A "getting to know you" thing I stole from Graham

FIRSTS
First job: Glorious times at D.Q.
First screen name: I think stardust2756
First self purchased tape: Haha, Ace of Base, when I was like seven
First enemy: hmm. Brandon Winger comes to mind, from first grade
First big trip: We went to California when I was like 6 months old. Otherwise, the first one I remember was going to Florida when I was 3.
First concert: Jars of Clay
First relationship: hard to say
First pet: our dog, Tigger, sweetest dog ever

LASTS
Last big car ride: going to Nashville for the Oracle
Last kiss: oh geez, how long has it been?
Library book checked out: "The Comedy of Errors: Critical Essays."
Last movie seen: Imaginary Heroes
Last beverage drank: water
Food consumed: a Quaker Oats breakfast bar
Last phone call: I think Megs
Last cd played: one I burned off my brother's computer like three years ago
Last annoyance: always waking up when Brit gets up- though that's more of a habit now than a real annoyance
Last soda drank: diet dr. pepper
Last ice cream eaten: Edy's mint chocolate chip
Last time scolded: last time I talked to my mom (like yesterday)
Last shirt worn: my comic-book style t-shirt "I'm glad...it's my holidays!"
Last website visited: hotmail
Last relationship: Leslie, I suppose

I'S
I am: a little bit crazy
I want: to be anywhere but here for a couple of weeks
I have: too many issues
I wish: for world peace
I hate: the radio station 93x
I hope: that my life stays in one piece
I hear: music
I search: for love and happiness
I regret: squandered and lost opportunities
I love: my friends and family
I always: take things too personally
I dance: when no one's watching
I cry: too often
I am not always: prepared
I write: far worse than I wish I could
I win: seldom, but then I try not to compete very often
I lose: my mind a little every few days
I confuse: myself
I need: a vacation
I should: focus more on my spiritual life

YES OR NO
You keep a diary: I prefer "journal."
You like to cook: sometimes
You have a secret you have not shared with anyone: oh i think there's a couple

DO YOU
Want to get married?: yes
Get motion sickness?: never
Get along with your parents?: for the most part
Like thunderstorms?: love them. except when i'm driving.

THE BASICS
Current hair color: brown
Birthplace: Brainerd, MN
Birth Date: November 19, 1984

FAVORITES
Number: 2
Color: blue
Day: Saturday
Month: May
Song: currently, probably Kasey Chambers' "The Captain"
Season: spring
Drink: fruit-flavored mineral water
Sport: meh, i can take or leave most of them
Animal: dogs

PREFERENCES
Cuddle or make out: umm......i guess both?
Chocolate milk or hot chocolate: hot chocolate
Milk, Dark, or White chocolate: milk
Vanilla or chocolate: chocolate

IN THE LAST 24 HOURS, HAVE YOU?
Cried? nope
Bought something? a movie ticket
Gotten sick? no
Gone to the movies? yes
Gone out for dinner? no
Said I love you? yes
Written a real letter? no
Talked to an ex? nope
Missed an ex? no
Written in a journal? yes
Had a serious talk? not really
Missed someone? definitely
Hugged someone? yep
Fought with your parents? no
Fought with a friend? no

WOULD YOU EVER
Eat a bug: no. unless i got paid a bunch of money and even then it's questionable.
Bungee jump: possibly, if I ever got up the nerve
Lose it: yes
Parachute from a plane: maybe, but probably not
Walk on hot coals: I don't think so
Be a vegetarian: I don't think I COULD
Wear plaid with stripes: no. I don't thinkIi even own anything plaid.
Sing karaoke: I cannot imagine under what circumstances, but I suppose it's possible.
Shoplift: no
Run a red light: maybe if I was really really in a hurry or already in the intersection...
Dye your hair blue: maybe, if I had a good reason
Be on survivor: no
Cheat on a test: no
Make someone cry: I'm sure I have

here-and-there thoughts

I am tired! I'm getting behind on work, I'm frustrated with lots of my schoolwork (particularly physics), and with the additional pressures of trying to figure out all of my study abroad materials, family issues, and stuff like that, it's been somewhat rough going this week. Anyway, though, things could be worse. I'm just feeling pretty unmotivated lately, I guess. I particularly need to force myself to be more participatory in my Shakespeare class. I am getting more interested in it, it's just different from what I had thought it might be and that always takes some reconciliation. It would be absurd of me, of course, to write off the semester in any of my classes so far since we're only like two and a half weeks into them, but it's not quite the semester I had been planning for, so I am still readjusting myself to that.On the somewhat brighter side, I do feel like I am making genuine progress in my faith life, which of course trumps all other troubles in the long run for me. It has been harder living with my roommate, though, because when I made plans to room with her last year I was stumbling through a really rough patch in my faith and now that I'm moving back in a direction that is much better for me, it's harder to live with her knowing that so many of her ideals and focuses are different from me. I love her to death and she is a very wonderful friend, but living with her is getting harder. Which is why next year I would looooove to find an apartment with Malin and then switch off during study abroad semesters; that would make things much easier for me. I'd love living with Melissa, too, if that winds up working out, but we've got time to figure that out.So some of my crazy weird friends have pretty much forced me to post my picture at hotornot in an effort to boost my self-esteem. I think they're insane, but in case anyone wants to see me looking dumb, http://www.hotornot.com/r/?eid=BUB8BYG&key=WFW - there's your chance.I have a cash refund to pick up at the cashier's office, too, and I keep forgetting about it!! How I can forget about it is totally beyond me, because I am constantly thinking about how broke I am, but it just keeps slipping my mind. Anyway, that's enough sundry updating for the night; I'm going to go try to do some reading and work on some other things. Good night, all!

ahhhhaha

And it's quickly coming...another Valentine's Day alone. I don't rant against the holiday with vehement disdain as some do (though I did write an editorial piece called "Rage against the Valentine's Day machine"), but I don't exactly relish the reminder of my singleness, either, so it's not my favorite time of year. It might be cool if I had some great memory of the day, but this is the girl who's only ever gotten flowers from her parents, so you can imagine how my past Valentine's Day days have been. For although there are many days when I'm happy enough being single, I'm still carrying a torch that I really wish would just go out, and I also miss some parts of having a boyfriend. Enough of that talk, now, though.
This semester is rough. I thought it would be considerably easier than last semester, but I lied to myself, apparently. Physics is killer, I'm not enjoying my Shakespeare class nearly as much as I had hoped I would, and Crossing Borders, though I'm sure worthy for many, addresses a lot of things that studying in England don't really require. The only class that's going the way I had hoped and that I enjoy is my Philosophy of Art class. I shouldn't complain, though, it's not like I'm dying. It's just that I had been really looking forward to this semester and I've already realized it's definitely not going to be what I thought it would. I guess I just need to learn to go into my classes without having expectations and then I'll probably be much happier with them.
Other things are going ok though. I'm happy to be back at the Oracle, even though half the time I still feel like more of a hindrance than a help. It's such a fun, relaxed atmosphere though, and pretty much everyone else there is cool to hang out with. And I think I'm going to try a new church this weekend; the Presbyterian one a couple of blocks away looks kind of cool, so I just may check it out. I miss my church from home. It's such a good community of people and Pastor Steve rocks. I'll have to keep looking down here for somewhere I feel at home.
Anywho, there isn't a whole lot that's interesting going on in my life right now, so I'm out for this Friday night.