I'm about to drive to Shreveport for the weekend, so I might as well blog now before I go.
I've been thinking a lot lately about one particular thing: the south. It's all around me. I can't escape.
However, I'm going to try to stay positive today. I now present to you:
A LIST OF REASONS WHY I LIKE THE SOUTH
1. crawfish
It is delicious. You get it from basically the same place you get shrimp, but it's so much more delicious. Crawfish boils (basically redneck clam bakes) are my favorite southern pastime.
2. the word "y'all"
The dictionary may not recognize it as an official word, but it is a perfectly acceptable contraction of the words "you" and "all." It's cute. It's a delightful word to say. Most of us don't get obnoxious with it. Your average "y'all"-saying southerner doesn't sound half as bad as any given northerner who tries to make fun of the word.
3. New Orleans
It's just a really cool city. Considering how badly my own city sucks, I'm lucky to live only an hour away from New Orleans.
Also: Austin, TX. Another really cool city.
4. your hair grows faster here
It's true.
And that concludes my list of things I like about the south. Next time I will give you my (much longer) list of reasons why I hate the south. Get excited.
So now I'm going to Shreveport to see my friends and visit the kids I student-taught. Meanwhile, although I have decided I don't really care about the royal wedding, I may try to get up and watch it anyway.
Cheers!
P.S. This is post #100! HOORAY!
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Day 27: Cheating
This particular post will take a while to complete because I'm typing it little by little as I take breaks from texting in votes for Haley Reinhart. American Idol is important, y'all. WE GOTS TO KEEP THE GIRLS ALIVE.
But I have other important news, and this important news is this: I broke my vegetarian streak last night. I'm a terrible person. I feel ignominy and disgrace being heaped upon me by an invisible force.
Ok, I actually have good reasons and a logical course of action for my vegetarian future.
My problem with trying to be a vegetarian right now is that my mom does the food shopping 'round these parts. And she keeps buying turkey and seafood products just for me. I haven't exactly mentioned the full vegetarianism thing to the family yet.
And WHY haven't I mentioned the full vegetarian thing to the family yet? WELL, hypothetical audience, I haven't mentioned it to the family yet because the family tends to make fun of me for everything I do or think. Seriously. They make fun of my liberalism, my apathy toward all sports, my disdain for America, my desire to live in Europe for at least one year before I turn 30, the things I watch on television, every opinion I express that they don't agree with, and so much more. So why give them one more thing?
But I do realize I'm going to have to tell them. So I will. I'm going to tell them I want to be a vegetarian. I will eat up everything turkey- and seafood-related in the house, and then I will stop eating all meat. And I'm excited about it.
Yep. That's where I stand now. So I'm going to go vote for Haley until the polls close.
Bye!
Days Without Meat: 0 (Sad. Must start over.)
But I have other important news, and this important news is this: I broke my vegetarian streak last night. I'm a terrible person. I feel ignominy and disgrace being heaped upon me by an invisible force.
Ok, I actually have good reasons and a logical course of action for my vegetarian future.
My problem with trying to be a vegetarian right now is that my mom does the food shopping 'round these parts. And she keeps buying turkey and seafood products just for me. I haven't exactly mentioned the full vegetarianism thing to the family yet.
And WHY haven't I mentioned the full vegetarian thing to the family yet? WELL, hypothetical audience, I haven't mentioned it to the family yet because the family tends to make fun of me for everything I do or think. Seriously. They make fun of my liberalism, my apathy toward all sports, my disdain for America, my desire to live in Europe for at least one year before I turn 30, the things I watch on television, every opinion I express that they don't agree with, and so much more. So why give them one more thing?
But I do realize I'm going to have to tell them. So I will. I'm going to tell them I want to be a vegetarian. I will eat up everything turkey- and seafood-related in the house, and then I will stop eating all meat. And I'm excited about it.
Yep. That's where I stand now. So I'm going to go vote for Haley until the polls close.
Bye!
Days Without Meat: 0 (Sad. Must start over.)
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Day 26: Think Before You Hate
I just watched Demi Lovato's recent 20/20 interview. I don't know what I was expecting, but right now my heart is just overflowing with love for this girl.
I KNOW, I KNOW. I'm so cheesy it hurts. But it's true. She's been through so much, and she's so strong. I'm just in awe.
She mentioned that all of her issues started when she was bullied in school. I can relate. School kids are brutal. I was really smart, so the cool kids wouldn't talk to me. They made fun of me for getting A's. I've battled allergies and sinus problems my whole life, and I would cough and sneeze in class all the time. Brock Bogan, the jackass who sat next to me in 5th grade, would imitate me every single time I coughed. And some other asshole, whose name I can't even remember, would tease me every single morning as I walked into school. Why? Because he thought my last name was funny.
It's amazing how long these little things stick with you. I can laugh about it now, but at the time I was truly devastated. I can vividly remember failing spelling tests on purpose because I wanted to fit in. I felt like an outcast because I was the only one at my table who could spell words correctly. And can you imagine being ruthlessly tormented because of your name? Something you have absolutely no control over. I don't know how I found the strength to walk in those doors every day. I'm really surprised that I turned out as well as I did. I could've easily gone off the deep end.
I guess what kept me going was my ability to stand up for myself. My mom always made sure I knew to tell an adult if anyone was picking on me. So I did. When Brock Bogan (who is probably in jail now) was being so mean to me that I couldn't concentrate in class, I asked my teacher to move me away from him. When what's-his-name made fun of my name every single morning, sure, it made me not want to go to school. But one morning, as I ran past him with my fingers in my ears, I accidentally smacked him in the head with my clarinet. He didn't bother me after that.
Granted, violence is never the answer. But sometimes accidental violence is helpful.
Today I find that even on a stage as small as YouTube there's pressure to be perfect. Random strangers tell me I'm fat and ugly all the time. But I don't let it get to me because I know they're wrong. I guess I'm just lucky that I've always had pretty good self-esteem. I've battled mild depression off and on for years, but it's never controlled my life. Had I grown up in front of the entire world, however, I might not have been so lucky.
Moral of the story, kids: You never know what demons people are secretly battling every day. It takes at least 50 compliments to cancel out one mean comment. Remember that before you tell someone she's fat.
In conclusion, Demi is still, and always will be, my hero and my #1 girl crush. The end.
Days Without Meat: 24
I KNOW, I KNOW. I'm so cheesy it hurts. But it's true. She's been through so much, and she's so strong. I'm just in awe.
She mentioned that all of her issues started when she was bullied in school. I can relate. School kids are brutal. I was really smart, so the cool kids wouldn't talk to me. They made fun of me for getting A's. I've battled allergies and sinus problems my whole life, and I would cough and sneeze in class all the time. Brock Bogan, the jackass who sat next to me in 5th grade, would imitate me every single time I coughed. And some other asshole, whose name I can't even remember, would tease me every single morning as I walked into school. Why? Because he thought my last name was funny.
It's amazing how long these little things stick with you. I can laugh about it now, but at the time I was truly devastated. I can vividly remember failing spelling tests on purpose because I wanted to fit in. I felt like an outcast because I was the only one at my table who could spell words correctly. And can you imagine being ruthlessly tormented because of your name? Something you have absolutely no control over. I don't know how I found the strength to walk in those doors every day. I'm really surprised that I turned out as well as I did. I could've easily gone off the deep end.
I guess what kept me going was my ability to stand up for myself. My mom always made sure I knew to tell an adult if anyone was picking on me. So I did. When Brock Bogan (who is probably in jail now) was being so mean to me that I couldn't concentrate in class, I asked my teacher to move me away from him. When what's-his-name made fun of my name every single morning, sure, it made me not want to go to school. But one morning, as I ran past him with my fingers in my ears, I accidentally smacked him in the head with my clarinet. He didn't bother me after that.
Granted, violence is never the answer. But sometimes accidental violence is helpful.
Today I find that even on a stage as small as YouTube there's pressure to be perfect. Random strangers tell me I'm fat and ugly all the time. But I don't let it get to me because I know they're wrong. I guess I'm just lucky that I've always had pretty good self-esteem. I've battled mild depression off and on for years, but it's never controlled my life. Had I grown up in front of the entire world, however, I might not have been so lucky.
Moral of the story, kids: You never know what demons people are secretly battling every day. It takes at least 50 compliments to cancel out one mean comment. Remember that before you tell someone she's fat.
In conclusion, Demi is still, and always will be, my hero and my #1 girl crush. The end.
Days Without Meat: 24
Monday, April 25, 2011
Day 25: Easter Shiznanigans
My family and I spent the Easter weekend in Dallas, TX with some relatives, including my 90-year-old Uncle Buddy. He's awesome, and we had a pretty killer time.
On Friday night I saw Scream 4 again, but THIS time I went to a drive-in movie theater!
I had never been to a drive-in before, so it was pretty darn exciting. Even more exciting was the heightened sensation of being scared while watching a movie outside in the woods. Yep, it was all pretty fantastic, except for the group right next to us who decided to bring a CHILD to see Scream 4. It talked.* A LOT. What the hell were they thinking?!
Anywho, on Saturday night the family and I went to a Rangers game (that's baseball for you unsporty types). Don't I look excited to be there?? :-P It actually was pretty fun when it wasn't raining.
Then on Sunday we did the church thing, the Easter dinner at lunchtime thing, and a bit of an Easter egg hunt. It was an adult-style Easter egg hunt, however. Each person only had one egg with his or her name on it, and the eggs were filled with $5 bills. That's my kind of Easter egg.
We drove home last night since my brother had to go to school this morning. I, however, have this entire week off, so I have spent much of today reading Maureen Johnson's new book, The Last Little Blue Envelope. I'm only 100 pages in now, so I'll tell you how I like it once I'm done. I will say, though, that if things are going in the direction I think they're going, I'm going to be annoyed.
Finally, I've been thinking about how most people keep track of stuff at the end of their blog posts. I used to keep track of stuff, but I haven't done so in quite a while. So howsabout I start today, eh?
Days Without Meat: 23
Books Read This Year: 0 (Shut up. I've been busy.)
Chipotle Burritos This Year: 1
Places I've Traveled This Year: North Carolina, Illinois, Texas
But I think I'll only update these things as they change. No need to tack them on at the end if I've made no progress.
Mmkay, see you tomorrow! Possibly.
*Can you tell I have no plans to be a mother any time soon?
On Friday night I saw Scream 4 again, but THIS time I went to a drive-in movie theater!
I had never been to a drive-in before, so it was pretty darn exciting. Even more exciting was the heightened sensation of being scared while watching a movie outside in the woods. Yep, it was all pretty fantastic, except for the group right next to us who decided to bring a CHILD to see Scream 4. It talked.* A LOT. What the hell were they thinking?!
Anywho, on Saturday night the family and I went to a Rangers game (that's baseball for you unsporty types). Don't I look excited to be there?? :-P It actually was pretty fun when it wasn't raining.
Then on Sunday we did the church thing, the Easter dinner at lunchtime thing, and a bit of an Easter egg hunt. It was an adult-style Easter egg hunt, however. Each person only had one egg with his or her name on it, and the eggs were filled with $5 bills. That's my kind of Easter egg.
We drove home last night since my brother had to go to school this morning. I, however, have this entire week off, so I have spent much of today reading Maureen Johnson's new book, The Last Little Blue Envelope. I'm only 100 pages in now, so I'll tell you how I like it once I'm done. I will say, though, that if things are going in the direction I think they're going, I'm going to be annoyed.
Finally, I've been thinking about how most people keep track of stuff at the end of their blog posts. I used to keep track of stuff, but I haven't done so in quite a while. So howsabout I start today, eh?
Days Without Meat: 23
Books Read This Year: 0 (Shut up. I've been busy.)
Chipotle Burritos This Year: 1
Places I've Traveled This Year: North Carolina, Illinois, Texas
But I think I'll only update these things as they change. No need to tack them on at the end if I've made no progress.
Mmkay, see you tomorrow! Possibly.
*Can you tell I have no plans to be a mother any time soon?
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Day 20: Get Over It
I know. I haven't blogged since Sunday.
Tomorrow night is my choir's spring concert. This is the first concert I've ever put on ALL BY MYSELF.
So naturally I'm running around like a psycho and freaking out about everything.
Blogging will just have to wait.
Tomorrow night is my choir's spring concert. This is the first concert I've ever put on ALL BY MYSELF.
So naturally I'm running around like a psycho and freaking out about everything.
Blogging will just have to wait.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Day 17: Two Awesome Things*
Alright, so last night's BONUS POST did not happen. My mom and I rented the original Scream, so I was pretty tied up with that commitment there. I forgot that the original is more serious than any of the sequels, so my poor mother kept asking, "Uh...when exactly is it going to get funny?" Ha. It was mostly just gross, but I loved it.
However, I do feel the need to tell you about TWO AWESOME THINGS that I experienced yesterday.
Awesome Thing #1: This shirt.
Back in 1993 I was 5 years old, and I was cast in my first musical. The show was The Sound of Music, and I was Gretl's understudy. However, the director thought I was awesome enough to deserve a performance, much to the dismay of the real Gretl. The real Gretl, however, did go on to play Young Cosette in Les Mis on Broadway, and THEN she got to be Annie in the Disney TV remake in 1999. So it would seem that the real Gretl got the last laugh, except for the fact that she never acted again and now works at a Hooters in Hicksville, Louisiana.**
Matt pointed out that, thanks to the real Gretl, I have just one degree of separation from Victor Garber, Audra McDonald, Kathy Bates, and Kristin Chenoweth. So I'm pretty much a celebrity by association. Worship me.***
Awesome Thing #2: ...I honestly can't remember. Crap.
Oh, well. I'll let you know if I think of it again. It really was awesome. I promise!
K, I'm gonna go do my taxes now. Woof.
*Just one awesome thing, actually. My bad.
**I don't know if she actually works at a Hooters. It's just a widely circulated rumor, which I choose to believe because it makes my story so much better.
***You should know that I am almost always joking when I sound like I'm full of myself.
However, I do feel the need to tell you about TWO AWESOME THINGS that I experienced yesterday.
Awesome Thing #1: This shirt.
Back in 1993 I was 5 years old, and I was cast in my first musical. The show was The Sound of Music, and I was Gretl's understudy. However, the director thought I was awesome enough to deserve a performance, much to the dismay of the real Gretl. The real Gretl, however, did go on to play Young Cosette in Les Mis on Broadway, and THEN she got to be Annie in the Disney TV remake in 1999. So it would seem that the real Gretl got the last laugh, except for the fact that she never acted again and now works at a Hooters in Hicksville, Louisiana.**
Matt pointed out that, thanks to the real Gretl, I have just one degree of separation from Victor Garber, Audra McDonald, Kathy Bates, and Kristin Chenoweth. So I'm pretty much a celebrity by association. Worship me.***
Awesome Thing #2: ...I honestly can't remember. Crap.
Oh, well. I'll let you know if I think of it again. It really was awesome. I promise!
K, I'm gonna go do my taxes now. Woof.
*Just one awesome thing, actually. My bad.
**I don't know if she actually works at a Hooters. It's just a widely circulated rumor, which I choose to believe because it makes my story so much better.
***You should know that I am almost always joking when I sound like I'm full of myself.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Day 16: I'm Not Too Old For Laser Tag
YOU ARE CORRECT, SIRS. And ma'ams. I did not blog yesterday. I know you're all upset because I felt a faint cry of "NOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooo....." at 11:59 last night as I was sitting in a movie theater and definitely not blogging.
I just realized that typing "no" with a bunch of extra O's looks like you're actually saying "noo." Hah.
Yesterday I had a super-duper fantastically silly and fun time with some of my choir kids on our CHOIR FUN NIGHT, WOOOO. Well, first we had a 2-hour long rehearsal, during which everyone developed severe ADHD and did nothing to ease my worries that we're going to crash and burn at our spring concert next Thursday. But no one wants to hear about that.
What YOU want to hear about is me playing laser tag. For those of you who were not preteens during the 1990's, you may not have spent your formative years playing laser tag in the dark, creepy back room of your local skating rink. Laser tag involves being outfitted with a heavy vest and plastic gun by an acne-ridden teen who instructs you to shoot the players of the other team in return for points. It's not at all violent.
Well, last night I played laser tag. Shockingly, I was not very good. I discovered once again that I do not play well with small children. At one point I actually found myself screaming "STOP FOLLOWING ME, YOU CREEP!" at a seven-year-old boy. As fun as it was to practice my inadequate sniping skills, I only played one game.
But THEN we went to see Scream 4 (which I refuse to refer to as "Scre4m"), and I gotta tell ya: it was freaking fantastic! SO good and SO funny! I immediately wanted to see it again. And again. And then spend all night tonight shirking responsibility and watching the first three Screams.
In other news, I'm thinking of switching to decaf in the mornings. I've been having this problem on Saturday mornings in which I feel like I'm knee-deep in a massive hangover, but I rarely drink anymore. I'm diagnosing these unfortunate weekly headaches as caffeine withdrawal, because what else could it be?
Well, I guess it COULD be a brain tumor with a very strict schedule.* But probably not.
Anywho, kids, stay tuned later tonight, as you may find a BONUS POST to make up for yesterday's absence. CHEERIO!
*Sometimes I'm a hypochondriac. I once thought I had HIV and a brain tumor AT THE SAME TIME.
I just realized that typing "no" with a bunch of extra O's looks like you're actually saying "noo." Hah.
Yesterday I had a super-duper fantastically silly and fun time with some of my choir kids on our CHOIR FUN NIGHT, WOOOO. Well, first we had a 2-hour long rehearsal, during which everyone developed severe ADHD and did nothing to ease my worries that we're going to crash and burn at our spring concert next Thursday. But no one wants to hear about that.
What YOU want to hear about is me playing laser tag. For those of you who were not preteens during the 1990's, you may not have spent your formative years playing laser tag in the dark, creepy back room of your local skating rink. Laser tag involves being outfitted with a heavy vest and plastic gun by an acne-ridden teen who instructs you to shoot the players of the other team in return for points. It's not at all violent.
Well, last night I played laser tag. Shockingly, I was not very good. I discovered once again that I do not play well with small children. At one point I actually found myself screaming "STOP FOLLOWING ME, YOU CREEP!" at a seven-year-old boy. As fun as it was to practice my inadequate sniping skills, I only played one game.
But THEN we went to see Scream 4 (which I refuse to refer to as "Scre4m"), and I gotta tell ya: it was freaking fantastic! SO good and SO funny! I immediately wanted to see it again. And again. And then spend all night tonight shirking responsibility and watching the first three Screams.
In other news, I'm thinking of switching to decaf in the mornings. I've been having this problem on Saturday mornings in which I feel like I'm knee-deep in a massive hangover, but I rarely drink anymore. I'm diagnosing these unfortunate weekly headaches as caffeine withdrawal, because what else could it be?
Well, I guess it COULD be a brain tumor with a very strict schedule.* But probably not.
Anywho, kids, stay tuned later tonight, as you may find a BONUS POST to make up for yesterday's absence. CHEERIO!
*Sometimes I'm a hypochondriac. I once thought I had HIV and a brain tumor AT THE SAME TIME.
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