Re-cap

Hello Jim!
So today marks the 21st day of my Facebookless existence!
I thought I might re-cap the past 3 weeks.
Since I've left Facebook, I...

• Went to Walmart more times than I care to remember
• Went out to dinner with a friend
• Celebrated Valentine's Day on my own
• Went to see a movie on my own
• Saw a zombie movie
• Kept the kitchen clean (mostly)
• Checked my email and blog posts more times than I care to recall
• Bought a sweater on a whim (something I never do)
• Went to the mall on a whim
• Went skating, twice
• Went LINE DANCING
• Baked
• Cooked dinner
• Ran
• Wrote, only a tiny bit, so that hasn't changed much..
• Applied for a summer job
• Got a new phone and phone "plan" (if you can call Straight Talk a plan)
• Filled up my gas tank more times in 3 weeks than I do in, probably, 2 - 3 months
• Posted more blog posts this month than I have in November, December and January combined
• Curled my hair--twice!
• Started buying organic groceries--again
• Started a painting (and have yet to finish it.) 
• Learned a new piano song and play piano more often

And that's about all I can remember for now.
What can we take away from this?

• Leaving Facebook is more expensive
• I have more human interaction
• I'm more apt to leave the house
• When time is freed up, you can quickly fill it up
• Sadly, I've only listened to 1 Bible study. 
• I'm more apt to be ambitious when away from Facebook
• It seems like I'm always busy o_O

So there you have it.
All in all, I think I like this life away from Facebook, but I do miss talking to my friends on there. I've thought about joining Twitter or Tumblr or another social site but decided to stay away from those because they're just about the same as Facebook.
But, yeah, I went line dancing last night. It was so country, everyone was wearing plaid (including myself) and I actually liked it. A lot. So help me T.T
But, <_<
>_>
They do swing dancing there, to! Phphphph! I may be incredibly tempted to go. Though I have no partner. I've got a million brothers to dance with but it's sometimes awkward to dance with your brother--for ME anyway. Bradley said to mom that dancing with his sister hurt his chances with the ladies because they didn't know I was his sister XD
That's Bradley for you.
Anyway, I want to swing dance, it sounds so fun.
One of the guys at line dancing didn't want to dance with me so I came home and was ranting to Jacob and Jeff, "there must be something wrong with me.. he didn't want to dance."
Jacob said, "that's because guys are afraid of beautiful women."
I looked at Jeff and he nodded. I raised my eyebrows and said, "they are?"
And Jeff said, "there really IS something wrong with you!" (if you don't know that.)
It was funny, and I was actually surprised Jacob called me beautiful--in a roundabout way.
Either way, after trying the dance out with Brad (who felt sorry for me and danced anyway), I realized that was an awkward dance and I'd rather try it out with a boyfriend or a best friend XD
Yeah.
You should have been there.

24 oz. Granita? Yes Please.

So, the first thing you need to know, is, after typing in the awesome title above, I was so excited about its awesomeness that I published it without writing anything.
No, I didn't do that on PURPOSE. But it's funny.

So anyway, I was in my pajamas all day yesterday. And when I say all day, I mean until 6 o'clock when I threw on some running shorts to walk on the tread. (Hey, it's me.. I'm not about to run in pajamas, no matter how lazy I'm feeling.)
Friday I spent all day cleaning so it only made sense that I'd be pajama lady yesterday. Today, however, I'm attempting to be ambitious. So I sat on the phone, on hold, for a while waiting to talk to a StraightTalk representative while playing Bloon Tower Defense 4.
That relationship didn't last long, I got fed up, hung up, and went down stairs and made some chicken and rice, scarfed it down, came back up to my computer and stared at the screen trying to convince myself to write something awesome.

So I have a fairytale book, right? I told you about it, you just don't remember.
Well, I went and read what I had and--omw, I continue to surprise myself. I couldn't stop reading it! I sat through the whole thing and when I was done I was like "I want morrreee T.T"
I only hope there are other readers out there that are entertained the way I am. Because, if there are, I'm sooo in the right business. Because my books entertain me so they should entertain them, you know what I'm getting at eh? eh? So I was trying to write in that book but nothing came to me. So I went back to my Star Wars book. Nothing still.
So I took this opportunity to remember that I have 13 dollars in my checking account to last me until Friday and I ought to spend it responsibly.
And by responsibly I mean on a 24 oz. chocolate granita, 2 shots, a splash of coconut with whipped cream.
Boohyah!
Hey. It was just $4.77. Don't judge. Woooo! Now I'm all hyped! So I get my giant coffee (and I usually get a 16 oz. 1 shot drink. So this is, like, crazy.) and I drive home in my dad's crazy giant truck that we use to take garbage to the dump. And I get in the door and toss off my crocs and walk up the stairs (determined to write) holding my coffee extended in my left hand (imagine the hail hitler move but with a 24 oz in your hand) with my head down like I'm triumphant about something. I walk up the stairs like that then enter my room and sit down and write.
I can't believe it, but, the drink is gone. I don't know how long I've been sitting here, but it's gone--Gone! It's all gone! MMM... it was so silky smooth and delicious. Omw.
But the good news is, I finished that darn scene!
And by finish, I mean there's a lot of directing, like "then this happened and this and this." But at least it's written down.. Shut up.

So then, a fond memory sprouted in my brain.
We had some awesome neighbors growing up. One of them was Sherri. (Sherry? Cheri. CHERRY! No, stay focused.)
Ok, so this is a hilarious story. Me and my older sisters (old old old older sisters) were home alone and the toilet got clogged and was flooding all over the floor. XD
Rachelle was like, "Go get Sherri!"
So I run to the house next door as if it's a horrible emergency and knock on the door and say, "our toilet is overflowing!!!"
She, like the superhero neighbor that she is, put on her superhero suit and ran next door and instructed us on how to clean it up. Thanks to her, the day was saved.
She probably gets the awesomest neighbor award from me.
I remember she had a baby toward the end, before they moved, and I was at the young age where anyone who is adult seems ancient and they're not supposed to have babies. Adults who have babies are supposed to just have them already. Anyone without babies were supposed to remain that way. I just didn't get it. My cousin's bff had an older brother, he was like 20 or something. And I remember thinking that was so weird. Because kids didn't have adult brothers. My sisters were within 6 years of me so I grew up with kids for siblings. Not adults. What was this world coming to?
I think it's funny that I thought that way.
Anyway, gonna go. Just a short little laffo post for you guys to enjoy.
(and notice that each part starts with SO. I didn't even do that on purpose.)

Valentine's Day

Today is the day of all days. Ok, not really. But it's that controversial day that half the world dreads and the other half hypes up just because they can.
Half the world ignores it. The other half go about showering their significant others in flowers, chocolates, cards, happiness. Ok, not true again. There are those who can appreciate it without going overboard. Like me!
Despite my cynical comments about the holiday the past week or two, I actually enjoyed it!

Pre-Valentine's day included my throwing together some goodies. I put it off til the last minute (so not my style).
I HAD to send my niece and nephew something. I bought some Hershey's chocolate hearts but it was so lame to just send candies. So I glued them onto cards. For Sky I put the hearts in the shape of a flower and drew flowery stuff around it.
For Leaves I used the pointy part of the hearts as spikes on a stegosaurus (he loooves dinosaurs) and drew palm trees and a nerdy little mini dino and stuff.
Quite honestly, they turned out rather well for being hastily put together. I was rather proud of them! A Valentine's Day card they can take apart and eat! :D
I also *had* to send April something. Even though I swore her off as a hopeless non-single... I saw some socks at Walmart.. (We have a thing about socks, they've been constant in our friendship) and they were soooo soft.. I just had to buy them for her.
I also sent her some chocolate hearts and homemade hot coco mix (remember, I was raving about it in the other post).
Then, when I was complaining somewhere, on Facebook or something, my oldest, single, old maid sister, said that I had her for Valentine's Day! So I thought I might send my fellow spinster sister some chocolate hearts and coco (sorry, Bethany, you didn't get socks...)
So I had to throw those together and in a box and toss them at my coworker to mail for me.
I almost thought of sending Rachelle something but she's got a husband, I have no pity for her. :p

Last night I made chocolate chocolate chip cookies. THREE kinds of chocolate chips. They are so good. And the peanut butter cookies with the chocolate hearts in them.
These were little prezzies for me brothers. The least I could do. And for my parents, too. And my coworkers! But I realized it's Thursday, and there's only one at the office today. So he got a plate of cookies all to himself. My brothers seemed to enjoy the cookies.. I know I did.. <_< More than I should have had..
My chocolate-loving brother got me a chocolate rose because he says that chocolate is better than flowers (lol!), which I thought was sweet! He does care!
April surprised me and sent me a Valentine's day gift (phew, glad I got her those socks). I opened that first thing in the morning and--gaspgaspgasp!! Ramin Karimloo's CD!!! <3 <3 <3
This CD was easily the soundtrack for my day. It was playing in the car and in my room all day long. (clicks replay on itunes).

So, keeping with the theme of doing things I don't do.. I decided to take myself to a movie. I think I've only seen a movie on my own once. And I certainly don't go do things on my own on Valentine's day.  I had a free movie ticket so I figured I might as well! I went to see a zombie movie. ANOTHER thing I never do. I hate zombie movies. HATE. And I certainly don't see them in theaters. But this was an exception. You may have heard of it. Warm Bodies. It intrigued me from the beginning. It's about a cute little zombie guy (who narrates the movie) who see's a pretty girl and his heart starts beating again and basically love cures the zombies. So it didn't seem like a typical movie and, as I said, I was intrigued. And, surprisingly, I really liked it. I mean.. it WAS about zombies and it even had some gross zombie-eating-human-brains parts in it. But the other stuff was funny and even endearing. I can't believe I'm actually talking favorably about a zombie movie.. what HAVE I come to?? Did I mention that this date was absolutely free? Score!

When I was sitting in the theater, waiting for the movie to start, I looked around and HALF of the people had phones in their hands and they were staring down at them, hunched over, like they're their life sources.
I shake my head at them. I'm such a smart phone hater right now. People just walk around staring at their phones all the time and I can't stand it! Live a little people!
The ironic part is that in the zombie movie R (the main zombie) imagines life before zombies and how it must have been way more interesting, people connecting and interacting and it cuts to a scene where the people are walking around staring at their phones. PERFECT! I loved that part. It reflects the fact that half the world is zombified by technology.
The other ironic part is, I actually just got a smart phone. It's a Droid but it was just 20 dollars because it was re-purposed. So I figured, "whatev. Just get it." I like to have a map or access to the internet in case of emergencies. I don't intend on using it too often, trust me. With StraightTalk, you get "unlimited" data (which means basically 2gb) so I just shrugged and went for it.
I also dropped off some cookies at Laura's and she gave me a little glittered jar full of chocolates and two lollipops!
When I got home I charged by phone, talked to April for a tad and then did another strange thing, I went to Walmart. I just randomly do this, all the time! I know, I know, it's freaking me out! This life without Facebook.. it's active and interesting.. and not boring! I bought things like free-range chicken and wild and brown rice and organic carrots.
I'm trying to be all healthy and stuff. Or something. I'll let you know how that works out.
Oh yeah, I hurt my toe/foot, so I'm avoiding the tread. Sad day. But I'll get back on! This can't keep me down!!

Then I got home and cooked spaghetti and went to work. I came back and made hot coco and talked to my friend, Laura, and convinced her to apply for a summer job with me. And then me brother, Fergus, walked in and gave me FLOWERS!
Awwwww, it was so sweet. It's good to know that, after weeks of hinting, my brothers didn't ignore their poor, single sister completely.
So, overall, I had a really good Valentine's Day! No sulking spent at all! And, to top it all off, after I get sick of writing I'm going to watch a delicious romance, like Sense and Sensibility or Young Victoria or The Perfect Man. Or all three!
So, happy Valentine's Day everyone!
(and go buy or listen to Ramin Karimloo's CD. I posted his Constant Angel son a few days ago, now you have to go listen to the rest of them, right now. DO IT NOW!)

Ella fellas

Ella fellas.

So, it's been over a week without Facebook and I feel I've passed the point of no reeeturrrnnn.
Every time I think about going back I'm like, "BLEH!" Just all the time I was on there. It's so sad. I don't know if I can go back. Now that I'm away from it, I mean. If I were ever to try to visit I just might be tempted to stay! It happens, you know it does! Facebook is like a potato chip, you can't have just one! Better not to buy them at all.

By the way, I went to Walmart last night. I was cooking dinner (Lasagna soup... so good.) and we didn't have the cheese for it. So, sadly, I went to Walmart. And the only reason I went dressed as I was was because it was Walmart. My sister.. she will be sooo embarrassed of me after reading this. I was wearing yoga capris, and an old, old, old shirt, and a sweatshirt (it gets better) ANDDDD fuzzy pink and white socks with green heels ANDDDDD crocs.
Yes. Yes, soak in the Walmart smell.
The whole time I was walking through I was thinking, "I can't believe I came here dressed like this.."
See what I've come to? I've been doing the strangest things! I wonder what I'll do tomorrow o_O.

Oh, you know what I have to do now? On Facebook I'd post picture upon picture that I thought was hilarious. Now, when I find something funny, I run to my brother's room, laughing like a nerd, and say, "Nick, c'mere, c'mere!" and he comes and then I show him and usually he laughs.
So much more satisfying seeing someone's reaction rather than "Like".
This actually just happened because I went to Pinterest to find the lasagna soup recipe. I saw this picture and had to show it to Nick. It's hilarious XD
My cousin sent me homemade marshmallows a few weeks ago. And they are SO good. AMAZING. You know what they're good in? Hot chocolate. You know a good hot chocolate?
THIS STUFF!!!
I don't know if I will ever buy hot coco mix again because this stuff is awesome. It's so delicious. Tastes more real and is suuuper creamy.
Anyway, this was just a quick post mostly to highlight my horrible Warlmart garb and talk about how life's so much better without Facebook. Though I miss you all! Maybe I'll call some of yuz!

OMIGAWSHNESS! I almost forgot! The REAL reason behind this blog post as, of course, to tell you I've been super busy watching Wives and Daughters over the weekend. OMW. That movie makes me actually cry. I just. It's just. Sigh.
Anyway. That took up my weekend. Time well-spent, I think.
And I wanted to give you all this picture, I snapped it myself!
Love love love, darlings, don't be strangers now!

Awesome

So, one of the most embarrassing things happened to me yesterday. It involved my mom telling the cute teller at our bank that she wanted him to marry her daughter and then they proceeded to talk about me and, well, I'd actually rather not talk about the embarrassing night that followed after he asked if I liked skating and she told him she'd have to send me skating since he was going to be there.
Yeah. It was uneventful, really, and that's all that the world wide web needs to know about it.

So this morning I woke up feeling rather dismal. I turned on my iPod and listened to the Mahna Mahna song and "Little Arrows" and the Trololo song. (These are staple songs and if you haven't heard any of them, go away.)
Finally, I decided to stop sulking about my humiliation and decide to become awesome. So this is what awesome looks like:

It should also be said that I'm wearing black workout clothes (as usual), a purple shirt and the awesome hoodie I posted about the other day. So, what does Andrea do when she's had a bad night? Wake up and clothe herself in Purrrrple. I feel better now. Purple is a comforting thing to me. It's soft and constant and gentle. But can sometimes be crazy and fun.
Anyway, I had a thought, remember I was talking about the hoodie I wanted and how I love this place so much. I DO, I love this state, this area of the world. And then if you take that and times it by, like, a million kajilion, you'd get how it feels to come home to Heaven. See, that gives me the chills right there. I mean, I LOVE where I live. But, omw, thinking that Heaven is so much better, it becomes unfathomable and I get so excited thinking about it. That's a good thought, ain't it? At least if I'm going to be embarrassed I can console myself with thoughts that my night of humiliation is a tiny little happening in the scheme of things. And, yet, my Father cares ever so! Now that's another happy thought.

Enough of the happy thoughts, though. Andrea, who cares about your lonely soul, we strive towards a larger goal, our little lives don't count at all!
The larger goal being, WRITINGGGG!
After I made my bed and dressed in awesome argyle socks, I decided (as I mentioned before), to be awesome. So I'm channeling my awesome characters today, which gives me a lot of inspiration to write.
After that I'm going to do some Valentine's Day junk. Sorry, happy things Valentine's Day happy happy heart heart yay. Blah.
Let's abolish Valentine's Day--GASP, did I just say that? Wow, I never really hated this day before. Right now it just annoys me. Well, it's always annoyed me, all the stupid pressure the world puts on guys to get it right and be wonderful and all that jazz. Just let everyone be themselves. And lower your expectations, really. It's just a celebration of love. Stop making it into a freak show.
Do I sound cynical at all? Maybe we should go back to the happy thoughts:
I was hungry last night.. at 10 at night. So I just randomly drove to Walmart. I bought a mini pizza, a bag of pasta and some grape juice. And then left.
I ate the pizza last night and the pasta I just ate for lunch. And the grape juice, mm, grape juice. RED grape juice.
One song that DID cheer me up this morning was none other than Cotton Eye Joe.
Especially when paired with this awesome movie.
Keep it real.

Something Extraordinary Happened Today!

Day 5 of my freedom.

As the title says, something extraordinary happened. I'm actually still quite shocked.
I did something spontaneous! Shut up. If you knew me, you'd know why this is amazing.
My friend called me (like, one of the only ones I live around) and asked me if I wanted to go on an impromptu trip to Walmart to buy her cat some cat food because the two Walmarts closest to us didn't have the particular brand her snobbish cat likes.
O_O and I said ok.
Really. This should be your reaction:

knowyourmeme.com

Alright, I'll explain. I don't go places with only a moment's notice. UNLESS, I'm already dressed to go out and look presentable. CONTRARY to popular belief, I don't ALWAYS look fabulous. Ok, I never look fabulous. But half the time I look like an old crumb that lives in her workout clothes.
So you'd better give me notice--I'm talking at LEAST two or three hours to a day's notice. A week's notice is best. Yes, yes, I know.
Anyway. Today was such a day, wearing workout clothes, completely not looking good (my face totally broke out even!) and she calls and wants to go to Walmart. Not for any GOOD reason--to buy her cat food! AND I SAID OK!!
Again. See "Rage face" for my mental reaction to this.
My friend was shocked. And, frankly, so was I. We went to Walmart, Dutch Bro's and--brace yourselves--I agreed to go to the mall and...fftftfttttt--just walk around!!!!
This is completely unlike me. So not Andreaish behavior. I don't know what's happening to me!
Then, the day didn't even end there, I persuaded her to come over to my house for dinner! And she did! And we watched a movie even! This was a completely UNPLANNED dinner invitation and a movie night on top of that?? Really, it would make the old Andrea cry. But something happened to me that has caused me not to care! I spent just about 8 hours with my friend and it was a great time!

Not only that. But I fell in love with this hoodie. SO MUCH SO, that I'm going back to that Walmart TOMORROW to get it (tomorrow's payday of course).

No, you don't get to know what state I live in. Get outta here! But I do love my home state SO much that I want this hoodie. And that shirt, too. Which is another funny thing. I don't like state shirts. I never have. It was only when I fell in love with this place that I realized why people bought and wore them. Anyway, I love it and I'm buying it tomorrow.

So now you have an update. I think it's safe to say you can expect this strange Andrea to stick around. I like being Facebookless! Of course it's hard at times, I want to know what everyone's up to. But it's given me a new sense of freedom I've not felt since 2010, when I first signed up. Yep. I like it. That's it for now!

Day 3 of my freedom.

I'm going to have to ban myself from Youtube, next. I'm constantly listening to songs from Les Miserables and Love Never Dies on there, and Ramin Karimloo's CD.
So, hopefully, next pay day I can buy a few CD's, then I won't have reason to get on Youtube so much.
But, the good news, I've been writing a bit!
And working more. Life is so simple without Facebook, I'm not late to work because of it and I'm not late to bed because of it!
As I pass my computer I think, "internet, what can I check?" ... "nothing." Then walk past to go find something else to do.
Ramin Karimloo, by the way, is an amazing opera singer as well as a, I don't know what you call it, a regular singer? Either way, he plays the Phantom, he's played Enjolras, Marius, Jean Valjean, many other roles. He's got a certain sound in his voice that I just love! Very unique.
So, yeah, listening to him lately.
Here, you listen. NOW.

I also cook meals, too. Which, this used to be a normal thing, but when I got sick it wasn't. And now I am. So, yeah, getting back into that. Goodness, my brain is all bleh right now. I had tons of things I was thinking to say and now that I have the chance to say it I don't remember them!! T_T Sad face.
OMIGISH, so Valentine's day is coming up (as I stated in my last post) and I'm going to make these cute little cookies I saw on Pinterest! They're peanutbutter and you get dove heart chocolates and put them in the middle (rather than hershey's kisses). MMMMM!! Can't wait. Not sure what else I'm going to do. Probably watch Sense and Sensibility alllll by myself.
And maybe send my single sister a little secret present--MAYBE!! DON'T TELL HER I SAID I MIGHT!!!!!
She can't know.
Oh, and my niece and nephews, they gotta cash in on my generosity.
On Friday I went shopping and bought selfish things like pants and a cami and lip stain and a candle. I know.. I know! I feel so guilty.
Oh yes, and tomorrow's Wednesday, which is my favorite day in the week, because it means we're almost to Friday. Friday's me day off, you see. And pay day!

So let's talk about something serious for a minute.
....
......
I've got nothing.
It was a nice try though!
No, I don't feel like talking about my serious things. Totally puts a damper in my mood. Which I don't know what it is right now. A tired just-cooked-a-bunch-of-pork-chops mood. OOOH! That's what I'm cooking! Pork chops and oven potatoes and carrots (Rachellle, carrrots) and peasant bread!!!!
WHAT is peasant bread you ask?? It's the most delicious, simplest, yummy bread. Takes a little less than 2 hours to make and tastes like a cross between French bread and bread made in a bread machine. All this use of the word "bread" makes me want to EAT bread. Good thing I've got some cooking!!
THIS is the deliciousness. Make it, try it, eat it, repeat.
What was the last thing you baked? I want to know. Since I can't question people on Facebook you'll have to put up with me questioning people on here. 




I leave you feeling jealous over my supper. :p



WAAAAAIIITTT!!!

I found more things to say!
And since this had no views yet, I figured I'd say 'em!
Firstly. I don't think I'll ever go to Youtube again if THIS is what I see:

CREEPIEST AD EVVVARRR!! OMW, I saw that and my eyes bulged and I was like "what the heeccckkkk??"
But then it was made better by THIS.. you just have to watch the first part, where Sierra sings and then the four "Phantoms" sing.
This was my reaction as I heard each Phantom sing in turn..
#1: Hmm, he's pretty good!
#2: Aww, John is such a cute little singer..
#3: Ew, I do NOT like that Phantom at all...
#4 (Ramin): DING DING DING! We have a winner! Best Phantom ever. Really, truly, Ramin is gifted. He practically IS the angel of music. For cereal. I mean reals. And he and Sierra have such great chemistry, they're the perfect Christine and Phantom. Yep yep yep.

Is that really all I had to say? ...it seemed like there was a lot more--omw, I had a crazy dream last night where I was actually a guy and I was trying to break my wife out of a hospital because they were keeping her sick on purpose. (I think I was Finnick from Hunger Games, actually). And this lady who resembled Madam Giry from Phantom of the Opera was trying to catch up to me so I was switching elevators and going to different levels trying to lose her. It was freaky. If you've ever been silently chased by a menacing Giry you'd know what I mean.

A Facebookless Existence

Day 1 of my freedom.

As you see, I'm feeling crazy today so I changed the title colors to blue. It feels like I'm cheating on purple. Oh well, I'll get over it.
This new-found freedom feels more like a cage! My mind is so used to putting everything on Facebook that I have to find a new way to process my thoughts. I also miss my friends already.
For those of you who aren't in the "know", I left Facebook last night. I waste half my day on Facebook, posting funny pictures, songs I like, and random questions. Not good.
I found myself waking up today and thinking, "what shall I do??" The possibilities were endless!! I'm no longer shackled to my computer!!!
BAHAAA!!!!
Ehem.
But today is Sunday, not Saturday, so I have some form of a routine I must follow. I work on Sunday (I know, I'm a heathen.) and today happens to be SUPERBOWLSUNDAAAAYYYY.
I am not a fan of football.
But I like to watch the Super Bowl, it makes me feel like a true American. I figure watching it once a year isn't so bad.
So I have those two things lined up. But what to do with the rest of my time?
I certainly, truly, hope my friends read this blog because then I won't miss them so much. It was one of the reasons I was hesitant to leave. Alas, the need to get my rear into gear was higher than my selfish need for friendship!

What else has been happening to me? I supposed to be fair I should give you an update on here in case there are some non-Facebook friends out there reading this. 
I got a treadmill in December and have been using it, for the most part, often. Last month I came down with a wicked fever. I was shivering beyond control, considering--seriously--chopping off my hair because of how warm it made my head. I was weak, felt like fainting at one point, I was staggering all over the kitchen to get a drink of water. It was so strange. That lasted about 10 days. Which, right after, I got a strange infection in my mouth which, frankly, I'm not even going to go into details about because it would make you spit your coffee all over your computer screen. (Ok, it's not THAT bad). These things took up most of January so I wasn't using the treadmill too often. But now I'm back on track and I've lost a good 11 lbs! And can now fit into my olde jeans. Yes. This is good.

I've been writing very little but I hope to get into it more.. not sure if I WILL, but it's a hope.
In fact.. I was considering giving up altogether, I was pondering my material and wondering if I would ever be able to get anything published.
The world is so corrupt today, all they want is drivel! Whereas I don't like junk in my books. I want to provide for the public some good, clean, funny (at times), books that are safe to read but still deliver the same amount of entertainment as the mainstream books.
But the problem is, most of those publishers out there are corrupt!
Worldly ones won't want anything with Jesus in them (though, I have two books, a Star Wars and a Fantasy that doesn't have Jesus, per say, but good morals which I think are important.)
And the Christian ones, sorry to say, they are WORSE than the worldly ones! All the rules and regulations about what form of doctrine to put in and to keep out.
It's like, "We love God! Just don't talk about what He says in the Word. Keep it VAGUE."
That makes me so angry. I don't want to write books for them. If I write a book that includes Christianity, I don't want to be preachy (because, after all, you're reading a story, and for a story to be well-written it has to be delivered in such a way that the author is invisible. If you preach too much it can get to the point where you're like "ok, ok, I get it!") but I will--by golly--write about God and what would be written WILL be the truth! The publishers I've looked up don't like the truth. So I was discouraged and thinking I ought to give up. Vanity of vanities, I say! Everything is vanity!

But there's a bit of happy news, April got engaged. Wait.. no, this isn't happy. She's abandoned me for her fiancee. But that's ok, I guess, it's life and that's what happens.
<insert lost best friend look here>
This new turn of events has thrown me for a loop, it's taken me months to get used to the new April and, yet, I don't think I'll be used to it for a good three years or so. This new year, by the way, marks the 10th year that we've known each other!!!
*SMUG*
I can't believe it's been 10 years but it's so great to look back in awe and think that it's been a decade. A good, established friend, that one is. And now she's abandoning me. Ironic. <insert ironic bawling face here>

One thing I must make myself do, is finish my study. Remember, I mentioned it a while -- a great while ago. Well it kind of started out as this smallish little thing but then exploded into this extensive look into what words are and how they effect our lives. In fact, I have 11 pages of it so far, I don't think I imagined it'd be that big. But at some point I might have to make myself stop and finish it because sometimes you can just get so detailed to the point of ridiculousness.
Anyway, those are some updates for you.
OOH! My favorite part, and I almost forgot, it's nearly Valentine's day! And it brings me great joy to say that, for the first time in 10 years, I'll be on my own.
Like this song.

I leave you on that note. (I love how she sings "PRETENDDDINGG!")