The art of waking up

So I got about 10 hrs of sleep last night...and I wake up with a headache and big, dark circles under my eyes....how does this happen!??! Today is when I'm suppose to wake up refreshed and looking half way decent! So to remedy those problems I actually did my hair so that I wouldn't look completely terrible and then decided to take the dog on a walk so she won't be too mad when I leave for work and she's home alone for a few hours....I hadn't looked at the temperature for the day yet, but didn't feel like being cold for half an hour so I decided to break my winter coat out for the first time this year. So I get myself and the dog ready and we go outside and the cold air hits me like a brick wall....now that's how you wake yourself up! The first few breaths I took were those good deep ones when the cold air burns your lungs :) and I could see my breath every time I breathed out. My nose and ears quickly went numb and my hands stayed in my coat pockets the whole walk. A few minutes into the walk I decided to check the temp on my phone...and at 9 a.m. it was still only 25 degrees out!! I am glad that I didn't just wear my hoody like I'd planned lol! And while it might sound like I'm complaining about this experience I'm not at all...I love this weather and it woke me up nice and fast! I loved that I was walking through leaves and the ground was still covered in frost and the wind had that nice, cold bite to it! Now if it would just hurry up and snow!!! I want it to snow SO bad! The first thing I did upon arriving home was put a mug of water into the microwave for a cup of hot, mint tea, which I am currently enjoying as I write this blog :)

So the moral of the story is that while this morning started out kind of terrible it has slowly but surely improved and I am now wide awake, still have a slight head ache, but am in a much better mood...which is also partly due to my super cute doggie that comes running into my room when I wake up and cuddles with me and gives me good morning kisses...that animal is my life... and I wouldn't want it any other way! :) So I'm really contemplating working some serious overtime this holiday season....we're allowed to work overtime and so I'm debating working either 10 hour days on the 5 days a week that I work or working 6 days a week....maybe not every week but some weeks....cuz this month has been really slow at work so none of us are making a lot of money right now but we always get slammed and get crazy around the holidays so they need us to work more...so I could just make bank for about a month and a half and stick a bunch of it in savings and buy everyone nice Christmas presents!! ....and maybe lose my sanity doing it....but I never had much of that to begin with anyways... ;) I have wanted to go ice skating so bad the past few weeks!! I really want to go to the Minneapolis Depot, downtown Minneapolis and go ice skating...it's the best indoor place to go ice skating! I'm procrastinating getting ready for work and making phone calls right now...sadly I'm running out of time to procrastinate :P ..... and my stomach and growling at me and telling me how hungry it is...and a Starbucks breakfast sandwich keeps sounding more and more amazing...and so does a peppermint mocha....I shouldn't spend the money....oh man this is a tough call....where is my sister for intervention when I need her!? Oh yeah, she's working at Starbucks...maybe that's a sign that I should go there.... ;)

All things Christmas and random

So the other day me and a friend (who will remain nameless to protect the innocent) were talking and she was saying how right now would be a good time to have a boyfriend since another guy isn't quite getting the hint that she isn't interested...and he is....So I was of course trying to add to the conversation and said "Yeah, I could use a boyfriend too.... to....buy me cute, fuzzy teddy bears!" At which point my friend started laughing really hard and says, "Forget the teddy bears, what about dinner!" To which I quickly replied "Oh yea! Dinner...and teddy bears!!!" :) So there is my current logic for "needing" a boyfriend...at least the logic that I could come up with in a 2 second span lol! Speaking of boys...and beautiful ones at that....all I've been listening to since Monday is Michael Buble's new Christmas cd....it's beyond wonderful! He has an original song on there called "Cold December Night" and it's definitely one of my favorites! He writes the best songs...and this one is no exception...he wrote the most genius lyric EVER! It's on the bridge of the song and he says "They call it the season of giving, I'm here and yours for the taking (repeat), so kiss me on this cold, December night..." GENIUS! Why has no one ever thought of that before!?!?!?! Every time I hear it I get a big smile on my face because the amazingness of the lyric hits me every single time. Brilliant. And now speaking of Christmas.... I put my tree up in my room last night! :) It's my little 4 footer...but I love it :) It just has the lights and tinsel on it because I need to get some new ornaments to better match my bedroom here so I'm waiting til I have all of my ornaments to decorate it so that I don't have to rearrange and take stuff off....so it needs to be Nov. 1 so that all of the Halloween stuff will be gone and all of the Christmas stuff will be out cuz no one has their ornaments out yet :P I'm actually writing this sitting on my floor next to my lit up tree, while Christmas music plays and a pine scented candle burns in my room...pure bliss...now if it would just hurry up and snow!!! I want snow sooooo bad and NY and the rest of the East Coast got a bunch of it today...and I'm extremely bitter and jealous :P I also want a gingerbread latte...I've been craving one for at least a week now...another good reason for November to hurry up and get here! The other night I was lying in bed trying to fall asleep and thinking of how adulthood isn't all that it's cracked up to be...and I could only think of about 3 good things about being an adult...I will share those with you now: 1. On a rare occasion you have money to buy yourself something nice, 2. You can drive yourself where ever you want to go and 3. You don't get grounded for saying rude things to people...I'm sure there are many more perks to being an adult than that...but late at night and half asleep that was all I could come up with...so there you have it. I love DSW because they always have fabulous shoes and a rewards program but the problem is that since I'm enrolled in their rewards program I keep getting all of these fabulous coupons and deals and it makes me feel like I MUST take advantage of the coupon and/or deal and go buy another pair of shoes!!! This is simply unfair...especially since I shouldn't spend money...so I am currently exercising great self control and NOT using my 2nd $10 off coupon that they sent me.... yes that means that I used the first one, BUT I did need a new pair of brown flats, so it was used out of necessity. See I was able to justify it...and now I have a fabulous, new pair of brown flats :) being a girl is so wonderful sometimes....most of the time it's just awful, but times like that it's pretty grand ;) So I'm trying to decide if I just want to stick with bulb and snowflake ornaments for my tree or if I want to try to find silver Eiffel Tower ornaments and use those too to go with the Paris theme in my room.....hmmmmmm......decisions.....oh boy I need to go write my Christmas list so that my family can buy me wonderful presents ;) For once I'm having an extremely hard time writing a Christmas list...this never happens to me! I'm the kid  that wrote the 10 page, size 8 font Christmas list! (No joke, ask my siblings...they still make fun of me for it to this day.... *sigh*)

Welcome back Abby :)

I'm baaaaaccccckkkkkk!!!!! :) Hello from Abby and Sadie! It's been a long time...and soooo much has happened but I'm not even about to rehash the 3 most amazing months of my life that I spent in France...you can read my other blog to find out about those...but now that I'm back home and back into the groove of things I'm feeling more and more Christmassy every day! (You knew this was coming sooner or later...it's fall and when fall comes Abby gets obsessed with Christmas) This really has been one of the nicest falls we've had in a while. And while fall is my favorite season, Christmas is my favorite holiday with winter being a close second for my favorite season...sooooo I've decided that all I really want to do this winter is go on my first ever for real sleigh ride. Not one of those "sleigh rides" where you are pulled in a hay-filled wagon by a couple horses...that's a hayride. I want to go on a for real sleigh ride! I've wanted to ever since I was a little girl (dream inspired by Little House on the Prairie books lol)....sadly  it's never happened :( I want to go on one and get to sit in the sleigh, low to the ground with a big, warm fuzzy blanket over me and a horse or 2 pulling me across the beautiful white snow! *sigh* hopefully this dream will come true one winter of my life....
So the other day I was wishing I was one of those beautiful, rich girls with the fabulous wardrobe, lots of friends and the beautiful boy friend.....until I quickly realized that if I was that girl, everyone would simply love me because of my looks and my money...that having that fabulous wardrobe would mean having waaaayyyy too many choices every morning...so I have since then decided to be content with being normal, average me...that way I am guaranteed that my friends love me for quirky old me...according to all of my family and friends my wardrobe is already big enough ;) and whenever that beautiful boyfriend does eventually come along he won't just like me cuz I have a pretty face or a lot of money...but he'll like me for me....weirdness and all :) So this is the face that I make to all of you people out there striving to be Barbie doll or some other ridiculous, unattainable person :P Jesus wouldn't have made you if He didn't like you. So there.
Have I ever mentioned that the N'Sync Christmas cd makes me smile no matter what?!
I have been on a rather creative kick lately and am embroidering robots on my t-shirts....and now on a t-shirt for my manager cuz she loved mine, and my mom wants Christmas themed dish towels for her kitchen so if I can ever find Christmas transfers I'll be making her those too....I always feel like an old lady whenever I say that I embroider lol! So it's always been one of my little secrets that I never share cause people are like "You do what?!..." They just don't know that it actually means you can make your clothes look way cooler by putting things like robots on them :)
I bought new comforters for my 2 twin beds in my room...now I can get rid of my striped comforters that look like they belong in a 12 yr old boy's room....which I can't say much about since I did pick them out....granted that was 6 years ago and at the time they were one of the few blue and brown options out there...I guess that's what happens when a girl makes her room colors that are commonly thought of as "boy colors"...that's just sexist. So now I'll just go to JoAnn's and buy pretty blue and brown fabric and make covers for the white comforters that I just bought! Look at me being all crafty! Who knew!?
Well as fun as writing a new blog has been I'm completely exhausted and about to just die right here on my bedroom floor...which would be tragic...then I'd never get to enjoy my new comforters....or any more N'Sync Christmas music...or go on that sleigh ride that I've been dreaming of for years....or eat more chocolate....ok for real I'm going to bed. Good night world.

My last full day in America

So today was my last full day in America...I fly out tomorrow for France, where I will live for 3 months....this is a bittersweet thing. I will miss my family and my poor dog who will not understand why I have left here and will therefore be the saddest one of all (which utterly breaks my heart...no joke) She has been sad ever since she saw my suitcases come out yesterday :( I wish I could just take her with me! The whole thing still seems unreal...it hasn't really hit me yet that I really am flying out tomorrow...I thought this day would never come it just always seemed so far away. But I prepared myself for being bereft of American food...I ate hot dogs today, for dinner we had grilled chicken, baked beans, grilled corn on the cob and salad, I had a Rolo McFlurry from McDonalds and then to end the day I had none other than Taco Bell for my fourth meal ;) My first time eating Taco Bell since I left school and it sure tasted good :) I had to get my fill of it before I left...3 months without greasy, cheap Mexican food is a long time...lol! I hate that I can't take my phone with me...I'm going to be lost without it...I'll have a phone, but it won't be my phone and I won't be able to talk to or text my friends from it because it's just gonna be a pay-as-you-go phone that I'll just use for contacting people in France prolly. Thank God for Skype! It's funny how attached we get to our little electronics...I mean what will I do without Facebook readily accessible to me every second of the day!? lol! I had the dreaded revelation the other night in the shower that I will have to cook for myself for 3 whole months! I don't hate cooking, but I don't exactly LOVE it either. I like to do it, but not necessarily every single day...and besides I've been at school for 3 yrs now and haven't exactly gotten to hone my cooking skills. Don't get me wrong, I'm a fabulous cook, but I only have a couple recipes actually memorized and I don't know how accessible all of the ingredients we use here in America will be in France...or how expensive...so we will see how this excursion goes. I really don't mind cooking it's just a daunting thought....you better believe I will be spending a lot of time on Bon Appetite's website finding new recipes to try so I don't get bored with my food! lol! Well I gotta get some sleep so I can tackle all of the last minute projects before flying out tomorrow afternoon! I shall try to keep you updated! Au Revoir!

Random happiness

It's all winding down...I'm halfway through my last week of actual classes, we had Sr Chapels last week...I was hardly nervous when I gave my speech!...shocking, I know...me queen of nervousness :P If I could change one thing about myself it would prolly be that...my nerves ruin everything :P oh well....so yes, I also sang alto in Sr Chapel...so weird...I mean I can sing it, but have never had to here! I've done it a couple times at home...but so random...oh yay I'm going to go pick up my grad announcements! They're here...I'll be back....

I'm back!! I def ran to the front office...got my packed and then proceeded to skip gleefully down the hallway and couldn't wipe the stupid grin off my face...I'M GRADUATING!!!! Only a week and a half left!!!! AHHHHH!!! I can't wait!!! in case you couldn't tell...I'm a little excited about this :)

Anyhoo, so yesterday I led worship in Chapel and am so glad that it is over with and that I will never have to do that again. It was rather intimidating...and waaayyyy out of my comfort zone because I'm used to leading from the piano and I wouldn't  let myself, so I made myself stand out there on the platform and lead, to just increase the nerve factor....why do I do these things to myself?...because I'm a Nazi...even when it comes to me...and I make myself do things that I know are good for me and that will challenge me and help me overcome my fears...I should be nicer to myself ;) In other news, there's only a month and a half until I leave for France!!! WHOO HOO!!! The money is slowly but surely coming in and I know Jesus is gonna provide for me! He opened the doors for this trip and everything has fallen perfectly into  place so I know it's His will, so if He wants me to go then He'll make a way for me to get there! I just can't wait to be there.

This weather needs to make up it's mind...it was so amazingly beautiful out Monday so I went to the canals with Kristen and we walked the whole way around and then went to target and go Izze and I got fruit snacks too :) And then last night it stormed like crazy all night long (which was absolutely wonderful!) and then today it's cloudy and cold :P I want it to be warm and sunny!!!!! Anyhoo, I'm off to buy Toby a bday present cuz he turns 22 on Fri! yay!!! Happy birthday to my bestie!! (who just happens to be the best bestie ever and who got me an amazing Polar Express set...it has the book, a cd, a tape and a bell!!! It made my day to say the least) Au Revoir!

I'm Proud to be an American

I saw one of the most amazing and moving things ever yesterday. I was driving to America's apartment, which is approximately an hr's drive away, and about 15 minutes into my drive on 465 E I see a cop car with it's lights on in front of a mass of motorcycles, clearing the way for them...for the next 45 minutes I drove past nothing but motorcycles, a solid line of them coming towards me on the opposite side of the highway....they were still coming when I got off my exit. Almost every motorcycle had an American flag, big or little, flying off the back of it. Every on-ramp to 465 W was blocked off so that no traffic could interrupt this flow of motorcycles. Obviously I was rather confused at first. Especially when I saw that on every single overpass that I drove under there were at least 2 emergency vehicles parked on it (fire trucks and ambulances) with other cars lined up along it as well and a solid wall of people standing along the overpass waving at the motorcyclists and each overpass had at least one American flag draped down the middle of it. Every farm that I passed had the family in their truck in the field up against their fence watching and waving as the motorcycles drove past, there were cars pulled over on the sides of the road doing the same...and many of these people had the mini American flags and were waving them as well. I realized about 15 minutes into this procession what was happening....half way through this mass of motorcycles there was  one motorcycle with a box-type thing attached to the back of it with glass sides and an American flag draped over it...and inside was a casket....all of these thousands of people (and there were literally thousands...imagine driving for 45 minutes past nothing but motorcycles and most of them having 2 people per bike...and they weren't driving slow) had turned out for the homecoming of a fallen soldier. Obviously he must have been a biker....but the amount of people on every overpass and on the sides of the road and in the farm fields was amazing...It honestly almost made me cry...I can't even begin to describe how powerful and amazing of a display of love and respect this was....it made me truly proud to be an American. The fact that an entire interstate had to be shut down for a couple hours and that thousands upon thousands of people would get on their bikes and spend an entire Friday afternoon/evening honoring a fallen soldier is pretty amazing. I honor and respect each and every one of our service men and woman and can't thank them enough for everything that they do for our country. God bless America!

Sr Recitals and Baseball

My Sr Recital is tonight...do I feel prepared? Not really... am I nervous? Not yet... Will I be? Oh dear Lord, YES! And this is why I bought a bunch of bananas a couple of days ago....Bananas naturally calm you down, therefore I will eat the whole stinking bunch before my recital and hopefully will be in a coma-like state and not be nervous...which I know is all just wishful thinking, but it would be nice if it would actually happen! I can't wait for tonight to be over! I plan to thoroughly enjoy myself tomorrow and have a little bit of fun to reward myself for all of the torture that Sr Recitals put you through. I can't believe I'm graduating in less than a month. There's 2 weeks of classes left, a half week of finals, our senior trip to Chicago, packing, grad banquet and then graduation. And then the drive home! Which will be ended by driving straight to Hyland's cd release party/concert if I have my way :) I must support my friends!!! I think my parents might actually go for this plan too...they're pretty cool parents if I do say so myself ;) So much to do, and sooooo little time...makes me want to have a panic attack, or just curl up in the fetal position in the corner and not move until graduation...but if I did that then I wouldn't be graduating and would therefore defeat the whole purpose. I want to go shopping for France. I want to be care and worry free and just enjoy life for a little bit....instead of worrying about homework and grades. I can't wait until I'm back at the University of MN where I don't care if I make a 4.0 GPA because it's virtually impossible to do there. And then I'll be living at home and taking French everyday, and working at the PetSmart that I actually like working at, and eating good food, and playing with my doggie every day...and yes I did write a thank you to my dog in my Sr Recital program :) She's important too!!! What I really want right now is for this stupid dislocated rib to go back into place. It is annoying...and painful. :P Can we talk about all of the anger and bitterness I now hold towards Nick Swisher for sliding into and breaking my poor little Nishioka's leg!? He's just a tiny little guy from Japan trying to learn how to play 2nd base since he was always a shortstop and you're gonna do that to him!? After he was doing so good and making his wonderful little MN Twins debut!? You ruin everything Nick Swisher and if it was ok to hate, then  I would prolly hate you. .... but we'll just have to settle for strongly disliking you instead since Jesus said I shouldn't hate. I should never allow myself to go on the Twins website and look at all of the new shirts and jerseys...it makes me want to spend a LOT of money!!!! cuz apparently I don't think there's such a thing as having too many Twins shirts, jerseys, or hats :) I just love them so much! And I hate that I'm going to miss most of the season when I'm in France....but I'll be in France...sooooo I'm not really that bitter....I'll just have to buy MLB TV for my laptop! Yay!

Oh how I love Spring

It is March 21 and it's 72 degrees outside right now!!!!! It's partly cloudy but it is positively wonderful! I have my Adele Pandora station playing on my phone and my window in my room open. There is green grass growing outside the said window and sunshine pouring into my room. I am loving this day! I don't have to work but I do have a junk load of homework to do...so much so that I feel like I will have a panic attack every time I think about it but even that cannot get me down on this wonderful spring day! It's one of those days that makes you want to go to a park, grill hot dogs and chicken, eat Sun Chips (the Harvest Cheddar kind), eat watermelon and play baseball and Frisbee....it's one of those days where me and Natalie would have bought Jarritos and/or Coke in a glass bottle and gone to the canals to walk around and lay in the grass....it would be the absolutely perfect day to take in an outdoor baseball game...or to just play a game of croquet in the backyard like we used to do in Waseca....speaking of Waseca, it was spring days just like this one when us Thompson children would walk down to the bike trail and climb out on the trees that went out over the lake, collect rocks, pick flowers and wander aimlessly around getting into all kinds of mischief with Matt :) it would be the perfect day to go rollerblading or biking on that very same bike trail...down to the nature walk where we could walk through all of the tall grass and see all of the beautiful butterflies and flowers and scream when a snake crossed in front of us. When living at ABI it was spring days like this when me and Natalie would walk down to Rainbow Foods and buy ice cream and Popsicles and eat Popsicles the whole way back to the house :) Those are all memories of wonderful times on spring days...but another place this day makes me want to be that I have not yet experienced is France....Paris...or any of France on a spring day like today would be divine.

Walking up and down those old cobblestone streets past the old houses with thatched roofs and flower boxes in every window...past the little shops with the owners dogs laying about in the doorway and courtyards...a cup of good, strong espresso in one hand and a fabulous classic novel in the other...the sound of French filling my ears...their music surrounding me...yeah I could definitely go for that....sitting along the Seine River watching people dance to the live music and waving at the boats full of tourists that float past....I'm loving the thought of all of this! Ok, now I should go do something productive with my life so that I'm not feeling completely and utterly overwhelmed...but I think I shall sit outside while I am productive :)

Decisions and Trepidation

There are few things in life that can make me happy regardless of anything else...and those few things are of course Jesus, and then my dog, a few select bands, my sister (unless she's the one causing the reason for unhappiness lol!), and the MN Twins. It is Day Apart today and for the first time in my entire life I am feeling ever so slightly homesick...so Rascal Flatts is keeping me company while I wait in my room for the festivities to begin. They are doing a rather good job of making me happy :) they bring back sooooo many fabulous summer memories for me! Oh to be young and reckless once again ;) lol!!! I wish it was cloudy out :( I want it to be sunny so that I can go to the canals! It's just not the same when it's cloudy....besides it makes it chilly out when there's no sunshine. Maybe I need Starbucks today...!!!! I think that's a brilliant idea :) I want to buy a pretty new headband....maybe I'll have to make a trip downtown Indy today to go to Forever Love at the Circle Center Mall...it's been MONTHS since I've been down there! They're having Nerf Wars for part of Day Apart...I won't be participating, so maybe I'll ditch then... I'm wearing a bow in my hair today...and that significantly adds to my happiness factor! I'm getting rather upset that I can't listen to Twins games cuz KSTP doesn't broadcast them on the radio..they prolly can't cuz MLB wants you to buy Gameday Audio :P I don't have money to spend on that MLB!!! So just let me listen to them for free *insert ugly mean faces* it's making me angry...and an angry Abby is never a good thing...so I've been told. I really can't wait to be in France!!! I will finally get to see Paris at night!!!!! That's the one thing I really wanted to see that I didn't get to last time I was there. I hope there's a Starbucks in Melun...otherwise I'll have to take a weekly trip into Paris to buy me some...cuz we all know I can't go long periods without it! But who's complaining about taking a weekly trip into Paris anyways!? It's only like half an hr away from where I'll be living, so why not!? I was just asked the other day that if I liked it there if I would just stay...now isn't that just a tempting idea?! And then last night someone else told me that there's no reason why I shouldn't go back to school and get my degree in French since it'll only take me a yr and a half to 2 yrs...oh man there's sooo many decisions!!! But I mean, really...do I want to be grooming dogs my whole life, or get a job as a translator? A possibly very high paying job if I can get it with the government...and then if I were to end up as a full time missionary in a foreign French-speaking country I could get a job there too...it's brilliant! Except that I don't really want to go back to school right now...besides there's the money factor. :P Oh well, Jesus will work it out if it's suppose to happen...besides I guess I wouldn't mind going back to school if it was to the U of MN...I miss that school sooo much!!! So much to think about and sooo much to plan for the summer ahead! I want a vacation from thinking. I think too much. I would like to stop thinking for a day or 2. I love hoodies :) Especially green ones that say Indiana Bible College Seniors Twenty-Eleven. They're so comfy and warm...and they mean that I am graduating in 60 days! The trepidation that comes with that statement! Hm...I want to read some Shakespeare...alas I shall have to go find him somewhere in my bookshelves...if I didn't leave the poor man in MN...Au revoir!

Spring Break Where Art Thou!?

I packed my first box on Thursday. I packed a box of books from previous semesters. I have 6 more weeks of classes...3 weeks until spring break....and then 3 more weeks after spring break. There's 60 days until graduation I do believe. In case you can't tell..I'm ready to be done. But only with the school part. I don't want to leave my friends. That would be the part of growing up that I've hated, and will continue to hate, the most: the part where you lose really good friends due to moving and/or just going your own ways. We all say that we'll stay in contact and that we'll visit each other..but I have 2 older siblings that have gone through college and said the same things to their friends and it rarely happens. So depressing. :P I fully intend to enjoy these last 2 months of my college life! But yet still be responsible and get everything done on time :P Really all I want to do is just hang out and have fun now...I'm sooooo over the whole school thing. Senioritis has overtaken me :)

I am loving and hating our weather right now. It was 57 degrees out yesterday and it felt amazing when you walked outside...the only problem...it was raining...and has been cloudy and/or raining for like a week now and nothing is going to change according to my 7 day forecast on my wonderful little smart phone. I loved that the power went out last night! All of the girls came screaming out of their rooms...I came out laughing. I thought it was grand! Good thing my secret Valentine (Michael Mast) had bought me a candle as one of my presents otherwise I would have been completely in the dark, so I lit my candle and proceeded to have a good time in the dark :) I took a shower in the dark...well I had my candle in the bathroom, but it was still pretty much in the dark. The power came back on sometime between 1:30 and 2 a.m. at which point several girls went running down the hallway yelling and screaming....I had been almost asleep so this did  not make for a very happy Abby who then sat up in bed and yelled "SHUT UP!" and then proceeded to go back to bed :) It gives me great satisfaction to be grumpy sometimes!

It needs to be spring break...like right now! I don't want to go to work today...and if it were spring break then I wouldn't have to! I could be at home curled up with my puppy dog! Or going to Uptown to go shop some vintage stores with my sister! I hope people aren't still ice fishing when I go home for spring break....cuz that means that it's too cold! I've been spoiled with an early spring here and don't want to go back to subzero temps for my spring break....cuz isn't spring break when you're suppose to go somewhere warm anyways!?
I just thought you all should know that my hair looks extremely hit today, but I don't care because my entire day is going to be spent washing and grooming dogs. So I wouldn't have looked good anyways. I hope I make good money cuz I def didn't the other 2 days that I worked this week! I'm so sick of being broke! I can't wait until there is no more school bill to pay!!! Ok, time to go to work....toodles!

My Revelatory Day

Sometimes you don't always get what you want in life...and sometimes that's ok...well, it might not feel that ok at the time, but even while you're hurting or upset about it you know deep down that it is actually for the best and that in the end it will be more than ok because better things are on the horizon. And then other times the only reason why you feel like the world is coming to an end is because you are really just waaayyyyy over tired and stressed out and therefore everything gets blown completely out of proportion and seems like a way bigger deal than it is. So that is my deep insight on life for the moment: the fact that I will survive without some things and that my self worth is not dependent on others opinions and/or feelings about me. Jesus loves me and that's all that matters...ok that's all that should matter, but I'm human so I don't really believe what I just said, because I actually kinda hate how much it matters whether or not other people love me (but only the people I'm close to...if we're not friends I honestly couldn't care less about what you think of me...sorry to be so honest.) This weather is completely bipolar and is making me lose my voice again...which can't happen right before Music Fest (which is 2 weeks away!!) because Lord knows that I'm going to be butchering it for 3 nights in a row....not to mention in all of the practices that we have beforehand. It really hit me yesterday and today that I really am graduating in 2 months! This revelation is probably due to the fact that I am having to figure EVERYTHING out for my Sr Recital (stress levels just skyrocketed at the typing of those 2 words)....which is in 1 month and 1 week (and here comes the mini heart attack). And with the month of March beginning today I realized that my graduation is in 2 months and 5 days. I can't believe that it's really all coming to an end. I have soooooooooo much stuff to do still....I might die before I ever get to graduate! I need another bag of Cadbury eggs to combat all of this craziness in my life....or I just might want another bag of Cadbury eggs because they're just so delicious....yeah that might be it....but I'm beasting it on the French horn in Brass and Woodwinds class! I need to sleep. My to-do list was an entire notebook page long...I think I have accomplished between one third and half of it...tomorrow it must be conquered! I also realized today that in 4 months I will be in France....which will be "just like heaven! Just like heaven on earth!" I will be able to eat amazing food everyday and drink deliciously strong espresso...  *sigh* it shall be glorious! Today has just been a revelatory day apparently. I also wanted to go shopping today because it was rather spring-ish out today and I always get the urge to go shopping in the spring time...must be some weird sense that is built into a girl...she must have new clothes for the summer! ....especially if your summer is going to be spent in France! =D (Natalie is probably dying right now and giving a speech on how I don't need to get another piece of clothing for 3 years because I have enough to clothe a small village....) Options are of the necessity. Besides, if I am to fall in love in France as everyone has predicted (I, myself, am not holding out for this...it sounds way too good to be true) I clearly must look cute....oh dear...that means I'll actually have to do my hair while I'm there....ugh. Hmmm....or I will stuff my sister in my suitcase and keep her with me at all times to be my personal hairdresser!!! Brilliant! On that happy note I shall go to bed. Bonsoir!

Bitter thoughts

My thought for the moment:

When life gives you lemons: squirt them in someone else's eyes.

Why? Because A.) then you won't be miserable by yourself and B.) it will bring some humor into your miserable situation....I know it's a rather sadistic and bitter thought...but that just happens to fit my current mood.

So if you just talked to me and your eyes are burning I apologize...I might have just squirted you with some lemon juice.

Over-analyzing, Jesus and the Masquerade

I have a serious case of senioritis. And it got cold again. And I'm over-analyzing my life. All of this combines for a somewhat unsatisfied Abby. I was happy when it was sunny and kinda warm out. But now it's all gray, cloudy and cold :P and that makes for a sad Abby. And I have no motivation to do anything...especially school related. And then there's the problem of me not being able to get my brain to quit working in overdrive. I keep trying to figure everything out and thinking of all the different things I should have done or said in different situations...when in reality it's all wasted time because all those things said and done can't be changed anyways so it doesn't really matter anymore! So easy to say and think, but soooo hard to actually do! I don't remember ever being this analytical...but it seems that I am horribly so! Good thing I'm running on hardly any sleep so I just automatically fall right asleep at night cuz I know if I wasn't overtired then I'd be lying in bed all night long thinking. But due to yesterday's chapel I have come to the realization that I haven't been trusting God as much as I should or used to and have been trying to figure a lot of things out on my own...and that never works or gets you anywhere. So we are fixing that little problem and giving the driver's seat back over to Jesus :) So now my life should be better! *starts singing "Jesus Take the Wheel" loudly and obnoxiously* On a happier note I am going to Starbucks tonight!!! Yay! It's my first Starbucks in a week...which if you know me well at all, is a VERY long time for me to go without Starbucks. There's a business meeting at church so we're not required to go, so we are cleaning the student lobby and then I'm going to get me some coffee with all of my besties. It should be a good time! And I have to go to Meijer today cuz I'm running out of food and plastic ware...and we all know that I love going to Meijer! :) I always have fun when I go grocery shopping...besides, me + aisles of food = complete happiness. I think I have a problem and I don't mind admitting it: I love food. I just realized that I really only have 2 months of school left...this is bittersweet. I cannot wait to be done with school but I REALLY don't want to leave me friends :( they complete me. I will be lost without them. I shall cry...and I HATE crying...I never cry...unless it's in church...and then it's ok cuz I'm talking to Jesus. Which I've done a lot of the last 2 days...and man have we had some good conversations. I just wish He would have done a little more talking...but sometimes He likes to be quiet.

Now for a synopsis of the Valentine's Day Masquerade: it went very well actually! I wore my mask...without glasses (miracles never cease) and it was ok. I wasn't a huge fan of it cuz I feel weird without my glasses and I think I look a little funny, but the mask kinda helped with that anyways. So I wore my mask 2 different times throughout the night, mainly for pictures sake. The best entertainment of the night was not the entertainment that was provided for us, but rather was Mitchell McCann....I'm so glad he sat at our table! :) there was a lot of stabbing the table with a plastic knife and burning of spoons in the candle... And afterwards was a good time of hanging out at Toby's house til curfew. Have I ever mentioned that I love my friends? Candra did my hair, and did a fabulous job on it :) and then when back in my room and chatting, Deandra just starting taking it down and then put it back up and so I then had wonderful hair for the next 2 days..because we all know that if I'm going to go to the trouble of curling my hair it's going to last me a couple days (don't worry I always wash it right before curling it) So overall I think it was a rather successful night. Anyhoo I think it's either nap time or grocery shopping time....or going to Goodwill with Toby and Ro...any of those options sound pretty amazing to me. Ciao!

Glorious Weather and Spaghettios

I just might be in love with this weather!!! But I'm trying really hard not to be...because it's February...therefore it won't last...my cynical side (sometimes called pessimistic...but I refuse to believe that) is keeping me in check and telling me that 50 and 60 degree weather in Feb is not here to stay. And that in a few weeks it will probably be snowing again and cold. But I'm enjoying the weather while it's here! I definitely went to Starbucks yesterday to do some studying and I got a Java Chip Frapp and sat outside...it was glorious! I wish it would stay, but I know it won't :( As long as we don't get any more ice I'll be fine. 

So I'm totally broke but needed some groceries so I went to Wal-Mart and bought some cheap food...which means things like Spaghettios...I was actually pretty excited about this because it's been prolly about 10 yrs since I've had spaghettios (no joke). So I opened the can up this afternoon and popped it in the microwave. I was excited to eat them because they hold many a good childhood memory with them....and so I took the first bite...and was terribly disappointed...while it did bring back many good memories from when I was little it was not bringing up any good thoughts at the moment. They aren't terrible but they're kinda sweet and I've never been a fan of sweet spaghetti...and they just don't taste that great. So I suppose that every time I eat them (since I didn't eat the whole can in one sitting) I will just have to think about when I was little and Nate loved them so every time he would watch me and Natalie for our parents we would eat either spaghettios or ravioli for lunch and/or dinner. Those were good times...and I loved eating it then because my mom wouldn't ever buy stuff like that for us, so it was a treat! Now...I'm wishing I didn't have to buy stuff like that! Oh the joys of being a college kid. At least I have not lowered my standards and still to this day have never eaten Ramen noodles. Shocking, I know...a college kid that has never eaten Ramen...yes they do exist...I am living proof! Nor have I ever eaten White Castle...something Toby and Danny try to get me to do on a weekly basis...they have not succeeded and never will! I shall remain a White Castle virgin til I die. 

Masquerades, Valentine's Day and why I don't hate it.

So today is Feb 14...a day of love. Seeing as how I have been single my entire life, most people would assume that I hate this holiday like most other single people do. But for some reason I have always loved Valentine's Day. This probably stems from a couple of different reasons...1. I love chocolate and everyone gets chocolate on Valentine's Day...even if you buy it for yourself ;) 2. I love my daddy and my daddy loves me =D I am always guaranteed to feel uber loved on Valentine's because of my Dad. I'm sure to always have either roses or a nice present waiting for me. 3. I like flowers. My daddy, and on occasion my brother, always gets me flowers. So basically it's a day when I get spoiled and don't even need a boyfriend! I feel special and loved all day long. My mom always calls me to tell me how much she loves me, as do my brother and sister. So while the rest of the single people of the world are out moping and moaning I'm living it up because I'm taking full advantage of the love that is already around me instead of wishing I had more. Yes, I know there is a difference between the love of your family and that of a boyfriend/husband, but after you've gone 21 yrs without it, what's one more!? I also know how blessed I am to be surrounded by all of this wonderful love and support because I'm not naive enough to think that everyone else has a family like me. Another thing Valentine's is good for...making you realize how lucky and blessed you are to have the people around you that love you as much as they do. So while I may be single, that will never stop me from thoroughly enjoying Valentine's Day and all of the wonderful things that come with it, like mushy cards from the parents, flowers from my daddy, chocolate from friends and family and lots of hugs from everyone!

On another note, this Valentine's Day is being celebrated around IBC with a masquerade...something of which I am very skeptical. (when am I not a skeptic tho!?) Greta has made me an amazing mask and I have bought a new shirt/dress to wear...I love excuses for having to buy new clothes! =D Candra is going to curl my hair so that it won't take me 10 yrs to do it myself...so why am I skeptical? Because the thought of me in a mask is not my favorite thought ever. Why do I care? Because I am a girl and therefore I have this innate feeling built into me that I must always look decent (which, ok let's be real...most days I don't, but whatever.) and so if I feel funny wearing the mask I will not feel as if I look decent and then my night will not be a happy one because I will not be satisfied. Good thing I have wonderful friends who love me and will be with me the whole evening and won't care what I look like. So....I'm just not going to care, because that is the only solution I can come up with and it sounds like a good one to me. This could possibly turn into the most fun and amazing night of my life if I just don't care...so I think it sounds like a wonderful plan =D I think I shall go and wear my mask and be the life of the party...the Pentecostal party that is ;) This night shall be a success.

Coughing, Ice and a MN trip

I'm sick. Blech. I avoided it for a month and then it finally caught me....so rude. And of course it happens at the WORST possible time ever since tomorrow I am leaving for MN to do music for our youth week at church...so therefore I have come to the conclusion that amazing things are going to happen this weekend if all of this bad stuff is happening now. Like on Tuesday I was trying to burn cds for all of the musicians and singers that are going up with me and my computer started acting up out of nowhere and I couldn't burn them...thankfully Greta had all of the music on her computer too so I was able to use hers...and then Greta got sick right after recording and is still trying to get over it, Elijah got sick, I got sick and I think Deandra is getting sick...so the only logical conclusion is that Jesus is going to do something AMAZING otherwise none of this would be happening. But it won't change anything, cuz we're still gonna go and we're still gonna sing...even if it isn't as pretty as it originally would have been :) I am now surviving off a ridiculously large amount of liquids, Dayquil, vitamins, and cough drops...I for real think I'm going to hack a lung up. And now I'm going to sound like a man cuz I've been coughing so much. :P That's always attractive. On a brighter note....we didn't have school the last 2 days!!! But my car was also encased in an inch of ice...which took for ever and a year to get off...I had to have Mike come get my car door open for me...it was frozen solid. Half of my car is still encased in ice...I find it highly entertaining when I go over a bump because I hear my whole car crack and creak because it's jolting all of the ice...makes me giggle :) I can't use my windshield wipers cuz they are still completely frozen, I didn't have time to break the ice off of them before work yesterday...so hopefully I won't need them!!! We don't get ice storms like this in MN cuz it never gets warm enough in the winter....Indy weather is psycho. But I don't mind it too much cuz it got me out of school for 2 days :) Anyhoo I suppose I should go pack...or get out of my pjs...or do my hair....ya know make myself look human...

Love...a walk in the park or falling from the top of a skyscraper?

So I have randomly been contemplating the phrase "Falling in Love" ....I don't think it is a very fitting phrase....the word "fall" makes it sound painful, embarrassing and rather abrupt... As I have no experience in this area, and will claim none, I will simply say that from listening to people talk and from observing, it is none of those 3 things....occasionally it is abrupt, but not as abrupt as literally falling. Love sounds so much nicer when it's described like a nice walk in the park, but not so much when it's described like falling from the top of a skyscraper...to me that sounds terrifying... It seems to me that it is actually more of a process and you don't just wake up one morning and say "I've fallen in love"...besides love is not tangible, therefore you cannot "fall" into it as you would a lake, a bed or a hole. Yes I know, they are speaking metaphorically, but I suggest that when you start forming and spreading metaphorical terminology that you make sure it actually makes sense. "Falling in love" leads one to think that it just happens, almost as if it is accidental...I mean, you didn't mean to trip over that rug and fall flat on your face did you?....last time I checked my parents made an effort to get to know each other before they got married, it wasn't just a happenstance thing. My dad saw her, liked her, and purposefully went to talk to her. Love grows, it doesn't just explode on you all at once. I think one "strolls" into love more than "falls" into love, it's a gradual thing (ok, some people may "sprint" into love, but that's still different from falling...) And as for the embarrassing part, I mean who really likes falling...especially in front of someone you are highly attracted to!? If you are embarrassed about the person you like and don't want other people to meet them, then maybe you need to rethink some things and figure out why you like them in the first place. (that's just a side note). If I say someone "fell hard and/or fast" for someone I simply mean that they met the person and immediately became waaayyyyy too emotionally attached without knowing anything (aka where the relationship was going, how the other person felt, etc) and they didn't even care because they liked that person so much. And that is not an advisable thing to do (yet another reason why the word "fall" shouldn't be attached to love) There is a HUGE difference between liking someone and loving someone and I think the term "love" gets used way too loosely and thrown around more than it should. Where is all of this going...I have no idea. It was just running through my head and I had to get it out. So there you go, you now have my view on why people do not "fall" in love.  

Perfectionism is an imperfection

I have come to the realization that I am a perfectionist....and that, as a perfectionist, I find perfectionism to be an imperfection in me and there for I hate that I'm like that. Funny how that works, huh?! And I just can't seem to shake it....and from this perfectionism a hatred for mediocrity is born, which I don't think is an all together bad thing, but can make life rather rough because you're always struggling to be the best at everything....and that's impossible. I hate having weaknesses...I feel as if I am suppose to be superwoman or something. And when I know I have a weakness all it does is make me feel inferior, which is never a good feeling. If I feel like I can't do something good or at all I will just shut down and not do it, sometimes not even try because I don't want to show that I can't do it. So basically I have got to remedy this whole dumb perfectionism/superwoman problem that I have....easier said than done. Maybe that will be best done by moving to a remote, deserted island where it's just me and no one else lol! Or that could just be me running away from my problem... :) Me, some music, my dog, a few books, a horse and lots of food...and I'm set! On a happier note...I'm ridiculously stoked for IBC Live 2011 this Friday!!! It's gonna be a good one folks! =D Besides the fact that I took Saturday off so I will have a wonderful day of relaxation and fun with my friends to recoup from this crazy week of preparing for it! And then the following week is youth week in MN...which could possibly end up being the most epic trip EVER! Have I ever mentioned that I have the BEST friends in the whole wide world!? I love them. I can't wait to see my puppy dog!!! She always makes me happy and she loves me unconditionally :) Colbie Caillat makes my life wonderful...I could listen to her all day long. Somehow this mouse in my room keeps eating the peanut butter off the trap without getting caught...he's a sneaky little guy. I think it's the trap though. So later I shall set a new one and snap his little neck. Ha. Got you, mouse. Thankfully he can't reach any of my food, so he really isn't doing anything, but I still do not appreciate his existence...especially not in the same room as me. So one of us is gonna hafta go and it ain't gonna be me! Alright it's class time :P (is it spring break yet?! lol)

Today begins a week of insanity. It's the week of Live Recording...which means that the only day I won't have choir practice is today. Which means that I have to be uber productive today and get everything else under the sun done. I'm not caffeinated enough to do that....I'm not caffeinated at all right now. And I need to be. I got 7 hrs of sleep...yet I still feel completely drained, ugh. Hmmm...maybe I'll just hafta make a trip to Starbucks when I'm out later :) I haven't had a drink from Starbucks in over a week....I think I'm setting a new record ;) jk jk. I think I'm getting senioritis...oh wait, I've had that since Freshman year...but really. So I bought my daddy a Valentine's card yesterday...and it's the first non-funny card I think I've ever bought, but it's definitely not mushy...no mushy cards, they're gross and make me want to vomit. And of course the front of the envelope says that it's from his favorite child, which of course is me :D Ya know, sometimes I miss that funny guy. He always gives me big hugs, tells me I look pretty and lets me sit on his lap...he takes me out for lunch or coffee every now and then and always listens to my crazy insanity and when he's riding in my car with me he listens to all of my wild and rowdy music and never says a word. He's a pretty good dad if I do say so myself :) This is an older pic...from 2008, but I love it!

 I have soooo much to do today, just the thought of it makes me want to curl up in the fetal position and stay there all day long weeping and gnashing my teeth (thank you Commonman for making this a typical description in the Thompson family). But I shall refrain from doing that and try my hardest to accomplish everything. I saw the prettiest snowfall last night!! We were all leaving TGI Fridays and the biggest, prettiest snowflakes were falling ever so slowly from the sky...man I love winter! The only reason I want spring to come is so I can go buy some Jarritos and take it down to the canals, walk the canals and then lay in the grass in the sun and just enjoy life. And the only thing that would make that even more amazing is if Natalie was with me!! Ah I can't wait to go home for youth week in a week and a half!! Speaking of which I should prolly start picking out songs....

Funny looks and Semester goals

It's raining...and 37 degrees...and January...what's wrong with the state of Indiana!? Don't they know it's still winter time!? For real, my friend looked at me funny when I said it was really nice out yesterday (it was around 30 degrees), and upon getting this funny look I said, "Hey this is what spring feels like in Minnesota!" I'm accustomed to negative temperatures this time of year and instead I'm getting rained on. I'm not quite sure how I feel about this. I've been  getting lots of funny looks lately...like when I said that I'd had 3 bowls of cereal for breakfast...a guy I'd only known for a couple hours turned and said "Three bowls!?" Yes, three bowls...that is my normal breakfast thank you very much. I have my first piano lesson of the semester in 15 minutes...I wonder what kind of look Master Gorlo will give me upon hearing that I pretty much didn't practice piano at all over break...or since I've been back >:} It gives me a great sense of satisfaction knowing that I did not practice...yes, I am evil, and when I am told to do something for so much time every week it makes me hate whatever that thing  is. I love playing the piano...when I'm not forced to. Must be the rebellious side of me coming out....hmmm...maybe I should work on that...someday...in the future... ;) jk jk. I think this rainy, dreary day will be perfect for curling up on my futon with some books (probably textbooks although I'd much rather it be a Louis L'Amour or something else), a cup of wonderful Starbucks coffee made in my wonderful French press (compliments of the best sister in the world, Natalie Thompson), a blankie and some wonderful music. I will be productive (repeat 10x). I have actually been amazingly productive this whole semester (the whole week and a half it's been going!). I started incorporating jogging into my daily walking routine yesterday and by the time spring gets here I will be able to jog the entire canals first time out (that's my goal at least). I have gotten all of my homework done early, have gotten no less than 6 hours of sleep in a night (usually closer to 7 or 8....which is a great achievement at IBC), have kept my room very clean and made my bed everyday (please tell Mom about making my bed Natalie...I know she will be utterly speechless), I have walked 6 out of every 7 days, prayed and read my Bible everyday with the exception of one I do believe, and I have tried my hardest to actually look like a decent human being everyday and have only slightly failed at this once. So I would say I'm having a rather successful semester so far....we shall see how long this lasts....hopefully til the end! Ok piano lesson time...farewell!

It's been a while, so it's extra random :)

1/13/11

"Now with every step, and every breath, I give it all, hold nothing back. With all I am this is my choice, to live to worship You. So with all my heart, my soul, my mind, I love You, leave it all behind. To live my life in awe of You, it's the least that I can do." - Out of Eden "Praise You"

Such an amazing song....and an old one, but I think I'm gonna pull this one back out for this new year of 2011. 2011 is a year of endings and beginnings for me. This year began with the wedding of a very good friend and mentor (Deb McGowan) and the start of my very last semester at IBC...both of which are rather good beginnings :) This year holds my college graduation (an ending), living in France for 3 months (both a beginning and an ending), and then my life as a college graduate begins....scary thought....I will be a for-real adult...oh boy, responsibility here I come! ;) I can't say I will miss being in school...unless of course I make the crazy decision to go back to the U of MN to major in French...(why would I ever torture myself by going back to school!? What's wrong with me!?!?!) But that's not a very strong possibility right now...especially if I plan on travelling the world...I better get rich quick! Hmmm....any rich, eligible bachelors? Jk jk!!! I am not going to miss that horribly annoying IBC bell...it makes me want to claw my ears off....and then I would just have bloody stubs on the sides of my head...not a very pretty visual...anyways moving on...The only thing that makes me ever so slightly sad about going to France (other than the fact that I will miss everyone and my doggy) is that I will miss most of the baseball season!! This is soooooo tragic, I can not even begin to explain! :( That means that I HAVE to go to at least one game in May before I leave and then go to as many as I possibly can in September...and no autograph party for me! I don't know how I'll survive without seeing my beautiful boys of summer! I won't know what to do with myself next fall when I won't have to move back to Indiana...oh wait, yes I do...I won't pack everything up and I'll go to the MN State Fair and eat a ridiculous amount of food including crocodile, ostrich, Sweet Martha's cookies, fried pickles, and who knows what else! I will go to multiple rodeos and probably some fabulous concerts...and I'll take my dog on walks through the park and go riding all the time with Jess....I will scrapbook with my sister, write that song with her that we've always talked about but never gotten around to doing, go to Nelson Cheese Factory and run through the sprinkler in the front lawn....sounds pretty amazing to me! If only all my friends from school could just live in MN with me...now that would be perfection...I think they should all move there...who doesn't want to live in MN anyways?! It's only the most amazing state EVER! We have all 4 seasons, and lots of lakes and rivers, it's a very pretty state, the Mississippi River starts there (which automatically makes us cool), we have the MN Twins, Vikings and Wild...and I suppose I should claim the Timberwolves too...even tho they are humiliatingly terrible...other than Kevin Love...He's a beast...and the Thompson family lives there...what else do you need!? Oh and we are also the state that consumes the most ice cream per capita...so you get to eat a lot of ice cream too. And we  are second, only to NYC, in having the most theater seats per capita, so we're clearly very cultured. I could just keep going all day long...so I'll stop...this is weird...I'm in a good mood..for no reason....hmmm...maybe I'm sick....oh no wait...it's only weird cuz I'm at IBC and I'm in a good mood for no reason...maybe it's cuz my iPod is playing fabulous music that is making me tap my feet and smile...I like this. maybe I'll go drink some orange juice to make this experience complete...but I think the only thing that would truly make this experience complete would be my mother pulling me off the couch to make me Jitterbug with her...I was not alive in the 70's...I don't know how to Jitterbug...and I try to tell her this every time...but it never stops her...so I have had to learn how to Jitterbug because I'm the only person my mother can pull up and make dance with her. Basically (Natalie, you have ruined this word for me...I laugh everytime I hear it or say it), I just want to be driving a tractor right now...that always was the hightlight of my day when I worked at Featherbrook...there's just nothing like being out under the sun, just you, your tractor, the wind and your thoughts...such a beautiful thing. How in the world did I become such a mixed up person...I love the city, but I love the country...where am I suppose to live!? I know...in a carboard box on the city line so that I'm half in the city, half in the country...and my horse can just always stand on the country side so I don't get in trouble! :) I'm a genius.

The end is drawing near, but not fast enough

Written: 11/30/09

Back at school….is depressing :P Thanksgiving break was wonderful…and I was so happy to finally be able to have Thanksgiving at home after 6 yrs of having it in Indy…but it was soooo short! And the fact that I knew I was coming back to school for just 2 ½ weeks didn’t help anything either. It seems a waste to come back for so short a time. Oh well…only 3 more semesters to survive….I can do this right!? It’s starting to get cold out!!! I just wore a hoody to work and was freezing when I left! It feels like snow is on its way =D I can’t wait til there’s snow! It doesn’t feel like Christmas is less than a month away cuz there’s no snow! But I am writing this by the light of my most beautiful Christmas tree in my dorm room!

I am also writing this on my daddy’s laptop which he insisted upon giving to me. He’s such a nice guy. I love that guy very much =D He’s the bestest daddy ever and he’s all mine!!! Well he’s Nate’s and Natalie’s too…but ya know…. I’m hungry and my hands are still cold from driving home…I’m thinking some Mrs. Grasses Chicken Noodle soup would be amazing…with extra MSG of course =D So I should prolly make some and then go practice piano since I have lessons tomorrow and we all know that I did not practice over break! Poor George is delusional in thinking that we would all practice 10 hrs over break…. I’m jealous cuz Nate is at home right now…and I’m not. I wish I coulda seen him. He would come the day after I leave wouldn’t he :P  Oh well…at least I’ll get to see him for a few days over Christmas break! He’s gonna love his Christmas present! I just wish that he was getting more than one thing from us all…but it was an expensive present! I know what mom and dad got me….cuz I tried it on =D lol! So I’m in a traveling mood and really want to go somewhere…preferably somewhere that I haven’t been yet. Somewhere on the west coast or somewhere not in America at all! I always want to go back to France of course…but right now I’m feeling somewhere warm (odd I know) like the Bahamas, or Hawaii, or south America….ya know something along those lines would work out great. Sadly the bank account would never allow it even if I did have time to go. Hopefully business picks up so that I can make some money. :P I don’t know why its so incredibly dead but I don’t like it! It scares me cuz I’m stuck with this profession for 2 yrs and if I can’t make enough money to support myself then I’ll have to work 2 jobs, which I do NOT have time for! Nor do I have the stress levels to handle that. Oh well, Jesus will work everything out. He got me this job so He’s gonna work it out and He knows what’s going on cuz I most certainly don’t! Alright I really need to get moving or I’ll never get off this futon cuz I’m tired the way it is. And I still need to practice piano! :P I can’t wait until this semester is OVER!!!! God help me to survive these last 2 ½ weeks! Il Divo is helping me get through this night!

A Beautiful Fall Day in Indy

Written: 11/12/09

Here I sit on my futon, Listening to my Christophe Mae cd and going thru my pics from France...I don’t quite know why but I can’t stop thinking about France. I want to be there so bad that it hurts. I seriously cannot wait until I can go back someday...Hopefully within the next couple of yrs! And hopefully it’ll be as an AIMer.  I went grocery shopping...I bought a delicious rotisserie chicken (which I just ate half of!) And lots of other good stuff :-D America is letting me use her piano while she’s at work tonight...so I can work on my stupid song that I have to learn by ear :P I seriously cannot wait until Thanksgiving break! I just want to go find a really pretty banquet dress and then go Christmas shoppin.... It’s such a beautiful day out! Too bad I have to be disciplined and do homework and practice piano :P That’s so boring. Is it odd that I find grocery shopping fun now because its getting me out of the school and doing something other than working!? And I’m buying something I love too....food!!!! I’m seriously such a cow. I eat so much food I’m surprised I don’t weigh an incredible amount! So I can hear now!!! I went to the doc and it's all better! It felt amazing to walk out being able to hear! I will never take my hearing for granted after this experience of not being able to hear for a week and a half. It seriously was the most annoying thing ever. Anyhooo......productive time....riiiiggggghhhhttt....ok seriously...

Falling in love with fall

Written: 11/02/09

So today was pretty fab....for the most part....except for the fact that I still cannot hear out of my right ear...which has been going on since Sat. night. :P It is making me extremely angry and irritated. It drives me crazy cuz I can’t really hear and everything I do hear and say is echoed in my head! Arg! So I called my insurance company today to find out which Nose, Throat and Ear Docs are covered by my insurance and then I called them and they have 7 docs at that office and the earliest appointment any of them had is for next Tuesday at 2 pm! This is insanity! So I have to wait a week from tomorrow to go get my ear checked. Anyhoo so work called me today and told me not to come in cuz there was no work and so since it was a beautiful fall day I texted Alison to see what she was doing. So me and Alison went to the Indiana Museum of Art (IMA) gardens. We climbed on the sculptures (which you’re not suppose to do!) and took pictures and walked around pretty much all of the gardens.

It was absolutely gorgeous!!! We had so much fun takin pics and then on the way back we both wanted Starbucks so Alison looked up the closest one to where we were and got directrions to it on her phone and we went there. It just happened to be the coolest, most amazing Starbucks I’ve ever been in! It had a fireplace in it and the furniture and decorating was fab! It very much so had an UpTown feel to it....which we all know how much I love UpTown! So I got a pumpkin spice latte and a pumpkin cream cheese muffin (which was delish!) Over the weekend I turned into an old lady cuz I had to get up early both Sat and Sun. So Fri and Sat nights I went to bed early and then last night I went to bed early becuz sleep is my only relief from my ear driving me insane. But since I went to bed at like 10:30 last night I got up at 8:30 this morning when I didn’t even end up having class til 11:20! So now I’m already getting tired and wanting to go to sleep...and it’s only 10:03 pm!!! Ah! I can’t be an old lady!!! Why does money have to be so important and necessary!? Why can’t it just grow on trees!? I want a money tree. Almost as bad as I want my ear to be unplugged :P Money is officially stupid. And I want some so I can go Christmas shopping. Which I prolly won’t get to do until the day after Thanksgiving. Which reminds me how much I want Thanksgiving break to come!!! It’s 3 weeks away from tomorrow!!! Well, it tech doesn’t start til that wed. but I’m leaving Tues right after my last class.... I miss riding so much!!! And I miss my puppy so much!!! I hope that we can get that puppy that Amanda’s future mother-in-law has!!! I’ve wanted another doggie for a while now...but Mom and Dad always told me no :P and now that I’m gone they think about getting another one! It would happen that way. I miss my daddy a lot of the time. He’s my bud. So I’m actually pretty excited about the choir going and singing in St. Louis this Sat! It’ll be a good time. I’ll only ride with ppl I like and then no one will die and I will be happy!! I don’t even remember what we’re singing at or for, but it’ll be fun. Hopefully we don’t have to wear our choir outfits...but we prolly do :P Have I ever mentioned how soothing the sound of Josh Groban’s voice is?! It is amazingly beautiful. I would marry that man if I could. He would just need to find Jesus first...and then everything would be grand! ;) He could even sing to me in French! =D Then life would be perfect! I need to get an external hard drive so that when I do get a new laptop I can have everything on it and just switch it from one to the other...and besides then I wouldn’t have to worry about losing everything if this one...or any future laptop...decided to crash....which this one has been known to do...but usually only when Nate hits it really hard because he gets mad about it being to slow or because he’s mad at whatever game he is playing! He’s such a funny. I can’t wait to see him at Christmas time! Eek! It just needs to go straight to Thanksgiving break so I can eat a lot and go shopping and then from that straight to Christmas break! That would be amazing!

Christmas is coming and the goose is getting fat

Written: 10/28/08

Halloween is in 3 days and Thanksgiving break is 3 ½ weeks away!!!! Come to me quickly break!!!!! Natalie said her and Mom are already planning everything so that all of the Christmas decor will be up when I get home!! =D I cannot wait!!!! I just want it to be Christmas! I had to go to the mall today to get new work shoes (which cost me $50 :P ) and it made me want to go Christmas shopping so bad! Too bad I’m broke because what money I do have I have to save to put down on my school bill :P I hate bills.....they cramp my style....welcome to the real world, I know....So I sponsor a little boy from El Salvador through Compassion and I pretty much love him. And he’s so cute too!!!! I just love his letters that he sends to me! They’re so cute and he always draws me pictures....I should really write him another letter....and I need to send money so they can buy him a Christmas present... For one of the first times in my life I’m having a hard time writing a Christmas list....my brother would be shocked since he loves to tease me so much about my alphabetized, categorized Christmas lists that I used to write in size 8 font that were 10 pages long....hey, it’s not my fault that they had so much cute stuff in the American Girl Doll magazines!!! I have some stuff written down, but I like to give people plenty of options and that’s just not really happening this year. It’s funny how the older you get, the less you want. Anyhoo...I suppose I should go talk to Jesus and then go to bed. ‘Night! Don’t bite the bed bugs >:}

A Day In Paris Would Solve Everything

Written: 10/15/09

I want to leave here and go somewhere...somewhere fun and adventurous that I haven’t been before! I want to go to Washington so I can go to the fish markets in Seattle...even tho I don’t like fish! And I want to actually go to California...the airport doesn’t really count for much... I want to climb the mountains and go out in the ocean...I want sit on the beach and watch the palm trees sway...But most of all I want to be back in France sitting at a sidewalk café in Paris and going shopping in all of the boutiques, drinking their amazingly strong espresso and eating all of the wonderful breads, sandwiches and pastries, and drinking orangina. Wouldn’t life just be wonderful then!? I want to see the Eiffel Tower lit up at night since we never did get to see that and I want to go to Versaille and go to the French Riveria...Ok, well since that won’t be happening anytime soon...if ever....I should come back to my sad, depressing reality called IBC and get ready to go to my next class that I don’t want to go to :P (the fabulous photo below was taken by yours truly)

Frustrations over baseball

Written: 10/10/09

Is it weird or wrong that I get depressed when the Twins lose?! I mean really....they’re in the playoffs! It frustrates me to no end that everyone just rips on them, when they really are a good team...clearly... or they wouldn’t be in the playoffs idiots!!!!  I have so much stinkin homework and then we have choir and singers...both of which I’ve ceased to enjoy... and then come back and practice piano (something I now loathe) and when attempting to be a good student and do my Dictation Aurelia homework that’s due on Mon I couldn’t because there was some idiot in the chapel practicing/playing/beating the drums excessively and wouldn’t stop for like an hr or more. So clearly I wasn’t able to hear the chord progressions on Aurelia so that was the end of my homework attempts. I drowned my sorrows and sufferings with the new Michael Buble cd (Crazy Love) that came out today (well...technically yesterday 10/09...it’s after midnight) and a Louis L’Amour...but not cookies...because I’ve been enjoying those a little too much lately and need to ration them out so they last longer and so I don’t get fat :-D I’m extremely tired and therefore I am cranky and cynical...which is clearly coming out in this wonderful journal entry :-D I’m still in a state of confusion and frustration tho over how the Twins lost tonight’s game...we were up 3-1 and Nathan (our amazing closer!) gave it up big time....he’s not suppose to do that! He never does that! The world is clearly coming to an end because Joe Nathan pitched a bad game. Is it too much to ask for the Twins to win a World Series that I’ll actually remember and be able to enjoy!? Yeah I was alive in ‘91 but do I remember anything from then?...NO! I was stinkin’ 2 yrs old! Seriously...and we’ve been in the playoffs how many times in the last 8-10 yrs and we still haven’t even gotten to the World Series! Which actually has a lot to do with cheating Umps...I hate umpires...they cheat and make horrible calls and never know how to do their job...I clearly should be an ump because I would do a much better job of it then them. But alas I never played baseball so I can’t ever get that job. I think that’s sexist because there is not a female baseball league so a female could never be an umpire. I protest! Ok....I really should go to bed....writing this and listening to Michael Buble’s beautiful, smooth, sultry vocals is putting me to sleep....my eyes are literally half shut right now....I don’t want to leave the comfort of this futon to climb into my tower....my high and lofty tower....oh dear...I’m crashing...falling ever so quickly into the world of slumber, fairies and dreams of root beer popsicles and hazelnuts....ok I really don’t know where that came from....my random head I suppose....goodnight.

Life's greatest questions...and other ramblings...

This one is from sometime late August or September of 2010, written in my dorm room at IBC.

Sometimes I want to throw things across the room.....in pure rage........ because they are not working for absolutely no reason. Sometimes life gives you lemons and you don’t even want lemonade...then what do you do? What do you do when everything seems to be going against you and you can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel? Do you just take a flashlight and fake it? Or do you just pretend to see something faint and distant ahead.... does lying to yourself really ever get you anywhere? Why the junk will my computer not connect to the internet?! It makes me want to say horrible things...good thing there’s no one around to witness my ugly faces that I make at this computer....they might be slightly disturbed....and they should be....sometimes there’s just something about me that’s not quite right...like when I make ugly faces that make me look like I have a cleft lip...seriously, nobody else is that talented. What makes grapes taste so incredibly delicious...is it the crispness when you bite into one or the coolness and refreshing that you get while eating them? Is it their slightly sweet taste?....or a combo of them all? I never knew grapes could be so intriguing...I should prolly go to bed cause I have an 8:00 a.m. class tomorrow morning and a full day too :P But I am comfortable here on my futon and want to eat some grapes....and look! My computer is actually working!!! Praise be to Jehovah!!! How did it happen? I don’t know. I looked over there and finally saw the light on the converter box and the laptop on....now if I could just get the blasted thing to connect to the Internet...prolly no hope there :P It makes me hate my life. Why must it be such a pain in the butt!? I love air conditioning even if it doesn’t do as much as I wish it would. It’s doing the best it can with 90 degree days with the sun beating into my room and turning it into a toaster oven/sauna. And my roommate must have the drapes partially open so that her plants can get sunlight... Does she not know that those things die when I’m around?! I just have an aura about me that kills them I think >:} Why that makes me kinda happy, I don’t know....but it does in a sadistic kind of way. Tomorrow I will eat the greatest food invention in a long time....the personal, seedless watermelon!!!!!!! I’m very excited about this! I want to make sure that I eat it before it starts going bad. Have I mentioned how much I love fruit?! I ate a delicious plum like 20 minutes ago =) Alas I must climb into my tower...which is prolly a good 7 feet off the ground...pray to God that I never fall from my tower...or I just might have a busted brain....and my poor brain cannot sustain any more injuries, as the doctor was so kind enough to tell me....thanks doc for all the wonderful news that you give us...you really are such a cheer and encouragement to our lives.

Reasons for a blog

While home over Christmas break I was reading some random journal-type entries to my sister that I had typed on my computer...she was thoroughly enjoying them...aka laughing rather hard while sitting on the end of my bed. After listening to a few of them she looked at me and said, "You need to get these published...you need to make a book of them." I looked at her and thought, "Who wants to know all of the random, crazy, disturbing things that go through my head?" But I figured that if no one else would enjoy them, that she would. And making my sister happy is one of the things that makes me the happiest...so here it goes: I am starting a blog so that my sister can read my ramblings, questions and angry posts and find what joy that she can by reading them in all of their nonsensicalness. I am not the writer in the family...she is...so really she should be the one with a blog, but for some odd reason I'm the one starting a blog. I will just draw all of my inspiration from her brilliant mind ;) I will start by posting some of my older ones that I wrote last year. I hope that whoever reads them can enjoy them as much as my sister does =D