you want to give me some :) ) I'm more so just sharing my exasperated sigh with BlogSpot as I sulk off to go bury myself in text books. I'll see you Thursday... If I survive.

It's the little things like grey mornings and teal blouses...

So, since moving to the south I've had the pleasure of being blinded by the sun EVERY SINGLE MORNING. Now, I know most of you are thinking "so what? Grinch." Here's the thing: I grew up in Portland, Oregon. We're known for our rain and what some would call gloomy weather. But, when you've learned to look at life against a grey and green backdrop, you appreciate the darker side of things.

Overcast and clouded skies give me the serene feeling of being home and in place, even when I'm 3k miles away from anything comfortable. I was thrilled this morning and had a lovely drive to work due to the grey cloud cover and cold rain drizzling on my wind shield. I almost had to turn my heater on (something I think I might have done once since moving to South Carolina) but I refrained because I was enjoying shivering.

Aside from the dark weather brightening my morning, the boyfriend also scored some major brownie points. In fact, I think I might actually have to make him cookies, brownies, or some other sort of confection to reward him for the trick. I did a weeks worth of laundry last night, a day ahead of schedule: you see, I try to do all my laundry either Friday or Sunday night so that I don't get confused about what I've already worn this week. Since this has been an especially hectic week, I'm absolutely clueless as to what has been covering my body for the past six days.

While attempting to dress myself I decided to go basic: jeans, black shirt, Candies, finished. Then panic hits: I vaguely remembering wearing a black t-shirt at some point but that might have just been to run out to the mail box in. Oh my God! What if I wear the same thing Friday that I did Monday?! How horribly, unforgivably unfashionable!

Hey, back the Hell off okay?! I already told you I was having a bad week: I might have been blowing some things a little out of proportion...

So I snatch up the phone and call my trusty sidekick... And begin freaking out because I'm already late to work and still half naked! "Chill out," Z says. "Monday you wore dark jeans and a teal shirt; Tuesday it was a white button up shirt with khakis; Wednesday you wore a hoodie; and yesterday didn't you wear that little white Coheed jacket?" Oh he's right! I'm touched! He, despite seeing me for like three seconds each day this week, remembered everything I wore.

And don't you dare even say "that's lame" because I will jump through this computer screen and lecture you on exactly why that is NOT lame! It's not that he memorizes my every move (even though it feels that way when he quotes me VERBATIM during our fights) but I adore the fact that he pays attention to detail. He's just the kind of person that will hear it once and remember my favorite food, color, pair of shoes, etc. Forgive me if I'm impressed with things that should be basic between couples but I am new at this relationship thing. I had boyfriends in high school and my first year-ish out of school but after a while I just gave up dating because 1. They bored me. And 2. At the time both I and the guys I was with were just too self centered (not that that's a bad thing for the time) to really have a give and take relationship. It was more of a "take until nothing is left and move on" relationship.

Anyway I'm rambling and this blog is getting much longer than I planned. So. Your homework for the day is to go out and enjoy the sky no matter what color it is: I guarantee that in some way, shape, or form it's beautiful and something you can appreciate. Also, if you have a man/woman/husband/wife/puppy/whatever, just pick someone affectionate towards you and thank them for it. So often we ignore the little things our loved ones give us that really mean the most... And! Make sure you know their favorite color!

Okay... Fast forward to four hours later...

After a lovely work out, shower, nap, lunch, chat with Grammy, and a fight with my Dr.'s office...

I'm just now throwing my hair into a pony, smearing on a little powder and mascara, snatchin' my favorite hoodie, and taking off to cram a day's worth of studying into three hours...

I can do it.

Btw. If anyone was wondering what I plan to do by the time I turn twenty-eight... I'm fairly certain I'll still be in school. No, not because I slack off so much that it will take me that long to finish, though that is a valid concern... But rather, because my goal is to be an Anthropologist (http://www.aaanet.org/about/WhatisAnthropology.cfm) and eventually settle into teaching at a university. PhDs take a while to score so I'll be doing the student thing for a while, to say the least...

Anyway, shut up and quit distracting me, I've gotta run!

Peace loves, have a productive afternoon (since I'm not).

Ps.
Can anyone tell me how to make a word my link?

I'm playing hookie from work today!

Yesterday my history teacher, in his normal cheery mood, says to my class,

"By age twenty, Alexander had dedicated himself to battle and conquest; by age twenty-eight, he ruled over most of the known world... What are you going to do by age twenty-eight? Get a job and pay taxes?"

I think I was the only person who found that funny... The ladies in my World Civilizations class really need to relax! So, in my effort not to become as uptight as those bitches, I'm skipping work today.

I've procrastinated myself into a corner on a research paper due next Thursday with an outline and works cited due tomorrow, and another compare/contrast paper due next week, rough draft due tomorrow. I barely slid by (and by "barely slid by" I mean "I'm pretty sure I aced that shit") on a philosophy test yesterday. Even though I still think philosophy is the art of knowing how to talk about NOTHING! It turns out I'm not so bad at it: Go figure. Thank you Blogger.

So my goal for today is to

1. Get done aaall the research I need for my Women's Studies paper... For which I have as yet, no thesis statement so if anyone has any bright ideas I'd love you for it. The topic is an issue facing women in South Carolina (anything basic like reproductive rights, domestic violence, I'm slightly leaning towards lack of sex education).
2. Find a fifties-ish add, an add from today, and write a rough draft compare/contrast of the two.
3. Call my doctors office (AGAIN), because apparently no one there thinks it's in their job description to confirm refills with my pharmacy... Aaand lastly...
4. Also call AAA and chew out whoever's ass must be chewed in order to get them to take care of the $150 wench bill Z and I picked up when we had to swerve off the road on the way home from the Coheed show to avoid hitting what I thought was an animal... No, I haven't confirmed if it was a raccoon or a bag of trash, and no, he WILL NOT let me live it down.

So! That's what I'm up to on this glorious Wednesday. And I'm going to get right down to work, right after I go bounce on my trampoline because I've been feeling fat lately...

What? I can't help it if I stress eat... And like it...

I still remember telling Mary "Dude, his name is Zeke... What the hell kind of name is that?!"

My boyfriend and I had quite an enjoyable stroll through the Greek Festival. I was reminded so well of a year ago when we first went together before we were officially dating. I loved walking around hand in hand and realizing how far he and I have come. Some times I worry that I put too much pressure on my relationship to be "just so," but the bottom line is that I'm happy. He makes me happy; seeing him smile makes me happy; making him cookies makes me happy; his making me breakfast makes me happy; his messy hair and glasses make me happy; gaming together on the weekend makes me happy; watching a million movies makes me happy.

He's not my first boyfriend, or first kiss, or whatever other basic "first" you can think of... But he is the first person I've experienced what I call "grown-up" emotions with (even if most grown-ups don't even have these traits in their relationships). I'm still a selfish little girl when it comes to most things, but believe I try so hard when it comes to him to compromise. I'm not always good at it but I think he knows and appreciates that I'm trying. I appreciate the things he goes out of his way to do for me too, like looking at my (sometimes very) liberal point of view with an open mind just so we can understand each other a little better. I give myself so much credit for having a tough skin (which I really shouldn't), but I'm always grateful when he's there to remind me that whatever I'm facing isn't anything I can't handle, whether it's school, family, work, us, or just myself.

He is by no means perfect. I am by no means perfect. We are perfect for each other in so many wonderfully imperfect ways. I get choked up when I think about trying to express to him how and what I feel. I get scared that I'm going to say too much and ruin it an hour later by being fussy about something little... I don't want him to not believe every word I say when I try to say I love him.

I'm perpetually trashing on the south, so God knows that I was shocked when I found someone like him down here. In some ways he's no different than anyone else in Columbia. In other ways he is completely unique to anyone I've ever met anywhere. Whatever the case I genuinely enjoy being in love with him. He is my new best friend and one that feels so safe. If this all came crashing down around me tomorrow, you're damn straight I'd be bitter! But I still would hope I wouldn't change any of it: not one kiss, not one fight. He's taught me so much about myself and love and that is something that is worth any heartbreak.






But for now, let's just stave off the heartbreaking part, huh?

If I didn't like my hair so damn much, I'd be pulling it out right now.

I'm only forcing myself to post so that I don't leave my poor little blog lonely for months on end again.

I've been crazy-stressed with school and family so Your Answer In Spades has been the first thing to get neglected lately. I think my not-quite-New Years resolution should be to post at least every other day. Even if the blog is short and just a "Hello" to my readers... I never stick to any of the projects I start and when I do I procrastinate like crazy: very bad traits to hang on to in college or otherwise.

That said, please feel free to hassle me if I slack off. Use profanity if you must, whatever it takes to get the job done.

I'd appreciate it, thanks.

Aaand finally! I'm off to the Greek Festival (since that is the only even remotely cultural celebration I can find going on around this town)!

Have a good weekend, all.

May The Force Be With... Me!

I would love this blog to be about how I am the absolute greatest girlfriend ever but instead I'll be honest.

I'm going to pick up my held copy of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed this afternoon as a little gift for my boyfriend. I've been hyping him up for a few days now about this "AMAZING SURPRISE" I've got planned for him. I'm going to go home and bake some cookies before he gets off work to make him think that the cookies were the surprise, big let down, then while he's changing out of work clothes I'm going to strategically position myself in front of the t.v. and begin playing.

His jaw will drop and I'm just hoping not to loose a limb when he goes for the X-Box controller...

Of course the game is for him because he is the biggest Star Wars junkie I've ever met... But I'll admit that I'm mostly getting it because I wanna play too. :)

Long time no post...

Mostly because I haven't been in the greatest of moods, I've only thought of blogs that would be a bummer. Instead here's my quick update and a wish that you (yes YOU) would find to time chit chat with me a bit. I do love talking to strangers, it's such stress relief... I didn't get my inverse piercing done because I was having a fat-day. Yes: Fat-days exist. No: I don't have an image problem. I might get it done this weekend if time permits. Oh! Speaking of this weekend! The Greek Festival kicks off tomorrow but I'll have to be going Friday since I've got class Thursday. Either way, I'm excited. Last year at the Greek Festival, Z and I were still very unofficial and lingering in our mysterious-to-each other stage. Very fun and exciting time for a new couple. I also bought a (way too expensive) ring with this huuuuge grey pearl that I love. It's probably one of my favorite rings: I have a ring fetish: it's shape is reminiscent of a grape bunch with all the silver orb accents around the pearl. Anyway, my goal is to gorge myself on baklava (I didn't even try to spell that correctly) and score a pretty new something while enjoying my boyfriend's company. I need something to take my mind off of my family's stress. I love them but I can't handle having all of Mom and Dad's marital conflicts on my shoulders... There is nothing I can do. When it comes to my parents, I'm just a kid.

Inverse piercing for a reversed life?... Nah, I'm just tryin' to make this sh*t philosophical.

Tell me I'm not the only one here who marks life changes with body art? I know my best friend's tribal tattoo is actually a reflection of the shape of her family tree: which is the only reason I didn't object to the otherwise cliche style. As for how/why I remember my piercings (outside of my first and second standard ear piercings because I don't remember ever not having them):

• Cartilage: Started a new school and was determined not to fit it.
• Belly button: Starting high school/making father cringe.
• Third standard ear piercing: I was realizing and enjoying that my piercings were unique to me.
• Second cartilage: The best friend Courtney pierced me, forever a connection.
• Fourth standard ear piercing: pierced them myself on impulse because "I was in control dammit!"
• Nose: My principle threatened not to let me walk at graduation thus I had to get it./Dude, I've got such a cute nose.
• Rook: leaving Portland for Columbia: I wanted to take something with me. (I had to take this one out... I wonder what that means? Should I get it re-pierced in SC or OR?)

Now I'm thinking I'll get an inverse navel (the bottom part of my belly button). Starting back to school has reawakened a feeling of potential in me that I was desperately missing. I'm between the naval and getting the rook done again. A while ago I took all my silver hoops out (10 between both of my ears) because I wanted to look "more grown-up: responsible." Now my ears are naked so I'm buying new earrings to add back.

Anyway, no laughing if you think this whole thing is stupid but the way some people are all emotionally attached to their tattoos, I am to my piercings.

As always, if anyone is reading this, I'd love to hear your body art stories. You know where I'm at.

"You smile like a saint but you curse like a sailor"

I really don't mean to complain so much. I just find that it's easy to get passionate and verbalize things that irk me...

Say that again... And I will shove my feminist high heel up your ass!

I'll make this rant short because I'm swamped with work due to being out for school.

Higher education is such a mixed blessing that I would love to jazz on, but it will have to wait for another blog.

Aura's pet peeve #8, 9, or 10 is the use of phrases like "Femi-Nazi" or "bra-burner," etc.

As defined in my Women's Studies class, Feminism is not the thought that women are victims and men are monsters, but rather that women should be agents of change to remove local and transnational gender inequality. I won't hash and rehash why women deserve the same fair pay as men or why it is unfair to assume that as a female I can't wait to be a housewife and baby-machine.

I just want to clarify that I'm not one of those man-bashing feminists (until you give me reason to be)! I am not after female world domination and my bra remains consistently covering my perky little breasts rather than on fire. I am not the kind of woman to always shove gender arguments down your throat (even if you deserve it, pig) so please, at least attempt to show a little class and not throw around trashy slurs like "dyke" whenever you hear me voice a slightly more liberal (than your) opinion.

You're only setting me off on my other favorite pet-peeve- Bible thumpers.
But we won't go there. I can already hear you getting huffy.


Thank you for listening, BlogSpot. I appreciate it.

Procrastination 101

Class day 2 starts in 35 minutes and I'm just now sitting down to sketch out an essay about my experiences as a writer. Blogger.com will undoubtedly get a nod in it's direction, like a Star Wars Easter egg...

Gtg. Spell check time.

I love anyone who bothers to read my little online journal here and hope you all had a Labor Day weekend as eventful and enjoyable as mine.

Tootles.