I make no bones about what I like and don't like. Direct to a fault, I tell it like it is. I am simple and natural in a revolutionary way. I want to experience life in all its raw beauty. I like to see the little imperfections that make something real. No plastic fantastic for me. "Give me the straight stuff," I seem to say. My friends love me for my down-to-earth sincerity.
So, school is here again and already three weeks in. It's nice to be back in the swing of things even though I don't have anywhere near enough time to keep up with it all.
This semester I am taking Japanese, linguistics, and history. I heard they are going to offer a major in Japanese next year and so I'd like to switch my major from history to that. I don't know if I will be able to though as I am nearly a senior already. Since I am getting my graduate degree in Librarian Science, I am not limited to a specific undergrad major. ^v^
We had some threats last winter and are increasing our campus security efforts. Whether or not we can keep the campus safe is becoming a pretty big concern. For the most part I still feel safe on campus, but last winter when they canceled school due to a date-specific threat, I was pretty afraid to come back when classes resumed. This semester we are trying a new text message alert system. For now, all I can do is trust the efforts of the campus police and administration are adequate.
Well, we've finally made plans to go camping! Saturday, we are going up north to pick up my mom and then were taking her camping for three nights! We've never been to the campground we picked out before, so I'll be sure to take pictures (if I can find a camera that works). It will be me, my husband, my mom, my dog Gomez, and mom's dog Susie. I hardly ever see my mom and it's been nearly a decade since I've spent so much time with her, so it's a big deal. This is also the first time I'm going camping with my husband! We're really looking forward to it.
These kinds of quizzes are ridiculous, but they can be fun sometimes. Plus, I liked how they said that Nic and I's condiment personalities were compatible. It totally fits that Nic is barbeque sauce (he loves it and most other condiments along with it), but I don't know why I have to be mustard. I don’t even like mustard 99% of the time (just on certain sandwiches and with vegetarian corndogs). Actually, I don't like barbeque sauce or most other condiments either...
Let me know if any of you take this quiz and get salsa, because then apparently Nic and I are supposed to really dislike you! Hahahaha! Ironically, salsa is probably my favorite condiment!
Tori: You Are Mustard
Your personality is strong and distinctive. You are beyond quirky.
You can stand alone in the world well. You are a strong individual.
You sometimes work well with others, as long as there aren't any other strong personalities involved.
Your taste in food tends to be simple yet high quality.
You can really get into a perfectly prepared sandwich or simple fresh salad.
You get along best with ketchup and barbeque sauce personalities. Get you with a salsa personality, and things might become downright nasty!
You are a social person. You enjoy cooking for other people.
You are both skillful and competitive. You enjoy mastering hard tasks.
You appreciate complexity more than simplicity.
Your taste in food tends to lean toward interesting flavors.
You appreciate exotic spice combinations. You tend to like cutting edge, fusion cuisine.
You get along with all personalities from a distance. Except salsa personalities, who always seem to annoy you.
I have read hundreds of dollars worth of books over the last month thanks the library! This is wonderful since I don't have any spare money to actually spend on books. I am so happy with what I've been reading too. I order all my favorites from the library network so that even when my library doesn't have the book (often the case) I still get it! I know there is lots to read on the internet, but I like to escape the cords and the bright screens and curl up with a good book (esp. outdoors). Ahhh... Bliss! I'm not gonna embarrass myself further by providing you with my reading list! For those of you who don't know, I am studying to be a librarian. I've loved libraries since I was a toddler! I want to work at either a public library or a school library. I might teach classes on the side as well...
Loving libraries is another trait I picked up from my mother (along with a love of bay windows, fireplaces, potbelly stoves, and Clydesdales). The picture below is of my mother and I when I was little (5 or 6? Looks like it was taken at Kensington Park). We used to go the library together all the time. She would also take dictation for me (when I was too young to write for myself) as I came up with an endless amount of wacky stories along the lines of Alice in Wonderland (one of my favorite stories). We read together until I was almost in my teens. I love my mommy. We didn't get along for a while when I was a teenager. I regret that. Now, I can see that I was just being selfish and not understanding. I don't see her very much now because she lives far away, but I try to make it up to her and call her all the time. I sent her flowers for Mother's day this year. I had chosen an all white bouquet in a blue vase with roses and other white flowers: all the colors and elegance that come to mind when I think of her. I wanted to make her feel really special, like a queen! She really liked them too. That made me happy. I want to go camping with her and my husband (Gomez too!!!) this Summer. I know she'd really love that too. The high cost of gas might make that impossible though...
Yay for moms!
Message for Moms: Even if your daughter doesn't say it enough, she loves you a lot!
Ahh! I am finally taking time to relax and recuperate some brain cells. Finals are over and I am taking the summer OFF for the first time in years! ^v^ My husband and I picked up a grill and a swinging bench for the lawn. We've been enjoying the outdoors with Gomez. We planted lilac bushes and are going to start growing some veggis. Nic did some landscaping work using the rocks he dug up a few years ago and it actually looks pretty great. We've also been playing bongo ball which is something like tennis, but with really loud plastic rackets. I'm really bad at it, but oddly enough, I love to play anyway and I am totally addicted! Gomez doesn't like the loud noises though and hangs out on the swinging bench a good distance away while we play. We made up for it by doubling the length of his tie out to thirty feet. His favorite pastime is chasing a tennis ball... Well, after eating. We got him some healthy sweet potato chews too. To make up for taking time off of school, I've been selling stuff on eBay and keeping up in my studies in Japanese. It's easy to study when you can play videogames from Japan and call it studying. ^v^ Of course, I have to play with a big heavy kanji dictionary next to me which slows down the fun a bit, but not so much. Life is good! I can't get away with living like this for long, I better enjoy it! I feel really blessed!
You can bet I'll be online then, if I survive that long...
In a life update, I turned down a trip Europe because, since I am already facing imminent financial ruin for attending school, it just didn’t seem like the right thing to do. No visiting Vienna, no Prague, no Venice, and no Frankfurt. *bids farewell to opportunity* I am currently enrolled in classes for Japanese, History, and ~surprise~ German. I thought three languages weren’t enough. ^v^ Actually, I just really love studying language. Communication is a valuable thing. Alas, I should be doing homework and must pry myself away. No matter how much I study it is never enough, I am just no longer able to pull off the grades I once achieved. I blame that school, but I have to face up to the fact that I am probably just not good enough. *sigh* …No, that probably won’t happen. I work too hard to be average!!! At least my dog thinks I am great.
Hi Tory..I'm calling in to invite you to celebrate O.W.C. Member of the week, our first of many to come, be great if you dropped in if you have the time. ta. Henry.
September 2008November 2008
