Good Movies with Cute Boys

Today after class I went and saw Inception with my friend Stephanie (the non-roommate). It was kinda ridiculous, but not in a bad way. It was good, but it was one of those movies that takes a little bit of effort to stick with. It had Joseph Gordon Levitt in it, which surprised me. I like him a lot, and of course Leo DiCaprio is a great actor. It was kinda long, but I would definitely suggest it.

I'm kinda bored, so right now I'm watching Cruel Intentions. I own this one, and as a general rule I don't own movies unless I love them, so it obviously ranks high on my list. I am in love with young Ryan Phillippe - he's so gorgeous! I usually don't go for men with curly hair, but he's an exception. And...well, I'm not into guys who cheat on their wives with the nanny. BUT prior to all of that, he was quite attractive. I don't know, it just has a really great storyline and it's got the unexpected ending...I love it.

I got a bit further in HP today while I was waiting at the theatre for Steph. Sigh. It's not that it feels like a chore to read it, I just wish I could get to the better parts.

So I'm trying to make myself healthier. You know, eat better, exercise, stuff like that. I'm trying to drink more green tea and do my yoga video more often. When school starts up again, I want to take an actual yoga class if I have time. I don't know, I figure if I start with little things like flossing regularly and eating more fruits and veggies, maybe I'll start feeling better inside and it will help me feel better outside. Hopefully.

Not Super Lonely Yet

So today has been fairly decent. I had work until 4:30, am currently doing laundry, and am going to the local planetarium with my friend and her astronomy class later. I'm kind excited about the last one - I took an astronomy class in high school and have always enjoyed looking up at the night time sky. So what if it's projected? It's still cool.

In my misery yesterday I completely forgot something that I was going to talk about: Glee. I had always heard it was good, but had never watched it because there are very few shows I actually follow on cable (the two exceptions being The Soup and What Not to Wear). But my friend had season 1 volume 1 on DVD and let me borrow it. All I can say is WOW. I wish I had been watching it this whole time. It's so good and addictive. I watched the first 2 DVDs straight through because I didn't want to stop. After that, I went to Nate's and we watched the rest together (I'm so lucky to have a boyfriend who can appreciate musicals). We both agreed: it's addictive. He said he thought it would be pretty "gay," but was pleasantly surprised. We're both waiting impatiently for volume 2 to come out so we can watch the rest!



I'm really not much further in HP or in Better than Beauty. I'll let you know when I am.

So my friend Megan (the only one out here, really) has mentioned a couple of times that she's kinda getting into anime, which is fine by me. I'm going to lend her Fruits Basket and Ouran High School Host Club tonight. Hopefully she'll like them so we'll have something new to talk about.


Tomorrow I'm going to have a cleaning spree. Now that all of the clothes are off my floor, I can see just how dirty it is. I mean, it's not filthy since I cleaned it a little more than a week ago, but there are papers and things everywhere. I'm kind happy to have time to do it - I actually like cleaning sometimes.

Staring Down a Difficult Week

I've found that I have a really hard time updating this sometimes. It'll get better though.

I haven't finished Better than Beauty yet, but I have started Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. I worked an 8 hour shift today, so I read a bit on my lunch break. They're not at the Quidditch Cup yet, but they will be soon. Reading the books really makes me want to watch the movies!

So starting this week, Nate will be away doing band camps pretty much non-stop until the end of August. I knew it was coming, but I have a habit of forgetting things that aren't constantly in my face. So basically, he mentioned leaving two days ago, and I was like, "Wait, what?" I'm really going to miss him. We've been spending so much time together lately that even though we both have work and stuff, I've basically seen him every day. To go from that to seeing him maybe for a day a week just makes me feel sad and lonely. I love spending time with him, and now, since band camp is so exhausting, I will probably be lucky to hear from him once every few days. Jeez, I'm depressing myself. This month will just be tough, I suppose.

Speaking of it being almost August...it's almost August! Where did summer go? I guess working and taking multiple classes really does make the summer go by much faster. Last year I stopped working in late June and I only had class 1 night a week starting in July, but since I'm working 20+ hours a week and have class Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday mornings, summer's just flying by! I'm getting ready to do my back-to-school shopping and am starting to get all of my school stuff together. But more than that...I have 1 month to save up as much money as physically possible. When classes start on the 30th, I'll probably be lucky to get 15 hours a week. I can live on that, but I'd love to be able to save up $400 this month so that I don't have to worry about being able to pay rent for awhile. I really hope I can do it. At least my increased work ethic will help me get through this month without Nate. It'll help my take my mind off things, hopefully.

So yeah. I'm just hoping that reading HP and working will help me deal with my loneliness.

And Out Pops Another One (Posts, I Mean)

I finished PoA. Whew, what a roller coaster! I forgot how intense the ending is. It really makes you sit up straight and read faster, even if you know how it's going to end. It's interesting now, looking back and seeing all of the little hints that point to things in future books. Very good.

I also finished Crazy Busy Beautiful. It actually had some pretty good tips, but most of them were covered in Get Positively Beautiful. There were a couple good new ones too, though, so it was helpful.

Before I start Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, I'm reading another little advice book called Better than Beauty: A Guide to Charm by Helen Valentine and Alice Thompson. It was originally published in 1938 but was revived due to its rather timeless advice. It's actually got some good points already, like, for example, how cleanliness includes not just your hair and makeup, but also the shape of your clothing, fingernails, and feet. I'm a bit eager to read about the actual charm part - it'll definitely come in handy at some point. It says in the book that not many people are remembered for their charm. I think I'd like to be someone who is.

I'm in a pretty good mood right now for some reason. I'm not really sure why, but whatever. I'll just enjoy it while it lasts.

The Trials and Tribulations of a College Student

So I'm really no further into PoA than I was before...ok, well, that's a lie, I'm maybe one chapter further. I've been quite busy with work and class that I didn't really get a chance to get any further. Hopefully today I'll have some down time and I'll be able to get some more of it done. I really want to watch the second and third movies now, but I of course don't own them and don't want to spend money to rent them. Maybe online? I don't know.

I've been stressing out about school lately. See, as an English Education major, I have to apply for the College of Education (CoE) in the winter, and there are a lot of requirements that I have to get taken care of first. One of them involves having all of these classes out of the way, which is a lot more difficult than it sounds when you're trying to cram 5 years of schooling into 4. I'm stressed because I just found out that I may have to take an extra class this coming semester because it's required to get in. I've been trying to talk to my CoE advisor, but he's not really responding, so I'm kinda at a loss for what to do. I really need the extra time to work so I can pay rent, and having another class really isn't helping. I also need to get my grades up, and taking 18 credits is probably not the best way to go about that. GAH!

I want to eat something sweet. Yesterday Nate and I bought a cheesecake (way cheaper than making one) but we didn't get to eat it because it was frozen. I do want to make something though, something with fruit. That's one of the things I love about summer: fruit is in season, and you can make desserts from it that are both delicious and moderately healthy.

I've been thinking about it a lot, and I've decided that I really want to get back into writing. I'm taking a Creative Writing class this semester (it's a class I need for my theme), and I kinda want to get a head start. I must admit it's been a really long time since I've written anything, what with my abandoning fanfiction last year. I miss it a lot. I really love to write, I just never have any time to do it. I have always secretly wanted to be a writer, someone who could create one novel and never have to work again, but I always lose track of the story or lose interest before the second chapter. It's kind of a problem. Oh well, we'll see, I guess.

Back to the Daily Grind

So I'm back from Chicago. It was fun, but at the same time, I kinda wish I hadn't gone with my parents. It's hard to have fun as a young 20 year old when my dad is busy taking pictures of me and my sister on the L.

I'm slightly disappointed in my lack of reading PoA. I'm only at the part where Sirius slices up the Fat Lady! So sad, I know. But hopefully I'll be able to finish it soon, because I want to finish the series so I can move onto other books.

Speaking of other books, I picked up Crazy Busy Beautiful by Carmindy from the library today. I think I'm just going to dive right into it, since it's not a novel, but more of a makeup tip guide.

Yup, so that's about it.

A Short Message Before I Leave

Yesterday I went to Nate's place and read all of Chamber of Secrets while he wrote drum parts. It took me about 3 hours, and he was like, "You're done? What?!" It was kinda funny. I then explained that it was because it was at least my 3rd time reading it, plus it's HP, so it's not like it's a difficult read. The fact that he was slightly impressed made me laugh. So anyway, I'm moving onto Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, and since I'll be away for a few days, I'm bringing Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire with me as well. Maybe I'll finish both while I'm in Chicago.

So I borrowed The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus from my friend. I really wanted to see it, since it's Heath Ledger's last film and all, but I have to say, I didn't like it. There was no plot, really, and quite honestly, after it was done, Nate and I looked at each other like "wtf." I did like the girl they picked to play the daughter (she was a model who's trying to break into acting, but I think she's lovely), but other than that, it was probably the weirdest movie I have ever seen.

Anyway, I must be off. I have loads of packing to do. Toodles, pip!

This Really Long Post Should Make Up for the 5 Day Delay

So I finished Ten Stupid Things Women Do to Mess Up Their Lives. To be honest, this is the first self-help book I've ever read, and I think it was a good way to start. The author gets straight to the point about a lot of relationship issues and is really quite blunt. I feel as though although a lot of the issues were completely irrelevant in my life, it did actually help. So! If you ever need someone to just tell it like it is, I'd suggest this book.

Anyway, I'm moving onto Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Actually, I already started, but I'm only at the part where Ron shows up in the flying car, so it's basically the beginning.

This past weekend was my sister and stepbrother's grad party, so I was at home. It was nice, and I got a lot of free food to take home, but the best part was after everyone was basically gone. My stepbrother, Ryan, had his friend Patrick over, and my sister Shelby and I were watching HP and the SS with them. Patrick, not an avid HP fan, kept asking questions, and Ryan and I kept answering. He was like, "How do you know this?" It was kinda funny to me.

So I got a couple of those makeup how-to books I mentioned before from the library. I went through The 5 Minute Face and Get Positively Beautiful by Carmindy (the makeup artist from What Not to Wear) and Makeup Masterclass by Jemma Kidd. They had some really good tips. I have big brown eyes and pale skin, and I never really knew how to flatter my eyes without looking goth or sickly. I used some of the tips today, and I think it looks pretty good! I kinda wish I owned the books myself so that I could go back and look at the tips whenever I want, but this way I can make a note of my favorite ideas and not have to spend a dime.

Next weekend, I'm going to Chicago with my dad, stepmom, and Shelby. We're going to visit my grandma and uncle who live there, as well as be tourists and see the museums and everything. I'm pretty excited. The last time I went to Chicago, I was in junior high. Although, I have to admit, I would rather be going with friends instead of my parents. I feel like it'd be awkward if a group of cute guys walked by and I was standing next to my dad. Oh well, I need the vacation.

So I was talking to my friend Katie over the weekend about taking a camping trip next summer. We got to talking about Chicago and random plans, etc, when she mentioned that it would probably be better if we invited some of our guy friends to come with us because her parents might not let her go if it's just girls. Katie, like me, is 20 years old. And her parents might not let her go without some guys to protect her. Seriously. This is an example of the way that I feel a lot more mature than my friends from back home. I don't even have to tell my mom about when I'm taking trips, and I shouldn't have to because I am an independent adult who can handle and take care of herself. Now I understand being concerned about what could happen to a group of innocent, naive young girls in a new town, but the girls we'd be going with carry and know how to use knives. Also, there would be at least 5 of us, and I feel like a guy wouldn't try to rape all of us at once, you know? I just thought that it was ridiculous that although she's an adult, Katie's parents are still basically in charge of her life. This is why I'm glad I went away to school.

So I have recently decided that Amazon is my new best friend. I've had this box of manga and novels I haven't read in years sitting in my parents' basement ever since I left for college, and my stepsister suggested that I sell them on Amazon. So I ended up putting about 30 books up for sale and 5 hours later I sold one! I know it's just one, and I only made about $2, but still, it's money that I could use. I'm really hoping to sell a few more and maybe have a little extra cash laying around. That would be nice for a change.

I've been really interested in fashion lately. I really want to get some good, awesome pieces for school, like skirts, dresses, blouses, cardigans, blazers, flats, boots, and cute necklaces. I also want to learn how to wear a belt around my waist and a scarf around my neck and hopefully catch up with that trend. Sadly enough, I'm probably going to end up emulating Shelby, who has the cutest fashion sense of anyone I know. I also want to get a real makeup tray and some new nail polish colors. I feel like reinventing my wardrobe and look yet again! Hopefully I'll be able to get some money through my books and my resale clothes. Gah, I wish I wasn't a poor college student!

At My Bf's House...

Ok, so Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is done! I finished it right before my class started this morning, which worked out quite well. I noticed something, though, which I know they covered later in the series but I felt was handled inadequately in SS: Dumbledore said that Snape was protecting Harry simply to settle the score with James, who saved Snape's life. However, as anyone who has read the series knows, Snape was only protecting Harry because he loved Lily. Surely Dumbledore, who is a practiced occlums (I think I spelled that right...), would have known that it was because of Lily and would have told Harry so. Maybe not, "Harry, Snape had the hots for your mum," but instead something about them being friends and Snape feeling that he owed and wanting to honor Lily. That's all I'm saying.

Moving on, I have decided that, because all of the books I put on hold a few days ago are coming in, and also because this one happened to be in my car while Chamber of Secrets was sitting on my bookshelf at home, I am going to read Ten Stupid Things Women Do to Mess Up Their Lives by Dr. Laura Schlessinger before I start CoS. I read a review about it being pretty accurate, so I figured I'd give it a try. I'm 86 pages into it, and it's basically a relationship and self esteem boot camp of sorts. It essentially says, "Stop blaming other people for your insecurities and your bad relationships. You have the power to be who or whatever you want, and no relationship or lack f self esteem can stop you from doing that." There's a heading that I quite like, which is "Not Superwoman - Just a Super Woman." I don't know if it's actually helping me with anything, but it is an interesting read.

So last night I finally convinced Nate to watch 10 Things I Hate About You (which is one of my favorites...Heath Ledger, yum, yum) with me, and as I expected, he thought it was pretty funny. He told me he doesn't dislike chick flicks, he just doesn't want to watch them because the idea that he likes them seems weird. Like everyone would know that he watched a chick flick with me. Anyway, it was nice to watch a movie I like for a change. We were going to watch The Little Mermaid (which he agreed with) first, but the video store didn't have it. It's a travesty, I tell you.

Yup, that's about it.

Complain, Complain, Complain

So I was originally going to post yesterday, since I had nothing to do, but after work, I got a call from my friend Megan, so I went and hung out with her. We watched August Rush instead of battling crowds and mosquitoes. I've seen it before. Good movie.

So I'm a little bit further in HP, just at the part where Harry's learning how to play Quidditch. Reading the book is making me want to watch the movie, but I don't own it. Shocking, I know. I'm waiting to buy any of the movies until they come out with a boxed set of all of them. It'll be a while, but I think it'll be worth it.

So my boyfriend - Nate, sorry, it's weird saying his name on here - was supposed to stop by tonight, but he changed his mind at the last minute. I feel like this happens a lot. This is how I see our relationship: We're both standing at opposite ends of a bridge. I take a few steps forward, and he just stands there. So I move forward a little more, and he just yawns. This continues until finally I'm standing on his end of the bridge, and he hasn't moved at all. We're supposed to be meeting half way, but instead, it feels like I'm going all the way for him and he doesn't move an inch for me. (I actually came up with this metaphor after hearing Rosanna by Toto on the radio. I love that song, but the line "meet you all the way" suddenly struck a new cord with me.) I know that this is a huge problem, and I intend to fix it.

Anyway, I have class tomorrow. It's week four of eight weeks, so I'm almost halfway done. However, I really don't want to deal with four more weeks of that obnoxious girl. Hopefully she skips. The class itself isn't that bad. It's an intro to logic class, so it's pretty easy and it covers a class I need for my theme (for half the price of what GVSU charges).

So I just put a bunch of nonfiction books on hold at the library, and by nonfiction, I mean a few relationship guides, some fashion manuals, and all of Carmindy's (from What Not to Wear) makeup guides. Hopefully they will be worth it.

Not a Whole Lot to Talk About

So tomorrow is the 4th of July, and I actually have no plans. Well, that's not true. I have to work. But other than that, no plans. There is a fireworks display tonight about 2 minutes from my apartment, and I'm thinking of going to that, but...is it really sad to do that alone?

So I'm about 80 pages into Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Yeah. I've read it so many times that I can't really pull anything interesting out of the first 80 pages. Sorry.

I would really like some pizza right now, but I don't want to drive to get it and I don't want to pay for delivery. Hmm...decisions decisions...

That's pretty much it for today.

Getting Out of This House

So I finished Stop in the Name of Pants, and I just finished Are These My Basoomas I See Before Me? I must say, as much as I lurve this series, the ending of the last book is a bit, erm, abrupt. It's like action, action, action, the end. The happy ending comes and then the book quite literally ends a paragraph later. Anyway, I love, love, love this series, and I can now cross it off my reading list.

Next I'm starting Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone as part of my annual summer reading of HP. So yeah.

I'm taking a logic class this semester, and there's this girl in it who is so obnoxious that when every she opens her mouth I want to shoot her in the face. Seriously. That annoying. She wastes time arguing with the professor about giving us a day off of class (when he lets us out early every class and the semester's only 7 weeks long) and has even argued with the teacher when he told her (respectfully) that she was wrong about something. Everyone in the class hates her. She just needs to grow up. Gah.

Today I'm going to visit a friend who is still living around campus. I was in band with her, but I haven't seen or talked to her in a while, and I really need to get out of the house. There's only so much I can do all aloney on my owny. So it'll be nice to see her. And who knows, maybe she can introduce me to some new people and I can make new friends, which I definitely need.

It seems that the weather gods heard my complaints, because the past couple of days have been quite cool. My apartment is probably in the 60's and it's about 75 outside, which is lovely. I wish it could be like this all year 'round: warm enough to wear shorts, but cool enough that you won't bake it you wear pants. Too bad it rarely happens. I'm enjoying it, though.