Thanksgiving break has been great! Lots of family and fun. And LOTS of puzzles : )

I'm kind of dreading this week, though. I'll just have to trudge through it, looking forward to the weekend, which is going to be good from what I can tell. I'll be able to make a little money, which is very much so needed.

And now, to attempt describe everything else going on in my world...
-I've been lazy this break, but not in a satisfying way; meaning, in a very lazy way, but not in a way that makes me necessarily feel good. But I'll get over it.
-I seriously think that I failed my Calculus test last Tuesday. It's making me go crazy!
-Today's church was really really good. Everyone was back from college! It was pretty tight.
-I seriously feel like in this past week I've been hit in the face over and over again with a huge wooden mallet with what was discussed two posts ago. I know, it's very silly of me to say that. In any case, it's all some people can talk about, which sometimes makes me nauseous. It's so hard for me to feel neutral about this kind of stuff. I mean, it's not bad to feel strongly about these things, but it is bad when my opinions change my views about people in a negative sense. It's so hard, though! I have to practice major self-control. I'm sure a lot of it has to do with jealousy, which I'm prepared to admit, as it is completely natural to feel that way, at least I think. It's tension between the knowledge that just because I think a certain way doesn't mean that if someone else disagrees they are wrong (hard to believe, I know ; ) and the frustration I feel when people are blinded by it. And I do realize that I'm being vague. I simply don't want to say anything abrasive. Sigh.

That's all for now.

On our way home last night, we stopped at a gas station-ish place called "Woody's Stop" or something like that. It reminded me of a mini Buc-ees. Whatever it was, it reminded me of my love for Texas! I don't know what it was about it that did. But there was country music playing in the background, people with cowboy boots and cowboy hats, that Texas slur buzzing around me, Texas paraphernalia, etc. It made me smile! I love small Texas towns and Texan restaurants and Tex-Mex and everything about Texas. I will always love Texas, and plan on living here my whole life.

So here's to you, Texas. You are the great Lone Star, and you will forever be my home.

Okay, so is it just me, or is EVERYONE pairing up these days?


Whatevs.

But, good news - I got to see High School Musical 3 for the THIRD time tonight! It seriously gets better each time I watch it. : )


Have great Thanksgivings, everyone! I'm off to the lakehouse tomorrow with the fam. Toodles!

In high school, and especially as a Senior, I've learned that the less you do in a class, the more angry you get when you randomly have to actually do work.

Exhibit A: So, true story, in English IV AP, you do nothing. This sounds like an exaggeration, but it really isn't.

This is what I did last week in English:
-Monday: Nothing.
-Tuesday: Took open-note test over Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, that I could have taken without the notes because the wrong answer choices were so obvious and ridiculous.
-Wednesday: Started a 16-line poem in iambic pentameter with my partner, Ellie, that Mrs. Kessler said "wouldn't change our grade either way", which is code for you don't really have to do it.
-Thursday: Surfed the internet.
-Friday: Thumbed through a bridal magazine and talked with classmates in library.

Basically, we don't do anything that requires any kind of effort whatsoever.

With that in mind, this week is a two-day week because of Thanksgiving. We walked into English class expecting to have nothing on the agenda, only to find AP packets sitting on our desks! Yeah. Crazy, right? Today she made us read our first Literature AP passage and answer AP questions! All the class groaned and declared this as absolute nonsense.

Of course, the protest seems obnoxiously unnecessary, because we are used to doing this kind of stuff. Last year in English we did AP packets quite often. And even as Seniors this year, we do work in most of our classes. But me and Bree were exploring today why we were so angry today when Mrs. Kessler made us do this. It's because we usually don't do anything! The conclusion is simple, and possibly false, but the more I think about it the more that I know it's true. When teachers don't make you do any work and then all the sudden sporadically give you an assignment that requires thought you get angry. A simple assignment turns into a cumbersome task. Why now, Mrs. Kessler? Why wait 12 weeks to give us something like this? We aren't adequately trained for this kind of work in your class; It's like letting us do nothing all year in P.E. and then making us jog a lap on the last day! Looking back, I suppose I should have seen it coming. Mrs. Kessler has consistently been a wildcard. But even this was unexpected!

This is a classic Teacher move. It's pure trickery!

Kyle's epic dream post inspired me to tell of some of my dreams as of late!

I'll spare you all the details, because I know there are some people who read my blog who have shorter attention spans : ), but here are a few that have had the same dream...

I've had 3 nightmares in the past few weeks about the same concept. Thursday night and Friday night I had essentially the same dream, and woke up crying each time. And they all have to do with Chick-fil-A.

CFA Dream 1
This one I was at a bowling alley-ish thing with some friends. Well, maybe it was more like a Chuck-E-Cheese. In any case, I was there and I knew that I had work at 6. It was about 5:30 when my dream started, knowing that to get there on time I'd need to leave at 5:45; I didn't have to go home first because my clothes were in the car. So 5:45 rolls around, and I know that it's time to go. I get to my car, but then I realize that I don't have my keys. So I have to look for them. When I finally find them, I can't get to my car. It was as if everything was keeping me from getting to Chick-fil-A. People got in my way and I kept tripping over things. I remember watching the clock get closer to 6. I began to rationalize by thinking, well, they'll understand if I get there at like 6:15. But the clock kept moving and I still couldn't get to my car. I felt the most hopeless I've ever felt.

CFA Dream 2
This one was just a few nights ago. To set it up: it was Thursday night, and I knew that I had work the next night. This is in the back of my mind during the whole dream. So, I go to work. I'm at a CFA that's right by the church, that doesn't really exist, but for the sake of the dream it does. One thing I remember is that I was feeling REALLY good. It was a BEAUTIFUL day, the sky was clear and the wind felt good - it was warm, but not too warm, and the birds were singing. I walked into CFA on time, ready to work. Mr. Ken, the Manager, and Chris, the Night Manager, told me that I can go to the back to wait a few minutes before I start. I go back there, and all the sudden I see "the gang" - you know, Taylor, Riley, Ally, Zach, etc. I don't remember everyone (I think there were probably more), but I do remember those four. I was like, HEY guys! And they were really happy to see me. They said, "Hey, let's go explore in the woods!" I knew that it was probably not a great idea, but I justified it in my mind because first of all, it was a beautiful day, and second, I would only allow myself to be outside for a minute or so, and I'd be back inside before the managers even knew that I had left. So we went outside, and all the sudden we were in woods that were by the church. All the sudden we embarked on a great adventure; the farther out we went, the more I justified in my mind about not getting back to work. Hours went by. We were so deep in the middle of the forest; I was having such a great time, I forgot all about work. Then I remembered, and a great fear swept over me. Then, Batman appeared, or I turned into Batman, or something, and flew me back to Chick-fil-A. Except I didn't go inside; I was too afraid. Then, I started thinking about how I had work the next day. And I started like hyperventilating with fear, thinking about how I'll have to face them Friday night. I actually woke up momentarily because I was so afraid and my adrenaline went up, and in real life was in actual fear about having to go to work and explain to them why I just left. I started to cry. It was only then that I realized that it was, of course, only a dream. But the fear was SO REAL! It was scary.

CFA Dream 3
I don't remember as much from this one, except that it was almost exactly like Dream 2, without the woods or Batman. This was Friday night, and I had work the next day from 11-5. I'm pretty sure I dreamt that I left at like 2, forgetting that I had to stay until 5. I woke up in the same state of terror and fear.

I have dreams like this a lot; dreams that illustrate or embody my fears that are on my mind. Like, I've had dreams of certain people yelling at me whenever I think that they are mad at me in real life, even when I know that they probably aren't.

What do you dream about?

If you know my dear friend Amanda Atkinson, you know that she has a very unique vocabulary. You also know that she "abbreves" words a lot, as Jeremy would say.

Something that I've learned in high school is that if you hang out with Amanda enough, or even for just a few minutes, you'll pick up on things she says and they will haunt you for the rest of your life.

Here's a short sample of an Abridged version of the Amanda Atkinson Dictionary...

Perf, adj.
Perfect. Usually used in an ironic or sarcastic way.
"The movie is sold out. Perf."

Purp, noun.
Purple.
"I just bought the cutest shirt! It's purp!"

Hosp, noun.
The Hospital.
"I've gone to the hosp three times since I've been in college!"

Mac Grill, noun.
Macaroni Grill
"Hey, lets go to Mac Grill, my fave place! You can pay for me."

Ging, adj. [Prounounced "Jinj"]
As in Ginger; In reference to a red-head.
"So I met this boy the other day. He's a Ging!"

Fave, adj.
Favorite.
"Ah, that's my fave!"

Krog, noun.
Kroger.
"Let's run to Krog and get some mint chocolate chip cream."

Barnes and Nobe; B&N, noun
Barnes and Noble.
"He works at Barnes and Nobe", or "Let's make a B&N run".

Nathe, noun.
Nathan Williams.
"Don't do that, Nathe!"

True Story, phrase.
Equivalent to "I know, right?" or, simply, "true story". There really is no explaination for this one. Interchangeable with "sad story" or "false story".
"So, true story, I blah blah blah..."

Que Triste, phrase. [Kay Tree-stay]
Means "how sad" in Spanish. Usually meant sarcastically.
"Oh. Que triste."

No es la verdad, phrase.
Means "not the truth" in Spanish. Equivalent to "FALSE", or the Amandified "Spanish" version, "Falso".
"Um, NO es la verdad!"


The list really does go on and on.

I love you, Amanda! : )

I would say that Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream is the answer to all life's questions, but that would be a bit dramatic.

Needless to say, I LOVE MCC ice cream! I will eat it any time, for any reason. I have the fondest memories of me eating it in my pj's while watching ALIAS. Add Kettle Korn and I'm in heaven!


Oh, quick story - I was at CVS last night getting a half-gallon of MCC (which, by the way, was only 4 bucks instead of 6 for some reason! SCORE), and the guy checking me out (insert laugh + "come on, you know what I mean" here. This is a classic store story-telling faux-pas) asked me why MCC. And I said because it's the best ice cream flavor in the entire world. He said, well, how do you know that? There are THOUSANDS of ice cream flavors out there yet to be tasted! And I said, I don't need to try the others. I have MCC. He said, Touché.

TRUE STORY.

I really dislike Ayn Rand.

I don't want to go into detail, but though I haven't read her books, because of her book The Fountainhead two of my close Christian friends are being swerved away from Truth. Not in a major way, but in a kind of way where they are interpreting parts of the Bible differently and choosing to be selfish.

Please pray for me, and for them. It really scares me. I mean, REALLY scares me. It makes me so sick.

Today has not been the greatest of days. I am deeply sorry that I have not posted a lot; this weekend I will try my best to make up for it.

I'll keep you posted...eh, eh? : )

I'm sorry that I haven't been able to post in a while! I'm busy busy busy.

Some updates:

BIG TOE was awesome! My last one as a student : (. Trey Thames did a great job, and leading worship was a great experience, as always. Piney Woods (which, by the way, is a comically general name for a camp location; I feel like it could be used for any Big Toe-ish places we go to. They've all been pretty piney and woodsy from what I've remembered : ) was a pretty place. Getting there took 3 hours rather than the 1.5 hours approximated, but it was okay; I sat next to Danielle Weghorst and we had a great long talk! All in all a positive experience. Made up a new word: "awkwameter" (wow, it looks even more awkward typed than said).

I have a solid A in the class right now, but this could change if I don't understand what we are doing in there right now pretty quickly; there's a test next Tuesday! Calculus is eating my lunch right now. Is anyone here an expert on Optimization? If so, I could use some help...

I now have a question (mostly for Andrew, but anyone else can chime in. Not that I don't think that anyone else would have an educated answer for this, but I was going to originally just email Andrew because this is his thing. I decided though to just ask everyone). My Government teacher, Mr. Devries, who is known to be pretty Libertarian, made a point the other day about modern-day Conservatism. If the very definition of Conservativism essentially implies less government, why do they want more government intervention on social or perceived moral issues (abortion, gay marriage, etc.)? And I'm not saying that I agree with what he implies or that I think that there has to be a concrete answer to this question, if that makes sense; basically, I'm not concerned with having to agree with everything a certain ideology stands for. I just want to see what you say or how Conservatives would explain it; since I consider myself a Conservative as my parents are, of course, I imagine that this will come up at some point in my life. So just asking : )

Talking about shoes reminded me of this - I've also learned that I don't look good in close-toed shoes. This idea I hold may be completely unreasonable, but I'm convinced it's true. Close-toed shoes (besides tennis-shoes) always look awkward and too skinny or short or clown-like, depending on the make. On everyone else they look good, but on me they are hideous. It's this weird insecurity I've always had.

Because of this, I wear flip-flops or sandals all year round. So be lookin' out for me; I'll be the one with the big black ski coat, cute blue scarf, jeans... and black flip flops.


Oh, and don't even think about suggesting that I "put some shoes on" when I say that I'm cold, as some are in the habit of doing. Putting on close-toed shoes will do virtually nothing for my overall comfort and warmth. Plus, it just makes no sense!

;)

In high school, and especially this year, I've learned that it's okay to wear UGG boots. Oh, and it's also okay to wear UGG boots with skirts in wintertime.


I mean, they may look unattractive, but when paired with a short skirt these boots are beauts.


Sigh.
Girls at Cy-Fair may think this unfortunate ensemble is cool, but if you were to ask me, I'd say, "UGG!"

It is certainly normal for girls to have guy friends and guys to have girl friends; usually, it seems that teenagers even have several friends of the opposite sex that they would consider some of their best friends.

But that is not what I'm talking about.

What I'm referring to is when a girl and a guy consider each other their very best friends. Their numero uno. Now, I can't claim to have much knowledge about dating or relationships or whatever, but I can say that I have somewhat figured out the art of knowing if someone likes someone else, as most people can do if they desire to, and in this scenario, the couple ALWAYS ends up dating. Or, at the very least, one of them likes the other very very much. I could off the top of my head name like 20 couples that started out as "bffaeae" and ended up in a relationship, and I'm sure you could too.

What I like about these situations is that most everyone always knows what's going on. It's not a secret; the "best friends" must know this! But every time, one of them (usually the girl) naiively denies any kind of "special feelings" they may have for eachother, while the guy pines and watches her go through relationship after relationship.

So obvious. : )

This post isn't going to be as extensive as it could be; I'm going to force myself to be succinct. I could talk for hours about this one.

I've learned (especially lately) that everyone is a critic. It doesn't matter of what - of movies, of music, of politics, of people, etc. But everyone is critical. It's probably human nature. It's not evil or a sin, and we may not necessarily be negatively critical. But a lot of the time this is not the case.

In of itself, being critical is not a bad thing. But it becomes a cycle; someone is a critic of one thing, someone else criticizes them for being too critical. "Critical" becomes "Judgmental". I do it all the time. And if I don't do that, I criticize the people who are criticizing the people who are being too critical. It happens everywhere I look. ESPECIALLY lately, in politics. I always try to be pretty balanced and keep myself in check; you know, not be hypocritical or criticize everything whenever that is the very thing that bothers me. But I can't help but be critical about this. While I am very thankful that there are many Christians who are being mature about the election and promoting that we pray and continue to submit to authority and respect whoever is president as the Bible commands, I'm sick and tired of everyone being critical! The thing is, it's not just the people who are being obviously critical; meaning, the ones who are saying "I'm moving to Canada". It's also all the public hooplah against negativity and statements about that that is getting obnoxious! Everyone says let's not talk about politics, and then everyone ends up talking about politics - mostly about how silly everyone else is being about politics. It's a cycle. It never ends! "So-and-so said this about the election. They are being so non-Christian-like! They should be mature about this and stop complaining, yada yada yada...". The Facebook cycle of commentary via status, then clever retort in the form of a Note - a note which the writer hopes to get a bunch of "Amens!" to be assured that other people are on "their side" - is getting tiring, is what I really mean to say.

With all that said, I think it's just the way we are. Exhibit A, right now I'm doing it. Last night at ABS we talked about peace. It was so applicable and convicting and true. What if, for even just a day, we weren't negatively critical about anything or anyone? What if we didn't take everything so seriously and looked at things more simply? Criticizing makes things complicated. All the sudden there's splits and sub-groups and dichotomies and every other kind of divisive method possible applied.

And like I said, I realize that this post is paradoxical because I'm pretty much doing what I'm saying I don't like right now. But this is something that I've learned! ; ) In any case, I'm just annoyed at all of it. I pray that I'll be able to not be so critical or judging or annoyed any longer - that I'll be a promoter of peace and not of division. None of this is to say that things shouldn't be discussed or that you shouldn't disagree with anyone else, but more to say that the public snide remarks, whether about an issue or about someone who has made a snide remark, don't do any good. I've learned (though I don't apply it nearly as much as I should) that a lot of the time it's better to just take down my defenses and put a little grace into everything I say. Get rid of the negative words and judgments. It's hard because it means letting go of my pride. It means that I must humble myself and serve other people. But it's what Christians are called to do.

"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you."
Ephesians 4:29-32

I just realized that I haven't posted for a week. Blech! I've been very busy, I assure you. In addition, sometimes I focus so much on checking to see if other people have posted that I forget that I haven't posted.

I don't have time right now to post a significant post (me and the fam are about to go to El Gallo!), but I will leave you with a funny part of my day. Me and Bree spent the majority of lunch thinking of ways to convert every state name in light of the outcome of the election (because, of course, with Obamessiah in office this is inevitable ; ).

Some of the examples include: Texobamas, New Barack, Calibama, Colobama, Flobama, Mississobamissippi, Nebaracksa, etc.

: )