9.30.2010

Imperfect but Delicious

Deep thought for the day:


I wonder if I will ever eat a Reese’s where no part of the bottom has stuck to the paper.

Real Fun...

There’s a lady I sit by in A and P, and every night when she and her friend leave early, she says (and I quote):

“Ladies, it’s been real, it’s been fun, it (has or has not) been real fun.”

Seeing as she’s said it both times we’ve seen her, it makes me wonder just how often she uses this silly little phrase in real life partings. Hmmm.

Night School for Holly

So, basically, night school is rocking my adult-like socks. Honestly, if they had had a night-school version of high school, I would have done so much better it’s not even funny. I think I might have actually enjoyed some of it. Ah. Weird.


Right now I’m taking two classes (sort of the max), Anatomy and Physiology, and Health Care Essentials (the pre-requisite to any of their programs). Good times man, good times.

Health Care Essentials (while sometimes freaking me out) has been a really interesting class so far. Except for the time we watched the old 70’s (R rated) movie Coma… ugh. Can I just say? Fight scenes that involve anatomy labs and dozens of cadavers? NOT COOL. Freaked me out.

Otherwise, we’ve been talking a lot about culture, and how to give health care to people without offending their cultural beliefs and values and stuff. It’s been crazy interesting. Plus we’ve done all the legal stuff (gag me, scares me) and all that sorts of fun stuff.

***HIPAA: Human Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. Which, in human words, means that I can’t say fricking NOTHING about patients. I’m just afraid that I’m going to slip and say something like, “This girl’s got a painful looking bruise” to a coworker who essentially doesn’t have a NEED to know this, and get totally busted over it. AGGG.

And, typically, I’m not a private person. I really couldn’t care less who knew about all my health problems. I don’t mind talking about them. I especially don’t care if other nurse or MA’s or other workers in a health care office know about my problems. Doesn’t matter to me. So, understanding that the rest of the world is super super sensitive about these subjects and want utter confidentiality is something I need to really keep in mind so I don’t hurt anyone’s feelings and/or get in trouble with the health care laws. EEEK.

Anatomy and Physiology has been interesting, to say the least. And not in the way you’d think. It’s just funny, because we have maybe an hour of lecture/slideshow at the beginning of class, where everything is taken just from our book. So, us smart people have realized that during these lectures, all we gotta do is highlite what’s on the slides. Others take down all the notes word for word. It’s just funny to me. Ugh, but then we get these super long packets to do, and it’s ridiculous, because the packets go with a different text book, so the information is never the same, and it’s ridiculously ridiculous and frustrating and heck to do. Then, with twenty minutes to go, our teacher passes around the key, so we just jot down the real answers anyways. SO. CONFUSING.

However, I think our teacher is a funny little lady. She makes some funny comments if you actually listen to her. I don’t know how many other people may have noticed this, but I have. She’s silly. Plus she liked our pipe-cleaner skelton the best.

The best part about A and P? My group, of course. We found each other in a sea of people who had absolutely no idea what was going on, we, the ones who are productive and don’t need to hear the instructions a million times over. Okay, that’s harsh, but sort of true. I have my two friends who are funnily cynical and ADD about the details that I simply don’t care about. We have a good time getting frustrated together.

Overall? Night school rocks my socks. YES!

Animals of the "Pet" Varierty

Question from Babynames.com: What are your pets names?

Well. Of course, I have my cat Diego, named because we lived near San Diego when we got him and couldn’t decide on a name. We’ve also had Buddy and Toby (cats) as well as fish called Gary (Bartholomew) and George. My neighbors cat used to come in my yard all the time, so I decided to come up with a name to refer to him as: Sir Larry. Turns out, when we moved, our neighbors wanted us to take Sir Larry (real name: Shadow) with us, because their other cat was beating him up. Saddest story ever.

However, I have heard from a lady in my old ward that they have had cats named, and I quote: “Smidgen McSmudge,” “Truffles,” and, best of all, “Shovel-face.”

Wow.

Later in life, with other pets I get, I’d enjoy the names: Boz, Beck, Jack. Then again, I decided that Diego is never going to die and therefore going to be in my life all my years, so who says I need another pet?

Firefighting Dinosaurs?

Life is good.

We get the keys to the house today. Mom and I are starting to take things over this afternoon.

Dad's in Utah, and EVERYTHING WE OWN fit into the moving truck. Major success.

But, best of all?

I saw the little boy I previously blogged about, and not only was he wearing a dinosaur shirt, his raincoat was a fireman jacket. Yeah. I'm seriously in love.

9.25.2010

Holly-Culture

Holly-Culture entails:

-buying hot chocolate from Starbucks because it is most excellent
-buying books regularly
-singing when driving
-"Why walk when you can dance?" mentalilty
-hoarding all sorts of entertaining knick-knacks, perferrably from all over the world
-Garden Gnomes
-Loving Lady Gaga's music no matter how crazy she may be/others may think she is, simply because it's great for dancing
-never actually making sense while speaking aloud, but being obsessed with words and wordage
-being very animal-friendly
-finding most things adorable (including things that, frankly, aren't adorable)
-happiness and optimism
-finding way too much irony in life
-drawing on the rubber of your tennis-shoes. Sorry. It's a given at any age.
-being epically lazy at times
-usage of the words "epic," "ridiculous," "shwat," and "flippin," in extreme.
-frequenting Barnes and Noble and Target
-blogging on a frequent and sometimes obsessive basis
-having epic and extremely detailed dreams that often are in British or Southern accents
-being so ridiculously asthetic it's never possible to be satisfied
-frequenting sites such as icanhazcheeseburger.com, mylifeisaverage.com, and suchness
-wanting to go to the Harry Potter theme park more than anywhere in the world
-waiting for your Hogwarts letter until you're at least eighteen, when you offically are disappointed that it doesn't exist

Moodiness

So, despite the fact that I found out that my car is on the way out and may be sold/donated in the upcoming week, I was actually in a good mood today. Since then, my mood has rapidly declined. I don't know why I am telling you this, I just am. The fact that Palomar was being a jerk today and making me fill out this ridiculous survery that crapped out my internet connection for like half an hour was not super fun. Especially when it made me take it like five times. By the sixth, I just put "Decline to State" for all the answers just to be a jerk in response. It accepted that. I mean, I was dropping my only class. I shouldn't have to give them a ton of info about myself when I'm severing myself from them. Whatvever.

Maybe I'm just tired. Or maybe I'm cranky because I'm getting a headache (which is because I'm tired and annoyed). Although I did get my copy of "Beautiful Darkness" ordered. (Heehee, I accidentally spelled it Darnkess. That's funny.) OCTOBER 12! Woot.

Speaking of that, preordering books is SO the way to go, did you know that? Like this--- The original price of the book is like $17.99, but the online price for pre-ordering it by only like a few weeks was $9.07. And being a Barnes and Noble Member, I get freeeeeeeeeee shipping (YUS), which saved me another $4.95. My total? Ten bucks for a brand-new hardback IN THE MAIL. Can you get any better than that? No, my friends, you cannot.

*Truly, if you're a bookie like me, online is the way to go. And not just because you can get good deals on Amazon or whatever, but to be a B&N member and get free shipping. It SAVES greatly.

Maybe I just need to go read. Maybe that will make me feel better. But that means going back to my super-messy-and-not-likely-getting-picked-up-until-we-move-because-I-have-no-room-and-never-had-any room, which is just depressing. Then again, Diego is there. Hmmm. Pros, cons. Pros... cons.

An old lady just walked by with a really cute Seeing-Eye-Dog t-shirt. It was all like a painting. It made me happy. I guess my mood is improving a bit. I just i just needed to write things out. Ha, what a surprising.

I love Halloween, have I mentioned that? It's by far my favorite holiday.

HEY--- MAYBE THAT'S WHY I'M IN A BAD MOOD. I went to a Halloween superstore just minutes ago (trying to get a job), and just walked around for a while... sensory overload. Often, when I get really excited about something, I tend to get moody later on, in a negative way. Huh. You think I'd learn by now to space out my good-moodiness, but I haven't.

I guess once I start working, I'll have to wake up and have like a terrible hissy-fit in the morning so I can have nothing but happiness once for patients during the day. I wonder if it works that way.

(So, I was thinking... once we get to our new house, I won't---HOPEFULLY--- have to go to Barnes and Noble for internet. While this is an UBER good thing--- I'll actually GET THINGS DONE! AND FINALLY SEE A VERY POTTER MUSICAL--- I'm almost kind of sad. No more making friends with the security guards. It's the girl today, by the way, if anyone was wondering. Not my black-guy friend. I think he's recognizing me, just like the uber-adorable starbucks worker who always gets me my hot chocolate. That's another good thing--- my wallet will save money. No more delicious hot chocolates or book splurges. Okay, haha, that's a total lie. I'll still go get hot chocolate--- there's a Starbucks around the corner from me, I checked--- and I"ll STILL buy books all the time when I shouldn't. It's part of my culture. Holly-culture. Hmmm....)

9.23.2010

"Stuff." (Of the Goodness Variety)

Gee, its been a while. Darn lack of internet. And now my Barnes and Noble connection won't let me connect to Facebook. Huh. Weird.

(Okay, confession: I watched a snippet of Southpark the other day, and apparently it was the Facebook episode--- I totally laughed. It was way funny, with all it's Farmville jokes. Oh, Farmville.)

SO! GOOD NEWS! They Empey's have finally found us a house to reside in for the next year! YUUUS. Guess who's moving in next week? I'm so stoked, you don't even understand. I know we're not supposed to be all materialistic, but I'm so ridiciously excited to have my STUFF again!!!!

Stuff just so happens to make life a better place. :)

My STUFF I've missed:

1. My garden gnomes.

2. My collection of nicknacks from around the world, including a penny-bank in the form of an British phonebooth that houses my left-over British change.

3. My random little chandlier thing with pretty beads.

4. My makeup organizer. GAH.

5. My bedroom FURNITURE. Weird, but I miss it like no other.

6. MY BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

7. All my past journals and funny 4th, 7th, and 8th grade Language Arts assignment books (As a future published author and word-obsessor, these happen to be the most excellent remenants of my childhood).

8. HERMAN, the hand-painted piggybank dedicated to Ewan McGregor I made in middle school with Stephanie Lovett :) No, I miss all of those things we painted together. We went to Color Me Mine all the time. I miss that. I made some pretty killer plates and coaster and stuff, and it was always a ridiculously good time.

9. All the other stuff I'm forgetting at the moment.

10. INTERNET.

9.09.2010

Today's Findings

(Anyone wondering about my likes/dislikes and/or reviews of books listed on my last post--- drop me a line and I'll be happy to answer. Or, as always, go to darklightlullabye.com)

I just spent a RIDICULOUSLY long time on foundmagazine.com. It's a site where people send in random notes and stuff they found around town. You know, the notes that were stuck in your desks at school, random papers that fall out of your library books, etc. You've seen 'em. You've written some. And somehow, it's really funny to read. Not just because you sit there wondering what in the heck people are referring to, but because you know that if someone got a hold of the notes you write to yourself/others, people would be so utterly entertained and/or confused. I want to submit notes I'VE written just because I think they would make a good addition.

But my favorite thing I found today? A girl I used to know posted a linnk to it on facebook (from the site dearblankpleaseblank.com, which is also awesome):

Dear Noah,
We could have sworn you said the ark wasn't leaving till 5.
Sincerely, Unicorns.

9.07.2010

100 BOOKS! COMPLETED!

The quest to read 100 books in a year IS OVER!!!

IT'S OVER!!!

As of TODAY, Tuesday, September 7, at 3:34PM, I HAVE COMPLETED READING 100 books since January 1, 2010!

Hooray for finishing goals!

MY LIST:
1. Hush Hush, Becca Fitzpatrick

2. The Pale Assassin, Patricia Elliott
3. 68 Knots: A Novel, Michael Robert Evans
4. The Red Necklace, Sally Gardner
5. The Graveyard Book, Neil Gaimen, Dave Mckean
6. When It Happens, Susane Colasanti
7. Perfect Chemistry, Simone Elkeles
8. I Am the Messenger, Markus Zusak
9. Mr. Dracy, Vampyre, Amanda Grange
10. Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment, James Patterson
11. The Mysterious Benedict Society, Trenton Lee Stewart
12. Antsy Does Time, Neal Shusterman
13. Beastly
14. A Gift of Magic
15. The Year I Turned 16, Diane Schwemm
16. Remembering Issac, Ben Behunin
17. Leven Thumps and the Gateway to Foo, Obert Skye
18. Leven Thumps and the Whispered Secret, Obert Skye
19. Evermore, Alyson Noel
20. Blue Moon, Alyson Noel
21. Shadowland, Alyson Noel
22. Maximum Ride 2: School’s Out, Forever, James Patterson
23. Maximum Ride 3: Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports, James Patterson
24. Old Magic, Marianne Curley
25. Nightrunner, Max Turner
26. The Red Queens Daughter, Jacqueline Kolosov
27. The Hourglass Door, --Magnus
28. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, J.K. Rowling
29. City of Bones, Cassandra Clare
30. City of Ashes, Cassandra Clare
31. City of Glass, Cassandra Clare
32. The Summoning, Kelley Armstrong
33. The Awakening, Kelley Armstrong
34. The Reckoning, Kelley Armstrong
35. Beautiful Dead: Jonas, Eden Maguire
36. Shiver, Maggie Stiefvater
37. Need, Carrie Jones
38. Lament, Maggie Stiefvater
39. (City of Ashes, reread) Cassandra Claire
40. Maximum Ride: James Patterson
41. Captivate, Carrie Jones
42. Maximum Ride: The Final Warning, Max, James Patterson
43. Ballad, Maggie Stiefater
44. Wings, Aprilynne Pike
45. The Dawn of the Dreadfuls, Steve Hockensmith
46. Stolen, Lucy Christopher
47. The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks, E. Lockhart
48. Wondrous Strange, Lesley Livingston
49. Eyes Like Stars, Lisa Mantchev
50. The Knife of Never Letting Go, Patrick Ness
51. Shiver (reread), Maggie Steifvater
52. Heartbeat, Sharon Creech
53. The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey, Trenton Lee Stewart
54. Wintergirls, Laurie Halse Anderson
55. 68 Knots: A Novel (reread), Michael Robert Evans
56. City of Glass (reread), Cassandra Clare
57. Ella Minnow Pea, Mark Dunn
58. Wondrous Strange (reread), Lesley Livingston
59. Darklight, Lesley Livingston
60. Perchance to Dream, Lisa Mantchev
61. River Secrets, Shannon Hale
62. Beautiful Dead: Jonas (reread), Eden Maguire
63. The Dark Divine, Bree Despain
64. The Iron King, Julie Kagawa
65. Wicked Lovely, Melissa Marr
66. Spells, Aprilynne Pike
67. The Blue Girl, Charles de Lint
68. A Company of Swans, Eva Ibbotson
69. The Writing on the Wall, Wendy Lichtman
70. Werewolf Rising, R. L. LaFevers
71. Absolutely, Positively Not, David Larochelle
72. The Thirteenth Tale, Diane Setterfield
73. Ink Exchange, Melissa Marr
74. Fragile Eternity, Melissa Marr
75. My Ridiculous, Romantic Obsessions, Becca Wilhite
76. Radiant Shadows, Melissa Marr
77. Evermore (reread), Alyson Noel
78. Blue moon (reread), Alyson Noel
79. Shadowland (reread), Alyson Noel
80. Dark Flame, Alyson Noel
81. Linger, Maggie Steifvater
82. Bad Girls Don’t Die, Katie Alender
83. The Body Finder, Kimberly Derting
84. 13 to Life, Shannon Delany
85. Immortal, Gillian Shields
86. Pretty Monsters, Kelly Link
87. The Boy Book, E. Lockhart
88. The Treasure Map of Boys, E. Lockhart
89. Scrambled Eggs at Midnight, Brad Barkley and Heather Hepler
90. Betrayal, Gillian Shields
91. Fallen, Lauren Kate
92. Beautiful Creatures, Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
93. Old Magic, Marianne Curley
94. Once Dead, Twice Shy, Kim Harrison
95. The Red Necklace (reread), Sally Gardner
96. The Silver Blade, Sally Gardner
97. Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist, Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
98. Clockwork Angel, Cassandra Clare
99. Imaginary Enemy, Julie Gonzalez
100. Plain Kate, Erin Bow

The End.
 
Sweet, sweet beans.