The Hills

Can someone please explain Mtv's show The Hills. Is it a reality show? Is it scripted? I can't believe writers would sit around writing all those "likes" and "whaaatt???s" I just watched about 2 minutes of it and was totally confused...and bored with the lack of interesting conversation. Then i googled it and there was this talk show video where an audience, two hosts and several groups of people via satellite were talking about one episode like they were real people just living their lives going to Hollywood parties. So weird.

AGAIN!?!?!?!

Didn't we just got through the democratic process, like last week? I mean I swear I was complaining about politics just the other day. As I go through the archives of my blog I realize it was last year but whatever.

So here we go again. While we're not voting till next November, I have to stomach all the presidential campaigns now. And for a whole year.

I really don't want to deal with it.

It's DONE !!!

That's all I have to say about that.

Next time I say, "I can't wait to write a paper"...just shoot me.

I am writing my big research paper today. Guess how come! Oh c'mon guess!

Because it's due tomorrow!

I've had my sources forever. I've been going over them all and doing the research from the beginning. But it's the writing of the paper that gets the grade. I really don't think my body knows how to write a paper without the overwhelming pressure of knowing it's due tomorrow.

I'm signing off till this paper gets handed in.

Don't Listen to the "Experts"

A couple years ago I went with Lori to Xsport to workout with her. I got the tour from one of the hard-sell buff guys so I wouldn't have to pay the fee. (remind me that sometimes it's worth the money) So this huge body builder type asks me if I exercise. I asked if being on your feet for 30+ hours a week counts as exercise. Before I could get the question out he responded with a rather forceful, "NO!" I was dismayed to think that all that time running around for extra oil and garlic wasn't doing me a damn bit of good.

Well, I wish I could go find that punk kid and tell him where he could put his free-weights. I looked in the mirror this morning and realized that three months of sitting in class, sitting on my couch, sitting in a chair at the library, sitting and typing papers has officially put me back to the weight I was hoping to never see again. I have always had weeks where my tummy was a little bit bigger because I went out to eat too many times but the extra weight never reached my face. Well, my face is showing the weight gain now. And with my big fluffy hair I'm starting to look like Aslan. (and not in a majestic, noble and wise way if you know what I mean.)

I am in the depths of despair.

Things to remember:

• This is within my power to change.
• If I lost it once I can lose it again.

Things that scare me:

• Overcoming addiction takes tremendous strength
• I don't feel so strong right now.

AGGGRRRHHH!!!!

Confirmation or a Carrot?

As many of you know, I'm here in Ohio. I moved to this town of Steubenville, not because I've always wanted to live in the Ohio River Valley where the air is so filled with pollutants from the many local steel mills and power plants that your lungs burn in your chest in the morning, but because Franciscan University of Steubenville is here. I'm here to get a degree in communications and hopefully learn how to write books. I came believing that this is where God wanted me.

It seems as though he is putting my often microscopic faith in Him to the test. I have, to this point, failed to acquire the necessary loans to continue in the spring. I do have an appointment with financial aid tomorrow (today) so that may make my entire post moot. But lets assume my appointment won't solve my problem...at least immediately.

I have been reminding God, with shaking fist to the heavens, that He's the one who brought me here. I'm also mentioning (in case He forgot) that he owns all the money in the whole wide world and that I only need a little bitty bit. Not to mention that I will be paying that money back by working very hard and using my degree. It's not like I'm asking for free handouts or anything.

Anyway, after my nice long weekend I was told about an extra-credit op. for my media class. I was to go see Regina Doman, an FUS grad, speak about how her communications degree helped her write her books and get them published.

UM...HELLO! That's exactly what I want to do. So I went to hear her speak. She is soo exactly what I want to be. I was having such an adrenaline rush my hand was shaking and I could hardly take notes.

So I took the whole thing back to God and said, "This feels like confirmation that you're going to work the whole thing out." But I've gotten "confirmation" from you before and I was clearly wrong. SO....are you dangling that proverbial carrot again?" As usual He was silent. (and I was quiet for a long time...waiting for the voice...which I never ever get.)

So we'll see how my meeting goes tomorrow (today).

I have hope, as always. And I feel so stupid for trusting God...but I do. I have to believe that it can't all depend on my finite understanding. If it did, then God is mean and sadistic. And he can't be...he can't be. He is good. He just has to be.

Hang on...

...I want to try something. I thought I had to upload to YouTube first. Maybe I can just copy and past it from my hard drive. This next video doesn't have a Tina Dennelly oscar winning sign-language performance but it has better waves. Let's see if it works.




YouTube works better. I think blogger takes too long to approve it or something because the little video box was there but it said the video was unavailable. Whatever.

My Fall Break

This past weekend was my 4-day Fall break and I took a drive out to Long Island to see Tina and her family. I had a great time relaxing and enjoying her company. Her husband Terry, after a full week of work, was a saint and watched their kids, Tess 3 1/2 and Peter, 1 1/2, while Tina and I drove out to Montauk to see the lighthouse. It was, unfortunately the day the island was being hit with the tail end of a hurricane. I've seen many oceans but in all my life I've never seen waves like these. As the video will show, it wasn't a pretty day. But I still love the ocean. It's ability to provide a beautiful turquoise place of rest, like I saw in Hawaii in May, and it's ability to kill you if you fail to treat it with respect, make me love it in the same way I love men. Someone asked me once what my favorite body of water was and I said the ocean. Then she asked me why...and I told her the same reasons I mentioned above. Then she giggled and said that supposedly one's favorite body of water was a representation of one's view of sex. I don't know if that's true or not but I find it interesting, nevertheless.

Anyway, here's some footage from the adventure. Tina started to talk and I told her the wind was too loud...so she resorted to sign-language.