Right now, someone somewhere in the universe is going
swimming because it is too hot to do anything else. I know this person. She
hates swimming almost as much as I do. She told me that there is nothing else
to do because its 94 degrees and when you live on a beach in Brazil and its
summer vacation and its 94 degrees you go swimming. That’s what she said. I
told her I sit in front of the air conditioner and she said hers broke and
that’s when I knew that karma was on my side. My other friend was pretty happy
too because it just snowed in Germany and they don’t have snow days unless the
snow is heavy enough to break the roof. She said it isn’t there yet but
hopefully by next snow the roof will break and they will have their first snow
day in years. They have hot days not snow days because schools there don’t have
air conditioning just like the houses in Brazil. So someone, somewhere on a
beach in Brazil is going swimming with her friends and someone somewhere else
in a small snowy town in Germany is praying for her school’s roof to cave in so
she can have a snow day and practice for the play. Crazy enough they are
jealous of me who has no (realistic) hope of beach or snow and is doing make up
work. They told me that they would do anything to go to America (stress on the
French sounding “rrr”) and I told them that they were crazy to which they
replied with their favorite american phrase that I was “bull shit”. So right
now, three different friends, in three different countries and sometimes three
different languages are having a conversation.
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Monday, February 25, 2013
Crossing Time
At this very moment, the last of my peanut butter has gone and my coffee is on its last sip. Evidently, Ive been at this too long, couldn't come up with an interesting enough topic, and now it's time to leave for school. Before I go, I would just quickly like to share that was some intensely satisfying peanut butter. I pity the soul who too, at this very moment, is on their last bite of peanut butter. Fret not, we can grieve together. At this very moment, there is someone out there who hasn't even risen out of bed. Bless their heart. And, there's even someone out there, across the Atlantic, who gets to sleep for five more hours. They can just go away, ok?
My coffee (or as Callie likes to call it, milk with coffee) cup is now drained. At this very moment, I watch as mom is once again in a mad rush to get everything packed up for work. She never can estimate the amount of time it'll take her to get ready in the mornings. Funny how someone could be having that same exact problem right at this very moment. Or maybe even the exact opposite and instead of panicking, they were able to relax on their Monday morning with breakfast and the newspaper. (People still do that, right?)
Time is a strange enigma. At the same time, we're all stuck under the same time constraints and rules, yet, they're so different for all of us. For some, 2nd hour Spanish seems to last forever, while for some 2nd hour Psychology seems to be over in a blink of an eye. While an entire continent is sleeping for 1/3 of their day, there are people, at that very same moment, who are out in the world experiencing new and exciting things and living their life. Sleep, it seems like a waste doesn't it? It never ceases to amaze me how different the world can be even though its basic principles are all the same: Eat, Sleep, Repeat. Every time I go overseas, I feel like I'm cheating the system. In Bulgaria, time being 7 hours behind, the days seem to be longer. I know that's physically impossible but I find it so incredibly exhilirating to know that while I'm out in the world, everyone back in the States is doing nothing, just sleeping. It's all about the sense of fullfillment.
Yet, I never feel the same way here. At this very moment, I am up, I am doing things, I have finished things, and I will do things, all before my family back home has even gotten up out of bed. But I don't feel that same sense of accomplishment. There's nothing special about waking up when you're supposed to, or feeding yourself when you should, or going to school when you have to. That's boring. That happens everyday. The fact of the matter is that, sitting on that plane, and flying across timezones, it's as if one can actually feel time shift by just watching the sunset during takeoff, and the sunrise during landing, all the while being awake through it all and witnessing everything. Not having to waste time, and knowing that the moment you get off that plane, it all starts over again. No time lost. Seeming like you've gained an extra day to live.
**In in no way was I influenced in the writing of this blog by my midnight reading of Slaughter House-Five and Billy Pilgrim being un-stuck in time. Though that sure would be cool, wouldn't it...**
My coffee (or as Callie likes to call it, milk with coffee) cup is now drained. At this very moment, I watch as mom is once again in a mad rush to get everything packed up for work. She never can estimate the amount of time it'll take her to get ready in the mornings. Funny how someone could be having that same exact problem right at this very moment. Or maybe even the exact opposite and instead of panicking, they were able to relax on their Monday morning with breakfast and the newspaper. (People still do that, right?)
Time is a strange enigma. At the same time, we're all stuck under the same time constraints and rules, yet, they're so different for all of us. For some, 2nd hour Spanish seems to last forever, while for some 2nd hour Psychology seems to be over in a blink of an eye. While an entire continent is sleeping for 1/3 of their day, there are people, at that very same moment, who are out in the world experiencing new and exciting things and living their life. Sleep, it seems like a waste doesn't it? It never ceases to amaze me how different the world can be even though its basic principles are all the same: Eat, Sleep, Repeat. Every time I go overseas, I feel like I'm cheating the system. In Bulgaria, time being 7 hours behind, the days seem to be longer. I know that's physically impossible but I find it so incredibly exhilirating to know that while I'm out in the world, everyone back in the States is doing nothing, just sleeping. It's all about the sense of fullfillment.
Yet, I never feel the same way here. At this very moment, I am up, I am doing things, I have finished things, and I will do things, all before my family back home has even gotten up out of bed. But I don't feel that same sense of accomplishment. There's nothing special about waking up when you're supposed to, or feeding yourself when you should, or going to school when you have to. That's boring. That happens everyday. The fact of the matter is that, sitting on that plane, and flying across timezones, it's as if one can actually feel time shift by just watching the sunset during takeoff, and the sunrise during landing, all the while being awake through it all and witnessing everything. Not having to waste time, and knowing that the moment you get off that plane, it all starts over again. No time lost. Seeming like you've gained an extra day to live.
**In in no way was I influenced in the writing of this blog by my midnight reading of Slaughter House-Five and Billy Pilgrim being un-stuck in time. Though that sure would be cool, wouldn't it...**
Sunday, February 24, 2013
At this very moment...
At this very moment, I am re-watching last week's episode of Grey's Anatomy as my little sister FaceTimes her boyfriend next to me. At this very moment, my parents are out at a friend's house and they are telling themselves that they will not be long, when in fact, they will be. At this very moment, my aunt and uncle are taking out their little boy to celebrate his third birthday to Crepes & Waffles and he will order the clown ice cream he always does. At this very moment, my big sister is trying to get my restless nephew to sleep and he is resisting, while my aunt takes care of my great-uncle. At this very moment, my cousin Alex is hanging out with her friends in Argentina. At this very moment, my uncle is putting his one month old baby girl to sleep while his wife gets ready for her meeting with the USA embassy tomorrow morning. At this very moment, I am finishing up this blog post.
How to Catch a Legendary Pokemon
While I was puzzling over what to do, trying to choose between two different topics, I eventually went with this one because it's much more straight forward and I just finished doing it (not that it will apply to most of the people who read this blog, sadly). It's just that this is much easier to explain and is much easier to explain than "How to Get Overly Attached to Fictional Characters" (which is pretty much my life in a nutshell).
Anyway, on with the how to!
First: there are two ways this can start. One, if you know that you are going to be coming across this legendary pokemon before you actually do, then the first step would be to stock up on different types of pokeballs (ultra and great are the ones that I usually do, but try getting certain specialty ones too). It's important to have a lot at any given moment, but especially for legendaries, because they'll likely go quite a few of the ones that you buy. This is a step you'd do either way, but it's much easier to do this before you know that you'll be seeing the legendary pokemon.
Second: Approach the area where you'll meet the legendary pokemon. Try to have a pokemon in the front that is good at weakening the pokemon, rather than one that will one hit KO it. Also important is to save in front of the legendary, because then you will be able to go back to there if something goes wrong with catching the legendary pokemon. Then you can approach and initiate the battle.
Third: Once the battle has started you should try weakening the pokemon so that it has low health (ideally in the red, but if not then the orange could be okay as well). Try affecting it with a status like paralysis or sleep, which will make it even weaker and easier to catch. If, and when you get to this point it would most likely be a good idea to switch to one of your pokemon that either has high defense stats or is strong against the pokemon's type, so that it can withstand the attacks the legendary will make while you try to catch it.
Fourth: This is the excruciating part, as you must keep throwing the balls at the legendary. Likely none will work at first, unless you get really lucky. Just keep trying; the odds are against you but if you persevere then you will eventually catch it. This part is more or less entirely luck, so that's why it can get very frustrating at times. Try not to only use one kind of ball, in order to not create patterns (that may or may not be me being overly cautious though).
Fifth: Rejoice, as if you've made it past the last step it means that the pokeball has stopped shaking and you've heard the ding that signals a caught pokemon. Congratulations!
This may not be the most effective way to catch a legendary, it's just the way that I do it (which is more or less just fumbling into it anyway).
Anyway, on with the how to!
First: there are two ways this can start. One, if you know that you are going to be coming across this legendary pokemon before you actually do, then the first step would be to stock up on different types of pokeballs (ultra and great are the ones that I usually do, but try getting certain specialty ones too). It's important to have a lot at any given moment, but especially for legendaries, because they'll likely go quite a few of the ones that you buy. This is a step you'd do either way, but it's much easier to do this before you know that you'll be seeing the legendary pokemon.
Second: Approach the area where you'll meet the legendary pokemon. Try to have a pokemon in the front that is good at weakening the pokemon, rather than one that will one hit KO it. Also important is to save in front of the legendary, because then you will be able to go back to there if something goes wrong with catching the legendary pokemon. Then you can approach and initiate the battle.
Third: Once the battle has started you should try weakening the pokemon so that it has low health (ideally in the red, but if not then the orange could be okay as well). Try affecting it with a status like paralysis or sleep, which will make it even weaker and easier to catch. If, and when you get to this point it would most likely be a good idea to switch to one of your pokemon that either has high defense stats or is strong against the pokemon's type, so that it can withstand the attacks the legendary will make while you try to catch it.
Fourth: This is the excruciating part, as you must keep throwing the balls at the legendary. Likely none will work at first, unless you get really lucky. Just keep trying; the odds are against you but if you persevere then you will eventually catch it. This part is more or less entirely luck, so that's why it can get very frustrating at times. Try not to only use one kind of ball, in order to not create patterns (that may or may not be me being overly cautious though).
Fifth: Rejoice, as if you've made it past the last step it means that the pokeball has stopped shaking and you've heard the ding that signals a caught pokemon. Congratulations!
This may not be the most effective way to catch a legendary, it's just the way that I do it (which is more or less just fumbling into it anyway).
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
How to make cereal
The best snack around, the bowl of cereal. In order to successful prepare and enjoy a delicious bowl of cereal one must follow the following steps very carefully:
1. Get in car and drive to grocery store
2. Get basket as cart won't be necessary for this endeavor.
3. Go directly to cereal aisle, but as you are walking think of what kind of cereal you are going to want as to not be overwhelmed by the endless choices.
4. Choose your delicious cereal.
5. Quickly walk to the dairy section (usually back right corner), and select your milk. (skim for the adults, 2% for the teenage boys, almond, coconut, or soy for the super healthy, and the choices go on and on)
6. Proceed to checkout counter and pay.
7. Let the cashier keep the change.
8. Drive home slightly above the speed limit while also thinking in your head the exact flavors your mouth is about to discover.
9. Park car.
10. Get bowl and spoon.
11. Pour not too much, and not too little cereal in the bowl.
12. THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT STEP!!!!!!!! make sure the milk is right at the level BEFORE the cereal begins to float, as no one wants soggy cereal, but also everyone wants the perfect proportion of milk to cereal in every bite.
13. Let sit for 17 seconds.
14. Take to comfy place.
15. Enjoy.
1. Get in car and drive to grocery store
2. Get basket as cart won't be necessary for this endeavor.
3. Go directly to cereal aisle, but as you are walking think of what kind of cereal you are going to want as to not be overwhelmed by the endless choices.
4. Choose your delicious cereal.
5. Quickly walk to the dairy section (usually back right corner), and select your milk. (skim for the adults, 2% for the teenage boys, almond, coconut, or soy for the super healthy, and the choices go on and on)
6. Proceed to checkout counter and pay.
7. Let the cashier keep the change.
8. Drive home slightly above the speed limit while also thinking in your head the exact flavors your mouth is about to discover.
9. Park car.
10. Get bowl and spoon.
11. Pour not too much, and not too little cereal in the bowl.
12. THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT STEP!!!!!!!! make sure the milk is right at the level BEFORE the cereal begins to float, as no one wants soggy cereal, but also everyone wants the perfect proportion of milk to cereal in every bite.
13. Let sit for 17 seconds.
14. Take to comfy place.
15. Enjoy.
Plastics
The most useful advice I've ever gotten has been to dream reasonably. I understand that people tend to live in a world where they are told to dream big, and they can do anything they want with enough hard work, but frankly that isn't true. There are plenty of things that can't happen. I was once told to dream large, but reasonably. There is no point in working hard to achieve something that isn't possible. You just build yourself up for a let down in setting unreachable goals. This has benefitted me in countless cases in my life. Specifically, when planning to become co-founder of Kids for Kids I had set lofty goals for myself, and through this advice I deemed some of those goals/ideas to be unreachable; therefor, saving me time, energy, resources, and dissapointment, and focusing my energy towards more reachable goals. The point of this advice is not to discourage, but to rather set difficult - self actualized goals, and it has served me well thus far in life.
Monday, February 18, 2013
How to lie
To begin you should know that this ability is not acquired overnight and takes years of practice. It is also fair warning that nobody can tell the perfect lie.
Usually, the more elaborate the lie the more suspicious you sound, so first and foremost 1) KEEP IT SIMPLE.
Everyone is better at lying when they have thought of what to say prior to the lie; although it is possible to get away with "on the spot lies," it is rarely a feat accomplished by amateurs.Therefore, 2) THINK OF SOMETHING BEFOREHAND
Having said that planning is the best way to lie, do not over-plan. A lie seems more credible if there are slight pauses and one has to think to formulate the sentence. The best way to go about planning would be to come up with an outline but don't go so far as having a script. 3) HAVE AN OUTLINE, NOT A SCRIPT
The most important step is 4) BE CONFIDENT WHEN TELLING A LIE. This confidence encompasses a number of things. For example, do not blush or turn red, if this is a natural reflex to lying then you might as well start walking the straight and narrow because you have no business lying. Secondly, a more complex reaction to lying is the racing of the heart, sweating, and general anxiety; these are more difficult symptoms to overcome, but a master liar is able to remain calm and stable with ease. Finally, have faith that the person who you are telling the lie to will believe it. If you think they will reject what you say then you will reject what you say and you are more likely to reveal the lie.
Remember, lying is a dangerous business and it is not for the feint of heart. If you are caught in a lie then your options are limited. It is up to you at that point to make a judgement call about what your play should be. Keep in mind the severity of the lie, what the lie has changed, and most of all, who you are lying to.
Usually, the more elaborate the lie the more suspicious you sound, so first and foremost 1) KEEP IT SIMPLE.
Everyone is better at lying when they have thought of what to say prior to the lie; although it is possible to get away with "on the spot lies," it is rarely a feat accomplished by amateurs.Therefore, 2) THINK OF SOMETHING BEFOREHAND
Having said that planning is the best way to lie, do not over-plan. A lie seems more credible if there are slight pauses and one has to think to formulate the sentence. The best way to go about planning would be to come up with an outline but don't go so far as having a script. 3) HAVE AN OUTLINE, NOT A SCRIPT
The most important step is 4) BE CONFIDENT WHEN TELLING A LIE. This confidence encompasses a number of things. For example, do not blush or turn red, if this is a natural reflex to lying then you might as well start walking the straight and narrow because you have no business lying. Secondly, a more complex reaction to lying is the racing of the heart, sweating, and general anxiety; these are more difficult symptoms to overcome, but a master liar is able to remain calm and stable with ease. Finally, have faith that the person who you are telling the lie to will believe it. If you think they will reject what you say then you will reject what you say and you are more likely to reveal the lie.
Remember, lying is a dangerous business and it is not for the feint of heart. If you are caught in a lie then your options are limited. It is up to you at that point to make a judgement call about what your play should be. Keep in mind the severity of the lie, what the lie has changed, and most of all, who you are lying to.
How to..
How to throw a football
1. Hold the football in your dominant hand
2. Position your hand so that only your ring finger and pinky are on the laces
3. Have your ring finger on the lace closest to you, and your pinky on the lace that is third closest to you
4. Bring the ball up to beside your ear, with your hand in a c shape
5. Bring the non dominant hand up to also touch the ball
6. Have the non dominant elbow be a guide for the ball, so have it up and pointing at where you will throw
7. Throw the ball but let it slide of your finger tips so it can have a spiral
8. Be sure to follow through so the ball goes to the target
1. Hold the football in your dominant hand
2. Position your hand so that only your ring finger and pinky are on the laces
3. Have your ring finger on the lace closest to you, and your pinky on the lace that is third closest to you
4. Bring the ball up to beside your ear, with your hand in a c shape
5. Bring the non dominant hand up to also touch the ball
6. Have the non dominant elbow be a guide for the ball, so have it up and pointing at where you will throw
7. Throw the ball but let it slide of your finger tips so it can have a spiral
8. Be sure to follow through so the ball goes to the target
Assignment 20: Right Now
At this very moment, somewhere in the universe...
Minimum of 150 words - due Sunday, March 3rd at 11:59 pm
Sunday, February 17, 2013
How To Always Have "Fun Facts" To Tell
I typically do a song lyric title but I wanted it to be easy for my other peers to tell what my blog was about. But I still have a song! It's one I listen to daily and it instantly came to mind because it's full of "Fun Facts" about the singer, whether they be true or not.
Everything is Alright By: Motion City Soundtrack
I love things that I call "fun facts". Any little random things, for me, can be fun facts. Saying a simple statement that is true is just ehh, average and what people expect but when you end that same simple, true statement with fun fact, it changes the whole dynamic of what you just said.
So:
1) Every time you read a fact that doesn't seem widely known- lock it in memory.
2) The facts can be about anything but animal ones typically go over well.
3) If you are going to do a fun fact about yourself, choose very average things that may be obvious or unknown. Typically ones that seem like bragging just sound like even more bragging.
Ex: Fun Fact, I had tacos for dinner last night.(Not true but I wish it was.)
4) Switch up where you put Fun Fact- either at the beginning or end.
5) Be able to have a source to back up your fact and if it turns out to be wrong, be able to handle the ridicule or mockery.
6) Once you are really good at it you can turn anything into a Fun Fact, even things other people say.
Happy Trails!
Everything is Alright By: Motion City Soundtrack
I love things that I call "fun facts". Any little random things, for me, can be fun facts. Saying a simple statement that is true is just ehh, average and what people expect but when you end that same simple, true statement with fun fact, it changes the whole dynamic of what you just said.
So:
1) Every time you read a fact that doesn't seem widely known- lock it in memory.
2) The facts can be about anything but animal ones typically go over well.
3) If you are going to do a fun fact about yourself, choose very average things that may be obvious or unknown. Typically ones that seem like bragging just sound like even more bragging.
Ex: Fun Fact, I had tacos for dinner last night.(Not true but I wish it was.)
4) Switch up where you put Fun Fact- either at the beginning or end.
5) Be able to have a source to back up your fact and if it turns out to be wrong, be able to handle the ridicule or mockery.
6) Once you are really good at it you can turn anything into a Fun Fact, even things other people say.
Happy Trails!
How to...
...get a scuba certification. I am doing this because this morning i completed my scuba certifification. Step 1: go to a training course. This will be a 4 class course that covers all of the skills you will need to safely dive arpund the world. Step 2: go to do your open water dive certification. this includes 4 open water dives in real conditions so you can make sure that you have mastered all of the skills you learned in the pool training. Step 3: go all over the world and enjoy the new ability ypu have to explore underwater worlds that few people can actually experience.
how to decorate your room
I've been looking for room decorations for about 4 years now. While that might seem like a pretty long time, not all of it was very active. some of it was strictly searching for the right feel of what i wanted.
- figure out what idea you want to radiate through your room. for me, it's calming birds, or trees, or blue/gray. it's soft. for my brother, it's sporadic, random, anti-matching, anything-but-the-same designs. he doesn't want anything to be the same color, either. red lights? no red sheets. find what you want to express, whether it's with your personality in mind, or a feeling you want to get when you enter your room.
- get your parents to agree, if your at home, or get ready to pay for a lot of stuff. if you're like me, you'll be rational about what you get in your room. for example, don't choose dark paint if your parents are planning on a) selling the house soon, b) renting out your room when you move out, or c) telling you no to dark paint. be reasonable about your requests. OR if you are planning on paying for all of your choices, make sure not to spend more $$ than you have.
- collect "art." it doesn't have to be a traditional painting; it could be wall decals or stuff you find on the side of the road but think is actually really cool.
- pick out your bedding. this is what took me so long. i had to find a comforter that was soft enough to sleep with but matched my theme enough to be okay. it also had to be cheap since i was the one paying for this. you'll also need pillows. make sure your pillow fits your sleeping style; some are better suited for back sleepers, while others are softer for belly sleepers. (PSA THIS IS BAD FOR YOUR BACK. IT WILL MAKE IT TOO ARCHED.) then there are also the decorative pillows. it helps if they differ in design and size.
- have enough storage space. make sure you have places for all of your clothes (like in a chest or drawer or closet) and for your technology (dvd player or computer). you want to be able to see your floor.
- DECORATE. put everything in its proper place and then fall on your bed. just do it.
-Callie
ps ok ur done ur welcome xoxo courtney
how to..
how to paint your nails! I may not be the best at it, but i was just thinking about how i needed to paint them. might as well do my blog on it as well. first, pick out a nice color. This seems simpler than it actually is. When picking one out, you need to keep in mind which colors are in season. For example, in the winter darker colors look better. Also be aware of how the color goes with skin tones, things like that. after you've picked out a color, shake the bottle. when it hasnt been used lately, the polish can separate. using swift, even strokes, cover the entire nail with a thin layer of polish. after finishing both hands, go back over with another coat. using multiple thin coats helps the polish dry faster than globbing it all on at once. after thats all finished, paint on a clear coat. it keeps the color on longer and less likely to chip (you can put a clear coat on before the actual color, too, to prevent nail dyeing. but who's got time for that?) after all the painting is done, lets face it, youve got color all over your fingers too. once the polish is completely dry, soak your hands in warm water for a little bit. when you take them out, the polish will peal right off your fingers but stay on the nail. wam, you're done. beautiful nails.
How to...
Shop at the Peddler's Mall...
Okay so you want to go to the best retail place in the city, right? You've got some money and you want to maximize your purchasing power and get completely unique stuff. Of course you will go to the Peddler's Mall... but how exactly does one go about it best?
It's an interesting (and kind of intimidating) experience. The first thing you'll have to do is budget at least three hours for a comprehensive trip. The building looks massive on the inside, but i can promise you it seems so much bigger inside. The whole building is packed in every foot of available space with stuff for sale and the layout is so confusing you are almost guaranteed to get lost during your first trip. That brings me to the second step - move through the store in a consistent pattern. That is the only way to make sure you see everything without getting lost. Circle around the building, weave up and down aisles, do whatever you have to do but be consistent. Make sure you check the upstairs and adjacent buildings. What you see when you walk in is about a third of the entire place, like I said, it is huge.
When it comes to what to bring, I suggest bringing a minimum of 20 dollars. Fifty is better and can get you nearly any medium or small sized thing you are looking for (for example I found a cast iron wood burning stove from the '30s for only forty dollars, and a fully functioning 1940s typewriter for 45 dollars, they have more expensive items like katanas for 60 and some larger/older/rarer items go up to around 125, but there is rarely anything past that. However, there's an antiques section that I've never been in to since everything there is completely out of my price range.) I'd also suggest wearing older clothes you don't mind getting dusty or dirty. The stuff you'll find is old and its beat up. Some of the things you touch will rub off on you. Try to touch things as little as possible and never buy stuffed animals or blankets (or clothes) from there. You have no idea what has happened to these things, and fabrics are a lot harder to clean than wood, plastic, metal, etc. This is especially true with stuffed animals, which hold really gross stuff deep within the stuffing for decades.
Finally, don't torment your friends. You'll find some creepy things (torn up abandoned strollers that are at least 60 years old, mirrors that you'd expect Bloody Mary to pop up in, and hundreds of evil looking dolls.) If your friend gets freaked out leave them alone and don't force them into really freaky stalls filled with satanic looking dolls that are most likely haunted with the spirit of some angry 80 year dead child.
Follow those rules and you'll have the best shopping experience this city has to offer. Happy hunting!
Okay so you want to go to the best retail place in the city, right? You've got some money and you want to maximize your purchasing power and get completely unique stuff. Of course you will go to the Peddler's Mall... but how exactly does one go about it best?
It's an interesting (and kind of intimidating) experience. The first thing you'll have to do is budget at least three hours for a comprehensive trip. The building looks massive on the inside, but i can promise you it seems so much bigger inside. The whole building is packed in every foot of available space with stuff for sale and the layout is so confusing you are almost guaranteed to get lost during your first trip. That brings me to the second step - move through the store in a consistent pattern. That is the only way to make sure you see everything without getting lost. Circle around the building, weave up and down aisles, do whatever you have to do but be consistent. Make sure you check the upstairs and adjacent buildings. What you see when you walk in is about a third of the entire place, like I said, it is huge.
When it comes to what to bring, I suggest bringing a minimum of 20 dollars. Fifty is better and can get you nearly any medium or small sized thing you are looking for (for example I found a cast iron wood burning stove from the '30s for only forty dollars, and a fully functioning 1940s typewriter for 45 dollars, they have more expensive items like katanas for 60 and some larger/older/rarer items go up to around 125, but there is rarely anything past that. However, there's an antiques section that I've never been in to since everything there is completely out of my price range.) I'd also suggest wearing older clothes you don't mind getting dusty or dirty. The stuff you'll find is old and its beat up. Some of the things you touch will rub off on you. Try to touch things as little as possible and never buy stuffed animals or blankets (or clothes) from there. You have no idea what has happened to these things, and fabrics are a lot harder to clean than wood, plastic, metal, etc. This is especially true with stuffed animals, which hold really gross stuff deep within the stuffing for decades.
Finally, don't torment your friends. You'll find some creepy things (torn up abandoned strollers that are at least 60 years old, mirrors that you'd expect Bloody Mary to pop up in, and hundreds of evil looking dolls.) If your friend gets freaked out leave them alone and don't force them into really freaky stalls filled with satanic looking dolls that are most likely haunted with the spirit of some angry 80 year dead child.
Follow those rules and you'll have the best shopping experience this city has to offer. Happy hunting!
How to...
... make a blog post for Mr. Logsdon's class. Okay, I know this is lame, but I can't think of anything that I can do at the moment and I'm a pretty lame person. So, without further ado, here is how to create a weekly(ish), 150 word blog post:
1. Sit down (preferably at a computer).
2. Turn on the computer/open the laptop.
3. Open whatever you use to get to the Internet and make your way to your blog on the blogger website (TIP: I have the link to the blog bookmarked on my computer. It saves some time I guess).
4. Find the prompt for that week and read over it carefully. Usually, the blogs are very straightforward and do not require a lot of research or critical thinking. Ideas about what you are going to write about should be popping into your head as you read the task. If not, read over it a few times and, since you all are interesting and intelligent students, you'll eventually think of something. If you still have no ideas after a few minutes, try to think of something funny and creative that others normally wouldn't think of, or resort to writing about something lame, just like I'm doing right now. Now you have your idea. YAY.
5. Click the "Create New Post" link and your canvas for your literary masterpiece will be displayed for you.
6. Give your blog post a title. It can be anywhere from the name that Mr. Logsdon posted for the assignment to something super witty and creative. I prefer a straightforward title so that I can skim through the page and quickly see which posts I would like to read without having to start each one (no offense to anyone.. I love you all).
7. WRITE WRITE WRITE. You have a minimum of 150 words to express your deepest feelings that the prompt has stirred up inside of you. Be creative. Don't be afraid of what people will think of you, since you pretty much know everyone who would read your blog. Depending on how much you like the topic and how much you want to write, the post could take you anywhere from three to twenty seven minutes (I really don't know, but just don't spend all night writing one post).
8. CHECK YOUR SPELLING. PLEASE.
9. Once you are happy with your post, click the "Publish" button and WHA LA (I'm not sure if that's how you spell that but I'm almost done). Your work is now available for everyone on the blog to see.
I'm sorry if this was kind of sarcastic and snarky. I'm tired.
1. Sit down (preferably at a computer).
2. Turn on the computer/open the laptop.
3. Open whatever you use to get to the Internet and make your way to your blog on the blogger website (TIP: I have the link to the blog bookmarked on my computer. It saves some time I guess).
4. Find the prompt for that week and read over it carefully. Usually, the blogs are very straightforward and do not require a lot of research or critical thinking. Ideas about what you are going to write about should be popping into your head as you read the task. If not, read over it a few times and, since you all are interesting and intelligent students, you'll eventually think of something. If you still have no ideas after a few minutes, try to think of something funny and creative that others normally wouldn't think of, or resort to writing about something lame, just like I'm doing right now. Now you have your idea. YAY.
5. Click the "Create New Post" link and your canvas for your literary masterpiece will be displayed for you.
6. Give your blog post a title. It can be anywhere from the name that Mr. Logsdon posted for the assignment to something super witty and creative. I prefer a straightforward title so that I can skim through the page and quickly see which posts I would like to read without having to start each one (no offense to anyone.. I love you all).
7. WRITE WRITE WRITE. You have a minimum of 150 words to express your deepest feelings that the prompt has stirred up inside of you. Be creative. Don't be afraid of what people will think of you, since you pretty much know everyone who would read your blog. Depending on how much you like the topic and how much you want to write, the post could take you anywhere from three to twenty seven minutes (I really don't know, but just don't spend all night writing one post).
8. CHECK YOUR SPELLING. PLEASE.
9. Once you are happy with your post, click the "Publish" button and WHA LA (I'm not sure if that's how you spell that but I'm almost done). Your work is now available for everyone on the blog to see.
I'm sorry if this was kind of sarcastic and snarky. I'm tired.
Well this is ironic
Pretty much everyone who knows me will tell you I am a tad forgetful. However I would also assert that they also will tell you I know a lot of things. Random prices of information I mean and so I thought I could teach how I do that.
1. Figure out what works for you. I mean as in for me reading and hearing are extremely effective as far as remembering what i learned. However for others writing down things (taking notes) or doing something (expirementing) are more effective. This is really the most important thing to do because if you can't learn the right way you never get good at knowing stuff.
2. Find something you are interested in. I mean I am kind of epicurean and like to know useless stuff so that comes easy. But not everyone want to know things that don't matter to normal life, like the hierarchy of objects in the universe (as in filaments, superclusters, clusters, galaxies, etc.) so finding something you like will help.
3. Try a method of loci. I do this when I read something very detail oriented and it helps a lot. What you do is you think of a subject like a room full of filing cabinets. Each cabinet is a different color so you can remember them easier. In each filing cabinet you have a specific facet of the topic like if me subject was Abe Lincoln one topic would be general info (birth and death dates, ect.) while another might be the Gettysburg address. This helps keep stuff straight in your head and I find it useful on detailed stuff (biology for example).
4. Brute force. The last thing to do is just keep forcing things into your head like read something quiz yourself and if you aren't satisfied with the results do it again.
1. Figure out what works for you. I mean as in for me reading and hearing are extremely effective as far as remembering what i learned. However for others writing down things (taking notes) or doing something (expirementing) are more effective. This is really the most important thing to do because if you can't learn the right way you never get good at knowing stuff.
2. Find something you are interested in. I mean I am kind of epicurean and like to know useless stuff so that comes easy. But not everyone want to know things that don't matter to normal life, like the hierarchy of objects in the universe (as in filaments, superclusters, clusters, galaxies, etc.) so finding something you like will help.
3. Try a method of loci. I do this when I read something very detail oriented and it helps a lot. What you do is you think of a subject like a room full of filing cabinets. Each cabinet is a different color so you can remember them easier. In each filing cabinet you have a specific facet of the topic like if me subject was Abe Lincoln one topic would be general info (birth and death dates, ect.) while another might be the Gettysburg address. This helps keep stuff straight in your head and I find it useful on detailed stuff (biology for example).
4. Brute force. The last thing to do is just keep forcing things into your head like read something quiz yourself and if you aren't satisfied with the results do it again.
How to… Cut an Avocado!
Have you ever tried to bite into an avocado? I’m hoping your
answer is no because avocados have pits that hard and cannot be cut through
easily. So how do you cut an avocado properly?
First, wash your avocado thoroughly, nothing is worse than a
dirty avocado. Now, marvel at the beauty of your avocado (ok, so maybe you can
skip this part).
Next, wash your knife, nothing is worse than a dirty knife
(that’s a lie, a dirty avocado is worse).
Now, hold your avocado and cut it vertically, make sure your
knife hits the pit gently. Slowly turn your avocado so you have scored the
whole fruit.
Put your knife down and hold the halves of your fruit in two
hands. Turn one half away from you and the other towards you. Gently pull the
halves apart.
You now have a cut avocado! What about that pit? Take
a spoon and scoop it out, if your avocado is ripe enough it should come out
cleanly.
How to get a (minimum wage) job
For those of you who don't know, I've been working at Chick-fil-A since freshman year. While it may not be a high-end job, it's the perfect one for teenagers like us who need a little bit of money on the side. For those of you still needing that money on the side but not wanting a full-time job and are having trouble getting it, follow these credentials and you might just get it! (no promises though)
1. Pick the place where you can see yourself working at for at least a year and make sure that they are hiring.
You don't want to settle for any old place. Working somewhere that you can't stand would absolutely suck, and you should at least be able to enjoy yourself a little bit.
2. Retrieve the application. You probably won't get anywhere without this.
3. Fill out the app with as many good things as you can of yourself. But don't try too hard. Companies want employees that stand out, but that don't sound pretentious.
5. Turn in the app.
At this point, you have to be very patient with the establishment. When I applied for my job, I waited almost 4 months for them to reply back to me, but this was because they weren't hiring at the time I applied, and I had honestly forgotten I had applied.
When the company finally replies to you because of your awesomely-filled out application, they are probably going to ask you for an interview. You're now in the final stages of getting your job.
6. Dress nicely for the interview; it's not wise to show up in sweatpants or the clothes you wore to practice.
7. Answer the questions truthfully, yet thoughtfully, and listen intent-fully. And smile. They could ask you about your previous experiences in the field that you are applying for, or ask you random ones, like one thing you could change in the world.
8. After rocking the interview, they might just give you the job on the spot, and then you can go home rejoicing. Or they might say no... In this case, don't take it personally (it's just business), and apply for the next job.
Hopefully these tips help for those of you struggling to get a job. Just remember to be persistent and keep a smile on your face.
1. Pick the place where you can see yourself working at for at least a year and make sure that they are hiring.
You don't want to settle for any old place. Working somewhere that you can't stand would absolutely suck, and you should at least be able to enjoy yourself a little bit.
2. Retrieve the application. You probably won't get anywhere without this.
3. Fill out the app with as many good things as you can of yourself. But don't try too hard. Companies want employees that stand out, but that don't sound pretentious.
5. Turn in the app.
At this point, you have to be very patient with the establishment. When I applied for my job, I waited almost 4 months for them to reply back to me, but this was because they weren't hiring at the time I applied, and I had honestly forgotten I had applied.
When the company finally replies to you because of your awesomely-filled out application, they are probably going to ask you for an interview. You're now in the final stages of getting your job.
6. Dress nicely for the interview; it's not wise to show up in sweatpants or the clothes you wore to practice.
7. Answer the questions truthfully, yet thoughtfully, and listen intent-fully. And smile. They could ask you about your previous experiences in the field that you are applying for, or ask you random ones, like one thing you could change in the world.
8. After rocking the interview, they might just give you the job on the spot, and then you can go home rejoicing. Or they might say no... In this case, don't take it personally (it's just business), and apply for the next job.
Hopefully these tips help for those of you struggling to get a job. Just remember to be persistent and keep a smile on your face.
How to...
Okay, so I'm having trouble thinking of stuff that I can do. Unfortunately, there's not much I can do. However, I seem to be pretty good at learning languages so I'm going to run with that.
When learning a language, the number one way of improving is to speak it as much as you can. Even if later you realize that it didn't make sense or that you were mispronouncing something. Speak it at home, talk to your family in whatever language you're learning, even if they don't understand I have learned that they eventually catch on to what you're saying. Even if you're just talking to yourself. Do it. Whether in the shower, in bed, in front of the mirror. It doesn't matter. Just do it.
Another thing that is of the utmost importance is to integrate it into your life as much as possible. For example, when you sit down to watch your shows, put the subtitles in that language. When you watch a movie, watch in that language with English subtitles. Or you can go even further and find shows from countries that speak that language and watch those instead of Glee or whatever. TV isn't the only way either. You can also jam to foreign music (it really is pretty great) while you do homework, when you're getting ready for school or even when you're going to bed. Find a group or multiple group that you like and listen to them, learn their songs. Listening to music can help you learn expression as well with pronunciation. And it's just fun.
Ta-da.
I realize that you can't like follow these steps and just "BAM" you know a language, but I've found that they certainly help.
When learning a language, the number one way of improving is to speak it as much as you can. Even if later you realize that it didn't make sense or that you were mispronouncing something. Speak it at home, talk to your family in whatever language you're learning, even if they don't understand I have learned that they eventually catch on to what you're saying. Even if you're just talking to yourself. Do it. Whether in the shower, in bed, in front of the mirror. It doesn't matter. Just do it.
Another thing that is of the utmost importance is to integrate it into your life as much as possible. For example, when you sit down to watch your shows, put the subtitles in that language. When you watch a movie, watch in that language with English subtitles. Or you can go even further and find shows from countries that speak that language and watch those instead of Glee or whatever. TV isn't the only way either. You can also jam to foreign music (it really is pretty great) while you do homework, when you're getting ready for school or even when you're going to bed. Find a group or multiple group that you like and listen to them, learn their songs. Listening to music can help you learn expression as well with pronunciation. And it's just fun.
Ta-da.
I realize that you can't like follow these steps and just "BAM" you know a language, but I've found that they certainly help.
How to pack for a short trip
I like to pretend that I am extremely well-traveled and that I know everything about it. I don’t. But two nights ago I had to help my sister pack for her trip to Colorado. (I know, I think its crazy too.) And while I was helping her pack I realized that I’m pretty awesome at it. Particularly at fitting a massive amount of stuff into a carry on.
Step one: Plan out how long you will be gone for. If it
is a normal trip you will need one outfit per day. Take layers. If you are
going to Europe don’t wear things with words on them, they scream that you are
an American and a tourist and no
self-respecting European can stand that. Trust me, I learned the hard way. In
summer bring shorts and pants no matter where you are going and in winter bring
coats, a hat and gloves.
Step two: Plan one or two fancy outfits. It’s a good back
up.
Step three: Decide what shoes are comfortable and not
hideous. Those’ll do. Then bring one pair that is not so comfortable but better
looking. Don’t bring more than three pairs. Just don’t.
Step four: Gather all of your toiletries and always bring
sunscreen if you are in danger of becoming a lobster like me or don’t want to
get skin cancer. Put all of the liquids in a court size bag and put them in
your purse/most accessible thing when you are tripping around security trying
to take off your sweater, watch and shoes at the same time. Put the rest of the
stuff in another bag.
Step five: Gather anything else you have to have. This
actually means have to have and not every book and movie you can find as my
sister believes.
Step six: Lay everything out on your bed or floor or
something. Start with what you won’t need the most and put the most necessary
items on the top. Put your shoes in bags or something and throw and extra bag
in there for dirty laundry. Roll your clothes instead of folding them because
you can fit in more and they get fewer wrinkles.
Step seven: This is what I have the most trouble with.
Leave space for whatever it is that you will most definitely buy while you are
on your trip.
Step eight: Lay everything out. Make sure your
passport/id, tickets and wallet are in your purse or whatever you are carrying.
Don’t forget your phone or keys or any of that important stuff and throw in a
snack that will not be taken from you at security. Lay out your travel clothes
and stuff and put everything in one place. Don’t forget to set your alarm so
all of that was not for nothing.
*Last year when we were getting ready to go to Spain my
teacher gave me a good tip. Pick one color for your trip and plan all of your
outfits based on that color. Its easier that way.
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Bucket List
1. Before I finish high school, I would like to commit to a college for lacrosse. This has been my goal for a long time now. I would also like to travel as much as I can. One of my favorite things is going to places I have never been. My other interests include volunteer work. I love helping out at Cross Roads Christian Churh and working with Kids for Kids.
2. In college I want to study abroad, play lacrosse and stay commited to Kids for Kids. Playing a sport, running a chairty, and maintaining good grades will be a diffiuclt goal to follow through on. Additionally, I am working on a business plan to start my first company by the end of my sophomore year of college. Also, I would love to have my first internship with a hedgefund the summer after my senior year of High School. Ultimately, if I can travel whilst accomplishing all of this, I would consider myself to be extremely successful in accomplishing my goals.
3. For my life long goals it is huge for me to do the obvious of getting married and starting a family. In addition I plan on starting my own micro-hedgefund conceptual business once I have solid capital for it. Also, I would love to have the ability to go to Taft graduate School of Business, or get a graduate degree from the Wharton School of business soon after my college days. I would also love to go cage diving with Great Whites in South Africa, and have the opportunity to travel the world with my family experiencing all types of cuisine, and cultures.
2. In college I want to study abroad, play lacrosse and stay commited to Kids for Kids. Playing a sport, running a chairty, and maintaining good grades will be a diffiuclt goal to follow through on. Additionally, I am working on a business plan to start my first company by the end of my sophomore year of college. Also, I would love to have my first internship with a hedgefund the summer after my senior year of High School. Ultimately, if I can travel whilst accomplishing all of this, I would consider myself to be extremely successful in accomplishing my goals.
3. For my life long goals it is huge for me to do the obvious of getting married and starting a family. In addition I plan on starting my own micro-hedgefund conceptual business once I have solid capital for it. Also, I would love to have the ability to go to Taft graduate School of Business, or get a graduate degree from the Wharton School of business soon after my college days. I would also love to go cage diving with Great Whites in South Africa, and have the opportunity to travel the world with my family experiencing all types of cuisine, and cultures.
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Flashback
*A Tribute to Mr. Lentz and 9th Grade English*
I'm sure Sophia will appreciate this one...
How to Embarrass Your Friends
Do your friends make you mad? Do you want to get them back for something they did to you? Do they return your copy of Indiana Jones Raiders of The Lost Ark DVD scratched? Or, are they just stupid? Follow this quick-and-easy how-to and learn how to get them back for all the grief they've caused you!
1. Locate your target. This can typically range anywhere from a best friend to an enemy. If you're into revenge and that kind of stuff, go the enemy route. But if you enjoy some harmless fun, your best pick would be a close friend. The tend to provide you with the most reaction.
2. Learn their schedule by heart. Know what time they get up in the morning. When they eat breakfast (what they eat?) Where they park their car. What kind of car do they drive? Commit these facts to memeory. In no way will you be able to plan your attack if you cannot guess their next move, even before they think of. Plus, this gives you the added bonus of snooping into their personal life, which is always entertaining.
3. Now that you have learned their schedule by heart, it is now time to dig even deeper. Find out their deepest, darkest secret. Are they cheating on their respective other? Did they cheat on that last history test? Smuggling illegal immigrants across the border? Whatever it may be, make sure it's BIG.
4. You have your victim, and their secret. Now comes the time to pick the location. It is absolutely detrimental to the embarrassing that the place where you choose for it to happen to be public. Masses of people should be there to witness it. Think of it this way: embarrass your friend in his/her car when its just the two of you? Big Whoop. But, embarrass him/her at a public event. with all of their friends/teachers/acquaintances/rivals/church pastors - Now that, dear friend, would be hysterical. In the end it's up to you just how much embarrassment you wish your friend to suffer.
5. Time to put your plan in action: set everything up and arrange to meet your friend. Your last step is to actually come up with the way in which you will embarrass your friend - this is all on you. I don't know your personal life - the method of embarrassment is highly subjective and depends entirely on the situation. You know your friend better than I do - and from all that snooping, you should know what makes them tick by now!
I appreciate the time taken to read this and for now, I leave you with one last piece of advice: Apologize. I understand it was probably meant as a joke, but just to be safe and to avoid any law suits, make sure your friend knows that too. Tell them they shouldn't feel bad about it, that it's something they should probable get used to. Best of Luck!
*Disclaimer: I by no means endorse the embarrassing of one's friends and cannot be held liable for any damage or trauma suffered*
I'm sure Sophia will appreciate this one...
How to Embarrass Your Friends
Do your friends make you mad? Do you want to get them back for something they did to you? Do they return your copy of Indiana Jones Raiders of The Lost Ark DVD scratched? Or, are they just stupid? Follow this quick-and-easy how-to and learn how to get them back for all the grief they've caused you!
1. Locate your target. This can typically range anywhere from a best friend to an enemy. If you're into revenge and that kind of stuff, go the enemy route. But if you enjoy some harmless fun, your best pick would be a close friend. The tend to provide you with the most reaction.
2. Learn their schedule by heart. Know what time they get up in the morning. When they eat breakfast (what they eat?) Where they park their car. What kind of car do they drive? Commit these facts to memeory. In no way will you be able to plan your attack if you cannot guess their next move, even before they think of. Plus, this gives you the added bonus of snooping into their personal life, which is always entertaining.
3. Now that you have learned their schedule by heart, it is now time to dig even deeper. Find out their deepest, darkest secret. Are they cheating on their respective other? Did they cheat on that last history test? Smuggling illegal immigrants across the border? Whatever it may be, make sure it's BIG.
4. You have your victim, and their secret. Now comes the time to pick the location. It is absolutely detrimental to the embarrassing that the place where you choose for it to happen to be public. Masses of people should be there to witness it. Think of it this way: embarrass your friend in his/her car when its just the two of you? Big Whoop. But, embarrass him/her at a public event. with all of their friends/teachers/acquaintances/rivals/church pastors - Now that, dear friend, would be hysterical. In the end it's up to you just how much embarrassment you wish your friend to suffer.
5. Time to put your plan in action: set everything up and arrange to meet your friend. Your last step is to actually come up with the way in which you will embarrass your friend - this is all on you. I don't know your personal life - the method of embarrassment is highly subjective and depends entirely on the situation. You know your friend better than I do - and from all that snooping, you should know what makes them tick by now!
I appreciate the time taken to read this and for now, I leave you with one last piece of advice: Apologize. I understand it was probably meant as a joke, but just to be safe and to avoid any law suits, make sure your friend knows that too. Tell them they shouldn't feel bad about it, that it's something they should probable get used to. Best of Luck!
*Disclaimer: I by no means endorse the embarrassing of one's friends and cannot be held liable for any damage or trauma suffered*
Monday, February 11, 2013
Assignment 19: How to...
Hide not your talents, they for use were made. What's a sundial in the shade?
--Benjamin Franklin
--Benjamin Franklin
Ben makes a good point. For this week, put your gifts and skills on display by developing a "how-to."Choose something that you have a level of expertise in and explain step by step how it is done.
No repeats though! If two people are both really talented at making ice and one beats the other to the post on "How to make ice..." then, second person - you need to reflect upon your other talents.
So, stop standing in the shade and astound us!
Thursday, February 7, 2013
tennessee ain't that bad
I learned a lot from my old friend Jacob Hall. He and I met at a church summer camp before my freshman year, and he was going to be a senior. he was like a big brother to me, always looking out for me and giving me advice. sometimes he would call me for the advice. it was a really good friendship. anyway, he taught me a lot about life. he showed me how to have appropriate fun. he made his own music videos sometimes, and we always got a kick out of them. anyway, he was a good friend, a teacher. the main thing he made sure to teach me was how to be an independent person.
jacob knew that i was a very dependent person, whether it was on my family, friends, or pre-planned future. with that learned independence i was able to step back from what i thought i was and figure out who i really am. and that's great. there isn't a day that goes by without me thinking of that in some way. but the part of that advice and lesson i'm most grateful for is the implicit one. not only did i learn how to be independent, but i learned when to be. i am all the wiser about dependency and when it's perfectly appropriate. i know when independence in key.
jacob was a cool guy. thanks, jacob.
jacob knew that i was a very dependent person, whether it was on my family, friends, or pre-planned future. with that learned independence i was able to step back from what i thought i was and figure out who i really am. and that's great. there isn't a day that goes by without me thinking of that in some way. but the part of that advice and lesson i'm most grateful for is the implicit one. not only did i learn how to be independent, but i learned when to be. i am all the wiser about dependency and when it's perfectly appropriate. i know when independence in key.
jacob was a cool guy. thanks, jacob.
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Advice
Between my father and my uncle Rodger, I have had quite an impressive amount of lectures given to me. Whether these be based on a story or just a simple life lesson, they all have a morale, or what I call advice. Most people give advice somewhere along the lines of "carpe diem," which means 'seize the day.' Cliche, yes. Helpful, also yes. Now I'm not one who likes to be cliche, but the best advice I have ever received is, in fact, similar to "carpe diem." The most helpful few words I have ever stumbled upon are "just do it." Yes, this is the slogan of mega sportswear manufacturer Nike, but this is only a coincidence. Ironically, I do a horrible job of following this advice. For those who don't know me too well, I lead a relatively boring life. This is not to say I don't enjoy my life, but I don't feel as though I live close enough to 'the edge' as I should. For those who do know me well, you would probably agree that the reason my life is "boring" is because I am far too analytic. I am always the one who thinks of the consequences, never the one who convinces all of his friends to 'take the leap' and "just do it." While some adults (my parents) would call this 'maturity,' although even at that they don't respect it very much, most others (my friends) would call it 'un-funness.' And they have a point. I can be un-fun, and I hate that. In my experience, there have been no better, more fun times than when I have decided to "just do it." So, even though I suck at adhering to it, "just do it" is the best advice that I have ever been given/come across.
Plastics (Blog #18)
So, after a good, long, seven minutes of thinking, I've come to the realization that one: I'd better type something here lest I receive a zero for this assignment, and two: I am much too easily influenced by others, especially authority figures. Much of my current behavior stems from things taught in my elementary and middle school years, whether it be the obsession with washing my hands before meals (to the point where I made sure to wash my hands ten seconds longer during the winter due to the colder weather) because of a few videos that we watched in first grade to the odd choice to carefully monitor what I ate from second grade on because of a "health day," to the thankfully more pertinent lessons that taught us to keep away from harmful drugs. Unlike quite a few of my peers who witnessed similar videos, I have continued to keep such lessons in mind throughout my daily life. There are even a few outdated principles tied to my religion that few people my age still abide by that I do. Sometimes I even wonder if some of my opinions are truly self-made, simply due to the influence of friends and family, or were crafted by authority figures in my life. Seeing as how I am going to be eighteen in less than half a year, I will need to begin developing my own opinions based more so on facts than on the influence of others, something that I should have been doing quite a while ago. That is not to say that the advice of others cannot play a role in my decision making or my life in general, but I need to learn just how much influence I let such advice have, and most importantly, I need to learn how to make concrete, definite decisions without being too heavily influenced by others if need be.
Roll with the punches
"Roll with the punches" is one of the best pieces of advice I have gotten. It tells me to weather the storm and persevere through anything, even when things may seem awful. This advice has gotten me through many things involving adversity. Instead of going straight up against the adversity, that advice told me to maneuver with the adversity. For example, when I got demoted and had my position changed in football (this isn't a very deep example) I rolled with the punch and continued to grind. Because I didnt let it phase me, I became a starter at defensive end by the end of the season and playoffs, even though I am one of the lightest kids on the team (155 pounds strong). If I had let that "punch" knock me down, I wouldn't have accomplished what I did.
#18
My grandfather is one of my favorite relatives. He doesnt live in lexington so i dont get to see him very often. He's the one who says don't embarrass the family name. Without fail, he will tell me this every time we visit. My mom says he would tell her the same when she was younger. Im not sure whether this is the best advice ive ever been given, but it is the only one that has always stuck with me. My actions dont always effect only me, but others as well. I should think twice before i do anything. Still being young, taking risks and making stupid decisions are expected every once in awhile. I won't be caring about how they make me seem to others. But whether i care about how i look to others, I should always keep my parents in mind, since although most of us hate to admit it, they do know best. And if they would be embarrassed to hear of what i did, i shouldnt do it. My actions do reflect on my parents and the rest of my family, not just on myself.
Nothing Good Ever Happens After Midnight
I'm not sure how many times I've heard my dad say that "nothing good ever happens after midnight". Though this is the only one I can remember word for word, my parents constantly gave (and are giving) me pieces of advice that have to do with responsibility and behavior. The parental units have never been too strict and usually let me make my own choices when it comes to what I do when I'm on my own. They rely on the advice that they've given me and trust that I have taken it seriously rather than taking the phrases and sayings for granted. Is it really true that out of all the things that happen after midnight, absolutely none of them are good? No. But is it true that things can get sketchy late at night and some people tend to make bad choices at late hours? Yes. I keep this in the back of my mind when they've given me the freedom to stay out late with my friends and I think back to all of the precious advice that my parents have given me so I can always be safe and responsible.
Carson's Blog Post is NOT Late
So if you read Paula's blog you'd know I'm at a Super Bowl party and
So I am writing a blog on Paula's iPod and have posted this on her account but that's not really what I wanted to write about. I wanted to write about the draft. If you don't know this song I am writing my blog about the Alice's restaurant massacre and my advice is to walk in sit down and sing a bar of the song Alice's restaurant. This advice has never nor hopefully ever will directly effected me but the song has impacted my life in a major way. It has done this because it brought me closer to my cousin. It did this by mu father forcing my cousin and I to spend twenty minutes together listening to the song and giving us something to share which led to another topic and made a lasting connection between the two of us.
So I am writing a blog on Paula's iPod and have posted this on her account but that's not really what I wanted to write about. I wanted to write about the draft. If you don't know this song I am writing my blog about the Alice's restaurant massacre and my advice is to walk in sit down and sing a bar of the song Alice's restaurant. This advice has never nor hopefully ever will directly effected me but the song has impacted my life in a major way. It has done this because it brought me closer to my cousin. It did this by mu father forcing my cousin and I to spend twenty minutes together listening to the song and giving us something to share which led to another topic and made a lasting connection between the two of us.
9:14 on a Sunday night
The best advice I've probably been given is to do my blog posts before Sunday night so that I don't have to be coming up with something at the last minute. As you can probably tell, I did not follow this advice very well. And because of that, I am sitting at a Superbowl party and instead of playing Nertz and enjoying myself, I find myself sitting next to Carson (who must also think of something to write for his blog, but is not) desperately trying think of some good advice I've been given. And it is not going very well. Perhaps if I had followed this advice, I would not be stuck in this situation and Carson would not be reminding me of the many times he's given me advice, in an effort to get me to write about him on my blog post. So perhaps maybe one day I'll follow this great advice. Until then, I'll leave you with this: never, ever, ever take advice from Carson.
Advice
Through my involvement with theater and the
Speech team, I have gotten to portray some really interesting characters on the
stage; a love-struck damsel in forbidden love, a crazy women trying to escape
reality, a pig, and a mother who has just lost her child. These characters,
amongst others, really pushed my boundaries. I had to tap into emotions that
were so strong and powerful that I would have a hard time doing these
characters justice. As I would approach new territories, new ways of
approaching the scene, I would tend to close up and just do things
half-heartedly, scared that the path I chose was wrong. Some of my favorite
mentors, directors, and coaches have told me time and time again, “stop holding
back”. I like to think that it is true of most people, but as I approach “new
territory”, on stage or off, my first instinct is take baby steps. Sometimes
this caution is necessary, but other times it is more important just to go for
it, try something new, and push yourself to the limits. These three words
helped me conquer (to the best of my ability) multiple roles I will never
forget and help me lead my life in a more dynamic fashion.
Mary Poppins
My parents have given me wonderfully sage pieces of advice like, "Never be a teacher" and "Do as I say not as I do" from my mom and dad respectively. My grandma's coaster has told me often that "well behaved women rarely make history". And while I take this nuggets of advice into consideration often, my favorite price of advice came from the fabulous Mary Poppins. For about my entire third year if life I can home from preschool and begged my parents to watch the video and they relented just under half of the time. That means a good quarter of a year. And that's how my best piece of advice was drilled into me masked under the guise of a catchy tune. "A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down". Who. Knew. Sometimes that literally means getting a piece of cake to go along with a night of studying. While other times that means getting to watch Downton Abbey because I cleaned the upstairs. Sometimes, oftentimes, it is used as bribery but ya know, whatever works. Basically it means that there is always something great to go along with something awful. Like medicine. Or homework. Mary Poppins can always instill a little knowledge into your life, so next time you need some advice make some popcorn and pop your old copy into the VCR.
A "Mom" Original
If I had to choose one saying or a piece of advice that has truly stuck with me throughout the years it would have to be: "Everyday holds the possibility of a miracle". I remember, any day that I was ever feeling down, mom would always comfort me by telling me that. Of course, it's just a little different in Bulgarian - всеки ден има възможността да е страхотен - but that's not the point!
Back then, I never considered the actual advice for its content. I just knew it calmed me down and I could always count on my mom to help me. But now, taking a second to actually consider its meaning, I can't help but think that it's so incredibly true. Genius, actually. It's as if every night, after you go to bed, you get to hit a redo button on your life. It's like having a time machine without actually going through all the painstaking science and mechanics equations to actually build one! (I mean, unless your into that kinda stuff... In that case, Carson, I'm calling you out) But no, really - every single day holds no real tangible connection to the previous. Or to the next for that matter! You can be reborn! (Metaphorically speaking. Pretend you're the butterfly just hatching out of its cocoon)
Who cares of you had a bad day? You certainly shouldn't. And you shouldn't ever allow the gloom of a previously bad day ruin your next. This is something I've had to learn to do and something I could never have been able to do without that piece of advice. For that, I owe everything to Mom. Thank you.
Back then, I never considered the actual advice for its content. I just knew it calmed me down and I could always count on my mom to help me. But now, taking a second to actually consider its meaning, I can't help but think that it's so incredibly true. Genius, actually. It's as if every night, after you go to bed, you get to hit a redo button on your life. It's like having a time machine without actually going through all the painstaking science and mechanics equations to actually build one! (I mean, unless your into that kinda stuff... In that case, Carson, I'm calling you out) But no, really - every single day holds no real tangible connection to the previous. Or to the next for that matter! You can be reborn! (Metaphorically speaking. Pretend you're the butterfly just hatching out of its cocoon)
Who cares of you had a bad day? You certainly shouldn't. And you shouldn't ever allow the gloom of a previously bad day ruin your next. This is something I've had to learn to do and something I could never have been able to do without that piece of advice. For that, I owe everything to Mom. Thank you.
don't be shady
Although I do not have any older siblings, in my life I have been blessed with many older girls that care a lot about me. Maybe a blessing and a curse, with this caring comes protectiveness and sometimes over protectiveness. No matter where I am going or what I am doing I am always told to be careful and make good decisions, and while most of the time I do, there are times that i find myself doing things I am not proud to share with them when they ask how my day/night was. Elizabeth Cox, a junior at UK, is one of those people who care a lot about me and is very protective over me. Once, I did one of those things I was not proud to share with her, and because of that I tried to avoid answering when she asked me how my weekend went. Eventually, like always, she pulled it out of me and asked why I tried to lie to her. I answered with something like "I'm not proud of it" and her response was some of the best advice I have ever been given: "If you have to hide it from me, you probably shouldn't be doing it." How true that is, if you have to hide what you're doing from those who care about you, its probably not the smartest thing to do. That has continued to be the little voice in my head before I do something, and has greatly influence my choices.
Sticks and Stones
I don't know if this bit of advice changed my trajectory or not, since it has been around since the beginning, but it certainly shaped who I am. My dad would always tell me not to let what other people say or think hurt me, to be myself. I suppose to put it in words would be "sticks and stones may break me bones but words will never hurt me." And that's true, and my dad made sure to reinforce that idea. Growing up, he would always tease me about anything and everything. At this point, maybe not so much then, I appreciate it, because I am hardly bothered about what other people say about me. My dad actually thinks that I could do better if I did care about what other people thought of me just a tad bit more, but I would rather not.
This way, I'm allowed to be who I want to be, because that's what I want to be. And no matter what other people say about me, I can handle it.
This way, I'm allowed to be who I want to be, because that's what I want to be. And no matter what other people say about me, I can handle it.
Advice
Back when I played soccer, my team was (not to say humbly) really good. We lost a single digit number of games in the years that I was there, and everyone on my team noticed the way we beat seemingly everybody. But this was because some advice that our coach gave us our first year as a team that we carried on through our 3 1/2 years together. He said "Always be the underdog". He said this because the underdog will always work the hardest to overcome their obstacles, and working as hard as we did is why we rarely lost (not to mention our awesome goalkeeper), because even though we were the favorites most of the time we worked harder than the teams we played. And this advice can be transferred to real life too. If you always work hard to overcome obstacles, there will be few that you cannot hurdle, and most of the time you will find that you do more than overcome these obstacles, you dominate them. That is why when I look back on the years of goalkeeping on that team, I always remember to approach things as the underdog so I can walk away as the victor.
You Can Do Anything
At my very last gymnastics meet, my coach gave my team mates and me each cards that had personal meet goals and special advice from her about gymnastics and to help us through the competition (and life in general). The advice that she gave me in my card has truly stuck because I can apply it to my own life and the meaning of the advice doesn't change.
The advice was "Don't ever let yourself settle for 50%, you are so much better than that! Keep pushing yourself and be tough. If you do that, you will be able to do anything, and I mean anything!"
At the time, my coach was most likely aiming to help me get through my wrist injuries and have a great meet. Now, I use her advice to remind myself to keep trying in everything that I do no matter how hard it is, whether its sports or school, and never settling for less.
The advice was "Don't ever let yourself settle for 50%, you are so much better than that! Keep pushing yourself and be tough. If you do that, you will be able to do anything, and I mean anything!"
At the time, my coach was most likely aiming to help me get through my wrist injuries and have a great meet. Now, I use her advice to remind myself to keep trying in everything that I do no matter how hard it is, whether its sports or school, and never settling for less.
Saturday, February 2, 2013
You Can't Always Get What You Want
My mom is always giving advice. Her most important one is "Stick with me kid." Really just meaning whatever I told you to do is the route to go. It can be anything from what dish to get at a restaurant to how to handle a disagreement with someone. Her way is about 99% of the time the best. But that isn't really advice you can pass on.
The best pieces of advice that I can pass on came from various sources.
"Go with your gut."
My brother told me that about test taking. Don't second guess what you put down. Think about it long enough that you know that is your best choice. I have always used that advice for test taking and it has never failed. I haven't been able to use this outside of test taking very much but that's okay.
"Honesty is the best policy."
I can't remember where I heard that first but I love it. It's one of my favorite pieces of advice. Just be honest. The truth may hurt but you have to just be honest. I hate being lied to; it hurts more than hearing the truth because at least someone is telling you the truth. I will always feel that way and remember this piece of advice.
The best pieces of advice that I can pass on came from various sources.
"Go with your gut."
My brother told me that about test taking. Don't second guess what you put down. Think about it long enough that you know that is your best choice. I have always used that advice for test taking and it has never failed. I haven't been able to use this outside of test taking very much but that's okay.
"Honesty is the best policy."
I can't remember where I heard that first but I love it. It's one of my favorite pieces of advice. Just be honest. The truth may hurt but you have to just be honest. I hate being lied to; it hurts more than hearing the truth because at least someone is telling you the truth. I will always feel that way and remember this piece of advice.
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