*Gulp*

I just quit Facebook.

It's true. And now I feel like a fish floundering out of the water! It's not a good feeling at all, at all! The only good thing, though its still not pleasant, is that I know that because I'm feeling this way that facebook wasn't a very good thing for me. It's not good to be too attached to things, even to sites.

The reason I decided to quit Facebook was because the only reason I went on there was that I had nothing else to do. Isn't that incredibly lame? To go on a site for hours at a time simply because I had nothing else to do? Yeah, lame. I could learn origami or something and become an origami pro in that time. Ridiculous.

We'll see how this goes. Facebook is interesting and seems useful, but I guess that people survived before it was invented and even, *gasp*, communicated! Remember those old-fangled things like the telephone and e-mail? I'm going to stick things out. No going back.

Hold me to my word, guys!

-Tina

Little lights sparkling, falling snow glittering...

Drumroll, please!

It's winter! But then, you knew that. Where I am, it's been winter for almost an entire month! The snow is still coating the ground, and today at noon the clouds dusted us with just a bit more.

I love snow. I don't like cold much, but I love snow, so I can tolerate the cold if I can have the snow. I really do hope that it stays up until Christmas. Don't you hate it when you have a green christmas? I mean in the north, when it's not merely green but nasty, grayish-brownish-green.

Regardless of snow, however, I'm excited about Christmas. This year my little niece and nephew are going to be here for Christmas morning, and I'm beyond excited to see them waking up early and yelling in excitement over their stocking. When we trimmed the tree last Saturday (which they were here for) it was awesome to see the two of them concentrating so very hard to put the ornaments on the tree. Too cute.

I love my family alot. I'm really grateful that I have a cool family that loves me, and more importantly, that I can talk to. I was thinking to myself, and I honestly believe myself to be serious, that if I had every present I wanted and no family except my parents to celebrate Christmas with, it'd be a pretty sucky Christmas. I would much rather have my brothers and sisters home for Christmas and no presents.

Luckily we've got the happy medium, hey?

Merry Christmas, everyone!

-Tina

Tis not a fun thing at all...

To be sick. Especially when Thanksgiving is in only a few days and the family is coming home.

My head keeps pounding and my nose keeps running and my eyes keep watering. Like I said, not fun. I'm going to do my best to beat it back with vitamin C's and keep the pounding in my head down with aspirin, but it's still not good.

Getting sick like this makes me wonder, "What is there to be thankful for about this?" You know, cause it's almost thanksgiving. It's really hard. I can be thankful for my family coming home, and getting to see them, but being sick kind of spoils it.

The best thing I can do, I guess, is offer up my sufferings to God. It sounds a little cliche and overused, but it's something I've been learning about. It's the mindset of praising God in the storm (Like the Casting Crowns Song); trusting God that things'll turn out okay even if they seem awful at present. Sound simple? It's rock hard. I've just got to keep plugging away.

Pray for me!

-Tina

In the green, Captain!

It's official.

I'm legal.

Not to drink, but to drive! Heh heh, never both at the same time. I could go off on a really long tangent about that, but I'll spare you.

This morning was my driver's test. I was very nervous and I thought, by the end, that I'd failed the test. But I didn't! I got passed, and we went to the Secretary of State's office around lunchtime to get my paper license and my picture taken for the plastic one that'll be along in the mail in "the next couple of weeks".

It's a little scary! It's legal for me to drive. By myself. Without anyone else. Scratch a little- that's very scary. But I suppose in time I'll get used to it and grow as a driver and a person. No, I'm serious! You can become a better person by getting your license. It's when you pray for the people that tailgate you and don't flip someone off when they cut you off.

It's a little tongue in cheek, but I am really serious. I'm thanking God for the grace that allowed me to pass this morning and also asking Him for the grace to get better at driving and the strength and courage to drive alone.

Good niiiiight!

-Tina

Somewhere...Beyond the sea.

Or three streets down and to the left. A bookstore. A haven for the weird, the writersome, and the bookish. I love them. The prize birthday present? A giftcard to a bookstore.

So that's where I went to-night. Some people may have problems with having problems deciding what to get. You know, where they are exasperated that they're exasperated? ;) You get it.

But while I am so dang excited and not sure exactly which books to get while I'm at a bookstore, it never bothers me. In fact, I LOVE it that I have all of those marvelous choices. Ah! Bookstores are wonderful. Have I said that already? Let's say it again. I. Love. Bookstores. There we are!

Just browsing through the marvelous shelves upon shelves of books and opening up a crinkly new book and smelling that new-book smell. It's lovely. All in all, I had a lovely time tonight. If you want to make me happy, take me book-browsing/buying at a bookstore. I could stay in bookstores for hours. My chief problem in them is getting distracting by all of the interesting knick-knacks and books that are everywhere. Each book is like a happy, silent invitation! I love it.

So that was my night! It was great.

G'night!

-Tina

High School + College? Eeeeeh...

Hey everyone! I'm back at looooong long last. You realize, of course, that the last time I posted was May or June. That's pretty bad.

So I'm in school again! High school, that is. But just high school? Ho, no, not just. I'm dual-enrolling. That means I'm taking a college class PLUS my normal high school classes. It's extra work, let me tell you, and a big reworking of my schedule.

But I don't mind as much as how I write leads you to believe. :P The college class (French) is actually pretty fun! My teacher is excellent- really makes me excited about learning the language. And change (reworking my schedule) isn't all bad. It makes me flexible and challenges me to work harder to finish my schoolwork by at least 9 PM! (Haha, just kidding. Not THAT late.) Plus I've got the added benefit of being able to say "I'm in college AND high school. Boo yah!"

Anyhow, that's my life at present. Doodling about and working my tail off in school. I really do enjoy learning, but it's just tough to have so much to do. I've heard that this year of school was tough, but I really didn't realize HOW tough.

And...guess what? I'm auditioning for a play next monday! Yes! I am INSANE! But still, it'll give me something fun to do. Something to do that isn't school, thank heaven! That is, if I get in. I'll let you know how that turns out!

And I'll try to update more often.

-Tina

p.s. Like the new header? A product of photoshop and lots of fun. :)

Writing binges...

School is winding down and I'm coming to the end of school for the year.

The problem with this is that I have a problem with finishing my school papers. I'll begin them on the specified day, but I won't finish them. I'll have this file of incomplete papers on my computer and I'll keep putting off doing them.

I'm homeschooled, but this doesn't mean that I don't have to get my papers graded. Oh no. I'm sure as heck not that lucky. I use a program named Seton Home Study School and I have to upload my papers to the internet for the graders at Seton to grade them. That's how I get transcripts and report cards etc.

The transcripts aren't available unless my papers are uploaded and graded, and my papers can't be uploaded and graded unless I write them. Thus one can see my dilemma. Added to this is that I need to take classes at the community college this fall and they need my transcripts.

My mom has been urging me to write my papers for this reasons but I've been putting her off. My dad learned of this on monday, and do you know what he did?

He told me that I couldn't do anymore normal school until I finished my papers. Told me I had to go on a writing binge. And there is the inspiration for this post and its title. Luckily, I finished them all by the friday of that week and I'm catching up on school this week.

Writing binges are productive. I'm all caught up! I guess it should be a lesson for me, but I still don't like finishing my papers. Thank heaven for school ending soon!

-Tina

I've noted...

That I never post. That is SAD. I'm a sad, sad little girl.

Heh, okay, personal quotes are over.

So guess what? My brother-in-law elect just graduated! WHOO-HOO! We went. It was pretty dang fun.

Also, when we arrived home after our seven hour trip from the graduation place-thing, my AlphaSmart Neo had arrived! Check it out, it rocks so far. It's essentially a keyboard with a snickers bar sized screen that is awesome for keeping one on track writing and not getting distracted by the internet, etc. In other words, its AWESOME!

I didn't win the film festival :( by the way, but I got a $10 gift card for participating! Hurray! Here's it, for all who wanted to watch:



It was very fun to make, for the record.

I'm procrastinating schoolwise today, but I should start soon. I end school in June! I'm so excited! YAY!

Okay, back on topic(ish). I was just referred to this amazingly funny blog post comparing Edward Cullen to other fictional characters, and who would beat who in a fight. Click.

Example:


Arguably the most powerful of the X-Men (that discussion for another blog), this mutant hero has at least 70 years on Cullen. Advantages: Wolverine (Logan to his friends), to my recollection, has never stalked a woman 90 years his junior, and the only thing sparkly about him is his razor-sharp claws.

Powers

• Can regenerate any damage, up to and including being disintegrated.
• Superhuman senses and agility.
• Skeleton is coated with a nigh-indestructible layer of Adamantium.
• Claws of same Adamantium, which can cut through everything.
• Can move on after a personal tragedy instead of dwelling on it for nearly a century.
  

The Skinny:

Probably the most even match of this exercise. While Cullen may have an advantage in speed, Wolverine has an edge in combat experience. Also, when Wolverine enters his "battle rage" he relies purely on instinct to control his actions. Edward mind-reading advantage would therefore be nullified.

The Verdict:

By virtue of this being a near-even match, I am tempted to call it a draw, but since Wolverine's Adamantium claws are made of the strongest substance in the known universe, I'm assuming Cullen won't be able to deliver the decapitation required for a killing blow. On the other hand, said Adamantium can cut through simply anything, which therefore must include vampire flesh. Winner: Wolverine.

Loves it.

Enjoy! I leave now to do school (:P)

Film Festival and other filming goody things!

Last blog post (yeah, it was last year ;) and more than a month ago, sorry!) I mentioned a film contest that, then, would be happening in a month or so. The month has passed!

I made a short 8 minute 30 second long film for the library film festival- It's called The Principal's Office. My friend Tori and I made a film like it while we were bored at her dad's office building one day. Here's a video of part of it so you can get the gist. My other friend Grace and I made a new version, with new characters and a plot twist at the very end! I'll post the youtube link on here to show it to you guys once it's up there.

SO! The film contest is in a coupla weeks and I really, really hope my film gets in. I wanted to enter the contest last year, but I didn't because I just put it off and put it off... Yeah :P. Pretty lazy of me, I know. It'd be super awesome if my film won a prize- People's Best of Show gets $100, which isn't shabby at all, and the other prizes are $75 and $50.

Wish me luck! I'll try to get some graphics up later.

-Tina