Christmas

Christmas is my favorite holiday. Every year. I put so much work into it, lots of thought into everyone's gifts, and typically I am done shopping every year well before Thanksgiving (I hate crowds and I especially hate Christmas shopping crowds).

This year was really fantastic. For both of my parents, my good friend Tricia (of www.spokeit.com fame) took pictures of Joey and Hero which I bought fancy frames for. I bought David a Nationals jersey with his name and number on the back of it.

I personally received a lot of goodies - I got the best little keyboard/case for my iPad, which will make taking notes in class, sending emails, updating my blog, and pretty much everything else a million times easier. And since it doubles as a case for both the keyboard and iPad it is still really easy and lightweight to carry. Perfect!

We also got a white Christmas - which is lovely. It snowed all evening and all night, as well as all day today. It is still coming down out there, but the accumulation hasn't been as much as I was hoping for - the weathermen predicted 6-12" for our area and we have about 3" currently. But at least I got snow on Christmas!

So it has been lovely to spend time with parents, Meemaw, and family, as well as David. Unfortunately I wasn't able to get over to visit his family due to weather but I am hoping to go see them soon.

I know the majority of my readers are people that I see personally over the holidays but I hope that you all had a safe and happy holiday!

Is this real life?

I don't ever have trouble mistaking dreams for reality because my dreams are often so bizarre that they could never happen in real life. They are often very detailed and take place in the real world, but just really couldn't possibly happen. For instance, before my final grades were posted this semester, I had a dream that one of my history professors lowered my grade from an A+ to a B because he heard people around campus spreading rumors about me, including that I frequently got hit by cards due to not paying attention, and he concluded that if I wanted to make it in the world as a historian, I needed to get used to gossip effecting my career.

Yesterday, though, real life was so weird that I thought I might be dreaming.

Let me start by saying that following exam week, I came home and slept, celebrated my 25th birthday, and seemed to have developed a head cold. So my brain was a little fuzzy, and I got up early to take Chandler to the vet because he hasn't been feeling well lately.

In the lobby I met the crazy cat lady. You know, THE crazy cat lady. The one you always hear about.

She seemed normal at first. Somewhat elderly, well dressed, carrying a little dog that was so old it didn't really know what was going on but was really cute. He wasn't on a leash and when she put him down he would wander around the lobby and sniff all the other pets. I struck up a conversation with her, partially because she was sitting next to us while we were waiting for Chandler, but mostly because the little dog looked like a living teddy bear.

I was just asking her about her little dog and she was really friendly and then just dropped the bomb that he lives with her and her thirty two cats. Your what? I thought. Your how many? Thirty two cats. Plus some outdoor cats. I know this seems like something a senile old lady would say, but I'm willing to give this woman the benefit of the doubt. As they say on the many crime tv shows I watch,  "she fit the profile." Plus, she had so many anecdotes about how he would chase the outdoor cats and slept in the middle of all of the indoor cats on her bed.

I immediately thought of last week when my grandmother informed me that she had 10 inches of snow outside and the snowflakes were as big as apples. Riiiiiight, I thought. But this lady wasn't 94 - she seemed about 50. She looked very together in her pantsuit and nice jewelry. We stopped talking as the vet came out and spoke to my father and me about Chandler's test results in the lobby, but I kept my eye on her. She sat there stroking her dog - who wasn't even sick - he had come along for the ride as she brought in one of her cats to visit the vet.

Guys, I feel like I just met Santa. THE crazy cat lady. I should have asked for an autograph.

Leaf Angels

I think I've posted before about how Joey likes to get dirty; well, rolling in the leaves is his second favorite to rolling in the mud. I always say he is making "leaf angels," sort of like snow angels, because he stretches out on the ground and rolls in the leaves until he is covered in them and there is a Joey-size imprint on the ground where he used to be.

Butterflies.

Butterflies. The most evil creatures on the planet. Most people look at me like I am crazy when I say this, but I know.

I think this all started when I was little. I remember being in my bedroom at our old house, and I had this poster which, during the day, was REALLY cool. It had the alphabet on it, but the letters were all photographs of butterfly wings whose patterns made the shapes of the letters. I am sure my parents thought it was great. Little did they know that they were traumatizing me for life. Because when the lights went off and I fell asleep, all of the butterflies in that poster would come and fly out at me, attacking me like a well trained legion of the Roman Empire. I was dreaming of course, but it was horrifying. And I just can't shake the feeling that butterflies are secretly brilliant masterminds who are plotting our deaths so they can take over the world.

I know, I know - I need serious help. I'm on medication already. It's helping.

Still, when I am walking during the summer and some "friendly" butterfly gets in my face and goes FLAP FLAP FLAP I just want to kill it. If you've been following my posts on here, you know that one of my things is that I hate all things "creepy crawly" - well I should add to that, and make it 'creepy crawly or flappy" because butterflies just freak me the hell out.

Also note, that often time brightly colored animals are often the most dangerous because they have no reason to fear predators because they are poisonous and therefore do not need camouflage. You know that's true because it's on the internet. (That's a joke. It's true because it's in biology text books and my professor said so). Anyway. I'm just telling you, don't trust the butterflies. They are up to no good.

And don't EVEN get me started on the moths.

Thanksgiving Reunions

I have one of the weirdest educational histories you will ever encounter, because I have transferred a lot. And I don't just mean in colleges - although that is definitely the case - but I also attended two middle schools and two high schools. And then 3 colleges, before returning to the first one again, which is so different at this point it may as well be considered a 4th college.

I wouldn't really trade the experiences at each of these schools because they were so different. One middle school was a very large public school and one was a small private school; one high school was a gifted student magnet school which was housed inside of an inner city Richmond school, which was well known across the state, and the other was a tiny private school in the middle of Powhatan that no one has ever heard of. As for the colleges, one has been an amazing experience both times, one was in the middle of nowhere, VA and a mistake that I had to make in order to learn a lot about myself, and one was a community college that helped me figure out what I wanted to do with my life.

Each one of those schools helped make me who I am today - I'm thankful for that.
But the one side effect of all of this switching around is that friendships are really hard to hang on to, especially those from before the days of facebook. Every time I switched schools I was in a completely new group of friends, which meant I lost touch with the old ones. It was just too much to keep up with. On the plus side, I became very comfortable with being "the new girl," which is a good skill to have when you have a chronic case of the transfers.

Thankfully for my sanity, however, there is one group of friends that I spent years growing up with, and that is the girls from the barn where we grew up riding together. We all started young and went through everything together. No one understands the misery of a bad show or the frustration of a bad lesson, as well as the highs of a good one, as well as the girls who have been there with you from the beginning of all of it. When you are so upset that you want to give up they are the reason that you stick through. You spend hours and hours together, getting up early to travel to shows and cheering each other on in competitions. Riding isn't really a team sport in the strictest sense but you do develop a bond with each other.

Now that we are all older it is a lot harder to get together; a lot of girls aren't in town as often anymore, and those that are just don't have the time to ride as much as they'd like. But for the last few years we have gotten together over Thanksgiving and gone for a ride. It's like we're 12 years old again, cantering around Calais field, gossiping about boys, the best of friends. I look forward to it every year.

Lauren and I on "the twins" - Pride and Comet, this year's Thanksgiving ride.

Tis the Season!

Procrastination (Part 2)

With finals approaching, my skills of procrastination have become even more fine-tuned.

Sorry for the lack of updates, with so much going on right now it's hard to find a moment to write. Between finding excuses not to do work, calling my boyfriend to whine about all the work I have to do, and finally sucking it up and getting the work done, I hardly remember that I have a blog to be working on.

Right now I'm actually taking a study break - be proud. Well, be sort of proud. I have a Latin quiz tomorrow on a lot of stuff that I have been studying for on and off this weekend. I also have 4 essays due for history at the end of the semester that I haven't started on. Oh, and I really need to start prepping for finals. And I haven't done any of that.

But I have watched Season 1 of Dexter, Season 1 of 30 Rock, Season 1 of Nip/Tuck, and all 3 seasons of Veronica Mars. Oh yes, time well spent. Netflix, if I fail anything this semester, I have only you* to blame.

*Okay, yeah, and myself too.

They Might Be Birds

In Betty Terry's dining room she had a big glass table, and over it hung this painting, a sort of swirl of color. Mostly dark colors with a little white and red and green, coming together in almost a picture. Apparently it was painted by a neighbor who was going to throw it out, and BT saved it, and hung it up on her wall, where I'd always known it. When she moved from her big house to her place in the nursing home, it kept its home above the glass table.

One of the things I'll always remember about holidays at Betty Terry's were the discussions about this painting. I guess when you get old you begin to have the same conversations over and over; one of Boop's favorites was telling the story about the time I made everyone go on a parade around the house with my toy instruments, and she made sure to tell that one every Christmas. But the other one we always had was about this painting; what IS it? It's like a Rorschach test, the sort of painting you can look at and discuss and see a few different things within.

Ultimately,  though, we always came to the same conclusion, and that was this: they might be birds.
When she passed away and Mom asked me what I wanted from the house, it was one of the first things that came to mind.

I don't have a good picture of it, this is pretty awful actually, and eventually I'd like to get a better image of it. But how do you go about getting a picture of a painting? I guess standing at a 90 degree angle would be a start, huh? But anyway. What do you see?

Petals

Switch

As a history major, it is pretty safe to say that as a general rule, I like old stuff.

Everything in this house is older than I am, and to me that is neat. There are lots of old pictures and when I got bored I find cool things that just happen to be sitting around and I look at them, or take their picture, or just take note that at one point they were important enough to be held onto.

Old stuff is NEAT.

This is the light switch in my bedroom. It's just an old light switch, but I think that makes it pretty cool, as far as switches go.

BT

When someone dies, two things happen: everything changes, and nothing changes.

Someone you've known and loved your entire life is no longer a part of it, and, your life changes. They're never going to be there again.

But at the same time, your life will continue on exactly as it did before. You'll still have Latin homework to do and a new episode of Gossip Girl to watch. And it feels wrong that something so normal can still be happening. So the only thing you can do is remember the good times and the things that person taught you and let those memories make you a better person.

BT was a cool lady, she was very generous, and she loved Santa Claus. She was "marvelous". And she will be missed.

The art of procrastination

You learn a lot of things when you go to college. There is the lecture material, of course, and if you're lucky you learn some skills like making strong arguments and writing good papers. You learn your alcohol intake limit, you learn just how little sleep you can survive on, you learn how to play a LOT of video games. And you learn to procrastinate.

Boy oh boy, you learn to procrastinate.

They really try to teach you when you are younger not to put things off to the last minute, but all of that goes out the window when you get to college. You know what feels good? Getting your paper done well, with plenty of time before it's due. You know what feels better? Not doing your paper, and going to that party instead. Or if you're lame like me and don't even like parties, watching the world series is way better. Or writing in your blog. Or cleaning your room. Or doing the dishes. Or doing your laundry.

College students can become oddly productive in other areas when there is a looming assignment in question.

Procrastination is a hundred times worse in college than it was in high school for three main reasons:
1. No parents to yell at you
2. Harder classes with harder, longer assignments
3. About a hundred more distractions

I'm not a student that you have to worry about with this sort of thing; I start my papers pretty early (compared to most students in my classes), I get good grades. But some nights I will find any excuse to not get something done.

I have a Latin quiz tomorrow and it is going to be hard; I have been struggling with the material for the last two weeks. I have been dedicating time to it, I've talked to classmates, I have been to office hours with my professor, and I've made notecards. But now it is down to the final moments and I absolutely have to get it done.

But the World Series is on and all I want to do is watch baseball.

Dolly

Apparently when I was really young I used to love this Raggedy Ann doll, but to be honest, now I just find her sort of scary. I mean, she's all stitched together and she has these huge eyes that are staring at me, it just makes me really uncomfortable. She reminds me of Chucky, you know, from the movies. It's unsettling.

Vitamin H

I miss my horses! This picture is the background on my iPad and I have been staring at it for days wishing I could just get on one of my boys. Biggie is at home in Richmond being leased for the fall, and Monty is in South Carolina until May, and I miss them!

I miss horse shows and getting up early and getting all dressed up and spending all day in the heat. I really want Monty to get some show experience; unfortunately it is ridiculously expensive and I don't have that sort of money. Also, ideally, it would just be me and Lauren going because it would save money if we didn't have to pay for coaching and trailering fees. I'm pretty confident that the two of us could safely do it on our own - so that's my dream. Even though they would just be local shows that is what I would love to be doing with him.

I think he's ready for that. He is far less crazy than he used to be and he is jumping really well these days!

His knees aren't the tightest here but they get that way - especially with Lauren on him! He loves her. Look how round he is through his back though - he's finally jumping like he isn't green anymore. He's also got a few shows under his belt, and in fact this summer when he went to a show with Annelise he was champion in two divisions!


I'm not sure where she got it but when I was little my mom called it Vitamin H. And I really need some more Vitamin H in my life, horses are a passion that get into your blood. There's nothing like a gallop across Calais field or seeing your horse's breath on a cold day. I was never a part of a real team sport growing up, not once I got passed middle school, but this is a different sort of team. A partnership unlike any other.

I'm staying in town this weekend to get work done, but next weekend I am going home. It's Halloween weekend and I have wanted to dress Biggie up like Bob because they look (and act) pretty similar: See? All I would need is a green sheet (and a way to keep his tail looking realllllly short) and I'd be good to go.

I wish I was a princess.

Because I mean seriously, THIS is the life.

I took 30 pictures of my dog in the span of 2 minutes today, because I felt like playing with my camera and because she is so adorable curled up on my pink blanket with her little bone.

Claw! Claw! Antlers!

Something really weird has been happening to me this MLB postseason. I've felt it coming for a few days.

I'm becoming a Texas Rangers fan.

I love the Cubs. I will always love the Cubs. They will always be my number one team.

I don't know much about the Rangers; I follow CJ Wilson on twitter and one time he tweeted at me. At me, @junebugskippin, it made my life. I follow Michael Schlact because of his amazing positive attitude in dealing with his shoulder injury and recovery; he's an inspiration to me every single day. He actually sought me ought on Facebook and friend requested me. (HE requested ME.) That made my life all over again. He's in the Rangers minor leagues and it's on my life list to see him pitch in person.

Anyway, due to being close personal friends with these two awesome pitchers I had already been rooting for the Rangers to make the post season and started watching their games. When I made everyone make little brackets with me, I chose the Rangers to win the World Series this year. So especially in the post season, I have made a point to catch all of their games.

It is AMAZING the difference between watching them play and watching the Cubs play. The Rangers have this joy of the game, like they are just having a great time out there. I am sure part of that is because they are having an amazing season. But I don't think that's all of it. When you watch a Cubs game, this season especially, it's painful. It is disappointing to be a fan and I can't imagine how demoralizing it must be as a player, because we all know they're better than they were this year. They'd be great if they could just get it together. But 99% of the time it doesn't look like any fun whatsoever to be a Cub.

It looks like an absolute BLAST to be a Ranger. Seriously. Those guys are having the time of their lives. The claw and antlers thing they do get me every time, every single time. I don't know how that started but I'm such a fan of it. I do it right along with them every time.

And I'll have you know that I have never ONCE rooted against the Yankees, mostly because I've never seen the Cubs play them, but in this series I'm hoping they lose. That's saying something. They are my dad's favorite team and I grew up with a teddy bear from Yankee Stadium that is so well loved he barely has arms anymore. I knew who Andy Pettite was before I knew who Michael Jordan was. I got really offended when they started calling Andy Roddick "A-rod" in the tennis world. My point is - I grew up in a Yankee household. It's a big deal for me to root against them.

Dad criticizes my new choice because, as he says, "That's Dubya's team."
Well no, actually, it's Nolan Ryan's team now, right?
And at least it isn't the Red Sox, Dad, seriously.

Theft promotes theft

This post I got from Tricia, who got it from other people, so really, we'll just consider it post viral at this point.


Places I've lived:

1. Brandermill - house #1
This was a cute little condo, two bedrooms, one that I shared with my brother. I don't remember much about it - we moved when I was in kindergarten, but the staircase had a landing and I liked that.

2. Brandermill - house #2
I spent most of my childhood in this one floor house. It was not constructed for having guests over so I hated bringing people over to my house - my room was TINY but there was nowhere else where we could go to have fun in the house that wasn't under parental supervision at all times. I hated that house, I never invited anyone over. Back in the day the cool thing to do was have slumber parties - I never got to have one because we had nowhere to sleep. Can you tell I'm bitter?

3. Powhatan
We moved to Powhatan at the end of my sophomore year of high school - my parents live in that house now. I love the big back yard and the house is PERFECT for entertaining guests, we've had more parties since we've moved there than in the 16 years in the other houses combined. My mom hates this house because it isn't well built and it isn't very fancy but I think it is very nice. I love having my own bathroom.

4. Santoro 214
My freshman year of college I lived in a triple with a friend from high school and a girl from Colorado. The dorms on CNU campus are huge so that was fine - there was really plenty of space most of the time. We had friends over constantly and I miss the social life of there always being someone in the hall who wanted to hang out. Mario Parties and Karaoke - that's what life in Santoro was about.

5. Barclay 46
My first apartment - love love love. Sadly they are tearing it down soon to make way for more modern things on campus, I'm guessing just more apartments. I had a private bedroom and lived with two friends, it had so much space. I loved reading at the kitchen table and having my own room but still living with friends. I hope that when I graduate I can find an apartment that I love as much as that little one.

6. Main Hall 415
Think about a really old residence hall in Bristol, VA - at the top of a huge hill, on the top floor of the building that didn't have an elevator. Then imagine parking at the bottom of that hill and carrying your groceries up all said hill and then all those stairs, and you will get an idea of how much I "enjoyed" living there.

After that I spent a few more years back in Powhatan.

7. Brandon Rd, Newport News
Right now I live with my grandmother in the house that my mom grew up in. I love this house, and I would live here forever if I could, but I'd rather be in Richmond permanently so I doubt that I will stay after I graduate.


There's a pointless post for you - it's what you get when I don't have anything to say, but don't want to study.

Storytime

When I was in college - the first time around - one of my roommates freshman year was a girl named Sharon; she had this awesome ability to turn any single word into a great story about her life. We used to take turns just saying random words back and forth until she jumped in with a story. We called this storytime and it was a great activity that the 3 of us (we were in a triple) would play before bed. Anyway, one of my personal favorites went something like this:

Libby: Banana!
Danielle: Monkey!
Libby: Tiger!
Sharon: OH! I have a story about a tiger! One time we were at the zoo, and my dad's hat fell off into the giraffe exhibit.

I've just realized that I've become some weird(er) version of this game because I can take anything (like, say, bumper cars) and turn it into a reference or story about my boyfriend. I should probably be kinder to people who drive me crazy by talking about nothing but their wedding or kids or whatever, sometimes I just want to smack people and remind them that there is more to life, but I guess I am guilty of it too.

Things I talk about on this blog:
David
College
Baseball

That's pretty much it. I'm going to try to start blogging about something that does not fit into one of those 3 categories at least once a week, or at least something that only loosely fits into one of those categories. It's a good goal but I'm not sure if I will be able to stick to it; to be honest, it will probably last about two weeks. But whatever, goals are fun, and I have a lot of free time these days.

Bumper Cars

Two years ago tonight, David and I had our first date together. We met at a sports bar and watched the baseball postseason, I think it was the Rays game, and there was a lot of beer and fried food involved. It was the best first date I have ever been on.

In honor of this fact I'd just like to talk a little bit to mention our relationship dynamic; aside from the fact that he can always make me smile - even (especially) when I don't want to, I know that I can come to him with any concerns I have about the future (or the present, or the past, because let's face it - I have a lot of concerns!)

Here is a brief example of what I am talking about - some of our conversation from our IM chat tonight. I was watching an episode of Monk, the one from the first season where he and Sharona and Benjy visit the carnival.

Libby: I need to make a bargain with you
David: Okay - what kind?
Libby: When we have a family and we have kids and we take them to a theme park, I will take them on the roller coasters and YOU can take them on the bumper cars
Libby: Because I refuse to be a part of any ride where children experience joy from breaking traffic laws
David: Hahahaha
David: Yeah, I can do that



You see? He has long since accepted the fact that A) I'm crazy and B) I am especially crazy about traffic laws and C) There are some acitivities I absolutely refuse to participate in, such as bumper cars.
That's not to say that I won't try new things - someday you should ask him about the time I went in Go Karts for him. That was still pretty early in our relationship and I still remember my dad saying, when he found out where we were going, "Wow you must be really serious about him" - because let's face it, that is so not my thing.


Our actual 2 year anniversary - when we decided to become exclusive and serious and all that - is two weeks from tonight, and unfortunately since I am away at school we are unable to spend tonight or October 25 together - thankfully, though, I think we're gonna have a whole lot more of them to share with each other.

The perfect game.

Today was a good day - busy, but good. After class I got some homework done and then had to go shopping at Target to get art supplies and other things for a group project. You never really expect to have to buy markers and poster board as a college student, but there you have it. I think our presentation next week is gonna go pretty well! We worked on it for a few hours tonight and it was really relaxing.

Classes went well today, too. Lots of homework for Latin but I got quite a bit done in the library before our group meeting.

And I got back my test grade from my history 357 midterm. I was really nervous about this - it was definitely the hardest of the tests I have taken so far this semester, and when I got my grade back I really had to fight back tears.

A perfect 100%.

I don't really know if I can put in words how much that one grade means to me, because not only because I worked so hard studying and I just like to get As, but because my entire college career up until now has been a failure. Not in the sense that I have gotten bad grades, but every "life plan" I have ever made for myself has crumbled and I have been crushed time and time again as I realize that something isn't going to work out. It's so very hard not knowing what you want to do with your life - or even what to major in - when you're almost 25 and all of your friends have graduated and moved on to real careers.

So with this I was sort of bracing myself. I love what I am doing right now - history and classical studies, this is amazing. But it all has seemed too good to be true and I've just been waiting for it to fall apart. Why wouldn't it, when that is all college has ever been for me? I try so hard to be optimistic but I'm tired of the pain that follows that sort of disappointment.

But this grade - this proves that I can do this. My first test in my first upper level history class - 3 full essays and some identifications on top of that - and I get completely full credit. I can't explain how much this means to me. I really think I am going to get the little blue book framed and hang it on my wall so that I can always see it - so that it'll always inspire me and keep me going. 

I think my mood is pretty on par with Roy Halladay's tonight - he just threw a no hitter in the post season, something that has only happened one other time in the history of baseball.

This test is my perfect game.

Weekend Fun

Dave came to see me this weekend and we went to lunch with my cousin, Chris and his new wife Grete - I love them! And it was great to spend time with them.  Bob and Meemaw also joined us. We went to the Jamestown Pie Company and I had a really excellent salad.

Then after lunch David and I walked around at the Lions' Bridge, which is one of my favorite places in the world, and took some pictures.

Did I mention that Phoebe has moved to Newport News with me? This makes me so happy. So does her HOT PINK leash.



Forgive the low quality of the picture, it was taken with my iPhone, because the batteries in my new camera are dead and I haven't bought more yet.

Things I also need to buy:
Treats for Phoebe
Colorful pens for color coding notecards
Various items like deodorant and toothpaste
GROCERIES.

My choices for dinner tonight were frozen pizza, ice cream, or a questionable sandwich. I've done nothing but gain weight since the semester started because I feel like there is only ever junk food in the house; I also don't have a measuring cup for dog food so Phoebe has been gaining weight like crazy too because I've been eyeballing what 1/2 cup looks like. It doesn't help that I am going out for dinner with Brittany once a week and we nearly always choose Mexican food. Also contributing to my weight gain is the amount of time I spend sitting at my desk or lying in bed with a text book.

The two of us - me & Pheebs - are going to start going for runs around the neighborhood if it ever stops raining, which doesn't look likely for this week, but all of my athletic clothes are in Powhatan anyway, so I guess our exercise routine doesn't begin until next week. That is good because it gives me time to mentally prepare.

Two blog updates in one night has given me a lovely break from studying for my Latin test but I really need to get back to it and get some sleep!

Yes I am alive

I'm alive, I promise! I posted last week briefly ("briefly") about all the studying I was doing. Thankfully my 50 minute test was spread over two days - my professor had a fit of benevolence I guess. I have a Latin test tomorrow that I have been studying for, and in two weeks I have my Classical Studies midterm, which I am not prepared for because I have developed a lovely habit of skipping that class. I didn't go last Thursday because of a monsoon - we got over 6 inches of rain in one day - and the roads were flooded and there was just no way I was driving anywhere. 

I'm hoping to get grades back from the various tests I have taken soon, I did get a 50/50 on my Latin quiz last week which was lovely. When the tests are entirely essay questions it takes a long time to grade them which is not good for my anxiety; I stress over a test even after I've taken it, until I get the grade back, so I am really just ready to know how everything went.

 
Once again it is time for 5 Question Friday Sunday Night! Yay.
As always the questions are from Tricia. 

1.  Did you have a pen pal when you were little (or now)?  Where are/were they from?
I actually never did have a penpal that I can remember, which is sad, because it is the sort of thing I would have enjoyed. Have you ever seen the movie "Mary & Max"? A penpal could be one of your very best friends. Although in the age of technology I guess they are more rare. The closest I have ever come is with my good friend Sophie - anyone who grew up loving horses probably played the game Horseland when they were little, and I met Sophie years and years ago when we were both playing. We have stayed friends ever since and she is one of my very best friends in the world - I've never met her in real life!

2.  If you could have a different job for one day, what would it be?  
I'd love to be a glamorous actress - my childhood dream. I wouldn't want to deal with the paparazzi but I sure would love all of the attention.

3.  Do you remember your biggest fear from when you were little?
That my house would go up in flames and I wouldn't be able to save all of my stuffed animals. Yeah - I was a weird kid.

4.  What do you think is a waste of time?  Why?
I'd like to be able answer, "worrying," because I know stressing about something doesn't change things one way or another; but I think it would be far too hypocritical for me to say that. So I think I will go with watching a tennis match. I'm sorry. I just can't do it.

5.  What is the oldest item you have in your closet?
In my closet here in Newport News, I couldn't even tell you how old some of the stuff is, but none of it is mine, so that doesn't really count. At home - I definitely have all of my high school prom dresses and homecoming dresses.

It's mathematically impossible for me to do that

I hate the first tests of the semester, because the professor is still an unknown entity, and you have no idea what to expect. You have a month's worth of notes - which you take very carefully and clearly, a fact appreciated by yourself and your classmates - but when it comes down to it, there is just so much information.

If you're lucky, you get a study guide. Sometimes they are really good and tell you exactly what is going to be on the test - thank you, Latin class. No surprises there - a hell of a lot of material, but with the kindness of quizzes (yes, kindness) that force you to learn the material early and keep up with the vocabulary, it's really not difficult to study for. Just time consuming.

Sometimes the study guide is more general - a list of the most important stuff and a general idea of what to expect for an essay, so that although you're still not 100% sure, you can focus your studying on what the professor feels are the most important areas - and you know which areas those are. These are really helpful.

But sometimes you get almost no guidance at all, and after weeks of taking down notes, especially the details that the professor mentions, because they help so much in your essays, but when it comes down to preparing for the test you just don't know. Does he think this or that is more important? Which of the 50 people we discussed in class should you be prepared to give an identification answer for? Which of the themes will the essays cover? How can you possibly fully prepare to write a good essay with details when the essay questions could literally be anything that was covered in class?

That's what I hate about the first test - the uncertainty. After the first test you get more of a feel for the professor, even if they don't give you any hints for studying. And I'm a big girl, and I can handle that, but god damn is it frustrating. And it is so much worse in college because instead of being just a fraction of your grade, you know, the midterm is worth 30-40% and a bad grade on it will seriously mess up your chances of getting an A in the course.

I pride myself on being a good student. I start studying early and I learn the material inside and out. I consider and answer any possible essay questions given on a study guide. I know all the dates and events and important people. I study my vocabulary and keep the cards so that I can review them when doing assignments. But it is simply impossible to prepare for the test I am taking; I have no idea how I am going to pull this off. And, because I'm me, I am going to beat myself up over a mediocre test score when I COULD have done better if I had just known what to expect.

Sometimes I just want to call it quits and go to sleep for the night - and if my test wasn't first thing in the morning, I probably would, because a good sleep will do wonders for your ability to think clearly, especially if you get to the point where you're stressed out just thinking about writing three essays in a 50 minute time frame. It takes me 50 minutes to write ONE good essay in a regular class; and they are fine tiny works of informative literature. This all would be better if I could take my time to actually do it right - but no matter what, no matter how much I study, I'm going to feel rushed. And that stresses me out, so I have a harder time focusing on actually preparing. So I worry about not being prepared.

It's a vicious cycle, the kind that people really don't fully understand unless they struggle with anxiety issues. It starts accidentally and then it sucks you in and can't get out, you're just swirling around in a vortex of worry and fear and stress. That sounds like some weird carnival ride, doesn't it?

Coming soon: Vortex of Fear! Thrill seekers, be rushed off the ground and spun around faster than you thought was possible, and the more you scream and the more scared you get, the faster it goes!
It's not as fun as it sounds, trust me.
And if you're thinking it actually doesn't sound very fun at all, you're not wrong, but it's still a little bit less fun than you're imagining.

But you know, I'm really having focus problems this weekend. I've been studying since Tuesday or so and I'm just ready for a break mentally, so here I am, whining about having to study and inventing roller coaster rides for the insane instead of actually sucking it up and getting it done. Hmmmm.

Put Your Hands Up

This is what a sold out baseball game looks like.

I caved.

So after my post earlier, I sat here thinking about how much I've missed having a working camera and the ability to take higher quality pictures than what I get with my iPhone - which is excellent for a cell phone camera, but still nothing like a real camera.


I started researching pretty much as soon as I published the last blog entry, and ended up picking a model online. I went with the Canon Powershot because it is pretty much the only camera I have ever owned - this is my third or fourth version of it. Only this time it is a bit flashier and fancier I think, and it cost less than the one I ended up with a few years ago, because the price of cameras have gone down. Anyway it is the Canon Powershot SX120 IS.


Anyway, I think I am going to be really happy with it. It had nothing but positive reviews online and I desperately wanted something with a better zoom than my last camera so that I could take better pictures at ballparks and the barn. Still not as fancy as what I hope to end up with some day - but this is actually the first camera that I have paid for myself and I'm really happy with my choice. All of the others I have received as gifts and I didn't really want to be a part of the choosing process.

After locating a local store that sold it, I went to pick it up and then drove over to the river to play around with it a little. It was just before sunset and I spent about 20 minutes walking around and snapping pictures. I got a few that I think are pretty neat.

This is looking through some safety bars out into the James.

 This is a picture of a tree that I adore.

Waves on the rocks

Baseball in September

I haven't mentioned the Cubs in awhile - and can you blame me, really? 2010 has been the worst year for the Cubs since I started following the team closely; prior to this it sometimes did really feel like it COULD be the year for them. But 2010 has been a disaster since opening day, and it hasn't really gotten any better. A lot of times it felt worse. We traded Theriot, Fontenot, and Lee - three of my favorites. Losing Theriot was a big blow to me personally, I really liked him - I mean, I named my car Theriot. (He's now asking for his name to be changed to Starlin.)

Dad kept telling me that the problem was with the manager, and I didn't know how to feel about that. I think Lou Piniella was a really excellent coach and did amazing things for the club, so to hear other fans really give him a hard time was confusing to me. And I didn't understand how he could be the one causing the problems. Then, later this season, it came out that his mother was really sick and I guess he had been very distracted the whole season. First base coach Quade took over as manager and the Cubs really have been playing better - it's a shame he didn't take over sooner, he could have salvaged more of the season, and honestly I wouldn't object to him being the manager next year. He's done a great job.

Anyway. Dad's birthday is this Friday and I am really excited, because we are going to Baltimore for the weekend, and I think it will be a lot of fun. We'll be staying Friday and Saturday nights - and the best thing of course is that David will be coming. Saturday night we will be watching the Orioles take on the Yankees - since the Cubs and the Nats have been eliminated from the post season already, the Yankees are the only team I root for who are left in the race.

It's also been 2 years since we got to see them play in person, and I haven't been to a baseball game since June, so I'm ready. It'll be fun. I only wish that my camera wasn't broken so I could take lots of pictures! I also wish cameras were not so expensive - I would love to buy a new one but I just can't spend that sort of money right now. And I am so tired of having a December birthday, I can't even tell you, because that means not only will I not have a new camera in time for the baseball game, I have to wait all the way until a week before Christmas, and I am sure there are lots of things I would like to be able to take pictures of between now and then. Oh well.

I'm breaking up with Monday.

Dear Monday,


I know everyone hates you, but if you want more friends you should stop ending the weekend before we're all ready. Because of you I have to go back to class and return to the real world. That's just not cool, man.

You should be more like Friday, the start of the weekend, everyone loves Friday. If this were high school, Friday would totally be Prom Queen and you would be that guy no one really likes because he smells sort of funny and has no social skills.

Or you could be like Saturday and have awesome parties for Tricia and Derick that have entirely too much tequila, so that you have to spend all day Sunday relaxing.

You know how much everyone loves you on holidays? Long weekends are the best. Imagine how awesome you could be if every Monday was a day to relax. Then you could show everyone what an asshole Tuesday really is.

Just some things for you to think about.

Love,
Regards,
Libby

I'd write this whole thing in Latin if I could

I am really enjoying college right now - not in the sense that most people enjoy college - I'm not out partying all the time, believe me. But I love my classes - every single one of them. I never really had that experience the last time around, because I could never decide on a major. And I can tell you that I never once even considered history, it wasn't until later, after I had completely lost my way, that I was able to find individuation.

It's a real word. It isn't the same thing as individuality, which is more closely related to a person's identity; individuation is the process by which a person becomes themselves. The series of obstacles that you have to overcome that change you from the person you were into the person that you are. (I learned that in college - hi, Mom!)


Anyway, my classes are amazing. Latin is such a passion, in the strangest way, it's gloriously frustrating. It fascinates me in a way that no other subject has, but at times it is so frustrating because I have all the pieces but can't put them together. It's even better than I remember.

I'm finally taking the American History class that I've always wanted  and I have never been so excited to write a paper as I am for this class. I've had my topic chosen for over a week and tomorrow I'm going to start reading about it.

My War in the Ancient Worlds class is bittersweet; my professor is an amazing storyteller, and I've already had to ask for further reading because some of the things we've discussed were so interesting. On the other hand, though, it makes me long for the Sunday nights spent crammed around a crowded table with the sound of dice rolling around. It makes my heart ache, in a way that I'm never sure how to explain.

Ancient Mythology is something that is unlike any class I've ever had before. It is literally a man on stage in front of one hundred students telling us stories that are older than we could ever imagine, and it's really interesting, but it's so weird. And we are always talking about sex. And it isn't just because there is a lot of sex in the stories (and there really, really is) but the discussions in this class always seem to lead there. On the first day of class, the professor said, "My goal in this class is to teach you about mythology, sure, but I also want to make you look smart, so you can impress the right people and get ahead in life. Oh, and to get you laid." Everyone laughed and obviously he was joking, I just want to give you an idea of what that class is like.

And they're all a lot of reading. So much reading. But I love it, and most of the time it's really pleasant to just sit and read, with the exception of one of my textbooks which is dreadfully written and can be a real struggle to get through.

So I haven't been keeping up with writing, between the reading & workload, not getting nearly enough sleep because of a mattress that I am pretty sure is older than I am, calling my boyfriend at every opportunity, and missing my dog like crazy. And driving, and weddings, and engagement parties. Whenever I have a free minute, all I want to do is sleep. Just curl up with David and Phoebe and sleep.

My only maternal cousin got married this weekend, it was a really pretty wedding. :) This is from the reception.

What I love about Sunday

I had a whirlwind trip home this weekend - drove from NN to Richmond on Friday, made a round trip to Harrisonburg and back Saturday, and then drove back to NN today. ENOUGH DRIVING. Can I just stay here for a few weeks?


I will get around to a real post later tonight, probably, but here are the Questions posted by Tricia every week over at Spoke

1. What do you do when you have time to yourself?
Play with colorful ponies on the internet. Oh, you wish I was kidding. Also, I write when I'm alone, and do a LOT of studying these days - gotta stay on top of the workload.

2. When you look out your kitchen window, what do you see?
In Powhatan, I see the backyard, which I love, it is big and open and lots of time there are deer out there. In Newport News, I see the backyard, which is much less impressive. One day though I want to look out my window and see my horse chilling in his field. :)

3. Who/What would you be reincarted as?
I never know how to answer questions like these. I'd probably ask for a second shot at myself.

4. What is your biggest pet peeve about other people's kids?
I'm drawing a total blank with this one. Most of my issues are with the parents and not the kids themselves.

5. Regular or Diet Coke?
Diet soda for sure although I prefer Coke Zero to Diet Coke.

I'm HOME

I'm HOME.

So here's another picture I took of Newport News.

Creativity.

I read somewhere that the part of your brain responsible for creativity is the same, or right next to, the part of your brain that causes schizophrenia. They concluded that all creative people are a little bit crazy because of this. It's been long enough that I don't have the article anymore, but I'm sure if you do some creative googling you can pull up a similar study.

I'm on medication for anxiety & OCD, which I've discussed before, but I've noticed something lately. Mostly I get ideas for my story when I'm alone - laying awake at night, or when I'm walking by myself around campus, anywhere I can be in solitude and let my imagination go. Lately, though, I've got nothing. No new ideas, and no motivation to expand on the ideas that I do have, no drive to work on the story I've already started.

A lot of times on TV the characters on medication stop taking their drugs because they don't feel like themselves anymore, and now I can totally see where those characters are coming from - I can only assume they are based on the experiences of real people.

I need the medication, it keeps me from being out of control. I hated the way I felt all the time when I wasn't on it. But I miss the creativity. I used to make characters who had so much depth that I felt like they were the ones writing the story, I was just putting it into words. I made whole worlds for them to explore, or just set them loose in this one.

I don't write my stories anymore.

In my modern US history class we're studying 1919-20 and did you know, they used to give out cocaine and heroin to people as medicine? That was before the days of the FDA but it makes me wonder what they'll discover about the stuff I'm on in 80 years. Will they look back and say, "Wow, I can't believe they gave so many people these medicines when we know now how dangerous they are, the long term effects of these drugs are terrible!"? I worry that I'll never get that creativity back.

On The James

This is the James River. This was taken from my neighborhood. Look at that view! I can't believe I live here. I can't wait til Phoebe lives here with me and we can walk through this area every day; it is so gorgeous.

Say what you want about Newport News, a lot of people call it "Bad News" - but it is beautiful if you know where to look.

My roomie is awesome

Meemaw: I thought tonight would be a good night. We could go to Danny's or, uh... What's it called with the sandwiches? And they make it however you want.
Libby: Subway?
Meemaw: No, don't worry I will think of it. ((Laughs for about a minute.))
Libby: Okay! Well let me know, we can go wherever!

Five minutes later...

Meemaw: SUBWAY!!!!!!!

Twice in one week that's a record

It's Friday and I'm bored. Thanks to Tricia at Spoke for the questions!

1. How many pets do you have? Two horses and 4 dogs. Monty and Monty are the horses - I'm not kidding, and the dogs are Joey, Chandler, Phoebe, and Hero. I don't have a picture of all of them together, but that's something I should work on. Technically, one of the horses belongs to my mom and three of the dogs belong to my parents. The smaller Monty and Phoebe are mine :)

2. If you could switch places with someone for a day who would it be? I never know how to answer this question because I am sure that other people's lives aren't as glamorous as I remember. Jessica Simpson? She's gorgeous and talented and has money and I'd love to spend a day in her shoes. Literally, she designs shoes and they are awesome but I can't afford them. I love to try them on though. She's not very well liked though, and I'm not sure I could handle the kind of criticism she receives. I can't think of a single person that I don't come up with a big objection to being. Am I taking this too seriously?

3. What is your favorite money saving tip? I'm not a great saver. I mean, I save, but only because I don't let myself go shopping or think about things that I want but don't have. If I make up my mind that I really do want or need something, I buy it. So I guess, just be smart about your purchases.

4. What do you want your kids to be when they grow up? I hope David and I have a lot of boys and they love baseball and they get his athleticism and good looks and my intellect. If they're girls I hope they love ponies and get my hair. But even if they don't I know we'll love them just the same. Would it be awesome if one of them grew up to be a professional baseball player? Hell yes. But I'm not going to force anything on them.

5. What is your favorite quote? Wow, I have so many. Here are a few of my favorites.

"Go back? No good at all! Go sideways? Impossible! Go forward? Only thing to do! On we go!" -Excellent life advice from Bilbo in the Hobbit by Tolkien

"The world breaks everyone and afterward many are strong at the broken places." - Ernest Hemingway

"I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be." -Douglas Adams

How I Met My Nemesis

Picture this, if you will: I'm lying in bed, enjoying an episode of How I Met Your Mother before I go to sleep for the night, with all of the lights off. When suddenly, I hear this whooshing sound, and into my face flies... something big and alive.

Naturally, I start screaming, because it is essentially pitch black in this room and I have no idea what is going on - I'm sure I woke Meemaw up. I manage to turn on the lights and see what is obviously the biggest, most evil grasshopper of all time (OF ALL TIME!) perched happily on my computer screen.

Now, I am not one to kill bugs. This is the number one reason I will never, ever live alone. I have to have someone around to kill the bugs. But this situation called for drastic measures, and I knew I must kill the bug.

Problem #1 - It is enjoying the computer screen. I can't kill it and risk shattering the screen.
Problem #2 - I don't like bugs and want nothing to do with this.
Problem #3 - This is clearly the most evil creature that has ever lived, and this is going to be one epic battle.

So, onward to problem number one. I begin finding small things I can safely throw at the grasshopper to (gently) encourage it to vacate the screen area. Balled up pieces of paper, small things like that, which it ignores. Okay, I can handle that. I chuck the top from a sharpie at it, and hit it in the back.

I did not think this plan through and as it turns out, this was a horrible decision. Mr. Grasshopper gets pissed and starts zooming around the room again, in and around my personal bubble, as well as up to the ceiling and into the window, before finally coming to rest high up on my curtain.

This is clearly no ordinary insect, but a grasshopper mastermind the likes of which had not previously been met in this world.

I surveyed the room around me, looking for any possible weapons I might employ against this worthy foe. Then I saw it - the glass and pitcher Meemaw had set out for me in case of emergency. Well, really it was in case I got thirsty, but it was the perfect plan to capture this little sucker and get him out of my life once and for all. However, in the middle of my strategizing, Mr. Grasshopper gets bored of the curtain and zooms straight into me again.

I scream, the glass goes flying, and I hit it with the pitcher, which cracks and a part of the handle breaks off with a loud CLANG as I start to shriek again. However when he comes to a rest this time I am prepared, and manage to trap him in the pitcher. Ever so carefully, or rather, really quickly so that he doesn't escape and kill me, I put the glass on the pitcher like a lid and go downstairs to exact on my revenge on this midnight assassin. Creeping down the basement stairs, I take off the lid from the jar and prepare to release him into the wild Newport News area where he shall surely be eaten by a bird and I will be able to rest in peace. However, instead of flying out the door as I intended, he flew downstairs into the darkness of the basement, where he remains currently, zooming around as he plots and schemes how best to attack me once more.

And that, kids, is how I met my nemesis.

Ancient History

I'm a History major with a Latin Classical Studies minor. Do you know what that means?

I have like 6 papers due this semester, as well as 16 texts for 4 classes. That's not an exaggeration. It's a lot of reading, and a lot of studying & reviewing because it's a lot of information. And a lot to remember. But it's really fascinating.

Lucky Day

I would like to start this off by saying, ever since I upgraded to the 3GS almost a year ago, I have taken amazing care of my phone. It has a variety of protective cases. I don't really let other people mess with it. That thing is expensive! How many people are going to toss out a couple hundred bucks to get it fixed if they break it? Not many. So typically, no, you can't play with the iPhone. (I'm actually even more possessive of the iPad!)

Anyway, anyway, anyway. Today I have dropped my phone twice already, once onto the pavement in the parking garage and once on the floor of the bookstore. It thankfully landed face up both times and I was spared the ordeal of having to pay to replace a shattered screen.

I took this picture the morning of my last ride on Monty. Shortly after which, my phone took a tumble from my pocket onto the ground from up on my horse. Since it was wearing the bright pink iPhone case, it stood out well against the grass and I didn't have to search for it long, and that one is really, really well padded, so there wasn't any damage, but seriously.

I NEVER drop my phone and then this weekend I guess I have been careless with it, I am out of control!



You'll notice a trend with the pictures I take. I'm obsessed with looking through something - walkways, bridges, tunnels, the lane that leads out to open pastures - etc. Love it.

5ive

Remember that band? 5ive? "Baby when the lights go out..."
No?
Well I loved them when I was 12!

Anyway.
I haven't done 5 Question Friday (um, Monday) in over a month because life has been so crazy for me. I'll post some real information about my life shortly, but I had a chance after class today to do this and it was fun. Not as cool as Tricia's from Spoke, which was a vlog. That's a video-blog. It was awesome.

Here are my answers!

1. Do you have any nicknames and if so, what are they and how did they come about?
Like my dear friend Tricia, the name everyone calls me is technically a nickname. Libby is short for Elizabeth. I don't have many other nicknames - people call me Libs a lot, which is pretty straightforward. When I was at VI it was 'ibby (Libby without the L) because that's what the riding coach called me. But it's been years since anyone called me that.

2. What is your birth order amongst your siblings?
Technically, I have an older brother - he's 10 years older than I am and so essentially we were both raised as only children. We lived together for like 2 years only (He's a half brother) and I was too young to remember it, so I really am an only child.

3. In a movie about your life, who would play your signficant other?
Seth Rogen. David is way, way more attractive than Mr. Rogen, but he has the same laid back personality, the same charm, & Seth seems like such a nice guy which is just like David. And since Seth is a stoner (or plays one in the movies) he always seems to be relaxed and happy. I would like to take this opportunity to point out that my boyfriend is NOT a stoner. He's just a naturally relaxed person, which compliments me perfectly because he helps me to calm down. I'm such a high stress person that I need someone who is going to tell me to chill when I am over reacting. David is also incredibly funny, and Seth Rogen movies are some of my favorites because the man is hilarious. Anyway, I can't think of anyone else I would cast as David in a movie. (Tricia picked Mark Wahlberg for Derick, do you think Dave is going to be disappointed in my choice?)

By the way, I would be played by Rachel McAdams. Fo sho.

4. What is currently your favorite song?
"Got Money" by Lil Wayne and T-Pain. DON'T JUDGE ME!

5. Are you currently saving for anything?  Is it a big or small purchase?
I am saving but with nothing specific in mind, I have no money, and no job, so I am just trying to not buy stuff. Does that count?

Things I should be doing instead of watching baseball right now:
Packing for school
Laundry
Cleaning my room
Playing outside with the dogs
Riding my horse

But I'm not. I'm sitting on the couch and watching Zambrano throw lots of balls, preparing for a sweep from the Padres. I have four dogs sitting with me & I'm snuggled under my favorite blanket. Not a productive afternoon but I can't begin to explain how much I have enjoyed being able to relax a little since quitting my job last week; it has also given me more time to prepare for the coming semester, both mentally and otherwise.

I still have time to finish getting ready to leave; I did sleep for 12 hours last night and will pull an all nighter tonight if necessary.

I want to be here.

I haven't been to a baseball game since this was taken, in early June. I haven't had time; I've had other priorities and now the summer is nearly over and that seems like a serious oversight.

Every summer should have an excess of the following: horses, baseball, and friends.

The Difference Between Men and Women

This is how I would answer the following question:
Q: Is Nyjer Morgan playing tonight?
A: No, he got injured, I'm not sure what happened. I haven't seen him play for a few games now. I hope it's not serious! He is my favorite.

This is how a man* answers this question:
Q: Is Nyjer Morgan playing tonight?
A: No.
Q: Why not?
A. He's still hurt.
Q: What happened?
A: Hurt his hip.
Q: How?
A: I don't know.

It doesn't matter what the question is, it's just a difference between us. Men only want the minimum facts when they ask a question like that, so it's all they give you. Women want to know every detail about everything, so that's what they tell you- everything they know, plus some stuff that you didn't ask for, just for the hell of it.

*may or may not be based on an actual conversation.

Joey

Joey is our nine year old Golden Retriever. His favorite thing to do since he was a puppy is get dirty, we were sort of hoping he would grow out of it when he got to this age. No luck!

I'm Ready

Over the course of the last three days, my textbooks for the fall have arrived. It is unbelievable how many books I have- 5 classes, all of which have at least 3 books, 2 of which have 5. I went through them all and wrote my name on them, which took awhile, and I flipped through the pages of some of them.

I mentioned in my last post that I was itching to start studying, and I picked up Ovid's Metamorphosis and have hardly been able to put it down. It is really fantastic writing and I would recommend it for anyone who likes to read. I have it for my Classical Mythology class, one of the classes with 5 books. It seems this semester will be reading and writing heavy, a lot of work. But I think I am ready to go back, prepared for the workload and crazy hours I will spend studying. I intend to go to grad school in 2011 so I want to keep my grades up!

I've also dome some miscellaneous shopping in preparation. A nice new case for my iPad and another for my iPhone, as well as screen protectors for them both. And actually, we took my iPhone to the Apple store today because the battery life was so dreadful, and they ended up replacing it for free with a brand new iPhone 3GS! Neat. I have spent my night getting everything reloaded onto my phone and sinking some things onto my iPad.

But anyway, here are the reasons I am going to succeed at college this time around:
1. Having declared a major, 90% of the classes I am taking will be interesting to me, I have only a few random gen ed classes left to take, and even those won't be too bad.

2. I'm older, and more mature, so I am taking it all very seriously.

3. I've made a lot of mistakes over the course of my college career, more than most people when it comes to the academic side of them. I've learned from them, though, and I will be a better student because of it.

4. I have absolutely no doubt that I am attending the very best school for me. I've been to enough colleges to be able to sway that accurately and with confidence.

5. I won't have the distraction of dorm life to keep me up late, which always resulted in skipping class and not getting work done. I have my schedule set up so that I can spend a lot of time in the library between classes, and my 95 year old roommate won't be begging me to stay up playing Mario Kart at midnight.


Those are the big ones, I am sure if I really tried I could think of more. A little closer to when I leave I am going to post an updated version of the goals I have set for myself this fall.

Two Things I Love

"He studied Latin like the violin, because he liked it."
-Robert Frost, "Death of the Hired Man"

Two of my favorite things: Latin, and Robert Frost.

I'm sitting here on my bed with a pile of Latin textbooks, and I couldn't be more excited about returning to school this fall. As much as I'm looking forward to my history major, I'm looking forward to my Latin minor.

I have my Latin text from when I took the same class 5 years ago- they use the same one. Is it too early to start studying?

Also. I ordered textbooks for the fall today- I forgot how expensive this was. It's pretty ridiculous- college should be affordable so that more people can have the chance to go. Don't you want the young adults of our country to be well educated? I feel like that should be more important to the people making books for higher education, but I guess it is too much to ask for consideration in that regard.

That's a compliment

Obviously you shouldn't take much store in internet quizzes, but I thought this was a fun little one worth passing on:

I write like
Stephen King

I Write Like by Mémoires, Mac journal software. Analyze your writing!

King's "On Writing" is one of my favorite pieces and I do use it as a bit of a guide for what to and what not to do - if you like to write I highly recommend buying a copy for yourself.

Latest obsession

A few weeks ago, David introduced me to the amazing world of baseball cards. Primarily for collecting but also for trading. I bought my first box of cards a few weeks ago, and got some neat cards on ebay, and bought the cutest binder to put them in. I spent an entire afternoon organizing the cards alphabetically first by team and then by player name. All of my OCD friends will smile knowingly when I say - it was the best day!

Tonight I bought a box of old cards and Dave and I sat down and went through them together. And it was so much fun, we open the packages and got excited with some of the cards-like my Joe Girardi Cubs card, and a card for Andre Dawson who just got into the hall of fame. Yay! David got a lot more as the cards were mostly a gift from me to him.

It's nice to have a new hobby. My life, for the past few years, has been mostly studying, and working, and riding on the rare days when I am off from work & the weather is nice. But this baseball card thing is a nice change of pace, and most importantly something that Dave and I can enjoy together. I'm looking forward to us collecting more cards through the years.

I have to finish this post with the pride of my collection, an autographed rookie card from Nyjer Morgan. He is my favorite National and one of my favorite MLB players, ever. I don't have a good picture of it yet so I will need to work on that & post it.

Sorry for the lack of updates lately - this last week included a final exam,a wedding shower, a visit to Newport News to start preparing for my move back to school, and by tomorrow morning, 30 hours of work on top of that. But I'm doing well, missing my social life but hopeful things will settle down soon.

The Philosophy of Phoebe

Phoebe is my 7 year old cockapoo puppy, one of my very best friends and companions. Of all the dogs I have ever met she is the sweetest and happiest I've ever known. Yes, I am a bit biased there, but even strangers talk about how sweet and pretty she is. David and I call her our little princess. I wish I could be more like her sometimes, since I get stressed out so easily over a lot of things. So I made this list of Phoebe's Philosophy teachings - the things I've learned from her. She's a wise little pup!


Philosophy of Phoebe


Never walk when you can run, never run when you can skip.

You're never too old to play with your favorite toys

Take pride in your appearance (always wear your best bandanas in public or when company comes over!)

Enjoy taking walks around the neighborhood

Naps are perfectly acceptable activities for an afternoon

Be kind to children but be firm in your expectations for them

The best thing in the world is snuggling on the couch with someone you love.

Always make time to sniff the dirt, the grass, the flowers...

Everything is fun and exciting, if you let it be!

Love each day.

Home.

I love this campus. It's good to be home. :)

Location:Brandon Rd,Newport News,United States

Hot & Cold

Whenever it gets stupidly hot outside, I like to think about snow. Remember how we were freezing cold in all of the snow this past winter? It's days like today, and sometime in March when this picture was taken, that I want to move somewhere like San Francisco where it stays 60 degrees all year long and these insane temperatures don't happen.

Yep.

It's only Tuesday and I have already worked 20 hours this week. So that's where I've been.

It has left me approximately no time for studying or a social life, but the paychecks are worth it, and I really do love my job.

Inside looking out

Williamsburg, 2009. In the Governor's palace and looking out into the gardens.

I promise I'll do a real update soon, I've been busy, and not feeling well, and haven't been able to sit down long enough to type a blog entry.

Boys of Summer

Big Monty

I'm not really a photographer - I have friends whose pictures put me to shame - but I like this shot of Biggie. I got to ride him today and it was really fun. Every time I think about horses right now I just want to cry because I've come to the realization that I can't afford to keep mine anymore. So he's for sale and I've gotten a few emails but no one has come to look at him yet. It's a terrible time to try to sell a horse.


Growing up sucks, kids, because a lot of times it means realizing that the right thing to do is the thing you really don't want to do.

Obsessive. Compulsive. Ridiculous.

It isn't really a secret that I am on medication for anxiety and OCD related stress, things had escalated in the past few years but, looking back on my childhood, there are little red flags everywhere. I was never a very religious kid, but one day in school they taught us what to do in a fire. I must have been in first grade, and they taught us about stop/drop/roll and touching doorknobs. I got home that night and I was so scared that I prayed to God to protect my family from a fire.

But I didn't stop there. I got this idea in my head that because I had asked for protection from fire, he might get us by some other means, say a flood. I remember this so vividly because I was completely panicked. So I asked him to protect us from floods, too. And what about earthquakes? Hurricanes? Tidal waves? Bad guys? I started listing all of the bad things that could happen to me, it took a really long time. I wanted to be sure that my family was going to be completely safe. And I did this every night for probably two weeks - because I was convinced that if I didn't, something terrible would happen.

You don't really realize that it isn't normal when you are 7 years old. I mean, all kids have crazy imaginations - but even so, that just isn't right. Looking back on it now I can see things like that sly through my childhood - but I didn't ever tell anyone about it, because I didn't realize that it was something I could get help for. I didn't know that every kid didn't stay up for an hour doing that very same thing.

The medication I am on these days definitely stops me from doing things like that, but it doesn't help all of my problems. I was not very good about taking my medicine this week, and it definitely showed tonight.

We are hosting a wedding shower for my cousin in a few weeks and as soon as I walked in the door from work she handed me a glass of sangria that she made as an experiment for the party. I sat down at the kitchen table and tried and tried to drink it - I really did - but I just couldn't do it.

Because I still had my socks on.

I know how crazy and ridiculous and irrational it is, but I can't eat or even drink with my socks on. I am okay if I am wearing shoes AND socks, or just shoes, like with flip flops or other sandals. I prefer to be barefoot. But not if it is socks and nothing else on my feet. All I can think about is the socks, and how I need to take them off RIGHT NOW. My heart starts racing and I cant focus on anything except the cotton monsters on my feet.

I'm not crazy, I know I'm not crazy, but things like this make me feel crazy. And I simply can't explain it to someone who doesn't feel the same compulsions that I do. The medication helps a lot - it really does.

I decided it was time to talk to someone about my problems last year, while studying for a test. I have a lot of compulsions about schoolwork, and it is part of the reason I am such a good student. But some of them are a bit more frustrating. For instance I have to save my papers 3 times every 3 paragraphs. Have to, or else I will lose all my work. And I don't mean that I save them in 3 different locations - I just hit save three times, just to double and triple check that the save went through and if my computer battery dies or we lose power, I will still have my work.

When I'm studying I go over and over things. I make tons of notecards which are color coded cards by chapter and color coded pens by subject. For this one test, in a class I was struggling with, the professor made the most nonsensical study guide I have ever encountered. It was not arranged by chapter or subject or alphabetically, it was just a random list of stuff. I was going back and forth through my chapters and ended up studying the same few concepts 3 or 4 different times because, since the study guide had no logic to it, I couldn't be absolutely sure what I had or had not studied yet. I got so frustrated that i gave up and went to the doctor the next day and started on my medication.

I am not saying this for sympathy or whatever, rather just to explain a bit about myself. It isn't all bad - I do take studying very seriously (although some would say I am too obsessed with getting straight As), and today wt work the owner of the company complimented my drive and dedication to learning the new skills and protocol. (I have been moved to the front desk to help with checking in and out, making reservations, selling play packages, etc - way more responsibility and its a customer service position, so high stress!)

At the same time, you know, its frustrating. I know it isn't normal or rational and yet I feel so much better when I follow my little rituals- and I still do some of them even on the meds, just not to the same extent as before. But it is a part of who I am. It does seem to drive people crazy sometimes though, so I try to not make an issue out of it - I sort of do my thing in the background, making sure to get the same number of steps in all squares of the pavement on the sidewalk.


Edit - because there has been some confusion - these are far from my only symptoms. I don't really feel the need to discuss all of the reasons I was diagnosed with this, just because I don't talk about the other stuff in this post doesn't mean that it isn't there.