Acquiring Useful Skills: Part Three - Healthy Eating Habits

As far as healthy eating goes, I'd say I do pretty well. I've never met a fruit of vegetable I didn't like, and I drink a lot of water. Considering these two facts, I often reward myself excessively. For example, yesterday after church I took my sister and her friend out to lunch at McDonalds. I wolfed down a 10pc. McNugget meal with fries and a coke followed by one of those new chocolate banana pies; my insides started to resent me a little as I drove home from lunch. When we got home I started a movie (Inception) and made a large bowl of popcorn to share. Turns out, everyone had other Sunday afternoon plans so I watched 3/4 of the movie alone and ate the entire bowl of popcorn. After watching an episode of 30Rock, I had the Cheesy Blasters song stuck in my head. Soon the thought of taking a hot dog, stuffing it with some Jack cheese, and folding it in a pizza started to sound really appealing. So my sister and I made some, and later suffered the effects. My insides were screaming curses at me.

Last night I decided things would be different, starting today. But I woke up with a cold, and killed my immune system when I saw the leftover cheesy blasters on the counter. So I ate half of one and washed it down with a cup of coffee, and then I ate an apple. Everything in moderation, yes?

When lunchtime rolls along I usually find myself opening the fridge and cupboards several times hoping that I'll find something in there that I actually want to eat. Eventually it has been carried on for far too long and I end up eating something out of desperation.

Help.

Appreciation

I appreciate it when you spell 'appreciate' instead of 'appretiate', and 'congratulations' instead of 'congrads'.

I appreciate Burt's Bees pomegranate lip balm, the feel of my silky make-up brush, the smell of my hand lotion, and the way my bottle of perfume illuminates in the window.

I appreciate it when my my Beta fish swirls around in his bowl.

I appreciate the shiny little silver button on my camera, and the sound the shutter makes when I press it.

I appreciate smooth paper and fine tipped pens; swirly black letters formed into words.

I appreciate the sound my keyboard makes when I tap the letters, and the warm electronic smell.

I appreciate it when you do something ridiculous and unexpected.

I appreciate hand written notes.

I appreciate it when I slice open the avocado and it's perfect inside.

I appreciate my bed.

I appreciate the love seat by the front window, and the way the white curtain billows over it.

I appreciate the dozens of afghans scattered throughout our home.

I appreciate it when a room smells like candles.

I appreciate plaid, no matter how mainstream it is.

I appreciate that you're reading this.

A place of my own...

I sometimes dream of filling empty cupboards with brightly colored bowls and mugs, and rolling out rugs on a living room floor. Living off of the only things I know how to cook, and lounging on a thrift store couch.

I don't think I'd ever want to live alone though. I'd grow too lonely and tired of my own antics. Nobody would stop me from drinking too much coffee or eating too many snack cakes.

Life needs frosting (I already feel sick from this blog post)

I found this statement printed on my cup of black coffee the other day, as I sat down with some friends in a mall food court. I thought my life needed coffee, but the cup begged to differ. So I bought a cinnamon bun too, and sliced off and ate over sized, odd shaped chunks with my plastic knife and fork. I realize now that starting my day with a cinnamon bun the size of my face probably wasn't the best idea, especially before trying to squeeze into a prom dress.

I don't usually use analogies; I don't like them. I believe in finding things out for yourself and creating your own theories, but this stupid cup of crap coffee actually inspired me. The whole idea that spreading something sweet over a mediocre life is a necessity, now that's deep. The cinnamon bun I decided to eat had icing, caramel, and pecans. That was too much; a hop, skip, and twenty-seven miles from the border of over-indulgence. I suffered all day for that decision, when I could have just kept it simple.

When I'm wearing my "Negativity hat" I can conjure up about a dozen slogans about frosting that make far more sense. Such as, "Frosting makes cavities burn" or, "Life doesn't need frosting, you need to get a life". But I think the person who designed the coffee cup for Cinnabon was really onto something.

Just thought I'd take a break from acquiring things, and gain some perspective.

In all honesty, I love to both read and fill in those silly notes that fly around Facebook from time to time. 25 questions, 50 truths, 15 albums, and such. But I'm trying to slowly remove any strings that may be attached to Facebook and tie them onto this new blog world. I really prefer the format of blogging, and the creativity you're given is far greater.

So here we have it, four things.

Four shows I watch

1. Castle- A mystery writer tags along with a brilliant (female)homicide detective to gain inspiration for his book series. Witty banter, serial killers, and quirky characters.

2. America's Next Top Model- Guilty pleasure that has actually proven to be insightful when it comes to photography.

3. The Office- No comment needed. I received season four for Christmas; watching an episode every night before bed has made my heart light.

4. Running Wilde- Emmy,An environmentalist (who is engaged to an eco-terrorist) re-connects with her high school best friend (Steve), who's family owns and operates one of the world's richest oil businesses, in order to get him to shut down his father's plant. She lives with her daughter in a tree house located on the lawn of Steve's mansion, and madness ensues.

Four things I'm passionate about

1. Children, and they way they think.

2. Law and justice. Knowing what is black, what is white, and separating the two from the grey.

3. Self expression and preservation, especially in the form of written words. Taking what's in your head and laying it out in a way that you can understand, and people can relate.

4. Exploration.

Four phrases I say a lot

1. "Honestly..." Usually to start a sentence.

2. "______ is/are so BOSS"

3. "_____ is the best" A lot of times I say it in a way that breaks the laws of good grammar.

4. "For real"

Four things I've learned from the past

1. Boys are just as complex and intricate as girls.

2. Silence doesn't always need to be filled with noise.

3. Good will always trump bad, whether or not we stick around to see it.

4. Good things come to those who wait.

Four places I'd like to go

1. England

2. Ireland

3. The Philipinnes

4. Backpack all over Europe!

Four things I did yesterday

1. Drank lots of coffee and tea

2. Showered

3. Discovered new music

4. Received a glorious text message

Four things I'm looking forward to

1. Graduation- Only a few more months until I can bid my high school years adieu.

2. Saturdays- I have dedicated Saturdays to hiking forest trails and finishing projects. Not school related projects, the fun kind of projects.

3. Weather in which I don't have to scrape ice off the windshield or start heating the car half an hour before I need to leave.

4. Seeing where certain relationships are headed.

Four things I love about Winter

1. The word itself sparks a little something inside you.

2. Blankets.

3. Food items eaten in bowls. (Bowls are the best)

4. Those few times when it snows. That's pretty magical.

Four things on my wishlist

1. Candles with a wooden wick. They sound like a crackling fire...

2. Coffee table books about art and saving the world

3. A new coat

4. Macbook pro

Acquiring Useful Skills:Part Two

Loveliness (lʌvlinəs )

My back twists, and I can’t sit straight. Legs this way, back pivoted the other. Shoulders always sloped one way, fixing them is like dancing awkwardly. I sit straight and my head feels like it could topple off.

Using my thumbnail I lift each fingernail just until it begins to hurt. One at a time. Index, middle, ring, pinkie, and finally I use my middle finger nail to lift my thumbnail. Never snapping, always quietly. Sometimes on the steering wheel when I drive. It’s the only thing to keep me awake.

With I fine tipped pen, I take the words in my head and I spill them onto smooth notebook paper. When I’m writing I imagine I look stunning while I do it. Somehow I imagine I look as lovely outside as my penmanship does on the paper. Once I even took a picture and I was so frustrated upon seeing my furrowed brow and horrible posture. My claw-like left hand lifting fingernails one by one, and awkwardly holding the pen in my right.

I am wading in adulthood, surrounded in decision making. Discovering that loveliness is not a gift you can slip on on your seventeenth birthday, but rather something you acquire. Maybe even a journey.

Acquiring Useful Skills:Part One

or·gan·i·za·tion (ôr g -n -z sh n)

I suppose we all need this skill, in every aspect of our lives, all the time. Why it's so darn difficult is beyond me. I guess when my clothes are on the floor, I can see them all and I know where to find them because I step on them several times a day.

But sometimes we need cubby holes, and folders, and dressers, and little glass jars. Maybe it's the whole process of getting rid of things, or the feeling of slipping on a clean t-shirt that doesn't have cat hair on it, that makes us realize that organizing really is a good thing.

Organization is on the top of my list of useful skills I have yet to acquire. *I don't know if you type the word acquire that often but it's incredibly awkward to type. Same with the word awkward. My fingers hate me.* In lieu of my disposition, I spent an entire day (and a fair amount of money) assembling an organizer for all my clothing. My excitement could not be contained when it was finally put together.

This post is proving to be very boring, I'm sorry reader. I'll get more exciting, I promise.

For gits and shiggles I put up a picture of my clothes.