"I just waved at those hitchhikers, didn't I." "Yep, the little flirty wave, too."

Another blog post written on the highway!

• Soundtrack is: Coldplay
  
• Driver is: Fraulein
  
• Drink is: Ice cubes left over from McDonald's Root Beer
  
• Destination is: St. John's and the Home School Conference. 

Okay, now that you have all the vital stats, I suppose I may as well explain in labourious and tedious words.

We're going to the Home School Conference!

*crickets*

Okay, yes, the language portion of my brain is sadly lacking at this date. But despite this tragic handicap, I persevere and blog, for you, my loyal reader. I'm so noble. *sniffs*

Up until yesterday I though that I was going to stay home, live on tea and noodles, and watch television this weekend. My work schedule meant that I would miss the convey out, you see. And then, someone clever, (not me, sad to say), looked at the calander and noticed that I was off in the early afternoon. "So," Clever Person said to his or herself, "Snazel could leave on the latter half of the Convoy, if the latter half of the convoy delayed a couple hours. " And we all saw that this was good, and it was so.

And no we've been on the road for a little over two hours, looking to be on the road for a further three hours. Yay. On the other hand, the road is sparkly, and the clouds are beautiful. And I will probably double the amount of my freckles by the time we get there. *sigh*

We've gone 168 km, go us!

Geo: "Are we there yet?"
Fraulein: "You should do something fun while you you wait!"
Snazel: "You can always take up slapping yourself for personal amusement!"
Fraulein: "Self abuse is not entertainment."
Snazel: "I'm just pinking my cheeks the natural way." *lofty*

Oh, and when we stopped for a bathroom break a lovely old lady asked if four of my younger siblings were my children. This selection of my siblings included Slonner, who is 12 and a half. *headdesk* I guess my work clothes make me look REALLY mature? On the other hand, I just slapped Fraulein while she was driving "to make sure her eyes didn't close," and accused her music of being a travesty. So perhaps Maturity is negotiable? Yep, that's what I think.

In other news, Fraulein and I are meeting up with at least two other friends, perhaps more, and going to a movie tonight! It has been suggested that we watch a chick flick. My response, roughly, was "Yeah, sure! I know a great one called Star Trek! I'm just gonna go watch it, you can join me if you want. Tah!"

At work today my printer wasn't working when I went to balance out, so I had to call tech support. (We restarted the computer. :D) While waiting for the computer to claw its way back into relevance, I long-dated one arm, and date-stamped the other. It seemed like a good idea at the time. That's all I have to say on that subject. Annnddd, the air conditioning doesn't seem to be working. How dreadfully jolly. I think I'm going to buy myself a milkshake at our next stop! Good plan, me!

Geo: "Oh! I see houses!"
Snazel: *monotone* "False hope. False hope."

"Yes, I am going blog EXTENSIVELY about your vest."

No, that was a lie. I shall just mention that Fraulein has a new vest, a denim vest, from winners, that was on sale, and that looks rather spectacularly stylish. She is wearing it today.

Yesterday, she was wearing jeans that fitted marvelously, a stylish blue t-shirt that I am unable to describe other than it was royal blue and stylish, white rosebud earrings, pretty nike sneaks, and a pearl necklace. I, on the other hand, was wearing; a black "Newfoundland Liberation Army" t-shirt that didn't fit quite as well as Fraulein's, a man's black pinstriped fedora, cargo pants that definitely didn't belong to me to the point that I had to borrow my 13 year old brother's studded leather belt to keep them on, and my brown Helly Hanson runners (which happen to be men's shoes, by the way.) There is a reason we don't borrow clothing from each other's closets, you see. We have rather different tastes. Despite this, people keep mistaking us for each other. I am starting to be tempted to dye my hair red, just to escape the comments.

Anyhow, Fraulein and I were out by the nurses' station waiting to go back to the hotel yesterday, and looked each other up and down.
Fraulein: *hopeful* "Maybe now people won't say we look alike!"
Nurse: *approaching us* "Are you girls twins, or just sisters?"

Then today, I dug deeply into my suitcase that mainly contains books and came up with a denim dress (home schooler uniform!) and cream pashmina. So when a kind elderly man came by to give us some bread and cookies, he assumed that I was my father's wife.

What will people take me for tomorrow? Stay tuned to see.

"Downtown Lewisporte, alive and well. Only, it's not exactly alive, or well. But it is Downtown Lewisporte..."

A quote from the McWork meeting on Tuesday, when we were asked if all the managers enforced the rules consistently. 

Kenneth: "Yeah, they do. They all always tell me to shave every time I come in."
Joan: "Don't feel bad, they tell me to shave too."

Work today was rather amusing, due to the fact that no one had had quite enough sleep. (Reasons ranged from early-riser children, to drunk'n'rowdy husbands, to vivid dreaming. I'll let you decide which one applied to me...) We were all giggly. Including the guys, which was rather disconcerting whenever you stopped to think about it. *smirks* 

There was one moment that could have gotten quite interesting- when Norman told me to shut up and go away cause I was taking all the fun out of everything- but our manager Pauline managed to keep the peace. 

The situation arose in this manner. 

As anyone who knows me knows, I tend to use archaic, unusual, large, and even subculture-specific words in general conversation. As anyone who knows me also knows, I have a difficult time letting other people's smart remarks pass without a returning smart remark of my own. If the person is quick, a delicious verbal battle usually commences. If the person is not quick (or unused to girls talking back) a confused expression is donned and the conversation dies. Norman does not seem to be one of the former group. He tries, but is severely hampered by not recognizing most of my vocabulary. At any rate, after I responded to one of his remarks, I don't remember what it was, he said that I sucked all the fun out of life because I turned everything into an educational moment. Hmmmm. I should point out here that no one else at work has yet made a negative comment about my vocabulary.  So. Norman seemed to find that observation hilarious, and he kept repeating it at intervals throughout the morning. All in a joking manner, and not mean-spirited- but still... Pauline, the manager, noticed that I wasn't grinning quite so broadly at the comments after a couple of hours. And after Norman told me to shut up and go away, she said- in his presence; "He's just intimidated by your intelligence, honey. You should get used to that." So I stopped reverting to my age ten memories of being told I talked weird, and perked right up. Norman, on the other hand, went quiet and stopped teasing me. So a crisis was averted. :P

Then after work, the family went up to the Penney's for a BBQ. The food was lovely, and the conversation was hilarious. My stomach hurt from laughing by the time dessert was brought out. Unfortunately I can't quite remember any of the quotes. They wouldn't be the same without the accent anyhow. *makes dismissive motion*

"You've been to HOW many theme parks this week?" "We start early."

Day: 7
Date: 24/07/08
Event: Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure

Universal pwns Disney. That's all there is to say! Look at this way- Universal is geared toward teenagers, and I still have two months left on that count. Also, instead of vaguely saying that the "cast members" in Disney would notice the wish buttons, Universal gave us a pass to show to the Greeter at the start of the line; which meant that we did a LOT.

First, the Twister ride. Then The Mummy returns coaster. On that one the staff loading the cars referred to us as "sacrifices," which set the mood nicely. Next stop, DISASTER! Which I found hilarious. It's about disaster movies, and we had a rather funny director.

"I need a hot hunky man- not personally, of course! Yes, you sir! Would you refer to yourself as hot and hunky?"

Then while walking away from that ride, we spotted a wall climbing booth. I took pictures. I offer in my defence the fact that there were only four lines. Then, Jaws, lunch, Fear FactorLIVE, and MIB in quick secession. At this point we were starting to flag slightly, but we decided to try the Simpsons ride. It was rather interesting, since it was an animated ride. The car was on hydraulics, and surrounded by an Imax-style screen. As a result, the car could hurl down a collapsing roller coaster, for instance, without universal actually having to build a collapsing roller coaster track.

It's two o-clock in the afternoon, you're tired, and you've done everything in the park that you want to do. What now? If you're the G5, you head next door to another park! Did I mention that we're insane?

On to the HULK Roller Coaster! Refreshed by that, we tried a promising-looking ride, which turned out to be relaxing, which was not what it promised. :P At this point we passed a bookstore, or at least a store with books in the window. I was magnetically attracted inside. It turned out to be a comic book store, and I was the only female in the premises. To the point that the guy in Horn-rimmed glasses and pens in the breast pocket of his shirt edged away when I approached the hardcover rack he was drooling over. What can I say? Me in a bookstore is a fearsome sight! But Fraulein dragged me away, bah humbug, and we set off to ride two water rides.

After a brief stop for fries and pop we tramped over to THE LOST CONTINENT and rode Dueling Dragons. Both Dragons. I think I'm roller-coastered out. That was the last ride we wanted to do, so we headed for the hotel. And on my way out of the Park I was hit with a lovely plot bunny. *sigh* This is now the third full-scale novel sitting in the back of my head laughing at me. And what sparked this one? Radio head, the Mary Sue Litmus test, a boy with animplaned hearing aid (I'm not sure what they're called,) and Heather Dale. I love being complicated. :D

And now, some quotes of the day;

A greeter: "Move on in, move on it, everyone's FRIENDLY at the Hulk!"

Fraulein, in Jurassic; "Oh, I just noticed; we're in the front of the car." *weakly* "yay."

Jurassic rider 1: "I wasn't scared."
Jurassic rider 2: "You just yelled all your relative's names."

A comedian on the telly; "Mario, if you're a plumber, how come you're bashing open bricks with your head?"
"I'm-a looking for mushrooms!"
"Ah-hah!

"My pursuit of information knows no shame."

Day: 6
Date: 23/07/08
Event: Animal Kingdom and More

Today I entered and exited 3 theme parks, rode 3 monorails and 2 buses, ate in 1 restaurant, took 2 taxis and 6 rides. I also saw an ant-eater, discussed the mindset and propaganda machine that is the Disney entity, and drank three cups of coffee. Oh, and I saw a cute guy in the line behind me in Dinoland.

The day's plan of attack;

• Arrive at Animal Kingdom with Family, Split up
• Ride the two rides in Dinoland USA. (ish)
• Meaner over to "Asia" and ride Expedition Everest. (awesome)
• Book it out of the park and take a bus to Epcot.
• Sidle along to Mexico and eat lunch, pausing for a discussion of Pleasure, Pain, and Utility.
• March out of Epcot and take two monorail to Magic Kingdom.
• Fight our way over to Tomorrowland, ride Indy Speedway. (meh)
• Be sucked into Space Mountain. (great)
• Persevere across the park into Splash Mountain. (good)
• Elbow our way out of Magic Kingdom, stopping to buy ice cream from a bearded woman from Hati.
• Gawk at an amazing barbershop quartet by the gate.
• Take a monorail and a bus back to Animal Kingdom.
• Meet up with Mommy, Daddy and the small ones.
• Taxi to the Hotel.
• Order in Chinese food and discuss the jaw-dropping efficiency and pervasiveness of Disney.

And now some quotes from the past 6 days.

Walrus's idea of smalltalk: "Oh, I just noticed! Your legs are really hairy!"

Gail (A nurse back home): "Mickey loves everyone, even if you haven't met him before."
Daddy: "Actually, Mickey is just an actor in a plastic suit. And he's probably dying of heat stroke, which is why his smile is painted on."

Person 1 in line: "And when you have the whole Big Mac meal, it's over a thousand calories."
Person 2: "Don't think about that! You only die once, so you may as well enjoy yourself."

Taxi Driver: "And after 9/11 none of the Americans were flying, so the Brits kept this town alive. Of course, they're used to fighting the NRA, so Al Queda was no biggie."

Gid, with a big grin; "I ate you!"

Gid: "I have lightning shoes!"

Me, draping myself over a balcony: "I'm going into Internet withdrawal."

Walrus: "I'm drinking jelly beans!"

Mommy: "Well, Gid saw a dragonfly, Lacey saw a Giraffe, and Snazel saw a cute guy; so the day was a success."

Daddy: "This whole experience is the kind of thing which requires years of prior conditioning- which we don't have. Which might be why we're a little skeptical of the $20 pirate mouse ears."

Sam, riding down the freeway. "Car! Car! Car! Car! Car! Car?"
PT: "No, that's a truck."
Sam: "Oh. Truck! Truck! Truck! Truck!"

"How much do you want forgettin'?"

Overheard in the library;

"I thought you were dating him?"
"No, we aren't going out, we just randomly make out as often as
possible."

We have the dates! For the wish, we'll be leaving home on the 18 th, and returning home on the 28 th. Of July. When they (the powers-that-be) decided that we were going on the wish they didn't hang around! Mommy, Daddy and I are going into St. John's on Monday for our passports, since we're all adults. I know, it's a shock. My parents are adults. :P Anyhow, since we're fast-tracking the application process, rather a lot, we have to present our papers and photo id at the passport office in person. That should be fun! No, not the application process. If I remember it correctly from when I was 8 it's a tiny office in the top of a bank building, with superior people behind the wickets and vinyl seats. Though the seats have probably been changed since then. :D I remember official posters on the walls and a red take-a number dispenser, and there was a man tarring the neighboring roof. And it was a sunny day. Hmm, now that I've said all that, it will turn out that the day I remember was for our visa applications or something, and not passports at all. ANYWAY, the traveling with my parents should be fun, and going to Costco, which is also known as the warehouse containing joy.

I should take this opportunity, I think, to apologize to anyone who has been so- unfortunate- as to engage me in conversation in the past- two weeks or so. I mean, I was crazy before, but I'm exploring new frontiers of weirdness. I realized this week; I really have no intermediate setting between quiet in the corner and complete lunacy. I mean, on the scale of being comfortable in a situation, I go from;

1. silent,
2. to speaking when spoken to,
3. to making occasional snarky comments without prompting,
4. to communicating half in quotes, including entire so-called comedic monologues, and half in sarcasm.

While the progression is logical and gradual inside my head, from the outside it might be a little startling. And when I'm tired, the gap between 3 and 4 gets a little more stark, with 3 disappearing entirely sometimes. And I've been tired. :D Additionally, I similarly in friendship tend to jump from someone whose name I remember and will wave at in the street to I will drive 6 hours to pick you up when you're stranded, and I only stop there cause that's the ocean. So, it is just possible I inadvertently terrorize the people I talk to, if I consider them friends and am comfortable in their company. Therefore, open apology. :D

"Reality, dude. Get some."

Another Alumnus, a certain Matt, came by for Breakfast today. Alison, who's from the same year that he attended, came as well, and much hilarity ensued. I decided that I needed to work on improving my memory, and so I took note of the following quotes in honour of Moon Unit and Third World. *weeps*

Alison: (talking about Emily's egg puffs) They're cool cause they're just the kind of thing you can bring in the car in the morning. Kinda hot and greasy though.
Matt: (in a high pitched voice) Like me!
Alison: Were you talking for me or you there?
Matt: Draw your own conclusions

Alison: Have you seen "Sweet Home Alabama?"
Matt: Do I look like a girl? No-
Me: You're wearing pink.

Emily: (Talking about a boy's really flowery prose style) It's like his writing's in drag!

Emily: Man, that Chaucer looks bubonic!

Matt: You're making it your objective to destroy every ounce of propriety I have, aren't you.
Emily: No, we know you don't actually have any. We're just tearing down the artifice.

Matt: (after Alison made a face at him) Excellent rebuttal.

Then after they left I went for a walk in the rain. Just in case that sounds really morbid, I hasten to say that I like rain, honestly! I think I'm getting my walking skills back, because I was able to go quite a distance. I headed up to Parliament, as per my brother PT's advice, but unfortunately you had to pay for a tour, and I was really not in the mood to wander around alone. So I took the long way home, stopping in at Zellers to buy a wicked hat. It was half price, and actually fits me! (it's a black pinstriped fedora, and now I will say no more about it. )

As I think I mentioned before, it's raining. I have also heard that it is supposed to snow tomorrow. At this point, I actually find that hilarious. However, I really think that, given my druthers, I would prefer to be stuck in actually in transit, not just stalled before even getting on the plane, as happened over Christmas. Hopefully I at least get off the ground tomorrow.

I was running through the pictures on my camera before I went out, deleting the bad ones, and I found a bunch of shots I had taken on Saturday. I made a total nuisance of myself that morning in my constant firing away of pictures, but I got some good shots. Really, it's just cause they are of my lovely former house mates that I love them. I had somehow forgotten that those pics were in the memory card, and I came a hair's breadth away from bawling over my camera.

I've only actually cried the once since people started leaving- I don't cry easily- but there is a pain in my chest, and I find it hard to breath when thinking of several of my classmates. Lamd, Swinger (also know as the Pun master :), Moon Unit, and Third World, I miss you. Enjoy yourself, you hear? And maybe I'll get shunted out your way while traveling. You never know! I'm packing my passport, just in case. :D

The slow decent into madness, week one.

Wow, as papers and exams loom, the house just gets more and more insane.
Less sleep + more sugar + stress = funny times.

Case in point, Third World and I discussing her art paper. (By the way, she's writing her art paper on the use of the classical gods in Christian Renaissance art, and she wrote a novel of 50 thousand words in November. It was a rewrite of the classical Greek tale of Theseus and the Minotaur. Anyways...)

Third World: "How should I transition into the paper? Should I just dive right in with "Did they approach this from a Christian standpoint?" Or should I write about the classical gods first?"
Me: "Fiction."
Third World: *in a "literary" voice* "A excerpt from my recent novel.."

Wow, we laughed so hard.Third World had to sit down on the stairs, and I was leaning on the wall to stay upright.

We're all going to the other girls' house for art paper editing and green drinks tomorrow, in honour of St. Paddy's day. Should be fun.

I just- have a strange relationship with gravity...

(After Third World flicked water on me, and I chased her around the house with a sponge.)
Moon Unit: "Darlings, do try to keep the violence to a minimum, we want to keep this at a PG rating." *pause* "Jokes, jokes..."

I'm not sure if I can actually act "normal," but I know I can get closer to it that I am acting now, if only by sitting still and not talking. *sideways grin* I know this, because I know I have in the past acted differently. I just wonder if it's worth the effort?

On the other hand, "acting normal" may not be so much of an issue once I go home. For one thing, I'll have to be mature again. *sigh* It's been a lot of fun not being the oldest, but I'll be closing in on age 20 when I get back. That tends to lend its self to being restrained and normal. *big sigh* Also, I'll finally be able to get out and walk. I really can't go for any kind of walk here; I hit a sketchy neighbourhood anyway I turn. So here, the idea of walking out is not very attractive, and I end up wound rather tight from excess energy. *quivers*

I suppose I am worrying about going home again. I can't wait to see all my family again, but I'm also really going to miss my friends here. *cries* Bah, moving away from friends is not fun. However, I am determined to keep in contact with my friends from here! And I've been told that it'll be my responsibility to visit other people, since everyone is getting jobs and entering college/university, and they won't have time to travel. We'll just see about that, *smiles* But I am determined to go visit Moon Unit and Third World in their natural habitats, even if they don't reciprocate the visit. *is heroically determined*

ANYWAYS, that was a completely odd post, and I now need to go read some of my art sources. God go with you.

You're a very smart girl, you're just surrounded by people who are much smarter than you!

Bah.

I always, (I have just realized this,) come out of Literature class feeling stupid, guilty about my selfishness, and generally worthless. A sneaking suspicion exists at the back of my head that this is not the point of the class, but I don't really know. I tend to be really non-articulate, and give exactly the oppisate impression from what I'm trying to say. Sigh.

Also, to complete my mood of wonder and light, I've found out that my philosophy paper had font size specified. *beats head against wall* I just got it up to 10 pages, and now that I had to take it from 12pt. to 11pt. it's only a hair over 7. *gloom*

I'm not even broaching the subject of the Art paper. (or the Scriptures paper (or the literature paper (or the paper for Dr. Patrick.)))

There was a funny moment in Literature class though. Professor Tucker was asking us if we did anything other than study, and we were answering in the negative. Then:

Prof. Tucker: Nothing?
Sue: We [her house] made hot chocolate that requires brandy, rum and vodka. Does that count?

Ah, Augustine...

If it wasn't painful, it wouldn't be interesting.

Guess what!
I just discovered something remarkable!
I forgot to take down quotes when reading Machiavelli!

What this means is; even though I stayed up till 2am on Friday reading 101 pages of political advice, I now have to read it again. *bounces head off desk* You know, if I had only used a little bit of foresight, this whole paper would be so much easier. *makes more resolutions about being sensible next time*

Okay, it's 3 hours and 15 minutes till midnight. How much work can I do in that time? Let us see. Let us just see. *evil smile*

---

Update 1: I just had to share this quote.

Chapter 10 of the Prince

“And if any one were to argue that, if the people who have possessions outside of the city were to see them ravaged and destroyed by the enemy, they would lose their patience, and that their selfish desire to protect their property would cause them to forget their attachment to the prince, I would meet this objection by saying that a powerful and valiant prince will easily overcome this difficulty by encouraging his subjects with the hope that the evil will not endure long, or by alarming them with fears of the enemy’s cruelty, or by assuring himself adroitly of those who have been too forward in expressing their discontent."

---

Update 2: I have just realized that Moon Unit, Third World, RM and I are all doing something related to Machiavelli. Amusing

Isn't he cute? I didn't think so.

There is a preponderance of creeping things in our house lately. I've seen two of those centipedes in the past week, (more than I've seen since Christmas,) and I've seen more spiders than I care to count. *shudders*

There was a spider on my headboard last night. It skittered away when I turned on the light, but I know it only went to join its friends. *is suspicious*

Then, when I went to look for a picture of a centipede, I came up with this : A Case of Mortal Necrotizing Fasciitis of the Trunk Resulting From a Centipede (Scolopendra moritans) Bite.

This doesn't make me feel good.

On a completely different subject... I've heard this conversation at least four times in the past month.

Two people talking about Latin, or Philosophy, or Scriptures class, or some such thing. Person 2 expresses an unusual opinion, such as "they like Latin."
Person 1: "You're such a Masochist!"
Person 2: "What?"
Person 1: "Sadist? Wait-" Grabs Person 3, who is waiting for the kettle to boil. "What's the one when you like pain?"
Person 3: "Masochist?"
Person 2: "Yeah, cause Sadist is when you like inflicting pain."
Person 1: "Right. You're a Masochist!"
Conversation continues as per normal.

I guess we like defining terms. *grins*

I've been to the mountains, left my tracks in the snow...

It was his particular kick at the can. Not that you should ever kick cans. Lovely creatures.

This is what I heard my music prof say in music class today. (Insert cat for can and it makes a bit more sense.) Fun times though.

Hmm. I have an inkling that I've entered the February blues two days early. Not so fun.

Anyhow! Third World had her birthday on Sunday, and Moon Unit turned 18 today, so we're having a low grade party all week. Presents are trickling in from Third World's American friends who aren't really understanding how much of a slowdown customs is. "I want mail..." Heh hehe heh

Moon Unit's friends are also sending her things... Her dad works in town, and he stopped by today with flowers. Roses and snapdragons. *smile* It was very cute.

Ha, Third World also had flowers sent her, but that was from a friend at home. He, (yes, he) arranged for them to be delivered on Saturday. We had fun with that. It seems he's just enough of a crazy kind of guy to think up a present like that. (hmm, this is the kind of friend Third world attracts. Insane! However, I'm friends with Third World. What does that say about me? *snazel runs off screaming*)

ahem. Here are some lovely pictures from our Sunday skating party.

RM and Third World tie up Third World's boots. I tell you. 20 ft of nylon rope comes is handy all the time!

Star! (carrying her boots by means of shoelaces)

"Let's just think about this a moment." (note the boots)

"I'll push you. Just glide! Glide!"

After the crash... (Poor Third World is still bruised, what with the boots kicking her in the side, and the crash(s).*sympathy* )

Pressing onwards!

Myself, in front of an official entrance to the canal.

Star! (waiting for RM and Third World to change skates)

Friendlies.

Only in Ottawa?

Looking up the canal.

They had blocked off the canal for unspecified safely reasons. So we had to turn around here.

RM had a ball! She's the most city of us all, and was entranced with the idea of skating outside. : )

I hear there are beavertails on the other side of this crowd...

Beavertails!

Yummy! A good end to a good day.


Got to go do philosophy now.

[rant]
I'll just say, I'm not totally thrilled with the assignment this week. Because there was a *cough* discussion of free will, we spent an extra week on Aquinas. In addition to having a three-hour class on Monday. Now to get back on schedule we're doing Luther and Machiavelli in one week.

[whine] I like Machiavelli! I wanted to see what my prof would say about him! We had a whole week on him in the schedule! Now we're hardly gonna touch him cause of Luther![/whine]

Now we also have both assignements in one week. We are to say whether Luther agrees with Augustine in "On Grace and Free Will", with reference to both of Luther's excerpts that we read and "On Grace and Free Will". One page. We are also to state WHAT IS THE PROBLEM WITH MACHIAVELLI! *tired* With reference to the text. In a half or one page.*very tired*

Yes.
I am supposed to find the flaws in a philosopher that has shaped the way western politics are run for the past five centuries.
*groan* *pain* *crying*

In addition to bringing up Free will again. *abject weeping*
[/rant]

I think I need some chocolate.

Don't you know who you are?

The title came from my Philosophy notes. I went through and wrote them out neatly. It's something I've been avoiding lately, *shame* so now it feels good to have that done. I also finished my Latin translations. I'm on FIRE!

*awkward silence*

No, not at all really, it just feels nice to be on top of my school work for "this one moment in time." That's another Philosophy quote, actually. I love that class. I don't necessarily agree with everything, but it always makes me think hard, and logically, which is fun, right?

right?

someone back me up here?

Speaking of studying things which I like- (yes, I know I wasn't really talking about that, but hush please. I'm scrambling madly for thought transitions.) I had a funny talk with one of Em's friends on Sunday. He's a rather blunt medievalist. Moon-unit, Em and I had gone to Evensong, and we stayed afterwards for conversation and tea. As it will, the conversation moved to; "what are you doing next year?" Moon-unit said that she was taking Library Tech, and we talked about that for a while. Then attention was turned on me. *swallow*

You know how much I love that question, chiefly because of my complete inability to answer it in anything near a normal fashion. I don't think I have ever been ever to roll off a pat answer, and this time was no different. The conversation went something like this.

Me- "I think I'm going to take some correspondence courses from home."
Em's Friend- "Really? What subjects?
Me- *cheerfully resolute* "Cooking, English, History, and Computer Programming."
Em's Friend- "That's bizzare!"
Me- "Well, I'm bizzare."
Moon-unit- "You said it!"

The conversation moved on from there.

It is a bizzare combination, true, but it's what I'm interested in. Actually, adding glassblowing or bead weaving, and pottery making wouldn't have gone amiss, but I don't talk about those in mixed company. *slow evil smile* Who knows, I may find after one term that I hate cooking, or programming, or love it. Who even really knows.
I don't, for certain sure, but it looks to be fun finding out!

I can tell I've been doing Latin. First I think in Latin Syntax, and then when that wears off I think in some type of Celtic for a term, and then I'm back in my normal *cough* unique, thought patterns.

On a totally different tangent, I find that Third World has very good taste in books. I can just go in and steal a book of her shelf, (not, that I've done that) and enjoy it! And no, that is not just because I enjoy any book I read. I certainly do not like every book I come across. Em's taste is quite different than mine, say. Lamd's is right over the edge of different! Anyways, it's fun to meet someone who's taste coincides with mine.

What else...

There is a college talent show next Tuesday. It should be interesting. I don't really have any performance talents, but thankfully there are lots of people here who are extremely talented in that direction. It should be good!

Tired..

Brain is shutting down, but won't shut off...

Oh, we went skating on the canal on Sunday, which was quite fun. I crammed my feet into a pair of size 7 skates. I had remembered much more than I thought I had. (I had remembered, that would be in the past perfect tense?) I only fell once, and managed to turn that into a one knee slide. Yes, the six years of ballet lessons have paid rich dividends! I brought my camera along, and our party of four took turns taking pictures. Third World didn't take pictures though. She had skates that were MUCH too big. The kind where you skate half the time on your ankle bones. *pain* However, she traded skates with RM half way through, and that helped them both. By that time Star and I couldn't feel our feet at all. hmmmm

Despite the skate issues, it was very fun, and we fell hardly at all. It was yummy too. We stopped for beaver tails, and Third World; the kind, the benevolent, the one with money, bought me one as well.

Wow, I think it's time to head for bed. The brain is trying to shut down in actual fact.

One last philosphy quote;

His life lasted till his death.

Gotta love it.

I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell...

This was a good evening. I was feeling better, and then Third World, Star, Moon Unit and I all went to the Met for dinner. They were having a "newcomers dinner." (Free food + inside=students in attendance.) Moon Unit almost didn't come, and then at the last moment she freed up her evening. *cheering* She's applying for colleges, and having issues with the online application forms.

There are no tick-boxes for people like me!

(She's home schooled.) At any rate, it was decided that her issue with the college would not be fixed in this evening, so she got to come along. The dinner was quite good. A nice salad, and rolls, *smiles happily*, and pasta with a chicken, mushroom and peppers cream sauce. There were two tables of people in attendance, so we played a game, table against table. A question would be asked, "how many of X do you have?" and the table would say the combined sum of the quantity of x represented at their table. The table with the highest sum would win a point. So, we were asked; how many buttons at your table, how many pets do you have, how many shoes... One girl stopped counting at 45 pairs of shoes. She also had spent 6 and a half hours on Facebook that day. I was able to assist my team rather well on the questions; How many siblings, and how many houses have you lived in? Yes, I pretty much pwned those questions! (makes up for my contribution to the button, shoes, and facebook-hours questions. : ) My table won, of course.

Then we went up for the official meeting. There was a different worship team this time, and I wasn't quite crazy about it. There was a high proportion of the "God-you-are-so-great-'cause-you-did-this-for-me,-therefore-I-will-do-this-for-you" type songs. Not my favourite. I think I may have been a trifle hard on people last week for not getting into the music. *shame and remorse*

The talk itself was good. I like Pastor Jeff's speaking style, keeping his hearers listening;

"True love is public, and that doesn't mean I want you making out in the pews on Sunday."

He knows his audience! Moreover, you have to respect a man who is popping pills for a head splitting cold, then gives no sign for an hour of speaking, mainly from memory. I'm also a sucker for dry humour and/or sarcasm. *sheepish* I'm not sure if I'd agree across the board with the Met's theology, but I can live quite happily with what they choose to talk about and live out. Some churches like to dwell on the issues I have the most issues with, or that are the most divisive, but thankfully I'm not picking that up here. I suppose churches sometimes feel the need to separate themselves from other people, and the only way they choose to do that is to emphasize what is different about themselves. At any rate, I enjoy the teaching, I can live with the music, and the attendees appear to be not too different from myself. I'm going on a retreat tomorrow, so that should be fun!

Oh, afterwards they serve coffee and cookies, and I was talking to Third World while Moon Unit talked to half the people in the room, which she is old friends with. I accused Third World of looking innocent while in actual fact she is plotting devious replies, and she said;

"*splutter* You do it all the time- you're doing it now! Looking innocent and demure while you're really the dark-hearted goddess of chaos!"

I seem to have acquired quite a reputation.

In my defence, I have to say that Maritime humour is significantly more cynical then the rest of the continent, and I am the only east coaster. Add to that a propinquity for sarcasm and affinity for dry-as-dust jokes, and you have a promising combination! Ah, good times, good times.

Quotes

I love quotes, but the best I know are certainly Bible quotes. So much of the Bible has been incorporated into our language, they're part of the cultural heritage.

My favorite quotes have a story of some kind attached to them, (in addition to being an excellent use of the language.) Sometimes it's a incident in my life, sometimes it's the meaning that was explained to me, or the memories of when I came across those particular words in the past. It doesn't have to be a sharp memory, just a feeling of where I got that phrase.

And moreover, there is weight behind them. Bible quotes have so much more meaning attached to them. You can mull them over for days. Beautiful words, memories, and meaning- best kind.

I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: [2nd Timothy 4:7]

1st Corinthians 13

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self‑seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part,but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

So amazing!

Something to think about

God will, therefore, certainly recompense both evil for evil, because He is just; and good for evil, because He is good; and good for good, because He is good and just: only, evil for good He will never recompense, because He is not unjust.
-St. Augustine of Hippo, Chapter 45 of On Grace and Free Will

Words, words, words!

I haven't mentioned this yet, but I love words! I love the mechanics of how the language fits together, (even though my grammar is often abysmal). I love how you can get such a sense of place from such an artificial construct. 

I am not a future English major, I'm pretty sure, though I've read a lot. It's not the analysis of work that interests me, and it's an effort to read "classics". But oh, the lovely perfection of a character summed in a sentence, as this from Agatha Christie:

He had the face of a medieval poisoner and the soul of an injured rabbit.

Isn't that just lovely! *rubs hands in glee*

Then to see an idea, an outlook on the world, to be encapsulated in a brief turn of phrase by Emily Bronte:

No coward soul is mine
No trembler in the world's storm-troubled sphere:
I see heaven's glories shine,
And faith shines equal, arming me from fear.

Wow.

This is why, also, I find it difficult to pick up a pencil and write myself. I have such wonderful examples stored in my head. What that I write could ever compare? Ah well, I have to keep in mind that I'm not to be the best, just the best that I can.