Reminiscing

I was looking back through my old posts, and I found this gem, where I was talking about watching the movie "Love Actually" with my friend Connie:

At one point, I got agitated, looked at her, and said,

"Why isn't he running after her?!?! Why won't anyone run after anyone?"

And Connie just very simply said,

"Nobody runs after anyone in real life, Amanda."

She's right. (May 9, 2009)

While this seems somewhat depressing (It is, I suppose) the comment that was posted was from Kellie, my high school English teacher. (She's inspired me more than she'll ever know) Kellie simply said, "not true! not true! the right one will always run after you."

You know what? I'm finally at a place in my life where I believe that.

I Miss the Boy

I miss the boy... Which I suppose you gathered from my title.

You're all pretty smart readers... But I figured repetition really gets the point across.

Jon left less than an hour ago. He just called to let me know he got to his apartment safe.

He spent the whole weekend with me, and it was lovely.

But it seems like no matter how long he's here, it's never long enough.

Even so, we got a lot accomplished this weekend.

Friday night, we went out to dinner, and Tabi came too!

It was so awesome to see her, because it's been forever,

Also, Tabi is one of my favoritest people ever.

She's very sweet, funny, and for those who don't know, she was my roommate freshman year.

Saturday we mostly just bummed around. We went to the flea market to look around.

We also went to a Goodwill, and found a picture for my wall.

Jon helped me hang it over the couch, and it looks nice.

We also rearranged my bedroom, and hooked up a small TV in there

So I took a nap while Jon watched the Steelers game, which was fun too.

It's nice that we just got to spend time together.

Sunday was more bumming around. I finally passed my stupid kidney stone.

I was very glad for this, because they were going to do surgery if I didn't.

I now know that if a doctor says, "Oh, it's just three millimeters,"

I will tell him to kindly laser that bitch out of me without delay.

I spent three weeks dealing with that, and it felt like an animal clawed out of my body.

Anyway, after all that was said and done, we went to see Bree.

We played with her cat, Tripp, who is just a blast

I have given him the full name "Tripp Poe Thumper Love Love Panther Paws Toothless Fall Little Whiskerkins Marks"

We came home, had some wine, and played some video games, then went to sleep.

Today was very relaxed as well. We woke up and just laid around in bed,

Finally got up and got showered, then went out to lunch at Olive Garden.

We came home, laid around and snuggled some more, then he went home.

We both have class tomorrow, and his is really early.

So, I miss him already, and I know I won't sleep well tonight.

For now, I'm just waiting on laundry.

Books for 2010

It's become a tradition/resolution of sorts for me to try and read fifty books each year. This is the third year that I've tried. My grand total for 2010? (Not counting books I started and never finished, or the myriad of articles that I had to read for various classes) is 51 books. At all interested to see which books I read? I listed them below! This year starts another try!

JANUARY

-THE NEVERENDING STORY BY MICHAEL ENDE

-THE AMITYVILLE HORROR: A TRUE STORY BY JAY ANSON

-WATERSHIP DOWN BY RICHARD ADAMS

-HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE BY J.K. ROWLING

FEBRUARY

-WISHBONE CLASSIC #2; THE ODYSSEY BY HOMER ADAPTED BY JOAN MATTERN

-GROWING SEASON: THE LIFE OF A MIGRANT COMMUNITY BY GARY HARWOOD, DAVID HASSLER AND ROBERT COLES

MARCH

-CHARLOTTE'S WEB BY E.B. WHITE

-THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE BY C.S. LEWIS

-MATILDA BY ROALD DAHL

-THE GIVER BY LOIS LOWRY

-HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS BY J.K. ROWLING

-ANNIE'S BABY BY BEATRICE SPARKS

-WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF BY EDWARD ALBEE

-STANDING IN THE LIGHT: THE CAPTIVE DIARY OF CATHERINE CAREY LOGAN BY MARY POPE OSBORNE

-GOD BLESS YOU, DR. KEVORKIAN BY KURT VONNEGUT

APRIL

-SUPERFUDGE BY JUDY BLUME

-HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN BY J.K. ROWLING

-TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD BY HARPER LEE

-ELLA ENCHANTED BY GAIL CARSON LEVINE

-ALONG FOR THE RIDE BY SARAH DESSEN

-HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE BY J.K. ROWLING

-SEDUCTION BY DESIGN BY SANDRA BROWN

-THE GIRL WHO LOVED TOM GORDON BY STEPHEN KING

-BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA BY KATHERINE PATERSON

-NUMBER THE STARS BY LOIS LOWRY

-THE BOYS IN THE BAND BY MART CROWLEY

-TUNES FOR BEARS TO DANCE TO BY ROBERT CORMIER

-THE CAY BY THEODORE TAYLOR

-HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX BY J.K. ROWLING

MAY

-THE ROYAL DIARIES: MARIE ANTIONETTE, PRINCESS OF VERSAILLES. AUSTRIA-FRANCE, 1769 BY KATHYRN LASKY

-THE ROYAL DIARIES: CLEOPATRA VII, DAUGHTER OF THE NILE, EGYPT, 57 B.C. BY KRISTIANA GREGORY

-JURASSIC PARK BY MICHAEL CRICHTON

-HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE BY J.K. ROWLING

-MELODY BY V.C. ANDREWS

JUNE

-HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS BY J.K. ROWLING

-MAKE THE BIBLE WORK FOR YOU BY REVEREND HELLENBACK

-THIS BOY'S LIFE BY TOBIAS WOLFFE

-FALLEN BY LAUREN KATE

-ME OF LITTLE FAITH BY LEWIS BLACK

-BLANKETS BY CRAIG THOMPSON

JULY

-JTHM: DIRECTOR'S CUT BY JHONEN VASQUEZ

-THE YELLOW WALLPAPER BY CHARLOTTE PERKINS GILMAN

AUGUST

-BRISINGR BY CHRISTOPHER PAOLINI

-THE HALLOWEEN TREE BY RAY BRADBURY

-WHAT THEY ALWAYS TELL US BY MARTIN WILSON

-SALEM'S LOT BY STEPHEN KING

NOVEMBER

-THE CONTRARIAN'S GUIDE TO LEADERSHIP BY STEVEN B. SAMPLE

-LEADING IN A CULTURE OF CHANGE BY MICHAEL FULLAN

DECEMBER

-PRIVILEGE, POWER AND DIFFERENCE BY ALLAN JOHNSON

-HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS BY J.K. ROWLING (AGAIN)

-ME OF LITTLE FAITH BY LEWIS BLACK (AGAIN)

sidenote: i don't know why this would only post in caps lock. (and no, my caps lock key is not on)

Recipe for Success

Actually, it's more a cure for insomnia at this point, and a very tasty cure at that.

Start with fruit punch (I use the generic Crystal Light that Wal-Mart sells) and add Peach Schnapps (I have Colonial Club).

Anywhere from about 1 1/2 to 3 shots usually does it, and still comes out tasting great. I would NOT (as Jon tried) mix the schnapps and punch half and half, as it's a bit overpowering.

At any rate, it tastes lovely and has made this project much more bearable.

How to Make Someone Hate Their Job

So, the amazing thing is, it's taken four months to make me absolutely hate the job I've wanted for the last three years. And I mean hate. I do not want to be here, live here, learn here, nothing. I want to be far, far away from this place and everyone here, where they can't get me.

God, the worst thing is, I can't even talk about it. It's all confidential, except for all the people talking about it amongst themselves. I get torn apart and I'm supposed to smile and say, "Okay, this is how I'll fix it." Do you know what it feels like to be told that every aspect of who you are and how you act is wrong? And then I'm not supposed to take that personally?

I understand now my mistake in staying here, and my even bigger mistake in thinking that things could be different here. I shouldn't go to bed crying at night because I don't want to get up and deal with tomorrow.

How am I supposed to be a different person without being someone I'm not? Because then they'll just call me fake. I can change everything about myself, and they're still going to find something wrong.

Update for the Weekend

Very shortly I will be headed to Youngstown, and then Jon and I are leaving from there for Pittsburgh. We'll be having Thanksgiving dinner at his sister's house on Thursday (which is scary for me... I really want them all to love me, not just like me) then going Black Friday shopping, and then headed to my Uncle Ralph's for Thanksgiving again on Saturday.

Dear readers, as you are not acquainted with my family, you do not understand the unique challenge this poses. My family is bat-shit crazy. Bottom line, that's what we're dealing with this weekend. If ever there was something to make him turn and run away, this is it. Period.

So, wish me luck! I'm off to a fun-family-filled holiday weekend! Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

Just a Quick Update

For those of you who didn't know, November 8 was my 22nd birthday.

So now I'm 22... yay!

Jon made sure I had a wonderful birthday, and last weekend was wonderful too.

I went to Pittsburgh to meet his family and friends.

We've both been sick this week, which sucks, but we've seen a lot of each other.

We literally spent the better part of the whole week together.

I miss him now, though. I've gotten really used to having him around.

We're going to his family's and mine for Thanksgiving, which I'm really excited for.

Yes... that's about it, even though a lot more has happened.

Ta ta for now!