Hasta la vista, 2010!

Each year, just before the ball drops, I like to look back on 2010. This is nothing fancy, just a few lists I've compiled as the new year approaches! Now, time for me to sit back and watch the ball drop! Happy New Year's everyone!!

I am here in the final 30 minutes of 2010. This year hasn't been my best, but it certainly hasn't been my worst. Here is a quick recap of 2010, and some goals as I look forward to 2011!

5 Low Points

1. One year after my accident, hand still not recovered
   
2. Did not keep my Resolution (finish my novel)
   
3. Gained about 20 pounds, purely in snickers bars
   
4. Spent over $200 on beef jerky- waste of money!
   
5. Relapsed on my addiction to coke (acola)

   5 High Points!

6. Turned 14- can get a job! (didn't get one..)
   
7. Started High School (Even better, ended Middle School)
   
8. Some great trips- Florida, Montreal, Cape Cod, Boston
   
9. Lady Gaga concert!
   
10. Various writing achievements (This blog!)

    Favorite Day of 2010-
    

    The day I saw Lady Gaga in Montreal

    Things I wish I'd done in 2010-
    

    I wish I had stuck with my resolution… I really wanted to complete my novel. I guess I procrastinated in general in 2010, which was not good at all.

    Things I hope to do better in 2011-
    

    I hope I can be more focused in school and less of a goof! I also am going to try and act a little more normal.. At least, less in-your-face crazy. Also, I'm going to try really hard to fix my laugh. If you know me, you know what I'm talking about.
    

    Things I hope to accomplish in 2011-
    

    Finish my novel! That is a big one! I also am hoping to explore the more artistic side of myself a bit and find some new hobbies. I really want to start getting into piano again- I miss it! Additionally, I am going to work really hard with my physical therapy so that I can get my nerves functioning again. Last but not least, I want to keep my grades where they are right now in school. No more slacking! Oh, and midterms! I want to succeed.
    

    
    

    MY NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION 2011
    

    Watch less TV and go on Facebook less. Conversely, I will focus more on my academics and hobbies. I will be more productive with my time.

    *Blogger resolution- Post more frequently. (I'm so busy, I've been getting behind! Sorry guys, many apologies.)
    

    
    

    -CK
    

Oh, what a beautiful RADISH, sweetheart!

Well, hello folks! It's me, Dylan. I'm not going to say anything about Harry Potter in this post, except for following short tidbit. I couldn't help myself. So if you don't care to hear me marvel over the fabulosity (is that a word?) of the latest HP flick, just skip ahead to where I have marked an X. Remember, folks, X marks the spot. And in this case, the spot is an approved portion of Harry-Potter-Free blogging!

So, anyway. I SAW HARRY POTTER! I actually ended up seeing the midnight premiere, and then I saw it again the next day. I'll probably be seeing it a few more times while it's in theatres, because it's just that great. I think I've been annoying you guys by talking about Harry Potter so much recently. Sorry, I do apologize. I've just been so excited for the movie release!!! But now it's over, and I can go back to my normal self. Not that I was ever really normal.

X

I was thinking about my childhood yesterday. Even before I began writing and experimenting in other art forms, I was a pretty creative kid. I had quite the imagination as a girl. The earliest example of this, as it is with any child, is perhaps my slew of imaginary friends. Now, I wasn't one of those kids who had imaginary friends until they were like 10… No, don't get me wrong. But when I was really young, I had quite the posse. My favorite was the infamous Mr. Key, a strapping young musician. Then, there was Little Mo, the smallest fairy in the world. She couldn't fly due to the small size of her wings, and she was always feeling blue about it. Literally, she was blue. Except for sometimes, when we were doing something really fun, she would turn a shade of rosy pink. Then there was Porkchop, the fat one, Lolly, the sweet one, and Pip, the flight attendant. There were many others as well, including a pair of twins whose names I cannot recall…

When I think about these things, I wish I was a little girl again. When you're a kid, a kid is all you are. Now I'm so many different things that I can't keep track. I'm the smart one, and I'm the good writer, and I'm the clutz, and I'm the one who didn't know where the Texas Chainsaw Massacre occurred. (If you know what I'm talking about, you're laughing right now.) Being a kid was so simple. I could pretend my house was a grand castle. I could pretend my living room was a pirate ship. I could create an entire civilization entirely out of Lincoln Logs. I could spend an entire day playing Candy Land and doing absolutely nothing else. I could draw endless amounts of pictures with my jumbo box of crayons, and everyone would tell me what a great job I did even though my sky was purple and my flowers looked like radishes. If I could do these things now, I could. But people would tell me that my flowers look like radishes, and they wouldn't say it nicely. If I tried to play Candy Land all day long, someone would eventually tell me to get off my lazy rear and do something productive. If I made a civilization out of Lincoln Logs, I would be told to clean up my mess. And if I pretended anything was a castle or pirate ship, people would just think I'm crazy.

Oh, the joys of childhood! And the woes of adolescence! Oh, phooey…

Well, I think that's all I have to say on that note. It's late, so excuse me if this post was utter gibberish. At this hour, I honestly can't tell words from sheep. Or vice versa. Have a nice morning, day, week, month, life, folks!

Happy travels,

Curios…zzzzzzz

A Monumentally Nerdy Occasion

In 4 days and 16 or so hours, I will be sitting in a theater watching Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Part 1). This is unbelievable… As many of you know, I am a HUGE Harry Potter person. Huge. And so, I am obviously quite thrilled by this impending occasion. I am, to put it frankly, freaking out. This Friday will forever go down in Nerd History! I could sit here and ramble on about Harry Potter for a while, but I honestly doubt that anyone else cares. So, I'll continue on to other matters…

I stopped posting again. I'm just so boring, I honestly have nothing to blog about. My life is school, school, school right now. So, here's a quick rundown of this FANTABULOUS week that is lying ahead of me, and some other random things that are on my mind. Sound good? Good.

1. Harry Potter (see above)
   
2. New phone! I finally ordered a new phone after the whole dropping-mine-in-the-lake debacle which occurred over the summer. I fixed it with rice, but it hasn't been the same since. If you have tried texting me recently, you know that the "I" and "a" keys are nonfunctional. T mkes wrtng nd recevng messges slghtly nnoyng. So, yeah. It's been a long time coming. My phone is really eligible for an upgrade until February, so I was waiting for that reason. But it got unbearable. So I was like, what the heck, Ma! Buy me a new phone! It was between a few choices, but I eventually decided not to go for the shmancy fancy one (Blackberry Torch) and got a Samsung Solstice. Almost got the Mythic, then heard an awful review from my cousin. So, yeah. I'm EXCITED! Hopefully it isn't total crap like my last phone! It arrives Tuesday. YAY.
   
3. I was planning a trip to Montreal next week, but ended up cancelling it. I was going to go see HP in IMAX and stay a few days, but then I decided I really couldn't wait 5 days after the premiere date to see it. Plus, passport crapola. Nevertheless, we are rescheduling our trip to Christmas. Which brings me to my next topic….
   
4. CHRISTMAS! Yes, folks, Christmas is looming ahead. Whether you celebrate Christmas or any other holiday, it's still a fantastic time of year- my favorite! I am absolutely so excited! I can't wait to break out the NSYNC Christmas album and bake some sugar cookies. Can't wait to get a tree in a few weeks, and decorate my house to look like a giant disco ball! Whoopee! Oh, that reminds me! General Announcement: I will again be having my henceforth ANNUAL Cookie Party again this year! Planning is in the works! (You know who you are!)
   
5. In other Winter-tastic news is the impending arrival of our favorite thing- snow. Okay, backtrack. Maybe it hasn't been my favorite thing in the past. In fact, I hate it! But this year, something is different. Last year, as most of you know, I couldn't do much of anything after my accident in September. This year, though, I've been cleared to hit the slopes and I absolutely cannot wait to get back to the mountains! Now, you ask- skiing or snowboarding? Skiing, of course! I snowboard on occasion, too. I used to be really into it, but I eventually went back to skiing. I've been skiing since what, age one? Since I was able, pretty much. It's a family thing. If I could give three words to describe my family (my extended family), they would go as follows: Doctors, Skiiers, okay, wait. I need 5 words. Doctors, Skiiers, Chess-players, Musicians, and they know how to throw a hell of a party! Actually, I should probably add Boston Red Sox, Lobster, Cribbage and practical jokes to that list. Wow, I could go on for ages. My family is quite the bunch, I must say…
   

So, that's basically what's going on with me. Thanksgiving is coming up, and it's a bummer this year. We usually go somewhere tropical, but there were complications this year and we didn't go anywhere. Not even to Kentucky! So, we're stuck at home. My grandmother usually makes us Thanksgiving dinners on years that we stay home, but due to miscommunications she thought we were going somewhere so she planned her own vacation. My other grandparents are in Florida, so we basically have no one to celebrate with. I guess it's my Dad's year to have me for Thanksgiving anyway, so I'll be spending it with him. Wow. My "Dad's year". I sound like one of those kids who gets tossed around between parents for holidays, and other days for that matter. I always felt so bad for those kids. I guess that's me now.

Well, that wraps it all up! I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving! I certainly have lots to be thankful for this year! For now, I'll start by thanking you all. Thank you for reading, and thank you for caring. (I hope!)

xxCuriosityKills

Dylan Harbison and the Order of the Dictionary

So, let's talk about me. In my opinion, I'm pretty awesome. =) And modest, too! Anyway, it has come to my attention in recent... minutes, that I have been paying few posts to the supposed "main topic" of this blog- me! So, here is a post just crawling with dedication to your favorite person. (No, I'm not talking about Santa Claus. Or Tyra Banks. And if you think I'm talking about Justin Bieber, you have no place here. Leave.)

I'm talking about.... me! Okay, I may not be your favorite person, but come on... You have to like me, at least to some extent, to be reading this right now. Who reads the blog of someone they don't like?! (If you don't like me, are reading this blog, and therefore know the answer to that question, don't answer it. Thank you.)

Hm... So, I'm a writer, and I'm me, so it therefore seems likely that I will at some point write an autobiography. I've been thinking- what would that be called? When I wanted to be a talk show host, I decided I would have a show similar to Oprah called "Chillin' With Dylan". And when I wanted to be a food network star, I was going to have the show "Grillin' With Dylan". Catchy, right?! But, an autobiography doesn't come with a catchy rhyme!

Unless I turned out to be a murderer- "Killin' With Dylan"

Or a pastry chef- "Cream Fillin' With Dylan"

Or maybe a drug addict- "Pillin' With Dylan"

(Does that even make sense...?)

Here's what I'm thinking for my auto-bio:

1) Dylan Harbison and the Half-Blood Arm

2) Dylan Harbison and the Order of the Dictionary

3) Dylan Harbison and the Deathly Vermont Winters

4) Dylan Harbison and the Goblet of Coca-Cola

5) Dylan Harbison and the Prisoner of the Most Boring State

6) Dylan Harbison and the Blog Post of Secrets (Remember that!?)

7) Dylan Harbison and the .... ..... ..... ..... .... .... .... Pearl is my Birth Stone?! Okay, I'm lost on that one...

Anyway, I think those are pretty original!!!

So, now 'tis time for me to go... Hey, don't be sad! It's mostly because I want some fish sticks. But also partially because I wrote a post yesterday, and I don't want to write so much at once that all of my faithful readers can't keep up! I am also planning an AMAZING post for Thursday, A.K.A. NATIONAL SANDWICH DAY.

Alright, until then, my loves...

Curiosity.Kills. =)

ominous silhouettes of obscene hooligans!

I'm not going to make ANOTHER excuse about me not posting in weeks. I don't have one, and I don't feel like sitting around trying to come up with one. I'm just going to continue with this marvelous blog when inspiration strikes! Today, inspiration came easily. How, you might ask? By reading the dictionary!

Back it up, you say! Whaaaaat?

A lot of you know I'm a little bit crazy when it comes to vocabulary and grammar. But, really? READING the dictionary? Well, let's just say that I was bored. And while some of you may plop down to play some video games, I call reading quality entertainment. And hey, reading and words, two of my favorite things in one place! I say, go for it. Now, I'm known by friends for entertaining myself for long periods of time using a thesaurus which I have named 'Sheila'. It's fun! But a dictionary, now that's a whole new level of nerdy, even for me. I realize it, and I accept it... But hey, what can I do!

Words... Words are like an obsession I have. Learning words, using words. Maybe it's because I'm a writer, or maybe it's something completely separate that I can't explain... There are endless possibilities for words. Words are the way that we express ourselves, and they way that we hold back. They are in our mind, in our hearts, and in our world. They are secret weapons we hold dear to our souls, whipping them out in times of frantic struggle. They are used to soothe, to swoon, to surrender. Words control us, and we control then. One word can change a sentence, a story, a love, a life. Whether we realize it or not, words are the very epicenter of everything we know and hold dear.

There is a word for everything. Person. House. Tree. These are just the beginning- the mere foundation of a palace holding untold secrets and knowledge. Like this immortal castle, words are vast and limitless. They owe us no boundaries through language and life, and they ask for nothing in return. Words are molded through time, shaped in our hands as we wish, but they still endure. And through their many evolutions, we look back and remember what once was. As times turn, we still have the memories etched into our existence, and it is all due to words. Sometimes, we have only the words of our wise predecessors to guide us out of the shadows and back into the light. Words are our guide through murky waters of uncertain depth, words are our power; our strength; our glory. Words allow us to live.

And this is why I love words. Writing ties hand in hand, I suppose. Words are my breath, my passion, my muse. And this, my faithful and patient readers, is the topic of today's post. Words. (If you haven't already figured that out....)

And then, there's this thing called poetry, which, as many of you have already realized, I love very much. Not just poetry, but the intricate combinations of words which make it up... Words that do not naturally fall together. Sometimes, they make little sense outside the realms of that one poem. But in that moment and instance, they flow together perfectly. They float, float above the world of the ordinary, intertwining and escaping the cage which other genres of literature imprison them in. One of my favorite poems is the Auguries of Innocence, by William Blake, and it says:

"Every night and every morn

Some to misery are born

Every morn and every night

Some are born to sweet delight

Some are born to sweet delight

Some are born to endless night"

The significance of these words, and the remainder of the work, has impacted my life in the most profound and unexpected way. And I doubt that these words will impact yours, or anyone else's for that matter. Or they may, in an entirely different way. And that is the magic of poetry. It means something different to everyone. You may see bees, whilst I see butterflies, if that makes any sense at all. But that's the point, isn't it? Making sense of nonsense, that's the meaning of everything!

Perhaps the perfect example of this is e.e. cummings' love story of anyone and no one, the classically nonsensical poem anyone lived in a pretty how town.

"children guessed (but only a few
and down they forgot as up they grew
autumn winter spring summer)
that noone loved him more by more

when by now and tree by leaf
she laughed his joy she cried his grief
bird by snow and stir by still
anyone's any was all to her"

Nonsense? Gibberish? Ramblings of a madman? Maybe, quite possibly in fact. Or maybe, just maybe, it isn't so crazy after all. You have to stare at the words long enough (the whole poem, mind you, not just this excerpt!), and eventually something clicks and a story unfolds, a meaning emerges!. And all of the sudden you understand, and the nonsense is gone! Everything makes perfect sense, and you realize this is not the work of a loon but the work of a genius- a poet!

Alright, when I began this post, I was planning on writing a list of words that mean something to me. I was not planning on going all deep and philosophical on you about the English language and poetry... I would apologize, but I don't think I need to because this truly is the epitome of my mind. I suppose that is what a blog is for, whether anyone cares but me or not. So, let's just get to the list! Here are a few of my favorite words- now, let me make it clear that I have an obscene amount of favorite words. This is like a snippet, because if I wrote them all it would basically fry my computer, your computer, and quite possibly the entire internet, and it might even cause the apocalypse. Also, I just used two of my favorite words in the past two sentences! YAY! Can you guess which ones?

So, here's my list, in no specific order.

(Also, I tried to make it words that you guys would probably know... I kept it simple.)

obscene, fathom, debacle, elixir, truth, tattered, endless, miracle, abyss, blatant, eternity,

immortal, illuminate, ominous, naive, oblivion, silhouette, whisper, memory, essence, imagine,

ripple, bliss, thoughtless, hurtling, fragile, etch, secret, whirl

These words are unique because of two factors- their meaning, and their voice. Their... voice, you say? Yes, voice, vibe, feeling. However you wish to describe that which is there. The reality is that words speak to people. Not in the sense that I would speak to you, but in their own magical way. (magic- another beautiful word!) When you read a word, you automatically think or feel something. It true for all words, but especially for words like these. At least, they are special for me. Words speak to different people differently. While my heart flutters when the music of "bliss" reaches my ears, and I lose my breath at the wispy sound of "silhouette", perhaps it is "elegant" or "hooligan" or "rampage" or "bread". Words can make you laugh, or cry.

Words can come in poetry. Books. Magazines. Television. Movies. Music. Plays. Even in reality. By saying a word, you have the power to change yourself and others in a single breath. Words are the foundation of the palace, they are the structure of the palace, they are the roof of the palace, they are the paint on the walls, the furniture in the rooms, the thrones in the kings' chamber, they jokes which the jester relays, the animals on the grounds, the groundskeepers on the animals, the sky above, the grass below, and everything in between. Words are everything. Literally. All of the things I just said in this entire post are words. Interpret them as you may.

xx Curiosity Kills (curiosity- great word!)

The Boring-Ville HORRORS

Warning: The following is the most boring blog post in the history of blogging.

Okay, I lied. This isn't the MOST boring. It still might be pretty damn boring. Read on, faithful readers, even when in doubt!

I mean, sure, I'm about to talk about classical music. Then writing, then poetry, then plays, then reading... Then math. So yeah, maybe a little boring. But, hey, it's my life, right?!

Wow! So, yeah, the past couple days have been insane... Let's see, last night I went to a chamber music concert. (Classical, like a little orchestra.) I'm not the hugest classical music person, but I am a pianist. And my grandmother is violinist and is the director of the Lane concert series at UVM, so I do try and attend her shows frequently. (She doesn't perform in the shows, just hosts/organizes them. And then, of course, there are fancy parties with the musicians which are always fun! This concert was actually rather good as these thing go. It was a string quartet featuring the renowned flutist Carol Wincenc, not that any of you would have ever heard of her. Regardless, it was amazing.

Today, I got up really early to go get my flu shots at the VNA. (Super early=10:30am)

I'm not scared of shots or anything, so it was okay... boring really. But my arm is KILLING me now. It's really sore, which has never really happened to me before following a flu vaccine. It's sort of a problem because this afternoon was the first fall meeting of my writing circle which went from 2-5... Just got back. And my arm killed throughout! Still, I did manage to get some work done.

My favorite prompt today produced a piece that I am quite proud of, really. First, I wrote a free-verse poem about trying to do your own thing despite pressures from society. I used the metaphor of a fish trying to break free from the both the other fish in the school and from the current. Then, I transposed the words into a few stanzas of haiku.

stuck in the current

frigid and unforgiving

just dragging me down

a blur of colors

surrounded by little fish

as i sink, sink, sink

sinking into bliss

thoughtless, ignorant, happy

never asking why

sinking rapidly

struggling to stay afloat

trying to stay free

waves crash like bullets

hurtling down the ravine

a chance at freedom

free for a moment

then consumed by violent rapids

tugging at my flesh

'til i am lifeless

drifting, drifting aimlessly

to the rhythm of waves

The original free-verse poem was rather long, so here's a small excerpt of my work. It's interesting, I think, how each poem is so vastly different yet similar. I love haikus because they capture the same message and strength in a more direct and to-the-point way.

Sinking back to the bottom

And reaching up again

Only to be brought back down

By an even stronger current

And then trying, trying to break free

Struggling to go against the flow

Fighting, fighting against raging currents

Against streams of angry words, of hate

Against schools of hundreds

Thousands

Millions

Of like-minded little fish

And then there is me

The clownfish

And I am sinking

I've begun to read Shakespeare's Twelfth Night again, to prepare for UVM's rendition which I am excited to attend! Meanwhile, I am working of Life of Pi for school, which is AMAZING by the way. I would highly recommend it. I picked it first because I thought it was related to mathematics, but later was disappointed in that respect. I found that the boy's name is Pi, short for Piscine, which translates to "swimming pool" in French, so it obviously relates more to the latter subject. Nonetheless, Pi's story is fabulous whether it has anything to do with Math or not.

Math, math, math. It's all that's on my mind, I swear. People probably would think I was positively insane if they got a moment inside my brain. I mean, I used to detest math. Pointless, boring, I would say. Now, everything has changed. I see angles in doorways, I count things. I breathe numbers and equations and statistics.

I think, perhaps, math is all that I consider real. Math is logical, math is fact. While theories in science may change, whilst religions and languages are ever-shifting. While everything else morphs around me, math will stay the same. Math is concrete, solid. Math is the only thing in the world which is that way. New mathematical theories may be explored, new concepts will be discovered, but it will never take back what is real. The facts are here to stay... Mainly because, unlike science, we invented it. Humans control everything about it. And that's what matters.

Curiosity Kills.

Dreams, Creams, and the Frigid Waters of DEATH

My favorite thing to do is dream. Whether I'm asleep or awake, I love to sit and imagine how the future may turn out... I dream about everything, and sometimes my dreams are a little weird. (Think Keebler elves, cocaine, and ridiculous amounts of ice tea.) I dream about hopes and goals. I dream about finding love. I dream about adventure. I dream about traveling to exotic locations, participating in once-in-a-lifetime activities. I dream about flying and magic. I dream about crazy things that will obviously never happen. But it's okay to dream, right?


4 Dreams That Will a) Never Happen, b) Possibly Happen, or c) Be totally freaking awesome if they do happen! Oh, or all the above. That works too-

1) Marry Rupert Grint. Or at least date him for a while. Man, that boy is gorgeous. Not sure why I'm so into him... He's a ginger. Not that I have anything against gingers! Just... not my thing. Except Rupe <3>

2) Also related to Harry Potter: Be admitted to Hogwarts'. I think this is a dream for any Harry Potter fanatic. And yes, I definitely consider myself a fanatic... I mean, I would certainly be a great witch. I know all the spells, and I pretty much know my way around the school and entire wizarding world. My letter must have gotten lost in the mail. =(


3) Develop the ability to read minds. I would absolutely LOVE this. If I could get inside people's heads, know what they are thinking... my life would be so much easier. 'Course, I would probably get depressed because everyone is thinking mean things about me. Oh, well. I would still find it funny to catch people thinking about things they probably wouldn't want anyone to know they're thinking about.


4) Find true love. I could say this fits under b) could possibly happen. But, honestly, I am sad to say that I don't believe in it. I believe in love. But true love, to me, seems like a fairy tale. I don't think that there's one person out there, waiting for you to find them. I don't believe that you can be predestined to be with someone. I don't think that when you meet that person, planets collide. No. I think that people fall in love with each other based on a series of legitimate reasons and events. It would be nice to believe that there is someone out there, just waiting to fall in love with me. I often wish it were true. But, I am cursed with a logical mind. I see the world differently than a lot of other people. I see the world in numbers, equations, facts, processes, and reasons. And no matter how much I want to be more "imaginative" (for lack of a better word, as I do fancy myself to have a rather good imagination), no matter how much I tell myself that certain things exist... My nature kicks in in the back of my mind and I can never let myself fully believe. That's just me.


-

I know I have been really slack-offy lately. It's been a good 2 weeks. I apologize. I have no excuse other than boredom combined with a wee bit of writer's block. Well, I've been having an incredible few weeks. I had a huge family reunion. So there's another classic excuse: busy with family crap! The reunion was amazing- I love my extended family. They are hilarious! We had a huge party with caterers and a bar and what not. It was awesome! I even scrounged some cash off of my dear uncles. And, let's just say it was enough to get into the evening gambling match, and hey, look who came out on top! (Me, obviously.) The weekend featured many other strange events... If you met my relatives, you would understand where I get my "craziness". (It has come to my attention that some people are under the impression that I'm insane! Don't know where they got that idea!!! Well, maybe I do. But still.) For instance, I do believe I recall an instance where we had a bonfire in broad daylight. And it isn't even Summer! Oh, and of course, there was the swimming in the lake bit. Can you say HOLY FRIGID WATERS OF DEATH????? I mean, freaking coooold!

High school has been.... high school. Crazy, crazy. I'm doing awesome, I have to say. Wasn't sure that I would be able to stay on task. But hey, being a good kid isn't as hard as I thought it would be!!!

Alright, time for my catch phrase folks! You know what pisses me off? They didn't have FREAKING KARAMEL SUTRA ICE CREAM (B&J's, duh) at the convenience store! I mean, that stuff is the best! All I asked was for a litttttle ice cream, but no! They're "all out". I bet they saw me coming and hid it from me. Hmph. So, I had to settle for this Peanut Brittle crap. You know, I'd never had it before, and it sounded new and different. It actually sounded good... Let me tell you, that was not the case! No, don't be fooled my mouthwatering graphics! Ben and Jerry's has FAILED me. Peanut Brittle is official the worst ice cream flavor ever. Aside from Strawberry, Pistachio, Cherry Garcia, Coffee, and Vanilla. UGH.

Well, aside from the ice cream dilemma, everything is so good and happy right now, I hope it never changes. I mean, I'm a positive person in general. You rarely find me without a smile on my face because I'm just a happy person. But these past few weeks have been double extra super happy!

But, alas, we all know what that means.

What goes up, must come down. On this roller coaster called life, I've learned to expect the unexpected.

For now, I'll just live in the moment as usual!

Kay Kaaay, love you guys! Sorry to keep you waiting, I've been getting a-many complaints! <3

CURIOSITY KILLS.

Snapshot Perfection

Alright, let's start with a quick game... iPod Shuffle. I've been listing to different music recently. So I'm going to let my iPod shuffle around a bit and show you what I'm talking about!

Random songs:

1) MGMT- Time to Pretend... Well, I'm sure you guys have heard of MGMT. I hope to dear god you have. Kids, Electric Feel? Yeah. You've probably heard of Time to Pretend too. Good song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sArxl4TR8K0

2) Imogen Heap- Goodnight & Go.... I love her. Her voice is stunning... It's kind of creepy, but so beautiful. It puts you in a trance. This is one of my favorite songs by her, off of her CD Speak for Yourself. I also love Hide & Seek, Speeding Cars, Headlock, and more... She's phenomenal.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqjWodek8ZM&ob=av2n

3) Amy Winehouse- You Know I'm No Good... Alright, I'm not really a huge fan of the Winester. In fact, I'm not a fan at all. However, I absolutely love this song. Always have.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ll7UFxqI2pM

4) Lily Allen-The Fear.... Ironic. She's Amy Winehouse's arch nemesis. I definitely like her more than Amy. This song is one of my all-time faves.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-wGMlSuX_c&ob=av2e

5) Green Day- Whatsername... I LOVE Green Day. Probably my all-time favorite band, and this is one of my all-time favorite songs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2LC1xrdOaM

6) Eminem- Without Me... Okay, I'm not a big fan of rap. Eminem is the only exception. He raps about things other than drugs, cars, money, and profanities. He's kind of a lyrical genius. I think of him as more of a poet than a rapper, and I love it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVkUvmDQ3HY&ob=av3e

7) Florence + The Machine- Dog Days are Over... LOVE HER. She is probably one of my favorite artists right now. She reminds me of Imogen Heap in that her voice is also hauntingly beautiful.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWOyfLBYtuU&ob=av3e

8) Basshunter- DotA... Alright, this is a little bit ridiculous. I understand. But I'm into techno. Especially the foreign type. Just makes me want to dance!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OzWIFX8M-Y

Alright, there you go. Now you can listen to music like the DYLAN. Remember, stalkers, update your journals! Hot new info!

So, yeah. I've been hard at work on my novel over the past week. I'm really jumping back into it. I'm so excited to finish it and give you guys some sneak peeks! I've also been tirelessly getting into art and poetry again as well. Getting my culture fix, you could say. For the supplementary anti-culture fix, I have been watching TV's premiere week... I'm talking House, Glee, Grey's Anatomy, Medium, Desperate Housewives, Brothers & Sisters. I've been busy!

The only things I haven't been doing are blogging and sleeping. Oh, how I long for a catnap... I literally fell asleep during Human Ecology today. It was... embarrassing. Then, in French, I had to write something on the board in CHALK. If you know me, you know what this means. Looking at chalk makes me cringe. Touching it nearly gives me a panic attack. Let's just say that I was on the verge of tears by the time I returned to my seat.

This week is a big one! It's Spirit Week at school, which is kind of a big deal I guess. Today was comfy clothes day. I wore jeans and a sweater. That was pretty darn comfy, for me. I just don'tdo comfy. Tomorrow is Decades Day. I will be better at that, for sure. Friday is a pep rally, but I have a funeral to go to. What a trade off, LOL! Then, Saturday is Homecoming, for which I am very excited!

In other news, I am maintaining an incredible average in all of my classes. I'm talking 99, 100, 105. I'm excited. It's starting to look like my college dreams might really come true, if I keep at it! Now that I'm in high school, everything is starting to seem real. It's like, now, I'm one step closer. Everything is within reach, and all I have to do it extend my arms and grab it. It's exciting... It feels like I could walk out the front door right now and step into adulthood. Though I'm only a Freshman, I feel way older.

I've been pushed a lot through the years. My parents have pushed me, my peers have pushed me, my teachers have pushed me. People are always making me out to be some kind of genius, and I'm really not. There are tons of people at our school that are as smart as I am, if not smarter. The truth is, I'm not intelligent. I'm a Polaroid. I don't have to think to do what I do... I just do it. I don't really know how to explain it. Everything just comes on its own- the facts, the information. I absorb it, remember it. So, it doesn't seem like I'm smart because it's just natural. It feels like I'm normal. And it drives me crazy that people don't see that. I didn't ask for any of it. I don't want the recognition. I don't want people to look at me like I know the answer, because I'm not perfect. I don't always know the answer, and when I do, it's not because I want to.

The worst part is that people think I'm some kind of know-it-all. They perceive me as someone who spends hour upon hour reading and studying. They think I sit there and learn all of this stuff, just to be better than everyone else. I don't want to be better. I think, in the end, this really did start to effect me. I started, above all, pushing myself. I started to become the person people thought I was. And then it got really hard, because I wanted to be perfect. If I made a mistake, I would shut down like I was some kind of monster. Anything short of perfection was unacceptable. When I saw 99% percent on a paper, I would actually get disappointed.

One day, I sat myself down. Who had I become? This person in the mirror wasn't me. I was sick.

So, I stopped.

I stopped everything.

Today, this is the biggest struggle I face. I still feel the urge to be perfect. I still want to be the smartest, the best. I never will be. But people still expect it from me. They still push me to be better, when I am already the best I can be. And it physically hurts me, every time someone looks at me for an answer, as if I should know. I don't want anything expected of me. I want to be free.

As I said, I didn't ask for this. I would honestly much rather be an average 14-year-old girl. I would rather play sports, hang out with friends, go to the movies. I would rather have a B average and parents who appreciated that. I would rather be the person asking for the answers, and not the one giving them. I would rather that a person sits next to me because they like me, and not because they want to take my answers.

I guess it'll never happen. I'll never be normal, in that way. My memory will never stop, my mind will never stop. Is it the person I'm meant to be, or is it a curse? Only time will tell, I suppose.

I'm trying to get better. I'm trying to accept myself. I'm trying to make sense of the fact that I will never be normal, but I will never be perfect either.The only thing that I can ever be is me. And, in my opinion, I'm pretty good at that.

Alright, apologies for going deep again.

<3>

xx Curiosity Kills

Why aren't there any QUALITY cartoons anymore?

You know whats fun? Reminiscing about TV. All of the children's shows these days are complete crap. Probably why the whole younger generation is messed in the head. (e.g. my sister) I mean, what happened to the good old days? There was Lizzie McGuire, Phil of the Future, Even Stevens... And best of all was KIM POSSIBLE. And then there were all those Disney cartoons like Brandy & Mr. Whiskers and Dave the Barbarian... The only cartoons on Disney now are like.. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. Except, Phineas and Ferb. That show rocks. (:

Yeah, and then CARTOON NETWORK! I mean, holy grail of TV in our day! I mean, the Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy! And Courage the Cowardly Dog! And Edd Ed n Eddy! I mean, come on! AWESOME! I've seen some of the shows they have nowadays... Flapjack? Chowder? Adventure Time? What happened to FOSTERS HOME FOR IMAGINARY FRIENDS! God, no one can get QUALITY CARTOONS anymore!

It infuriates me. And, then, of course, Nickelodeon was always there for me in time of doubt... Back with Drake and Josh and Spongebob. Aaaah, sweet TV. Now there's iCarly and Victorious and Big Time Rush. What is this shit?!?!?!?

Oh, well. I guess it doesn't matter since I'm growing up. It just saddens me that the younger kids don't understand what quality TV is. They've only had crap on the telly their whole lives! And, what if I want to go and be young for a bit and watch some cartoons! Unless I want to stay up until one in the morning and scavenge half an hour of Kim Possible, it's imPossible. It stinks. Hmph.

Alright, done ranting about TV... Let's talk about something more... happy.

I like snacks. I sent my sister to go get me some snacks from the store, because she's my wench. Wench: medieval slang, which I use frequently. Anyway, I ordered some beef jerky, coca-cola, and a bag of skittles. Mmmm. Whoever invented snacking is my biggest hero. Well, second biggest hero. Next to JK Rowling. Because she invented Ron Weasley, and he is fiiiiiiine. ;)

As you can see, this a random jumbling of thoughts. Because I'm bored. And have nothing to do or say. My brain is empty, mostly because I am in *love*. (With Glee)

Speaking of QUALITY TV! Glee is SUCH A GOOD SHOW. I... love... it... <3

But, I'm into girly TV. And medical dramas. For instance, I'm freakin' out about Grey's Anatomy premiering tonight. I mean, medical shows are my thing. It helps me understand my medical family a little bit better... Speaking of, House premiered Monday! I don't know if anyone other than me watches that show, but it's awesome. Course, I'm into good ole Family Guy and what have you as well. I watch a... variety of shows, you could say. 

I don't really know why I am even posting anything, if I don't have anything to post. Just don't want to leave everyone waiting haha.

I downloaded the Kim Possible Kimmunicator ringtone for my cell phone! Whenever I get a text it goes Doo Doo Doo Doo, just like the Kimmunicator! AAH!

value="always">

Alright, I'll go. And I'll come back shortly with a less random and more awesome post! <3 you guys


xxCuriosity Kills (unless you have KP to protect you)

P.S. Shout out to Danny M... by request.

I DON'T WANT TO BE A VEGETABLE

"You are what you eat."


I never understood this quote... Why would I want to become what I eat? Furthermore, I would rather be a lollipop than a leaf of spinach! So why do people even say this? I just don't get it! Why would I want to eat my vegetables if I am going to become one? I DON'T WANT TO BE A VEGETABLE.

I like this better:

"You are what you experience."


Yeah, that's better. I think that this is an important point for everyone to understand. People are unique. Everyone is different. But why?


Because everyone lives a different life.


In my opinion, adults are completely shaped by the way they grew up and the experiences they had. In childhood, people learn to be friendly and sociable. People who never learn this crucial skill may turn out socially inept as an adult. In adolescence, people grow into their adult selves. Their experiences and the people they meet during this stage of development shape them into who they become later in life. I think that this is really important for everyone to understand... People are different. Not everyone will be just like you, not everyone will understand what you feel, and you won't understand what everyone else feels either. As a person, you can only try your best to grasp the concept of all of the other people in the world. These are people who you will never understand fully, because they are not you. Like you, they have their own complex lives and ways of thinking. Like you, they have secrets and hidden pasts. Like you, they long for things. Like you, they have feelings. It's a hard concept to understand, sometimes.

I think that it's hard to think past your own self, because you are in fact shaped by your experiences in life. If you haven't lost a parent, for example, you can never understand what it's like for someone else who lost one. Even if you have lost a parent, you still won't fully understand because everyone's experiences are different in some way, just as every person is different in many intricate ways.

Sometimes, I look at people and think, "Wow." That person walking down the street, they have a name. They have a life. They have a story. Like you, like me, like all of the other 6 billion-something people on Earth. It's kind of a humbling thought. Sometimes I long to get inside someone else's mind, if just for a moment, to experience being someone other than myself. Being myself is all I have ever known, and I honestly have trouble comprehending being anyone else. Sometimes, it feels like I am the main character in the story, and everyone else is just along for the ride. I don't mean to sound self-centered, but I think it's human nature. I think that everyone else on the planet feels the same exact way... How can all of these people have stories as complex as my own? But they do. Everyone has their own dreams, their own thoughts, their own lives and experiences. And that's the magic of it all...

People are people, no matter what. Who they are on the outside is luck of the draw, and it's not fair to judge them based on the way they were born. The important thing is the person they are on the inside... The person they chose to become. Now, you may say that this contradicts everything I've said so far. I said that people are shaped by experiences, not by themselves. I think that both are true. People can interpret an experience any way they choose to. If I am in a terrible car accident tomorrow, I can either choose to live my life in misery and regrets or I can choose to teach others about the dangers of reckless driving. I could become a doctor to save other peoples' lives. I could learn from my mistakes and become a better person. I could also fall into depression. I could act out in fits of aggression. I could get revenge. Everyone's approach will be different. I think that a person is shaped by experiences and the way they react to them. You can't necessarily choose your experiences (though you can influence them sometimes), but you can always choose how you react.

This is the point. You decide the person you will turn out to be. You decide who you are.

"You are who you choose to be."


This is one of my main philosophies about life... I am a secular humanist, which means that I think that humans should depend on themselves for change and not rely on any greater power.

As Ghandi once said,

"Be the change you want to see in the world."


Well, I hope you got something out of this... The most important thing about me, perhaps, is that I am a thinker. Sometimes I sit and think about the world for hours on end... That's just me. Thanks for listening to my (perhaps bizarre) mind.

xx Curiosity Kills. So do WARS. Peace & Love, people.

The ABC's of Miserable ME

I slept a total of six hours last night. On a Saturday. It's a crime. Why, you might ask? Well, I'm sick. and when I'm sick I can't sleep. I have this horrible sore throat, and I've almost completely lost my voice.. And my mom won't go and get me cough drops. So, yeah. I'm bored, and tired, and miserable. My plans for the day consist of:

a) Reading classical poetry
b) Reading Fahrenheit 451 for school
c) Reading Harry Potter to pass time
d) Watching specials on the History Channel
e) Watching LOTR or some other Fantasy movie in order to distract myself
f) Drinking hot chocolate like an addict
g) Harassing my mom to go get me some F'ing cough drops
h) Watching cheesy Disney Channel shows
i) Harassing my mom to make me some food
j) Eating some food
k) Feeling really sorry for myself
l) Drinking honey and lemon juice to try and get my voice back, because the internet told me to
m) Watching Aziz Ansari on the internet because he is the funniest guy ever, but then regretting it because it hurts to laugh
n) Playing the Sims.... because that is what no-life miserable sick people do!
o) Doing homework, because I'm going to go to school tomorrow even though it feels like a nuclear bomb just erupted in my throat
p) Complaining about how my vocal chords have collapsed into my throat, subsequently causing my chest cavity to expand and my entire torso to implode
q) Singing the ABC's a million times in my head in order to make this dumb list
r) Bloggin', because if I'm not happy,  you should be
s) Watching people wipe out on YouTube, because, let's face it, that's some funny shit
t) Fantasizing about Rupert Grint, because I do that all the time anyway
u) Wondering why I am so in love with Rupert Grint when he's a GINGER
v) Eating Soup, because it's F'ing good for the soul okay?
w) Being disgusted by the canned chicken in my soup
x) Dosing up on a million different medications, which may or may not be safe (Most likely not)
y) Drawing pretty pictures because I'm running out of things to do
z) Getting pissed because I can't find the yellow marker... I can never find the YELLOW MARKER!!!

So, there you have it, folks. That's pretty much my plan for the day! A miserable, sickly, god-awful plan, but a plan none the less.

So, let's see. It's been a few days since I posted something decent. Okay, I posted the Dancing Cat Video. But WTF was that? Ha, ha, ha. I love that video... It's definitely close to my heart. You know who else is close to my heart? AZIZ ANSARI. (Oh, and Rupert Grint...) Aziz Ansari is the funniest comedian on the planet, I am convinced. Oh. My. God. He is my life, fo' sho.

Wow. That was lame.

Well, what else is going on with me? I'm ungrounded! Yeah, i'm pumped! I got ungrounded three days early because I "demonstrated a change in attitude." Yay. I caught my oven on fire yesterday. I tried to make dinner again, and let's just say that it did NOT work out. Basically, I had marinaded some chicken and I put it in the oven to roast... Well, the grease started spilling down into the bottom of the oven and it got all over the hot bar thingies. IT STARTED FLAMING. Like, bad. I had the oven open, so I started freaking out, like any normal person would. The whole kitchen filled with smoke and I grabbed the fire extinguisher and put it out. I am a hero. I saved two lives, AND the chicken wasn't too burnt and it actually turned out pretty good! However, my mom wasn't too impressed with my fire-stopping skills, seeing as I was also the one who started it. She was pretty pissed about that.

Maybe that's how I got sick... Maybe all the smoke got into my lungs!!! Maybe I'm dying! Hopefully not. Maybe it was all the yelling at my mom. I don't know. Hopefully it will go away.... SOON.

So, yeah. The Fred Movie was on last night.... WTF was that?!?! I was expecting it to be like an hour long or something. No. It was two... whole... hours... of... FRED. Who would ever be able to sit through TWO  ENTIRE HOURS of that annoying VOICE? I wasn't watching the movie- I was in the kitchen- but I was still about to kill myself with one of the butcher's knives out of utter irritation over that freakin' squeakin' VOICE. I mean, who came up with the idea of a Fred movie??? I mean, 8 minutes, I could understand. I mean, some of the Fred videos are funny. Some. But two hours?!?! If you were able to sit through that entire movie, I applaud you. I also feel sorry for you, because you must be mentally scarred and will probably end up in some sort of facility for disturbed people. Good luck with that.

Alright. I'm gonna go. I have to get started with that list if I want to cover everything today.

Well, wish me luck on feeling better... I hope you guys like the new design of the blog. As you may have noticed, it went through A LOT of changes in the past few days. But I think I've settled with this one. Let me know what you think!

Kay, love you guys!!!

<33 curiosity kills. so might whatever disease i have. and if it doesn't kill me, i might have to kill myself because being sick sucks. kidding. i'm not suicidal. just annoyed.

Catarobics!

I'm addicted to this video....

I don't really know why...

Babies GALORE

Really bored, so I wrote a random poem


Sinking


Sinking into sand
Into mud

Into untouched snow

Sinking into grass

Into puddles

Into the unknown

Sinking into water

Into sky

Into blissful abyss

Sinking into nothing

Into love

Into this 

--

So, yeah. I wrote that randomly in about 3 minutes. It's like nothing I've ever written before, as you can see. Due to the fact that I wrote it in such a short amount of time, it's not very polished/good. But, part of me kinda likes it. You know, I'm diggin' it! First poem I've written in QUITE SOME TIME. Probably need to get back in practice. 

Unfortunately, I don't have much to say today! I wish I could sit here and blog for eternity, but reality beckons. =(. I'm starting Fahrenheit 451 for school, and my HW load is finally starting to pick up. Doing my French HW now, actually. So, au revoir!

<3 Dylan, curiosity kills.

Oh, BTW. I've made a list of names for my children. Hahahah. Take a look:

1) Scout. (After Scout Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird)

2) Beatrice (To be nicknamed Trissy, after Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing; also after my cat haha.)

3) Hero (Also after Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing)

4) Ernest (Because it's adorable)

Hahaha. I don't know about Beatrice and Ernest.. that might change. However, much to MY mother's dismay, Scout and Hero have always been at the top of my list. Not that I am planning on needing to think about baby names at 14 years old!!! But with a name like Dylan, I'm going to need something interesting to continue to legacy!

<3 Kay, for real now. Bye girlies, and boys. 

curiosity kills 

And the world went pear-shaped =(

Well, this week has been a tough one. As I'm sure you know, Saturday marked the 9-year anniversary of 9-11. Though I was not directly affected by 9-11-2001, I know many people who were. I was in either Kindergarten or First Grade, I don't recall. I do remember, as I'm sure many of you do as well, coming home from school to find both of my parents home- which rarely ever was the case. I remember them sitting me down at the kitchen table and trying to explain to me the horrific events which had taken place that day. Thankful we were that my Aunt Kathleen was off work that day; she worked at the World Trade Center. I remember nothing more than my innocent, first grade perspective. Still, it is enough. I wanted to say that much on the matter, because I feel it can't go by without me saying something. Most of you know my views on America, but of course I still feel an allegiance to the country I've lived in for 12 out of my 14 years.

Warning: this post might be a little depressing. Sorry.

Monday marked the long-awaited one-year anniversary of the accident which marked my wrist and mind forever. It also marked the halfway point to my estimated date of recovery. By this time next year, doctors are hopeful that I will be able to feel, move, react normally. I can't remember being able to use my hand fully. It's become a part of me, and in reality, I'm a little nervous to let it go. I can't notice changes day-to-day, but I definitely can tell that it's changed a lot in a year. It still trembles when I try to move it, still feels things hotter and colder than it should, still tingles when I touch things. But I can hold a soda can- I can open a soda can. Step by step, I'm moving along.

Tuesday was a graver day still. Last night, my aunt Nan passed away. After a brain hemorrhage months ago, she's been improving drastically. Everyone was really hopeful for a full recovery, so it was kind of unexpected. The funeral is tomorrow. I'm upset, but not too freaked out about it. I mean, it's a sad thing- death is always sad and unexpected. But when faced with sadness such as death, disease, or tragedy, I do the opposite of what most people would. I don't cry; I don't get mad; I don't ask questions. I simply take a deep breath and forget. I'm sure many of you are associated with that feeling in the pit of your stomach you get when you hear something terrible has happened. It's like the looming feeling of, "Oh my god..." And if you let the feeling overcome you, it totally depresses you and makes you miserable. Now, I could let this happen. I could be sad, but I chose not to. I choose to accept- not under any religion, but under my own philosophy- that everything happens for a reason. Then I just rid myself of emotion, put on a smile, and go on with my life. I don't know if it's healthy, but it's necessary for me. I doubt that many of you will understand- it probably seems heartless and cold. I can tell you that I have a heart- I have feelings. However, I think that life is too short to be sad. When I die, I don't want my family and friends to sit and grieve. I want them to remember me and the life I lived. I want them to think about me sometimes, but more than anything I would want them to move on and be happy. So, that is what I shall do.

I'm sorry to go all deep on you guys... I know it's not the cheeriest subject, but as I said, it's been a tough week. 

Okay, now on to a happier subject, I'll answer some Reader Q & A. Please continue to leave questions if you want!

Q- How do you come up with your blog posts?

A- Hmm... Sometimes it's tricky! Mostly, I talk about things which have happened recently, or I make lists! Usually, ideas just come to me. I have a master list of post ideas, which I draw from frequently.

Q- What's your favorite color?

A- Haha, my favorite color is YELLOW. *Happiness* I also like purple and red quite a bit =)

Q- How did you get good at writing?

A- Well, first of all, thank you! I've always loved writing, and I think I have a little bit of a natural talent for it. Maybe not natural talent, but natural love. Since I enjoy writing so much, I write all the time. I've been writing since I was really young too! I guess the answer to your question is PRACTICE!

Q- Are you going to Laga this year?

A- Hi Victoria! I don't know yet. I have a job opportunity, so we'll have to see! (I'd say I'm about 50/50 on that)

Q-  Do you like to read, and do you have a favorite book?

A- I LOVE TO READ. My favorite books are the Harry Potter books, without a doubt. However, I also love To Kill A Mockingbird.

Q- I read your post about America, and wondered if you are going to move to a different country?

A- I suppose it all depends... I would love to move to France or the UK, but we'll see! I guess it's mostly up to the two M's: money and men!

Q- What would you look for in a guy?

A- Huh, let's see.. I guess my only thing is INTELLIGENCE. And a British accent would be nice... Oh, and I would really love it if they played golf, and skied, and played tennis. And wore Polo shirts. Yep, that would just about do the trick. OH, also if their name was Olly Steeds!!!  (From Solving History With Olly Steeds on the History Channel, duh!)
Alright, well that pretty much sums it up for now! Thanks so much you guys... I want to show you something. This is a chart of page views over the past few months... See for yourself!

xx CURIOSITY KILLS

COLORISM: A GROWING EPIDEMIC. DON'T HATE!!!

I've been staring at a blank computer screen for an hour. Okay, it's been 20 minutes. Okay, it's been five. But I still can't think of much to write about. My life is so BORING. This could be accounted for by the fact that I am currently grounded. Being held hostage is a better term to describe the punishment which I am enduring. My mom seriously has me on lock down. Is that even legal? Well, I guess I deserved to be punished for "physically assaulting" my little sister. Yeah, all I did was scratch her. But whatever.

Did you know that a Goldfish has a memory span of only 3 seconds?! I was positively SHOCKED to discover this.. I used to have a pet Goldfish (named Goldy, of course) and it deeply saddens me to know that she didn't even know who I was! At age five, she was totally my BFF! I mean, I thought we were tight!

Another random fact that you will forget as fast as a goldfish would: If the population of China walked past you in single file, the line would be endless due to their incredibly fast rate of reproduction. WOW, those Chinese have really got it down! They're breeding like rabbits!

OKAY, time for a rant! You know what totally pisses me off? ORANGE. Why does orange get so much attention. I mean, everyone is always like, "Oh, nothing rhymes with Orange! Let's all feel sad for Orange!" Well, guess what! Nothing rhymes with silver or purple either! It's discrimination! Spread the love, people!!!!

That was a quickie rant. Quicker than the Chinese.

You know what really gets me going? Gets my wheels turning, I mean? Conspiracy theories.. Like the fact that if you line up a hexagon with the pyramid on a dollar bill the 6 points of the star fall directly on the letters: M A S O N. Like, the Masons... I hope you get it. If you don't know what the Masons are, I'm truly ashamed. Read The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown. Or Google it. Another favorite of mine is the fact that in the 46th psalm of the King James Version of the Bible, the 46th word from the beginning is Shake and the 46th word from the end is Spear. Shakespeare was 46 years old at the time. CREEPY, huh!

Did you know that Dr. Seuss invented the word "nerd"?

Enough already! Okay, I'm done.. Sorry, this is what happens when I am bored out of my mind. I start rambling. My friends call it "spewing facts", and I do it often. Part of this is due to the fact that I am a self-proclaimed mnemonist. This means that I have an exceptional memory when it comes to things like facts, numbers, data sets, grammar, and yes, spelling. My memory is far from photographic, but it does suffice. I have actually undergone some neurological testing on the matter, and my memory is definitely above par. No one really knows why certain people have a more enhanced memory than others. Some say people are born with memory abilities, but others argue that it is all in methods of memorization developed in early childhood and adolescence. So, there you have it folks! I'll give you one memory trick- and this has helped me through a lot of sticky situations- repeat, repeat, repeat. Read the facts, repeat the facts, and keep repeating them until it's imprinted in your mind. Then, connect the facts to something in your life. Really think about them for a few minutes. If you come up with a good enough connection, you'll never forget it! When you want to remember the fact, you'll instantly remember the connection you drew.

Okay, now, last thing's last. I want to welcome any QUESTIONS to the floor. Please ask anything you like- about me, about the blog, about anything- in the form of a comment! In my next post, I will do a response to readers, and answer some Q & A. Thanks, guys!

Alright, well, that's all I suppose!

xx CIAO FOR NOW!

curiosity kills.

HOLY CHEEZ WHIZ!

So, I bet you're all excited to see some pictures.. Tis the closing of the Weekend Baking Extravaganza, after all... Before, I show ou the result of my labor, I want to tell you EXACTLY how hard said labor was. Here's what went down: I decided to make some citrus cream clouds.. To make these delicious cookies, you need to zest a lime, lemon, and an orange. I couldn't find my citrus zester, so I settled for a lowly cheese grater... BIG MISTAKE. I accidentally grated a little bit of my thumb into the cream. Starting over with a few more citrus fruits (but without my dignity), I managed to make a new batch of cream thumb-free.

Now, this was just the beginning. Later that night, after I had already packed away my baked goods and cleaned up the kitchen, I decided to help my mom grate some cheese for the French Onion Soup she was making. Biggest mistake of my life. I took the band-aid off of my thumb so that I could use it to freely maneuver the grater. The cut I'd received from said grater before was microscopic in comparison to the injury which I subsequently attained. Basically, I gouged a huge chunk out of my thumb. With ZERO dignity left, I retreated to my room and vowed NEVER to use a cheese grater again.. Twice in one night. Rough.

Well, there you have it folks: the number one thing to know about me... I AM A CLUTZ! Not kidding. Name a bone, I've broken in. Name an artery, I've severed it. Name a finger, I've cut it with a chopping knife. Name a body part, I've burned it with a cookie sheet. Name an object, I've tripped over it. Name a liquid, I've spilled it all over myself. The list goes on. And on. And on. And on. And on. And on. AND ON. Here's a tip: never trust me with sharp or potentially dangerous objects. (e.g. scissors, knives, samurai  swords, and staplers. Oh, and toasters.)

Now, for some photos!

Red Velvet cupcake made completely from scratch! (Frosting too!)

The EVIL satanic grater sent straight from the bowels of hell by the Devil himself. (Not that I believe in any of that Mumbo Jumbo)

Oh, crap. I just called the Devil mumbo jumbo. Not trying to offend anyone! KEEP THE PEACE!

Oh, and posing with said Satanic Grater is a hybrid of Parmesan Cheese. It is actually 95% cheese with a dash of human thumb! You can buy it at your local supermarket!

Well, here is a Citrus Cream Cloud.. Delish, but it came with a heavy price :/

This isn't ALL of the baking I did. But this is what I'm bringing tomorrow. Don't want to spoil the surprises coming your way later in the week!!!

OKAY! Well, see you all tomorrow. (Though, I will have less dignity than ever and more bandages wrapped around my thumb than you can possibly imagine.)

Love, love, love!

curiosity kills! annihilates! destroys! slaaaaaaaaaays!

This Post is Totally PANTS! (uhh, what'd she say?)

So, you know how everyone says things like "Woah, that's wicked!", "That's sick!", "That's ghetto!", "That's ninja!", "That's beast!", "That's boss!", and "That's what she said!"? Strangely, we have a lot of these crazy adjectives to describe AWESOME things, but not too many negative ones. I mean, off the top of my head, I can think of "That's gay", which is mildly offensive anyway. I think we are long overdue for a new adjective to describe the supreme suckiness of the world. Then, I had an idea! Let's say PANTS! From now on, instead of referring to things as Gay, I am going to say Pants. Yes, pants. Who's with me?

So, if we've had a decent chat before, you will know that I tend to use some weird expressions. Well, maybe WEIRD isn't the right word. More like ridiculous. I use these phrases which no one else ever uses.. Just really cheesy ones. Like "Sounds like a plan, Jan!" or "Aren't you just the cat's meow?" or "Whatever bakes your cakes!" I don't even know why I do it.. I just do. I guess it's one of the many lovable things about me! As of recent, certain people have begun print screening my expressions when I say them.. I think the plan is to make a collage of all of the silly things I say. Well, we'll see how that turns out... I woke up late today, so I have A LOT of baking to do..  And cupcakes to frost!

When I am finished baking, I will post the pictures at the end of this post.. So check back tonight if you want to witness the outcome of the FIRST EVER WEEKEND BAKING EXTRAVAGINA.

Oh, crap. Did it again.

<333 you all (except you, dumbass).. and just remember that  curiosity kills.

Smoky Panther, out.

Weekend Baking Extravagina (WAIT, WHAT?!)

Well, I've been grounded. Apparently I "physically assaulted" my 10-year-old sister by drawing blood from her left leg. Whatever... This is going to be a long 9 days. To pass the time, I've decided to have a weekend full of baking. I call it the Weekend Baking Extravaganza. For some reason, whenever I type the word "extravaganza", I almost type "extravagina". I don't know why.  I mean, it sounds the same and looks the same.. Am I right? I almost posted "Weekend Baking Extravagina" as my facebook status today. (By accident, of course.)

Now, some of you may be wondering: What happened to Facebook Friday? Well, I have been preoccupied over the past few days, so my brilliant plans are being moved to next week. The subject of my preoccupation? MY MOTHER. She grounded me for little reason, therefore I am using all of the energy in my frail and weakened body to bitch her out at every opportunity I am graced with. (Mostly, I give her the stink-eye.)  To make matters worse, I got my iPod taken away too, due to the fact that I called her some names which are not suitable for my younger readers... I think I reached my limit with naughty words for this post.

So, here's the agenda for the WBE (weekend baking extraVAGANZA)

Citrus Cream Clouds
Cream Puffs
Red Velvet Cupcakes
Chocolate Cheesecake Brownies
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Sweetheart Spritzer Cookies

I will, of course, post photos as the weekend goes on! This is a huge event!!! I will also be bringing EVERYTHING to school on Monday, so be prepared to pig out!

Or, in a dear friend of mine's clever words: "Let's mow!"

(Angie)

So, to end this post, some photos from the week!

My 2nd attempt at making dinner... Better than the first, but still... The picture says enough.

This a pair of earrings I made with a friend.. The special project I've been working on is a line of Barbie-inspired jewelery! There's a whole bunch of products, so stay tuned!

Well, that's all for now... I'm gonna go get started on some Citrus Cream Clouds.

xx CIAO FOR NOW!

Curiosity kills.

Random Fest (Warning: Excessive Ranting Ahead)

Hi, guys. Well, all I have to say is that I'm totally swamped with schoolwork. Like, totally and completely drowning in muddy brown marsh water filled with varieties of bacteria and who knows what else. It stinks. I am planning on making dinner again tonight (ha!) and seeing how that goes... The menu is pinapple-glazed chicken and corn salad. So, we'll see how that goes. (I'll take pictures.) My life lately has been a fun-filled mix of blogging, baking, writing, crafts, yoga, and homework. Unfortunately, I haven't had much time for poetry. As you might have noticed, I haven't posted anything like that in a while. Hmm... Maybe I will find something old-ish and put it up.

Here's something random..

Playground Games

I see the heartbreak in your eyes

For you’ve been left without a choice

Behind your intricate disguise

I hear the longing in your voice

There is no ready compromise

This beast conceived cannot be tamed

I see the anguish in your eyes

But this is not a playground game

I have no use for childish lies

I want nothing but the truth

So sing your angry lullabies

And relish in undying youth

On a different subject..

You know what pisses me off? Purity rings. They are so stupid. Half of the people who wear purity rings don't even stand by the message at all.. What's the point of having one if you're not going to live by its values? ITS values. Like the ring actually matters. I, for one, don't need a piece of jewelery to sit on my finger and tell me what my values are. If you have real values, and real morals, you will live by them on your own, no matter what, without any help from a piece of silver.  I'm not trying to hate on people with purity rings. Well, maybe I am... All I'm trying to say is that if it's necessary for you to wear a ring in order to uphold your beliefs, you might want to rethink your life. If you just think it's pretty, and you don't even follow any sort of moral code, wear the goddamn thing on a different finger and stop lying about yourself. If you really do have values, and you wear the ring simply to send a positive message to the world, fine. Power to ya.

And for the rest of you, this rant was approved by Dylan.

Alright, well, I'm not going to go on for too much longer.. This was sort of a random post so bear with me! I have some cool stuff planned for later in the week!

Alright, ciao for now. Curiosity kills, guys! <3