Reasons I Hate This Time of Year

1. Holidays. Why are they all in the winter? Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, Valentines Day, St. Patrick's Day... it's just too much. I've expressed my rather dire feelings about holidays in general before, so it should come as no surprise that I feel clusters of them are uncalled for. Lucky, the worst is already behind us.

2. Forms. FAFSA, W-4, W-2, Taxes... federal shenanaganizing. Askeroscarooscarfug. (Congrats if you came up with some way to pronounce that.)

3. Snow. *sighs* Alright. I confess. I hate snow, but not really. It's complicated. Just when I think it's bearable and maybe even kind of pretty, it proves me wrong and gets in my boot or tries to trip me up or just generally interferes with the delicate task of living my life.

4. Darkness. I like the dark. It's fine. But the long dark mornings and nights make me want to sleep in and go to bed earlier, and me wanting to go to bed at 5 P.M. is rather annoying and counter-productive.

5. Cold. I loathe being cold. More than being hot, more than being sweaty, more than losing a toe to a shark. Okay, maybe not the last one. Being cold makes me feel like I'm about 100 years old and lacking the appropriate medication for my various conditions that are causing me this aching pain. Dire? Yes. They aren't your joints, so deal with it. (For the record, if they are your joints too, I express my sincerest sympathy and the offer to get together to have a warm beverage and discuss our unnamed condition.)

I know I complain rather a lot. I guess it's because it's the one thing I can do about the things I can do nothing about. And for some reason, complaining about things in a vaguely amusing thing somehow helps me to feel better about them. Go figure, eh?

Pawned Off

It’s like a giant’s game of chess

Where pawns go out to play

And rooks meet knights of many types

On squares of black and white

Snow, Snow, Snow

2012 New Years Resolutions

1. Drink More Water.

I’m pretty much convinced that I’m going through my life severely dehydrated. I also want to quit drinking so much pop, a habit college soft-drink foundations and the availability of free drinks at work has acquainted me with a little too well, so I figured choosing water more often would help me accomplish both.

2. Exercise 3 Times a Week

Fitness buffs will find this pathetic, but I have so much trouble finding the time to go to the gym! I do try to do some physical activity every day, (that really didn’t happen over break…) but dragging my butt to the gym seems to take so much effort. Next semester I have two mornings free and so if I go then and once during the weekend, I should be meeting my goal.

3. Eat Mindfully.

I need to quit mindless grazing and eating things I don’t even really want or need. Food for me is fuel, not an activity or a consolation prize. I feel better when I only eat what I need and I choose things I like and are good for me, as well as allowing myself to enjoy them.

4. Never Pick Another Zit.

I hate my acne. But ripping it apart isn’t going to make it go away, and actually makes it worse in a lot of cases. Thus, being kinder to my skin is one thing I plan to do in the upcoming year.

5. Be More Adventurous.

Born or made so, I am more reserved. I do not volunteer to take charge, I don’t go out of my comfort zone. I’m not one of those “up for anything” people and I doubt I ever will be, but it certainly won’t kill me to expand my horizons a little. It might even be very good for me.

6. Be More Charming.

My college’s motto is “Be More,” so I find these “be more” resolutions very fitting. If this one sounds weird to you, that’s alright, but I think charm is something of a dying quality. I love genuinely charming people. None of the cheesy manipulative type, mind you. Just the cheerful, bright, feminine, affable, genuine and mysterious charm that makes you interesting and fun to other people.

People Say the Darnedest Things I

People say the darnedest things when they have to give speeches or presentations. I recognize not everyone has the grasp on the English language that I was taught/blessed with...but still. Some of this is so bad I have to stifle a snicker. Public speaking is hard. Everyone is inarticulate at times, myself definitely included. Yet in what I assure you is good humor, I would like to share some of the most amusing errors I have witnessed in my final weeks of group and research presentations.

"The author died of a very popular disease."

This one I almost laughed at loud. The plague was so popular at the time, everyone just had to get their hands on it!!

"In researching this topic, I found many findings."

Did you now? Can you say redundant??

"He then contacted malaria."

By phone or e-mail?

"X muchly affects Y in that..."

I muchly imagine so.

I have to say listening to this is both painful and hysterical. So at some point I decided I needed to start collecting these to share with the world. So when I look like I'm studiously taking notes, I'm actually noting your creative and incorrect use of the English language. Yeah. I'm just that kind of person.

Ten Things I Learned From My Mama

1. We're all good at different things.
Talent comes in different forms. It's okay not to be perfect at everything.

2. Adults are people with feelings too.
Something I was very slow to grasp.

3. Laughter is the best medicine.
My Mom can laugh even when things aren't so great.

4.  You are what you eat.
My Mom's a health nut, but she did make me more aware of what I put into my body.

5. Beauty is on the inside.
Confidence, patience and humility are far more important than a perfect hair style.

6. Sometimes you lead from the back.
But sometimes you still lead from the front...

7. How to crochet
A skill I didn't learn well, but even sort of learned life lessons count, right?

8. How to make amazing cookies.
I learned this life skill slightly better as it was slightly more important to me.

9. How to make the best of a situation.
Even when there isn't a whole lot to make the best of.

10. Don't sweat the small stuff.
Or else you'll pretty much be sweating all the time. And that stinks.

May Be Meant to Be

Socks and shoes

Me and you

I puzzle how many pairs of things that

Supposedly go together

Were forced together and simply learned to coexist?