Currently

I'm sort of in a mad studying frenzy because I have a midterm soon, but this is a quick and easy little meme that I copied from my sis over at Stumbled Into Fate, so, here is my life right at this moment!

Currently reading:

Feed by Mira Grant; zombies and bloggings and presidential campaigns, oh my! It's actually quite astute, and the main characters are so much fun. Also, I thought it might be boring, but the many different mysteries that pop up as well as the full-on drama of a presidential campaign in the middle of a zombie world make it totally worth the read. I mean, zombies, right?!

Currently playing this list:

Well, rain. I know it sounds weird, but when I study, noise bothers me. Any noise, really. So, I figured out that when I play the natural sounds of a rainstorm on my iPod, with my new fantastic sounding retro headphones, I can actually get into a really good study zone. I've been making A's with this method, so I think I'll keep with it.

Currently loving this color:

Ok, so it's not a color, per se. But I'm sort of liking monochrome, soft, cool colors. Also, I love winter and it never gets cold enough to snow here.

Currently drinking:

Neuro Drinks. I took myself off of caffeine a little over a week ago, and found these little gems in my campus mart. I tried the sleep one first, and crashed for exactly 8 hours, but I was dead tired the entire next day. I tried the focus one next, while studying, and didn't really notice a difference except that I could stand to study longer instead of taking so many breaks, thus giving myself extra time later to veg out. The Bliss drink was yummy, but I'm not sure I noticed an effect. In their defense, I didn't drink it very quickly, I finished it over the course of the evening and night. If I did notice anything, I chalked it up to be placebo, because, well I just don't think a drink can make you happy unless it has mind-altering qualities, and as far as I could tell this one just had some herbs and vitamins.

Currently eating:

Last night, I had Whataburger. Heaven!

Currently watching:

Better Off Ted. It's just funny! I love Veronica; she's my hero! Lol.

Currently Wishing:

I could have a full day at the spa. I don't like being touched, but I would really like a massage, a facial, 15 minutes in a sauna, being wrapped in seaweed, whatever they do in spas that make people look and feel vibrant, fresh, and most of all - CHILL.

Currently need:

This semester to be over, with two A's as final grades. Barring that, caffeine. :P

Currently FTW:

"Libraries are the number one place where SHH happens"

I got a job at the university library! Yay me! It's so much fun!

Currently annoying:

Losing stuff. Also, trying to find a well-balanced meal for each mealtime when I really just want a freaking Snickers bar and some Twizzlers.

Currently crushing on this celebrity:

Jason Statham.

Currently blessed with:

Hubs! I love my hubs!

Currently indulging with:

Candy bars and Twizzlers. Lol.

Currently wearing:

The Night Owl Mystery Bookstore t-shirt in chocolate and beige sweatpants.

Currently excited about:

Meh. I usually save my excitement for the moment.

Currently feeling:

Hungry and high-strung. Blech.

Geek Out

Every once in awhile, I get this nostalgic urge to get all comfy and enjoy my favorite geeky things. Eating a bowl of Cheerios for dinner while I watch old episodes of the X-Files, then cuddling up in my favorite ankle slippers (like normal slippers, but they're like socks too in that they reach the my calves) and my favorite snuggie and just relaxing with a can of Ginger Ale after a long study session.

Oh, yeah. It's good to be a geek.

Desert Island

I know that people who play the little MMO games provided for free by Facebook are painted as loners, time wasters, and no-lives, but I currently have a few that probably take all of ten minutes to play at several points during the day, and I enjoy them. They're a fun distraction when I'm bored, or a good time-out when I'm studying.

In saying that, I'm not going to name game names here but I currently play one where you can enter costume contests and vote on who has the best look for that particular theme. The problem is, people don't stick to the theme. "OMG, her heels are gorgeous! VOTE!" The current theme is Desert Island. Now, if I had the chance to choose what I could wear before being marooned on a desert island, well, it would be much more practical than the game allows.

1. I would wear hiking boots. Wearing heels is just stupid, and going barefoot is worse in my opinion. When you're stuck on a desert island and you break an ankle or get bitten on the sole of your foot by some snake you stepped on, there will be no one there to save your butt. But of course, those heels ARE fab!

2. Sunglasses. These don't seem to be a problem on the game, considering they're so in right now.

3. Something to cover my head. None of this cute headband crap, I'm talking a thick bandanna. One that I could remove and soak in water before replacing it on my head. By doing so, I can avoid heat stroke and sunburned scalp in one go.

4. Would I go for full body covering? Probably not. Although I've heard it recommended, I would get too hot too fast. I'd probably wear shorts and a short top. While this exposes me to sun, insects, and bites of other kinds, I like to believe in my own little world that I am smart and capable, and therefore won't have these issues, especially since -

5. I will carry two or three accessories. A sharp pointy stick, and a giant bottle of sun screen, SPF 30. And as we all know, pets are accessories, too, but I wouldn't bring mine as so many from the make believe game have. I have a small dog. What would happen if I brought her? Well, since she's domesticated, she'd probably not make it, and if she did and I happened to be starving . . . I'd like to believe I'd eat other things or die trying, but there's really no telling. Also, none of this "I've got a cell phone/laptop" crap. How are you going to charge your battery? How are you going to find a signal or WiFi? That's right, your cellphone will turn into a disappointment and your laptop will be a big ol' heavy paperweight.

I know chances are slim of ever surviving when stuck on a desert island, but a few precautions, a lot of sense, and an acceptance that hard work will get you everything could go a long way. Hey, kind of like life, right?

Electric Toothbrush

I recently invested in an inexpensive electric toothbrush, and used it for the first time tonight. I know what some must be thinking: Why did you buy an electric toothbrush? And others: What took you so long?

I bought an ET because I wanted my teeth to feel really polished and clean. I waited so long because they are obnoxiously loud in a way that makes them, well, obnoxious. But after using it tonight, I suppose I could put up with the noise because my teeth feel squeaky!

Now I'm wondering, however. I have a thirst for knowledge, one that requires I ask weird questions and know the answer to even the lamest of questions. So, what is the proper way to use an ET? Do you just sort of move it lazily about? Is there a count for each section of teeth? What would get me the most benefit out of it?

I must know!

Batteries

I read somewhere that introverts and extroverts have batteries, but they charge them in different ways. An extrovert's battery is charged when they are the center of things, when they are in a crowd and loving it. An introvert, however, needs solitude in order to recharge their batteries.

It's a pretty good analogy, and I feel that it is definitely accurate. I am an introvert, and even when I'm around a small group of close friends, I get to a point where I would prefer to go home, cuddle up in bed and read a book or veg in front of the TV and watch something from my Netflix cue. Get me around a larger group of people, and I hit that threshold pretty soon - and it's no longer a preference, but a strong urge. I would go so far as to say that I'm quite miserable after an hour in a large group.

Most people don't get this need for solitude, this feeling of emotional exhaustion after having talked, smiled, and socialized for long periods of time. I even feel a bit abnormal, although I know people just like myself. It's just introversion, that's all. I am very blessed to have married a husband that a) is not a party animal, and b) understands me and my need for solitude, most of the time. I love being around him, and often miss him during the day, but sometimes if I've been home all day and still don't feel like doing much of anything, he wonders why I feel the need to stay cooped up.

Sometimes, my batteries need a longer charge, that's all.

What I Wouldn't Do . . .

Since we've been pet sitting - again- for the past two weeks, and I've been out of school, and hubs's car is on the fritz, he's been using my car, and I've been staying home, entertaining myself with computer games, Facebook, and Netflix. This morning I got up, started up my game, and checked my e-mail and Google Reader, as usual. I then picked out a movie I might enjoy, and started that up, as well. That's when my computer died.

You see, my computer is over two years old, so the battery is pretty much useless. If my laptop comes unplugged, the laptop dies. It's REALLY easy to unplug the laptop, especially since the charging port is malfunctioning so the cord has to be positioned *just* right. After a few minutes of muttering and waiting for my laptop to load up - I was happy to find I managed to get my headphones working - I realized that for some reason, my dear lappy wasn't connecting to the internet the way it should automatically. I figured I could go in and do it manually. But no. For some reason, the network was not being detected.

I fiddled with it for awhile, and then realizing this might be a Code Red, called hubby, who works IT. No answer. I tried locating the WiFi hub, to no avail. Another call to hubby, plus a text, and I was all but frantic. What was I going to do for six hours without the internet?!!!??

I consoled myself with the fact that my Nook was still working, and therefore I was not completely bereft of entertainment, but I really wanted my internet back. I remembered, then, that they have their DVD player hooked up to the internet to access Netflix (I know this will be hard to understand, but I prefer watching Netflix on my laptop). I dragged a TV dinner table over next to the TV, and plugged my laptop into the internet old-school style. It worked, of course. But what to use as a chair? I tried an actual computer chair, but I'm very short and it was way too high, and I am too light to push it down, so that idea was out. I then decided that I could drag an old 70's upholstered rocking chair over to my laptop (seriously, this thing could go for a pretty penny on Ebay). After much muscling of a chair that weighs about half of one of me, I settled in, happy as a clam.

I love you, Internet.

My Guide to Surviving in a Bad Horror Movie

Lately I've been into watching scary movies. I've always enjoyed zombie movies, but I've been getting a kick out of supernatural horror recently as well. I've noticed some tropes lately in all of my recent movies that really just grate on my nerves. If I were in such a situation, I would at least try to keep thinking logically. Heck, it'd be a good exercise in staying calm! So, here are the standard fall backs in many a horror film that really just grinds my gears -also, I tend to yell my advice at the characters, so I'll be giving you a taste of that, too.

1. The You're-Obviously Being Herded trope: Oh, what's that? Every door you've tried is locked but this one? Three men are closing in on you and the only direction you can see to go is toward that creepy house over there? You're being herded, like cattle or sheep or any other dumb animal that doesn't realize it's doomed. What I would do about it - take a quick inventory of my surroundings. Are there other options? Is there something I can use as a weapon? Am I faster than my pursuers? Am I smarter than my pursuers? All of these tidbits could keep someone from running into a house possessed by the Ghost of Hannibal Lecter.

2. The He-Seems-So-Nice trope: There is usually some guy that seems extra cool and nice; always there to comfort you when you run screaming from the image in the mirror that smiles when you don't. And then there's the creepy guy that gives you cryptic messages, seems like he hasn't had his meds in awhile, and randomly shows up when you least expect it. Inevitably, because it's human nature, the main character will gladly accept the help of Mr. Nice Guy and shun Creeper Dude. What I would do - trust neither of them. Listen to the "cryptic messages" because even if he IS the bad guy, he almost always gives you hints that come in handy later. But seriously, if Mr. Nice Guy "suggests" he stay over "just to make sure you're safe" tell him no thanks and kick him to the curb. Make sure you have a gun on you first, or a knife at the very least.

3. The I'm-Going-Crazy trope: All of this crazy weird stuff is happening, no one will believe you, you must be crazy, right? Well, probably, but just do what you need to do to survive for the moment and worry about your lithium dosage later. Most of the time the main character lets anyone talk them into the idea that they're crazy, and then it turns out they're totally right, there IS a vengeful demon that wants to kill you, and now you're unprepared. It's OK to be a little crazy and a lot prepared, that's my motto.

4. The I'm-a-Stupid-Bimbo trope: There's no hope for you. Scream, run around, lock yourself in a room without an escape plan. You're going to die anyway.

5. The Bathroom trope: It always happens in the bathroom. It's probably ghosts favorite place to hang out. The main character usually takes a steaming hot bath to "unwind" because everything that's happening is obviously due to stress, and she winds up almost drowned or killed in some weird, unexplainable way. What I would do - take fast showers with a baseball bat very close by. Same with bathroom duties. Do not look in a mirror, because that's where they shut themselves in. Pee like the wind, baseball bat handy. Oh, and keep your wardrobe comfy, season specific, and stretchy. You need to be able to run, and camp outside in case you get chased into some woods, and no one wants to be stuck in the woods in a skimpy tank top when it hits 30 degrees out there.

Zombie Apocalypse Playlist!

OK, so I took this from a site my sister shared called ondtcreepy.livejournal.com, and I thought it seemed fun.

The idea: shuffle your favorite playlist.

1st - the overall theme for the apocalypse.

2nd- What plays when you kill your first zombie.

3rd - plays when getting chased by a horde.

4th - plays when you have to kill your loved one (it happens to everyone when the Apocalypse comes).

5th- plays when you find a group of survivors.

6th - plays when you meet a new love interest.

7th - plays when you have to make your final stand.

8th - plays when you *think* you've survived it all.

9th - plays when you discover a bite mark upon your person.

And 10th - End credits! My playlist will never seem so epic! Here we go!!

1. Digging my Own Grave - Thrice (Nice beginning!)

2. Gunpowder and Lead - Miranda Lambert [Killing my first zombie!] (YES!)

3. Viva la Vida - Coldplay [running from a horde] (I can see that)

4. This Ain't a Scene - Fall Out Boy (Well, it makes killing my loved one seem less sad)

5. I hope This Gets to You - The Daylights [Found survivors] (How is this working so well? "I've been searchin'. . . I knew I found what I was looking for. . . etc.)

6. The Call - Regina Spektor [A sweet song, for when I meet my "new love interest"]

7. Crushcrushcrush - Paramore [FINAL STAND!]

8. Playing God - Paramore [I *think* I made it!] (Seriously, it's like I already made my playlist for the apocalypse)

9. Half-Truism - The Offspring [Found my bite mark] ("If we don't make it alright, then it's a helluva good day to die!)

10. Hope - Jack Johnson [And scene!] (My story ends on hope. There WILL be a cure and I will save the world!)

Wow. That's awesome. I'm going to listen to these songs, and imagine myself in the zombie apocalypse movie of my life, and it's going to be EPIC!

What a Character

Many times I find myself identifying with the quirkiest of characters: in TV shows and movies of course. Books present me with someone, but if I can't relate, then the book is not for me. But there was one series that i read as a teen where I related to the main character in ways that were astonishing. Reading her physical description was enough to make me think someone had spied on me; I could have been her twin. Add in the attitude, and we were literature sisters. The series went to TV, but I never got a chance to watch it, until I found it on Netflix. And now I am hooked!

At first, I didn't like it. It was nothing like I imagined. It took the main character, Jesse Mastriani, and placed her in a just-after-college setting. And she was nothing like I imagined, which can be quite annoying when a book goes TV or movie on you. But! I've grown to like the characters as themselves, and not just as I saw them once upon a time, and I'm now almost finished with the 2nd season.

Now comes the part about quirky characters. My favorite character happens to be their

supervisor, Assistant director John Pollock. At first, he came over as cocky and selfish. And he is that. His image in the force means a lot to him. He's stubborn and rude, intimidating and demanding. On top of that, he takes a lot of the credit for himself. But, he is amazingly smart: he has some tidbit to say on any and all subjects, and he finds ways to OK things he knows are right, without actually letting down his guard and seeming all warm and cuddly. I like that. He's really grown on me as a character. Witty, smart, tough. He's kind of a jerk, but that's part of his style.

If you want to check out the show, it's called Missing, based on the books by Meg Cabot writing as Jenny Carol - the 1-800-Where-R-You series.

Celebrating Being Over-Achievers

Why does the phrase "over-achiever" manage to convey such disdain, an image of someone with dark straight hair pulled back severely into a velvety headband, primly sitting (with perfect posture, of course) over a pile of books they are methodically going through as they do every evening, sans friends, in order to make the highest A's possible? That's not the image you get? Oh, well. . .

I still say the term "over-achiever" has ridiculously abysmal connotations. I am proud to say that I would put myself in that category. So when final grades were posted, I peered at them with trepidation. Not out of fear that I may not have passed a class: oh no. I knew I passed them all. But if I had made a B? I would have been furious! I know I sound like a person with a high perfection model here, but I will write down what I told my hubby: I did not work and study for a B in any of my classes, I worked for an A.

And I got all A's. And so did hubs! Because we are smart, really. I sometimes have a sneaking suspicion that the professors' vital life force has been stamped out due to the crushing nature of the average college student's desire for learning anything other than how to make the perfect Jagerbomb, and the professors now teach with such low expectations, even the kid who came to class once and failed that test will make at least a D. If the professor sees a particular sparkle in the eye of a young pupil, if he hears a particularly witty or insightful comment, or at least a student that uses the correct jargon, that is an automatic A. My suspicions don't stop me from working hard, anyway.

So, yesterday, Matt and I went to dinner and a movie for finally being able to breathe after the semester. Pasta at Johnny Carino's and (non-3D) Thor were good rewards. So was the cherry chocolate ice cream we bought afterward and ate while we watched anime together.

As for Thor, his character was great. The right amount of cockiness, the right amount of humility, the right amount of self-sacrifice. Loki. . . mmm, not so much. He was just sort of somber and emo, not the Loki I ever had prancing about in my head when I heard the name.

I Am a Chef!

My hubby worked all day today, and is now fulfilling his calling by going to a meeting at church that probably won't end until 9, so I thought of a bevy of things that I could do to contribute to the family life and well-being. I started by looking for temporary job opportunities. Not easy, considering it will have to work around my school schedule, and I can only be an employee for about 6 months since we'll be moving in January.

Then, I went online and did a bit of research, finding a website that allows me to brainstorm a shopping list before we go to the store. This is important, considering that a lot of times we forget we need something or we end up buying something we need, but didn't put on the list. (If it's not on the list, it annoys me when we have to buy it. It must be on the list!!!) Then I found that I can shop online for deals and steals, and print coupons for my local grocery store. I saved each of these sites in my bookmarks. Now I feel competent in being able to save us some money. Then, I cooked dinner!

This is not something to be read and overlooked. I do not cook. I hate cooking, and I often injure myself in the process. But again, I wanted to let Matt sit and enjoy his moments off. So, I threw together some healthy pasta (gross! No matter what people tell you, wheat pasta is never delicious). I browned some pork sausage and threw it in with some tomato sauce. All of this was random foodstuffs I found around the house we're once again pet sitting. At the last minute, I threw a couple of tiny cans of corn in the empty pasta pot and heated it up with some butter and salt. Served it up, and got a good review (from a scale of 1 to 5, one being inedible and 5 being delicious, I got a 4 - pretty good).

I also fed all of the animals and water every dead plant that is around, because they apparently need watering. All in all, I felt satisfied, knowing that I was doing what I could to contribute.

"I try to be my best." - Dollhouse

OMG, Pwnies!

A few weekends ago, Matt had a work thing. I'm not really sure what else to call it. Just a work sponsored get together for all employees. He was given free tickets, and we were on our way! Since I didn't know what to expect, I had no expectations one way or the other of the day would be. Until we pulled into the parking lot, and he said, "Oh, yeah, I forgot to mention. There's pony rides."

SQUEE!!!! I immediately became over-excited and planned out my day. "Ok, first we get some food, then I get to ride a pony!" I had a delicious chili cheese dog, and then I went back outside, where I let the tiny children go first on the pony rides while I amused myself with a tiny goat and a small pot bellied pig. After trying to convince hubs to let us get the pig (only $60!), we went back inside to do other things until the pony ride line went down.

Like a kid in a candy store, I went about looking at the different booths. Unfortunately, most of them were for children 10 and under (they had signs! :( ). I found one booth offering free caricature drawings, of which I made hubby sit through. Another one let me get my face painted with a large and awesome four leaf clover. Back outside, I got to ride Daphne, a beautiful blonde and tan pony. She was the smallest one, but they assured me I would not hurt her. Lol. It helps that I weigh about as much as a ten year old. We played Bingo last; we lost. I was frustrated, and Matt was amused at how competitive I was over the whole ordeal. I honestly would have stolen his board if he'd gotten Bingo. :P

It was a fantastic day. I told Matt that I felt bad for dragging him around to things I wanted to do and not really letting him do anything, but he said there was nothing he'd like to do, so he was just letting me have my fun day. :)

Pwnies!!!!

Busy Bee

I've been really busy with school and whatnot lately, it seems, and for that reason I haven't gotten to read as much as I would like to. Which makes me sad. But, I am currently reading a book (a real book! A dead tree, with its accompanying sounds of pages turning, smells of ink and paper, book!) called English Trifle. I am really enjoying the book; its such a nice read. The main character, Sadie, is a bit older, but she is very easy to relate to as she is young at heart. With her culinary skills, and her penchant for getting into sticky situations, not to mention her laudable curiosity, she weaves her way stubbornly through snobby English aristocracy to solve the unexpected murder of one of the "staff" of a noble family. I placed staff in quotations, because apparently the staff and the nobles/guests of nobles most decidedly do not mix, and so this murder is at first ignored! Also, they think she and her daughter are gold diggers and merely want to stay and insinuate themselves into the family. What better way to do that than to lie about a murder, right? *cough*Brits are stupid*cough*.

Another plus: this book shares Sadie's recipes for everything from English Trifle to Wake 'Em Up Casserole, so it also serves as a cookbook. Yay!

The Fallacy of Fashion

The Fallacy of Fashion by RainyKWeather featuring a cropped jacket

Alberta Ferretti flutter sleeve dress
4.290 EUR - stylebop.com

Top
$20 - stylesforless.com

SUNO New York cropped jacket
$695 - barneys.com

Alexander McQueen gathered skirt
425 GBP - theoutnet.com

Dorothy Perkins grey pants
28 GBP - dorothyperkins.com

Sandal
$124 - filthymagic.com

Flower handbag
105 GBP - karenmillen.com

Dorothy Perkins silver jewelry
6.50 GBP - dorothyperkins.com

I've just discovered the amazing entertainment I derive from reading the descriptions of clothes, home decor, accessories, etc. in catalogues. Can I have the job of making clothes seem tranformative?

Creativity

Being Me: Geek by RainyKWeather featuring ballet flats

Graphic tee
$23 - hottopic.com

Reed Krakoff ballet flat
$395 - net-a-porter.com

Proenza Schouler leather handbag
545 GBP - net-a-porter.com

Feather necklace
$595 - cultstatus.com.au

Link - Slim 15 Laptop Expandable Messenger Bag
$322 - forzieri.com

Z Gallerie - Dancing Orchid Spray Set of 6 Stems
$60 - zgallerie.com

I decided to see what this polyvore.com thing was all about, et viola! A bit of randomness to show how I see myself. This is abstract, so don't think too hard about it! ;)