30-Day Challenge: Day One
Feb. 28th, 2011 06:47 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
spritechan
I took that pic just now XD
1. I love having painted nails but I hate painting them. They look so pretty! Paying for a manicure is too much, but I'll throw it in with a pedicure or an eyebrow wax once in awhile. I always need to apply two coats to my nails at minimum. I'm also pretty sloppy at it... I get it all over my fingers and then obsessively pick at the skin to get it off. I really shouldn't be allowed to paint my nails, to be honest.
2. I internet stalk a lot of different people. Not because I want to be creepy, but because I like to know people. I often then talk about online people as if I really know them, or if they're my friends. Sometimes I even get annoyed with Steve when I reference someone - Not Athena, he knows you :) but like Jessicka or Carmen or Allie - and then he doesn't know what I'm talking about so I have to be all, "Allie from hyperbole and a half?!" or (back in the day) "Athena-from-livejournal-who-lives-in-Portland?!" In fact, most of the time I have to say those things anyway because he makes fun of me for talking about you all as if we are on a first-name basis.
3. I have never been happy with the way I look. I want to change so many things about myself, many that I can't even control. Buuuut, I want thin arms and legs and a flat tummy. I'm so lazy. And even if I wasn't, I really don't know how much I could really alter my appearance. I've always had chubby legs and flabby arms, even when I was skinny. I wish I had more of a chin. I'm also super annoyed with my hair. Thinking about going with a change... maybe getting some bangs. It's always so scary when making that decision because bangs can take so much time to grow out. I'm definitely changing colors. I wish my parents let me dye my hair the fun colors when I was a teenager, because I have this unfulfilled need to dye it pink, or purple, or green D:
4. I crave being crafty. I always want to start some new amazing craft. Currently I mostly just knit, but I always wish I could crochet, or do beadwork, or pick up cross-stitch again, or do stuff with food, or make jewelry, or draw/paint/sculpt. I want to do it alllll. I took a sculpture class in Junior High that I LOVED. It was so fun. I'm not very good at art though. I never took any art classes in high school. My fine arts requirement was filled by band, and I didn't have room in my schedule anyway. When I think about Leah + Art, I hear that line that Allie's (from Hyperbole and a Half XD) dance teacher wrote about her talent: "Allie tries hard." That'd be me and art. As a child, I thought I could write. I remember my family loving my work, but I don't remember finishing any stories, and I'm horrible with poetry. I just have a vivid imagination!
5. I'm incredibly awkward around people I'm not close to. I can ACT professional and friendly, but I give away my discomfort by blushing. It never fails. Even in work meetings I still blush when I'm contributing information, even though I know all of my colleagues pretty well. I'm terrible at small talk and don't enjoy engaging in it. I try to let people know this by not asking them questions. I've noticed that a lot of people will just wait for you to ask them a question in order to keep conversation going, and even if you are acting absorbed in something else, they will often just supply the information they wanted to tell you anyway. For example, working with Tamara last week. I'd be WATCHING something, or READING something, and she'd ask me questions. I'd give terse and absent answers to try to indicate my disinterest. "Do you have any pets? Cats? Dogs?" "I have two cats." She'd wait a few minutes. I would go back to reading or watching. "...I HAVE THREE DOGS! A BIG ONE, A MEDIUM ONE, AND A LITTLE FOOFY ONE. SHE LIKES MY HUSBAND BEST. BUT MY HUSBAND ISN'T REALLY A SMALL DOG PERSON, BUT IT'S JUST SOOOO FUNNNYYYY BECAUSE SHE JUST LOVES HIM. BUT MAYBE IT'S BECAUSE SHE SLEEPS WITH ME ALL DAY" -etc. and then she'd ramble on for like 5 minutes before getting tired of the topic. It was very unpleasant.
5. I love being warm. I can't wait until summer. I keep my car generally between 82 and 85 degrees in the winter, much to the chagrin of everyone in the car with me, and about 75 in the summer (though I prefer the windows being down instead of any sort of air). If my car is too cold when I get in, I wear a blanket on my lap. This same blanket is what I'm notorious for wearing at work. I also am usually wearing a hoodie and a jacket at work/school/conferences... anywhere there's A/C. I despise air conditioning unless it's ridiculously hot out (like, 90's). And even then, I only like it for the 5 minutes I'm hot; then it's back to sweaters and jackets. Otherwise I love to fall asleep in the sun. It just feels so good to lay outside. I love it being super hot out and then going swimming. It feels soooo good!
6. One of my most favorite vacations was when we went to South Dakota in the badlands and black hills with my dad's family. The trip started out great, with us kids (me, Bethany, and Adam) rock-paper-scissoring for who got stuck in the middle and who had to sit on the single seat (we were in a van). Jack got the other single seat because he was a baby. I think we actually ignored our loser and made Joe sit in the middle so we could sleep on him, as he was not present when we were bickering. We drove 14 straight hours there, with a couple stops for potty breaks and I think one meal. The week was spent doing activities that each person chose to do. I chose amethyst caves, Adam chose an exotic reptile house, Dad chose some mystery/sciency thing, Bethany chose gold-panning, Pam chose to visit the Laura Ingalls-Wilder place, and I can't remember what Joe chose! Then at night, we kids and Joe played poker with pennies and gossiped about James and Alicia because they were watching the house, and we KNEW what they were up to (interestingly, Alicia actually did get pregnant around this time). Adam and Joe are two of my favorites, and spending all that quality time with them was amazing - climbing all over the badlands was the best.
7. Underwear tidbits: I purposely mismatch my socks. Usually I do it with some sort of organization, like they match my outfit or something. I also require them to be of the same style, like ankle, knee, or fuzzy. I started doing this after I started dating Steve. When he did it, I thought it was weird at first. When I asked him why he did that, he said that it made socks more interesting, and pairing them up in silly combinations was fun. It didn't take long for me to warm up to the idea, and it made more room in my sock drawer for the billions of socks I buy and collect since they don't have to be in individual balls anymore. I love buying socks and underwear. It's so fun! As for undies, I mostly wear boyshorts and bikini. I went through a rather long period in my life where I'd wear thongs exclusively, because I felt that my ass was too big for other types of panties that weren't for grandmas. Now, I can't even remember the last time I wore a thong. Panty lines, unless super obnoxious, don't really bother me. It's like, "Yeah, I'm wearing undies. SURPRISED?!"
8. I enjoy being on Depo. I have had no adverse side effects, unless you want to cite weight gain, but that's iffy. I probably gained weight from a variety of factors. I don't get periods, which is amazing. I was on it for so long that when I went back on the pill for a couple years, I felt so trapped and miserable by having to buy tampons and go to the bathroom more often than I want to. Not to mention that bleeding and shoving things around the area didn't help with my UTI issues. I also like being able to have sex whenever I damn well please. Now I'm back to being goop-free, and haven't had a UTI in a LONG time. Yay! Do I know if I can get pregnant? No. If I was on any other form of birth control, would I know if I could get pregnant? No. People blame birth control as the reason they can't conceive, when really, barring any sort of KNOWN medical issues (such as PCOS), no one REALLY knows if they're fertile. My doctor once told me it looked like I was shooting blanks, even though I was still getting my period. Since then, I've always been aware that when the time comes, I might not be able to have a baby. Guess what? Unless you've tested for it or already had a child, NEITHER DO YOU. Thank god for adopting the children already here who need parents!
9. I get really bad headaches sometimes. I don't know if they're migraines or not, but I say they are. When I was young, my mom had a stroke. She was in her mid-twenties (between 23 and 26, I can't remember). After many months, they labeled it as a "complicated migraine." She was "lucky" in that the stroke hit her sensory region, so her long-term effects have included things like dulled smell receptors vs. limb or speech problems. I was aware of my mom always having migraine issues. She'd describe to me that she saw tv lines and static. I would get horrible headaches too. I never saw anything. But my mom would ask me if I saw the things she described, and sometimes I'd convince myself that I I DID, in fact, see them. I didn't, but I sure as hell knew that my headaches made me want to lock myself in a dark room and cut off my head to relieve the pressure. I once had a headache that lasted about 3 months. They gave me a CAT scan to see if I had any tumors or swelling or anything. Turns out I was fine, but my headache lasted awhile longer. The worst headache I can remember as an adult was a couple years ago. I was out at the mall with my friend Maggie, and I got SLAMMED by this thing. I was dizzy and nauseous, and even grayed out a few times. It was awful. Luckily there was a Target in the mall and I choked down a couple of naproxen. I get headaches in waves now. I can go months without a headache, and then have several within a week. My headaches and UTIs are the only time I really require Western medicine.
10. I'm sometimes sad that Bethany had a child so young, or that I haven't had one yet, but not probably for the reasons you think. I grew up with several cousins my age, and I had a lot of fun with them. I grew up playing pirates, going on outings, digging in the dirt, playing hide-and-seek, playing house, and video games with so many kids in my family. We'd go on vacations or spend a week at our grandma's house or our aunt's house.Huge birthday parties with a ton of kids running around. I have so many fond memories of people in my family that I don't really see anymore, and I'm grateful for them. Cayden has no one his age. The closest he has is Ella, who is almost 4. And technically she's MY cousin, because her father is my uncle even though he's only two years older than I am. I want him to have the experiences I had as child. I know that maybe he could be like August, who gets to spend all his waking hours with his friends, but I either didn't spend enough time living at a place to keep friends, I lived too far away from where all my friends lived (I went to school in a different city than I lived), or we couldn't coordinate hangouts (as my parents didn't like interacting with others' parents and never wanted people sleeping over. Things are quite the opposite for my brother). Cayden's birthday party was kind of a downer in that regard, because the youngest after him was August, who's going to be 13 this year.
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Date: 2011-03-01 03:32 pm (UTC)2. HAHAHAHHA! Ohmygod. I do it, too. Not just with you (though sometimes I'm like, "Oh, yeah, Leah was just saying--" and my other friends are like, "...Leah?" Then I have to explain, "You know! The girl on LJ who's like my twin in Minnesota?" And they go, "Uhhhh...okay."), but with Allie Brosh and Robin McKinley and Pat Rothfuss! I'll be like, "You should read what Pat just wrote!" As if I know him. XD
3. Your pain is felt. D=
4. CRAFTS! =D One of these days I'll learn to knit and join the ranks!
5. ...wow. Awkward. XD
6. I wish I could remember a really good family vacation, but frankly, most of them were pretty horribly uncomfortable or boring, since they were never planned as a family. They were always all about my step-dad and his likes/hobbies. Before him, we never had enough money for a vacation.
7. =O Have I mentioned my bizarre sock thing!? I totally do this!! I have DOZENS of socks! And I will deliberately choose socks that clash directly with whatever I'm wearing, but I wear them where they can't be seen, so only I (or, uh Brian) know! And I would frequently rebel in tiny ways against the dress code at Olive Garden by wearing black socks (I WAS the trainer after all, and could be asked to show my socks to demonstrate proper dress code at any time...and I was)....but I'd wear one inside out and the other would be from a different pair (I bought like 7 different pairs that were all black but dissimilar XD).
8. Man, I love it when people think about things like this. Seriously, I've never been tested for fertility, and so I've already begun to think about alternatives to pregnancy such as adoption for that reason. Because assumptions like that never help anyone.
9. I also get headaches much more often than the ordinary person. I have found ONE link through grains--if I eat too many grains, especially bread or noodles, but also rice, I can induce a serious headache. In fact, if I stop eating them for a prolonged period and then try to eat even a little, I get a headache. I have to maintain a tolerance level or I can't eat even a bowl of rice or a cup of noodles. o.O But, that's not the only reason I get headaches--and the longest I've had one was for a month. It was a nightmare of a time, and no one knew why.
10. As someone who had anywhere from 6 to 9 siblings to play with at any given time in my formative years, and then later on lived in an apartment complex where I was able to find other kids my age, I totally know where this is coming from. I never fit in at school, so I was extremely reliant on other friends/family members my age at home. The only thing I can say is that as a kid, I really didn't draw a line between hanging out with my nearest siblings and my elder siblings--I was able to play some games with the older ones that I couldn't play with those my own age. Once he's around 4 to 5, I feel like he'll be able to interact with his older cousins more actively. =)
Wow. This comment is almost as long as the entry. Hahahahahaha....so much information. XD
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Date: 2011-03-01 10:04 pm (UTC)2. It comes up more often in my life than one would think! Seriously! I reference you ALL the time! :D
3. I just had to put a complain-y one in there. :P
4. <33333 crafts!!!
5. BAHAHAHA I know. I was much more annoyed when I was writing Suzi an email and she was all, "Whatcha writin' about?" If I answered honestly, it would have been, "My friend and her boyfriend are in an open relationship of sorts and her judgmental friend asked all these questions about how the relationship could possibly be as good as a monogamous one. I am also writing to her about her current [lack because he's in Eugene, Oregon for 6 months] sex life and my sex life." She probably wouldn't have even known what an open relationship was, and would have waffled at talking about sex. Leave me alone, woman! Can you not see I'm concentrating?!
When she saw I was watching That 70's Show, she told me she liked it and THEN went on a tangent listing shows she liked and asking me if I'd seen them. My answer, nearly universally, was, "If it's not on Netflix instant, I haven't seen it. I don't watch tv. I can't even remember the last time I watched actual tv. Maybe a football game in December." Because I hadn't seen any, she'd basically give me the entire show's rundown in great detail.
6. I don't think any of my vacations were horrible, but I know many of them included a lot of fighting by siblings, and as teenagers, with Paul. I remember you talking about vacations with Scott before - my family also didn't really go on actual vacations - mine were very sporadic.
7. Hahaha I remember! You wrote about it I think one day when you were going to the museum? Or somewhere you kinda had to dress up and I THINK you wore Hello kitty socks?! XD My family made fun of me at first for wearing mismatched socks but now I think they secretly enjoy seeing what combination I'll be wearing any given day.
8. EXACTLY OMG. People really don't get it. "Weeeelllll... have you TRIED to get pregnant before now? HAVE you ever been pregnant? THINK ABOUT IT." I've already talked to Steve about alternatives to making a baby, and he's on board!
9. I wonder what my headaches are from, as they come more frequently when I am getting off of work. Is the stress of a transition giving me a headache? I had an energy drink the other day, but otherwise I have been preeeetty good about not drinking them. I miss them though, and the cute bonding Steve and I share with them, which means I will probably let them back in somewhat. I haven't figured out how much yet. Tea will be satisfactory caffeine-wise I think. How often do you drink tea? I brought 3 for my 8.5 hour work shift. Is that okay, or too much?
10. Exactly! I always had a couple friends in school as a child, but we NEVER, EVER spent time together outside of school. When I was in daycare/after-school programs, I spent the majority of my time with the adults, because adults didn't play the evil games kids did (and family did, but less severely), and out of necessity I spent a lot of time with my sister and HER friends in the neighborhood, because she had a lot of kids her age (4 years my junior) there. I also enjoyed having so many family members my age because then we didn't HAVE to go on vacations: spending a week together at a relative's house was vacation enough!
Yayyy long! I wanted to expand on my facts besides: I am a weeaboo. I like sleep. I love cats. SoyNut butter rocks my world. XD
ETA: I missed a number XD
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Date: 2011-03-02 10:00 pm (UTC)2. It happens with me a LOT because I don't have any physical friends (yet, but I am working on it at the Museum), so some of my conversation is just about talking about who said what, and what they're up to (like the Ongoing Grim Tales of Woe D=).
5. HAHAHAHAHA! Sometimes that happens with me, since I also have very, uh, non-traditional ideas about things, and my friendships definitely reflect that. Ocassionally, I'll catch myself about to reveal too much information about one of them, just in the nature of sharing stories, and I end up with this awkward fumble. XD
But, I do sometimes worry if I'm reading social cues correctly. I've spent several periods of my life where I was a true outcast, and then essentially a hermit. Plus, I've never been one to follow some social rules even when I AM aware of them, so it can get pretty complicated in my head as I start to wonder, "Oh god, am I talking too much? Are they actually interested, or just being polite?" And so on, and once I'm in that headspace, I find it really difficult to enjoy the social interaction, and I think that rather defeats the purpose.
7. Yeah! That was a Theme Clash, like where I dress up very nicely, and very professionally, and then I'll have some really goofy or childish socks on. XD Or I'll dress up really cute and sweet, and wear my Goth socks.
8. I think it's also something that should be discussed more as a possibility when addressing pregnancy as the natural progression of a woman's life--you know, the Go To School, Get A Career, Find A Mate, Get Married, Get A House, Have A Baby, Have Another Baby, etc path that we get set on. I think that to some women, it comes as a devastating blow to suddenly realize that they can't have a child, especially when they come into that knowledge later in the game, like their mid-late 30s. But, just like how teens don't think they can get pregnant, I feel that healthy women in their prime don't think they CAN'T get pregnant. I really feel like both parties need more information, and while there is an effort to make teenagers understand that they can and will get preganant, I don't think there is enough out there talking about the growing rate of infertility.
9. I drink as much tea as I want in a day--whatever that comes out to be, that's what it is. Yesterday, I have five cups of tea over the course of the day, but I was also trying to stay focused on reading The Wise Man's Fear for the 13 straight hours that it took. Today, I'm going to have coffee, because I'm a bit shattered from staying up until the ungodly hours of the morning. But, an average days sees me drink anywhere from 1-3 cups of tea. I'm also careful to vary it so that my first one is likely a black tea, which has more caffeine, and my last one is an herbal tea, which has none. But, keep in mind that unless you're talking about a yerba mate, most black teas contain less caffeine than decaf coffee. So, if you lower your tolerance for caffeine enough, you WILL feel it when you drink an Earl Grey right before bed, but if you maintain that relatively higher level of tolerance, it won't usually affect you in any noticeable way.
//
Hahah--some of those seem obvious, like "I like sleep," but I just remembered how one of the things Milly and I agree on frequently would be one of the most awesome super powers for just the ordinary person would be the power to Not NEED To Sleep. That is, having the option, and being able to sleep and dream, and wake up at a normal time, and so on, but not NEEDING it. This would add YEARS to a person's life, since they wouldn't have to spend all that time sleeping. =D Cause while I love me dreams, sleeping is annoying.
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Date: 2011-03-03 08:34 am (UTC)2. I'm kinda the same way. I have physical friends, buuuut I never see them, so it's pretty similar. I just randomly got busy this month. Definitely not the norm!
5. Oh I definitely do the social cues thing too - especially with friends. I can easily talk a lot, especially if there's too much silence. I NEED TO FILL THAT SILENCE NOW. Reminds me of a story you told me a few months back where you just KEPT GOING because there was so much silence. XD That's so me too! The difference is, I guess, that I don't actively engage strangers/acquaintances in conversation very much. I don't see why I'd need to, ya know?
As for the work thing, I'm used to working with Isaac, who is in his own office and I am in mine, and we just do our own thing, only approaching each other when necessary. It's GREAT. So when I work with someone who apparently NEEDS my company to LIVE, it's very frustrating, because I come to work with a list of things I'm going to do (in my head). If I am interrupted by anyone other than a client, I get annoyed. And YOU would be able to read my cues, I promise. I am not very good about keeping my Annoyed face off when I truly am annoyed. And if I had my back to you, typing, I think you'd get the picture XD
8. Exactly! It shouldn't be beaten into us about having a baby, for several reasons. We already have far too many children. It also would be less soul-crushing on infertile couples! Adoption could become cheaper and more mainstream (that's not to say FAD but more "okay" vs "exotic"). I've already told Steve that if I CAN bear children, I would like to have ONE (experience of birth and all that - yes, currently feeling that selfishness), and then if we so desire, adopt another. He's already said he's fine with adoption either way as long as we have the funds. ^_^
9. Okay :) Since I don't drink coffee, I guess you could replace that with diet coke? I usually share 1-2 with Steve during our "evening" hours, more out of convenience than a desire for the soda. I'd totally drink tea in place of that! Again, it's one of those things that will get vastly easier once we move (One month!).
I'm DEFINITELY agree on the sleep thing, especially for the reason that we DO need it. I've noticed that I run best on about 9 hours of sleep. Soooo, this poses a problem with schedules of working 45 hours a week and feeling exhausted. I either sleep too little and am not my best (irritable, lazy), or I sleep too much (headache, lethargic, guilty). When I'm asleep, I want to STAY asleep. No matter what. I NEVER want to get up. It's such a problem! Especially when Steve's at work on weekends. I'll sleep 13-14 hours if left to my own devices D: If I didn't NEED sleep, hell, I'd be GREAT! I'd probably only sleep when bored then. Or worn out.
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Date: 2011-03-03 08:15 pm (UTC)5. It's my biggest problem with an argument/debate. When there's a silence, I panic and just keep talking, trying to get it so that it's a dialogue again. A part of me is convinced that I'm just not being clear enough and if I repeat what I've been saying a DIFFERENT way, then maybe they'll respond...XD
I've personally had to overcome the urge to keep everything really casual when talking to strangers, since I AM looking to build up friendships. I'm very, very good at striking up casual conversations with absolute strangers. It's one of the reasons I do so well at interviews, and in jobs like retail/hospitality industry. People (and kids!) don't scare me, and I'm fine with approaching them. But, making FRIENDS is totally different. I have major insecurities there, thanks to a lifetime of serious social peer rejection, which has cultivated a deep and lasting impression that People Do Not Like Me. It makes it very difficult for me to make the leap from casual acquaintance to friendship if I'm not totally sure that they dig the idea of friendship with me.
8. Being at the Museum has really made me feel that one of the best things I could do would be to have kids of my own (I do want to pass on several of my genes, since I believe that genetics are important in deciding several things that I would like to see continue in the world, including intelligence and artistic ability), if I can, and then adopt or be a foster parent. I've definitely considered putting myself in the system like that, since I know how much of a shit hole the foster system is at the moment. I don't have the drive to reform the system, but I am willing to toss myself into the sea and be the Good Drop In The Bucket.
9. Diet Coke has around as much caffeine as Decaf Coffee--so still more than a black tea. Just be aware that if you get used to drinking tea at night instead of that Coke, when you're hanging out and drink a Coke too late to bed, you may find yourself having some trouble sleeping. One of the things that really messes with people who drink tea instead of other beverages is they don't have as high a tolerance for caffeine. It's like drinking a glass of 14% alcohol by volume wine a night, and then suddenly drinking 50% alcohol by volume vodka in the same amount and wondering why you're drunk off your ass.
But! If you ever want to drink tea for the caffeine, the best thing is to brew very STRONG tea--and you do that by adding more tea. If you had loose leaf, this is all just about adding more tea than you usually do. If you have tea bags, it's just adding in more bags. This increases the amount of caffeine in the mug (or teapot), and will therefore act on your system more like a Coke or coffee. But, only yerba mate is really going to compare to something like an energy drink. Oh, the bonus? Yerba mate doesn't have a "crash" the way most energy drinks do.
ZOMG. Me too! 9 hours--it's the same for a lot of women in my family of several generations, so it could be a genetic predisposition to needing more sleep. Hardly the worst thing, but if I get consistently 7 hours for even just say, two weeks, I feel like I've been run RAGGED. And if I sleep too much, like 10-12 hours, I get SO lethargic, and frequently get headaches. D= And I totally know what you mean about wanting to stay sleeping. It's only since being without a real schedule for a year that I've found that this strong urge to just keep sleeping, which I'd have to fight HARD, has almost disappeared. I often don't use an alarm clock to wake up--my body decides it's had enough sleep, and I wake up READY to wake up. It's amazing. I'm not sure I've felt this way in more than a decade and a half. And when I don't use the alarm, and I just sleep to when it feels right, I sleep almost perfectly 9 hours--and no longer.
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Date: 2011-03-04 09:32 am (UTC)5. If I wasn't saying anything (say, on purpose to watch you but you didn't know it) during an in-person debate with you and you tried that tactic, I imagine I'd burst out laughing. Probably not in an actual -heat-of-the-moment situation, but still. :D
I promise, I like you ^_^ If we lived closer, we'd so have tea and watch Avatar and I'd ogle your art.
8. Yayyy me too! Go us! Steve probably wouldn't go for the foster parent thing as much. He means it in the least jerk-ish way possible, but he is definitely of the school of, "It's not my (or your) job to save the world." Especially so because I already work in the field, etc. etc. He gets funny sometimes when I'll be passionate about something. He'll be all, "Wow, I didn't know you felt so strongly about that." and I'm like, "I DO!!! ABOUT SO MANY THINGS!" The only thing he'll never forget I feel strongly about is Hurricane Katrina/FEMA/lack of government responsibility for its own citizens vs countries we don't care about. I made sure of that. :P
9. I honestly think I did feel the Earl Grey when I laid down last night. I had a 2-and-a-half hour meeting yesterday before my bedtime and I brought tea cause it was COLD out, and then I couldn't fall asleep! I didn't feel jittery though.
And I would LIKE to be more sensitive to caffeine. Tolerance sucks. I definitely might look into the Yerba Mate though - I have been hearing good things about it from others who drink tea.
9 hours is so perfect! The main reason I sleep forever on weekends (I think) is because Steve usually works until 5 or 6, so if we go to bed at 4 or 5, if I wake up at 1 or 2 and the kitties are being snuggly I'll think, "Oh, Steve will be home soon, it's not like I can DO anything!" Even though I so can and that's plenty of time @_@ It's my laziness kicking in. A lot of times I'll be awake at 2, but just lay with the kitties for a couple hours, literally just staring into the dark or dozing.
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Date: 2011-03-05 07:32 pm (UTC)Haha--I have a horrible suspicion that if you DID live closer, we'd probably go several weeks where we'd be like unseparable, until finally we realize, "Holy shit, uhhh....I don't think I've gone less than 2 days in a row without hanging out with you....maybe we should, uh, add in some more space?" And our boys would go, "OMG THEY FINALLY NOTICED !!" XD
8. See, I have a similar problem with Brian--I have a LOT of passion, and a lot of opinions, and even when I come into new information, I'm not afraid of forming an opinion about that information (always with the acknowledgment that given additional info, I can change my mind), since I can usually already think of counter debates/info/etc all on my own even without the supporting facts. But, he really doesn't. There are a couple things that really move him (mostly do to with energy, conservation of resources, use of technology to manipulate the environment to LOOK better rather than FUNCTION sustainably, etc). So, sometimes we get into these half-way debates, because I'm like ZOMG!!!! PASSSION!!! And he's like, "Uhhhh...I....don't even have a formed opinion on this, but I agree with everything you've said so far."
And, oh man, I got a lot of flack for my opinion on the Haiti Crisis. I even wrote an entry about it, because I was so pissed off by a commercial talking about donating money to this latest crisis, and two ex-Presidents coming together to raise money for them.......where was this support when Hurricane Katrina devasted one of our POOREST areas? Where people ALSO lay crushed under buildings, or in 9 feet of water? Where's that support NOW when they STILL are not on their feet?! I've been through there in the past three years, and I can say right here and now, they're still barely half-way recovered. HALF. And here we are, dishing out huge chunks of handouts to a country that would NEVER, EVER help us out in return? That is a giant money sink?
Sorry, wow. Apparently, still angry. D= And honestly, I'm not one to usually argue for borders of countries--we're all just folk, in my mind. But, it really angers me to see how we're mismanaging our funds by dumping all sorts of money into military bullshit in the Middle East, and pouring aid into Haiti, when we're barely limping ourselves. And then we turn around in surprise when our economy tanks, and suddenly everyone else in the world who's economy depending on us is crashing and burning.
9. Caffeine is a tricky substance; it's only in really large concentrated doses that it will cause jitters. You're actually really fucking up the system when you get that far. Caffeine was interestingly one of the substances we studied in my neurobiology class on "Drugs and the Brain." One of the great things about it is that it can pass through the blood brain barrier--which is why it can sometimes help with headaches. But, on the other hand, anything that can pass through the bbb that way is more dangerous, because it affects our minds very directly.
Before I managed to get into a really good rhythm where even weekends aren't "weekends" to me anymore, I had the hardest time getting motivated to get out of bed if Brian wasn't awake yet. There seemed to be little to no point. Now, I'm usually the one who wakes us up, and I think that it helps him stay in a better rhythm. But, before, when I was waking up at like 3pm, I'd sometimes feel really tempted to just sleep until like 5pm, and wake up when Brian came home. =/
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Date: 2011-03-08 08:39 am (UTC)AHAHAHA I THOUGHT THE SAME THING! That we'd spend every waking moment together until we kinda burned out, because we'd have nothing new to say since we were TOGETHER for everything in recent memory XD
8. Oh god, this is so my relationship! Only even LESS things Steve's passionate about. The only thing I can think of that he has a SOLID opinion on is that he hates when people get pissy and irritable. That's when he'll for real give someone a lecture. I have NOOOO idea why he's dating me because he feels so strongly about it, and I am a quite irritable person. I've gotten SO much better since we've been dating, but seriously, I'm an easily irritated person! I guess I hold the mass majority inside now and realize IT'S NOTHING TO GET MAD ABOUT, but still. Opposites.
I THINK I commented on your Haiti stuff... maybe? If I didn't, I FULLY agreed with you. Hurricane Katrina is like THE NUMBER ONE TOPIC that I will argue someone into the ground about. I'm am so angry about it. And what the fuck is this Libya shit? It's Haiti all over again! You can't help out other countries without taking care of your own shit first. But of course it's easy for the mass majority of America to overlook the tragedy of Katrina, because most of those people were poor blacks anyway. Basically homeless. Who needs that?
Uggghh fuuuu Middle East wars. I'll never understand it. Nope. I thought we were supposed to be isolationist, not a meddlesome, we-know-best-so-you-better-listen-OR-ELSE country. ARGH.
I wish that I responded better to being woken up, but I don't. I need to be the one to do it on my own time, even though I don't like getting up AT ALL. So it's kinda a no-win situation. I've been trying really hard to change my hatred of waking up, since I have to no matter what attitude I have, by giving myself enough time to shower before work. It really helps me feel more refreshed and less like a bum.
Omg the other night I slept for 9-10 hours before work (a bit less actually since I take so long to fall asleep, but yeah), and it was THE BEST. I love getting my needed amounts of sleep <3
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Date: 2011-03-08 03:02 pm (UTC)8. Well, it may be that he gets annoyed at people getting irritable, but that he thinks that all some people need is to be taught how not to freak out about everything. I mean, if you're an environmentalist who hates when people are ignorant of how little our "going green" really is green, the last thing you do is keep your mouth shut when someone says something wrong--you speak out and find the people who think that we're doing "enough." Maybe it runs on the same principal?
Or maybe you're just hot enough that Steve's willing to get used to it? XDDD
I can't recall if we'd "met" by the time I'd posted my Haiti post, but it'd certainly be something that's a volatile topic that we'd agree on. It's not that as a human I don't feel empathy for all disasters--seriously, watching/reading about incidents like that can see me burst into tears--it's that it's not SOUND sense. It's not a good way to help. Pouring money into things consistently isn't the answer. Yes, there should be a disaster relief effort, but it should be a globally connected decision, not just one more way that the US meddles in other people's affairs so that we ignore our own problems.
Considering that Haiti is also just a "bunch of poor blacks, basically homeless" for the general most part, I don't think that was the primary reason we wanted to get it over with quicklys. I think people in America, especially in the places that don't really SEE serious poverty 365, 24/7 around them just have no idea how "third-world" some of our country is. They just assume, oh, we're Americans, so we can handle it. Sure, there are jokes about the "back water" Southern states like Louisiana and Arkansas and Oklahoma, but the reality is that the sheer scope of Hurricane Katrina was VASTLY underemphasized in the media. I mean, when we went across country, we saw the damages as early as Texas, and they were still talking about how entire CITIES were wiped out as we got further east, including some that were meant to be major money draws (including the establishment of three casinos and restaurants to make a mini "Las Vegas" in Alabama). And these places are just GONE. It wasn't just New Orleans, and most people have no idea. And so, we're just letting people "figure it out" when they have no means to do so. How do you "figure out" a 7 figure debt that you were meant to pay off within 10 years with your brand new casino that is now barely a foundation covered in rubble?
I was talking to Justin about his fears that China, as the newest rising Super Power, and with our decline, that it'll go out there and try forcing countries to adopt it's communist government policies...and one of the things I said was, "If they DID...it'd sort of be our own fault. We paved the way for that attitude, especially when we decided to invade Iraq to "force" democracy on it in violation of the opinions of the U.N." Not that I want it to happen, or that I think it's now suddenly okay--I think both parties are totally wrong. I just think, you know, in a karmic kind of way, it would kinda serve us right. ~_~
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Date: 2011-03-08 07:06 pm (UTC)8. That sounds about right. He DEFINITELY is on the boat for the Please Don't Unnecessarily Freak Out. He's not an overreactor, and hates when other people are. He's pretty good about telling people when they're being like that, especially in a comical way to try to ease the tension.
No no, me too! I don't like to watch videos or look at the gory pictures people post, because it IS very sad. But it's, as you say, sort of misguided and definitely misplaced. It needs a different kind of effort.
People in America take this weird sense of pride that turns into a blind eye towards places like the areas hit by Katrina. It's like they cross their arms and say, "Nope, not in MY country. And if it IS true, then obviously they did it to themselves, and need to get themselves out of it." The out-of-date "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" is still quite prevalent, and drives me up the wall. And I'm a perfect example of Katrina being underemphasized. I didn't know until YEARS later just how bad it was. I was completely oblivious and wrapped up in college. So I was like doubly pissed when I learned how it REALLY was/is, because I was so ignorant and completely duped.
As for that last paragraph... exactly.
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Date: 2011-03-01 07:35 pm (UTC)2. I guess. I like the anonymous nature of the internet and typically don't dig unless the person is interesting. But, for the most part, I like to keep things simple. As the saying goes, familiarity breeds contempt.
3. Who is? Concentrate on things you like about yourself.
4. Cooking is a lot of fun. If you're interested, I have a lot of great recipes I've collected over the years. I'm not exactly calorie conscious but there are some reasonable dishes in there. Anyway, cooking and baking are great fun. I really like it because it seems like no one knows how to prepare food unless it comes in a bag with instructions.
5. Watch reality TV or leave HLN on in the background. I do that while I'm cooking and cleaning and it usually gives me an ample amount of BS to keep people busy with when things become silent and I can tell they don't like it. Although, it sounds a lot more like you dislike public speaking. Constant exposure to it is the only cure, unfortunately.
5. You have two fives, fyi. Um yea cold ftw. I get uncomfortable if it gets above 60 degrees. I usually jog with my dogs in short sleeves in January.
9. You'd know if they were migraines because if you'd never experienced one before, you'd think you were dying. They're also usually preceded by vision problems, especially floaters. If you think you have migraines, skip your GP and go straight to a neurologist.
10. Yea, I see your point. I have three cousins my age but I never see them. The one is on my dad's side of the family and they suck. The other two I never got to see for the longest time because of something that happened between my mom and her mother when I was a baby.
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Date: 2011-03-01 10:19 pm (UTC)2. I suppose that saying can be true, but assumptions because of a lack of knowledge can make a person feel the same. I usually only "stalk" friends of friends, like on Facebook. It's not like I could really stalk someone on LJ... or maybe I'm not trying hard enough. :P
3. True true. I wasn't feeling that positive that day, and was having a hard time thinking of good things to write about.
4. I'm ALWAYS open to recipes, though I prefer ones that aren't SUPER expensive, as I'm not likely to make it otherwise (that will change in the future). I love cooking. Feel free to send any over!
5. This was at work, AND I had a tv show on that she LIKED AND was doing things that discourage small talk, like writing email. She later told me she gets bored and I told HER that's why *I* bring things to do. She just said, "Weeeeellll I brought a book but it makes me sleepy." I'm not her fucking entertainer. I've blushed for as long as I can remember when speaking in front of people, even though I'm not particularly end-of-world about it. Even one-on-one with people I often blush. No idea. I'm just blushy.
5. Oops! I was wondering why it felt like I had so many things to come up with! Seriously, I HATE being cold. I am SOOOO uncomfortable and cranky when I'm cold, which is far more often than I'd like :(
9. Well, I've felt like dying from a headache several times before so... I'd also rather take the risk of NOT having them but saying I do, than end up in a scary situation like my mom went through. I was a small child when she stroked, and it was the worst time in her life.
10. I'm glad my family has issues but they kinda set them aside every few holidays to see each other. I don't feel any sort of obligation to my extended family, but I'm grateful I had time with my cousins even when the rest of my family wasn't getting along.
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Date: 2011-03-02 04:17 am (UTC)5. A. The book in your face didn't stop her? Jesus... I actually suffer from moderate hearing loss (all those years of performing), so sometimes I just pretend not to hear people lol.
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Date: 2011-03-02 04:20 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-03-02 07:46 am (UTC)I suggested she go watch tv in the living room, as that is what she seems to spend most of her day doing. She didn't.
In reply to the previous comment, I don't grow hair that much but I DO hate it and shave all the time. My eyebrows grow fairly slowly, and they're that lighter blonde/brown that's not as noticeable as other hair types. Why would I think you're orange? XD