So my day continues to surprise me, and I continue to surprise myself.

For those of you who aren't RA's at Becker, you probably haven't noticed that I've been trying SO HARD to volunteer, be involved, and generally do a good job.  You might not have even noticed if you are on the staff, unless you're Whitney, WHO IS STARTING A BLOG THAT I WILL REMIND MYSELF TO POST HERE!  Sorry.  When I see that on my page I will remember, for when she gets her first posts up and going. Feel free to ignore the caps lock.

But (anyways)- in Whitney's words- I'm a "beast".  Hahah.

Who knows if anyone else has noticed.  But I've tried to be more active and social, but in my own ways, with my own limits, by my own choice.  I'm still not going to throw parties, I'm not going to be the loudest, most excited person around, but I will make the effort to have fun for myself.

Last night we had Convocation.  And the ceremony was good (our college president quoted Eminem-so yeah), and I was feeling alright.  Then we had a social up at the Hawk's Haven and the RA's may or may not have started a water fight that got me and 2 others completely soaked with icewater from the drink bucket.

And it was fun.


I was laughing my ass off, and playing, and dancing, and joking.  I got frosting smeared across my forehead by a resident (totally playful) and I didn't mind one bit.  I got soaked through (bra and all) and I didn't feel pissed off.  I may have even agreed to go out to a club with a friend, but who knows if that's still happening; she insisted that Friday would be a good day, but I thought that was only 21+.  Whatever, that's not the point. The point is that I have nothing to wear to said "club" anyways.  Just kidding.

Even after all that activity, I left with an RA friend, and went seeking out more socialization with more people.  And it was also fun.  Like me, some of my friends from last year seemed to have changed, in my opinion, for the better.  Who knows if I've changed for the better, but I'm happy for some of the people I got to hang out with last night.

So to continue my "newfound" spirit, I wanted to wear something different this morning.  I have several summer dresses, nice shirts, and the like.  So I tried them on, one by one, but never felt comfortable.  What if people felt I was trying too hard, even though I just wanted to maintain my own feeling of happiness?  What if I actually looked bigger in that dress then I thought? All these thoughts persisted and of course I ended up in a loose shirt and jean shorts, with the standard flip-flops.

I guess all of me can't change.

But- here comes the irony.  Within minutes of leaving the hall, I got probably 15 compliments on my shirt.  My  freshmen year of high school, ratty shirt, which I threw on because all of my trying on of nice clothes made me self conscious about my body once again.  The shirt in question?

 

Literally everyone loves Avenged Sevenfold.  True Story.

Irony accomplished.  Also accomplished? Awesome book covers made out of scrapbooking paper that cleverly disguise my wrong-edition books so the teachers don't gripe on me for saving almost $100 dollars to buy the exact same freaking text.

See?

Oooooo, Ahhhhh, saving money.

Speaking of saving money, one of my residents wants to use the white T-Shirts all the first-year students got at Convocation to do Tie Dye, you know, so we don't have to buy shirts.  I have a house full of geniuses.  (Disclaimer: it's probably just her, I just like to brag).

I'm sure as the semester goes on, and the stress piles on (Maintaining a four-oh isn't easy) I will become less social.  But for right now, I can have fun.

Plus, in a lot of my classes I have people I know----Like "friends" people I know.  I don't know why I was surprised by this.  I am a Junior after all.  In a school this small, I should know people.  

But I was surprised.  Maybe I was just surprised about how happy it made me.

But I also am taking a class where a whole section is on Harry Potter. Be jealous.  It's brand new, a mythology class, and I know a good amount of people in it.  One of the people I know was the very first person I worked with at the Becker College kennel, and the other is another RA.  The kennel-girl (no names unless they have a blog like Whitney) likes to read aloud- so she read us half of our first chapter.  Pretty nice. So we'll have study sessions.  It'll be good.

And then they come with me to Public Speaking right after. 

Another RA is in my Nutrition class. Pretty nice.

This post is pretty long, so even though I still need to thoughtdump, maybe I'll wait until midnight when the thoughts are all jumbled and see what tumbles out.

Until next time...

I might have blogger's block. Ugh.

But I'm going to write about my new RA experiences: two days in.

So the very first night residents were here I got hungry at like - 9 pm.  I thought "hey, I should let them know I'm leaving", so I said "Hey guys I'm going to the Haven I'll be back."

Silence, then...."What's that?"

Me :  *thinking* Oh Crap.

Me: "It's a snack bar style thing on campus"  And I go to continue walking out the door....

My Nice Shoulder Angel: "Maybe you should invite them along...."
My Evil Shoulder Angel: "NO! WE MUST EAT ALONE!"
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

Finally:  "Would anyone like to come?"





YES!!!





Well craptoast.  So I waited for everyone to get shoes on.  Then I sent most of them back for their I.D's, so they could actually buy the food.  All in all, 10 of my 18 residents came to the Hawks Haven with me.

It looked like this:

But it felt like this:

Yes- that is me. At Busch Gardens. With the Lorikeets.  It sounds like a murder in  "Clue"

So I showed them around and told them what they could get, all the while "Simo" (a campus Po) is laughing at me and the guy at the register (Who now apparently calls me bacon cheeseburger because that's my favorite) is rolling his eyes at me.

Don't get me wrong.  I had a good time.  I just cried myself to sleep- that's all.

Just kidding, I totally didn't. Cry myself to sleep I mean.  I just needed alone time after all of that. 

I actually like that my new residents immediately bonded and decided to just listen to whatever I say.  In fact, they've already suggested Sunday Night Dinners on their own dime and Jersey Shore nights and study sessions in the common room and Community Service programming.  

If you're wondering, no, I'm not dreaming and, yes, I did pinch myself to check.

In other news, in my New RA World, everyone thinks Lane is really haunted.  Which is fine, because no one is bitching over the laundry (which is amazing in an all female-dorm) because everyone is too afraid to go in the basement.  Ghosty- WIN.

The stories I've heard so far are:

Windows opening by themselves, in an upward (not outward) fashion.  Please note: this was during Hurricane Irene.

And: 

A water bottle falling off a desk when it was in the middle of the desk before.

That's about it.  

So, in summary, ghosts are regulating the laundry issue, and instituting a buddy system, while I battle Duckling Syndrome in my effort to secure a moment to myself.

All in All, I like living in Lane a lot.  The girls are pretty cool, and when I get pissed that ramen is left in the sink and leave a note: it actually gets cleaned up before housekeeping gets there.  Pretty Cool.

Not sure what to write about- taking a shot at it anyway.

I was up at 6:00 this morning because today is check-in day for first year students at Becker and I have the first shift.  I just want to say, whoever gets here at 7:30 on the dot is pretty friggen dumb and shouldn't have gotten into college anyway.  Puh-lease.  WHO DOES THAT?

Lane is still awesome as always. Maybe I'll post some pictures of my decorations.  It's all tropical up in here.

I made that flower. Just sayin'

I drew this too. I'm that good.

Raffia door curtain did not want to stay up.  

Wait for it....

Wait for it....

Still waiting...

I did the entire staircase! (with the help of a resident)

So...many....umbrellas....twitch...twitch..

To Icebreak or not to Icebreak...that is the question.

So all in all, a whole mess of tropical luau. Wooo.  I even have leis.  I'm not gonna take a picture of that.  Maybe later.

So training was fun-ish...it's still training.  But I have wicked awesome pictures of me 50 feet in the air! woo! They are not great pictures of me as a person though, so be kind.

I look happy right?  I believe at this moment
I was trying not to throw up from being so scared.

This is 50 feet in the air.

So I have all this crap to do and all sorts of crap to talk about but my mind is so jumbled it's not happening.  Move-in day is hectic as all crap but I think almost everyone is here.  I think I may have to return to this whole blogging idea after everyone is here.  

But- on another note, for another time- Becker assigned me to train 4 beagles! YAY!

You're jealous. But these aren't the actual beagles.  Pictures later.

I'm cheating on my Duncan with 4 other beagles.  

Ta-ta for now.

I'M DONE!

Pooped. Tuckered. Exhausted. End-of-Rope. ETC.

This is me- right now:

This little guy just couldn't take Busch Gardens anymore.

RA Training is EXHAUSTING for someone like me.  It involves a lot of close human contact, personal connection, and of course, physical activity.

The one thing that gets me the most though, is "Get There from Here" games.  Like, you need to cross the "boiling lava" and you can't touch the "boiling lava" and everyone's gotta get across and no sacrifices and you have to be using every object.  UGH.  Stop with the dumb rules.  If that actually helped with problem solving---no scratch that.  If that had ANYTHING to do with real world problem solving I wouldn't have a 4.0 because I rage quit those games.  

I would rather play name games, even though I totally suck at them and that makes me feel bad because it's not like I WANT to be rude and not remember the person's name.  But when I'm put on the spot I freeze up.

It's not like I don't like my job as an RA.  I just don't like all of the training sessions.  That's not even true.  I'll do anything once.  I even climbed the high ropes and it was scary but I did it!  But when it's five of the same type of team builder in a row, I get very agitated.  Especially when the supposed team builder seems more like busy work.

Sometimes I feel bad for being so pessimistic.  But I was happy and chatting and hyper all morning, I could have an hour to bitch to myself when I get covered in water and Leicester Team loses EVERY TIME. That and I was getting a wicked terrible headache.

But it's over now.  Now it's just on to regular training. I even get to present tomorrow, I'm meeting with a new Pro-Staff member to come up with a bangin' presentation on Community Building.

But right now I'm chillin' I just took a nice short shower to regroup, and I'm heading down to the pizza place to get dinner.

I may not like all of the training, but I know I can get through it to get to the parts of the job I do like.

OH AND: there will be awesome pictures of us all attempting to do the high ropes.  I know that there are a couple of me.

That's all for now.

Remember my post about words that sound weird when you say them over and over?

Jamais vu (never seen) describes a familiar situation which is not recognized. It is often considered to be the opposite of déjà vu and it involves a sense of eeriness. The observer does not recognize the situation despite knowing rationally that they have been there before. It is commonly explained as when a person momentarily doesn’t recognize a person, word, or place that they know. Chris Moulin, of LeedsUniversity, asked 92 volunteers to write out “door” 30 times in 60 seconds. He reported that 68 per cent of his guinea pigs showed symptoms of jamais vu, such as beginning to doubt that “door” was a real word. This has lead him to believe that jamais vu may be a symptom of brain fatigue.




Copied from: http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/2JZZOV/listverse.com/2008/02/28/top-10-strange-phenomena-of-the-mind/

Just Sayin' I'm not crazy.

RA camping trip tomorrow.  Except we're not going camping.  We're just going to camp in the daytime and apparently calling it camping.  Whatever.

RA Training and the like. (AND MY ROOM)

BUT FIRST, THIS JUST IN: Lane Hall is DA BOMB.

That's a lot of caps lock, I apologize.
Once again, pictures are necessary.  To the Picture Button!

View from the door: Awesome

View OF my door. Also awesome.

View of the OTHER SIDE of my door.  I'm so generous with my photos.

View from the OTHER DOOR. There are two doors. Yeah.

View from a corner. Cause I was cool enough to do that for you.

View from on top of my KING SIZE bed.

View from another corner. Yup.

My art desk in the window. Very Pretty.

My other desk in the other window.

I love my mantle!

X Files poster FTW

You: OMG YOU HAVE A BEANBAG I WANT A BEANBAG I'M SO JEALOUS!
Me: Yeah, it's only the best part of the room, no big.

In other news, RA training is just RA training, EXCEPT, this year I'm a returning RA.  This makes me special.  Uh huh.  It means I already kind of know what I'm doing.  Way cool.  

But I'm actually having a lot more fun this year.  I know people, for one thing, and I also feel a lot more comfortable with myself then I really ever have.  Partially because I've just got it made this year, and I will have plenty of time to be grumpy later when it's snowing and it's soaked through my jeans and I have three papers due.  But right now, I'm enjoying the weather (and my room).  

Of course, name games will always be my arch-enemy and there is absolutely no improvement in my recall. Oh well.

OH-VERY IMPORTANT!!!! If you are reading this and you have previously lived in Lane Hall, I want all of your juicy Haunting stories.  I'll repost them all (with credit on who it is from of course) and we'll have a compiled list of all the shit I should be afraid of this year.  

Because if I hear funny noises: Who am I gonna call?

GHOST BU---probably campus police.

Probably will take my camera on an adventure this week during RA training and get lots of funny pictures.  

AND THEN I'LL SHARE THEM.

I don't know what's gotten into me with the caps lock, and I apologize profusely but I won't remove it, so I guess my apology is not all that sincere.

zOMG Cutest VLOG ever!

veryyyyyyyyyyy cute- but I'm going to Becker.

I couldn't resist anymore, I had to pick her up.

Duncan's doing well.

My Rabbit has Expensive Taste.

Other qualities include:
-vindictiveness
-aloofness
-cluenessness
-general asshole-ness
-aggressiveness


Bialy is funny.  His full name is Bialystock, as in, from The Producers.  If you haven't seen The Producers, go to a show, or take your pick of two different movie versions.

Pictures you say? I'll give you your stinkin pictures!

The Bun in Question.

He looks sweet doesn't he?  It's to lull you into a false sense of security.  In fact, I have 5 dogs, but out of all my pets, including my pit-bull mix- I would want Bialystock by my side if there was ever a home invasion.

That's because he's a jerk.  The first thing he did when we took him home was bite both me and my mom.  But he's not like that anymore, he just pretends he's gonna bite.

Don't get me wrong.  I love my rabbit very much.  In fact, I prefer animals with a slight psychotic edge. It's just that I never would have pinned bunnies of all things to be aggressive angry little things with an agenda.

I should amend that.

I used to love my rabbit.

Everything was ok, he liked to chew on anything cardboard, hide in my closet and lunge when I tried to get him out, chew up my blankets, and destroy months worth of acquired animal-related articles for Animal Health Club, but we were still o.k.

I've written previously about my love of the X-Files, and on this particular night, Don and I had been watching another episode.  

And then my computer alerted me that it went into power saving mode. 

What?

And I look down, and my computer charger had fallen off the desk.  It just grazed the floor.  And my bunny, my little Bialy, had part of the cord in his mouth and had sliced it through.

I threw a legitimate fit.

I had just gotten the laptop, to get another charger would take overnight shipping, as I was leaving for school in two days. Oh yeah, and I'M BROKE.

I yelled out a strangled "BUN BUN" and chased him around the room.

Here's the thing, when Bialy is in trouble (like when he chews up articles and books and clothes, rather then his DEDICATED cardboard box) and I yell "Bun Bun!" he gets insanely happy.  Like frolicking, jumping around, skipping happy.  If you've ever seen a bunny get ecstatic over something, it's hilarious.  But not after they destroy your stuff.  

So I yell, and he skips around. 

But I was out for blood.

So I chased him into his cage (he lives in a modified XX-Large dog crate) and slammed the door shut, and declared that there would be no more yogurt drops for a week.

That lasted long.  He got one the next day.

I stomped back to my computer, where Don was already looking up new chargers.  

But I'd had it.  Technology apparently has decided to stop agreeing with me.  I've gone through... I don't even know how many phones in the past year.  They all just mysteriously stop working.  One got a cracked screen, on the inside of a flip phone, when it had just been in my purse....say what?  And the other one the screen just stopped working.  In fact, you could get a faded picture if you pressed the screen down.  This last one, it stopped charging.  Just wouldn't accept a charge, and it wasn't the battery, it was the phone's charge port. You know, that part that you can't just fix or replace.

My last laptop was on hospice care, and I bought my new one to make sure I had a reliable laptop on which to do school work.  The one before that came with the Becker laptop program, and was defective.  The fan stopped working and the hard-drive and CPU fried because of it.  But I guess that's normal for the Becker laptop program, which is why it's no longer offered.  They only decided to screw us up until Fall of '09 apparently.  

So I love my new laptop.  It's wonderful.  So the fact that my Bun had effectively caused harm to it enraged me and snapped my last nerve.  I'm pretty sure I had a mental breakdown concerning why nothing for me stays working and functional, and my boyfriend eventually stopped trying to calm me down and just found me another charger online.

It doesn't change the principle of the thing though.  I know that "shit happens".  I'd just like to add that, increasingly, "shit happens...to ME".

So my bunny and I get along again, but only because I love animals and all that crap.  It doesn't change the fact that he chews on things that are NOT his designated chewing box.  I suppose he needs to work on that and I need to work on my temper.

And you know, I thought when they chewed on cords they could get zapped. But nope, he gets away zap-free and frolics at his accomplishment of destruction.

I have the new charger and life is good.  Bialy gets his yogurt drops and all is well. For now.  

Next post will probably be about RA TRAINING.  Oh YAY.  I love to train dogs but my feelings change when people try to train me.

Mission Impossible: Beagle Ears.

One of the best description of the breed that my family has ever heard is "Congenially Stubborn".

But that's for normal beagles.

Anyone that knows me and my taste in dogs (and admittedly, people) knows I don't like normal.  Or boring, or easy or "nice".  I like tough, challenging, intellectual, looney, spaz-tastic, and neurotic.

This may be why I was paired with Duncan.

Duncan has,.................. and I quote "issues".  That makes him my kind of dog.

To put it nicely, Duncan is not "congenially stubborn".  Hahaha.

Observe, cute pictures:

Aww

Cute

He looks like he's thinking, but he's not.

Duncan is a retired research beagle.  He retired at the ripe old age of 1 year because he was not suitable for research. Why?  Duncan cannot be restrained.

I was tasked (as was one other trainer) to work with Duncan, to teach trust and friendship and other valuable life lessons that would make him more adoptable despite his "issues".

He became adoptable, because my family and I adopted him.

Duncan settled nicely, even started accepting hugs from other people.  It was going well.

Nails were a challenge, but snipping just one or two at a time on the couch solved that issue.

Then came the itching.  Turns out, the dogs had all managed to acquire ear mites.  Fun fun.  So off to Petco we went ( I took Duncan with me ) to find treatment and of course, so he could pick out a toy (a stuffed plush soccer ball, for those who were wondering).

All my dogs either sat nicely or gave up the protesting after a minute or so as I cleaned out their ears with the solution.

And then there was Duncan.

He threw a legitimate fit.  And my mom finally understood why the kennel was so excited that we were considering adoption.  As I tried to coax my sweet, adorable, loving  beagle to PLEASE let me clean out his ears, he tried to convince me to shove off and die.

I told him that trying to bite is annoying and he should stop.  My mom laughed at me.  

So I capped the solution and let it alone for a day.  He would continue to itch, but pushing Duncan isn't smart.

.

.

.

.

.

So it was back to the lab again.  I knew that getting that solution into his ears would take cunning and skill, maybe even a workout-style 80's film montage. BUT I was up to the challenge.

Today I got him all worked up by playing with my favorite girly-dog, My Maggie Mae Gorgeous Darling Sweetie Baby Honey Pie.  That's her full name, no joke.  She responds to it.

Duncan gets jealous.  Seeing me give Maggie all the attention got him all riled up.  He brought his toy over and we commenced tug of war.  He didn't know that the solution was hidden under the futon, cap off, all-systems-go.

So Duncan is more likely to do his tricks when he's playful.  I won the tug of war match, and proceeded to shoot my dog. 

.

.

.

.

.

.

Haha just kidding.  I yelled "BANG BANG" and he played dead, eyes shut and on his back. (Tail still wagging, though, he's gotta work on that).

Target was in position.

As he lie there, waiting for his cue to get up (be a zombie!), I rushed over, added a couple drops to each ear, and ran away cackling like a madwoman-----SUCCESS!

The look on his face was priceless.

Puppy Names are fun.

Especially when you do themes.  For example, a plant/flower theme:
Mom's Name: Zinnia


-For the puppy who cries all night to be let out of the crate:
Impatien
-For the puppy who didn't cry and didn't bother to hold it anyway: Double Impatien
-For the puppy that can't control the nipping:
Venus (Flytrap)
-For the puppy that is always high as a kite:
Poppy
-For the puppy with the shortest temper:
Snap (dragon)
-For the puppy that is a wuss:
Pansy
-For the handshy puppy:
Touch-Me-Not
-For the puppy you want to punch in the face for stealing your slippers
(Black Eyed) Susan
-For the puppy that is just a little bit tooo fresh:
Mint
-For the hard-core stoner:
Syringa
-For the puppy who has way too much fun the first time it sees its reflection:
Narcissus

And Lastly:For the puppy who is a little TOO chill:
Mary-(juana)








Te-he.  That's all for now.

Being an Introvert does NOT mean you are a prudish antisocial brat.

Firstly, found on the Internetsssss:

TOP TEN MYTHS ABOUT INTROVERTS

Myth #1 – Introverts don’t like to talk.
This is not true. Introverts just don’t talk unless they have something to say. They hate small talk. Get an introvert talking about something they are interested in, and they won’t shut up for days.
Myth #2 – Introverts are shy.
Shyness has nothing to do with being an Introvert. Introverts are not necessarily afraid of people. What they need is a reason to interact. They don’t interact for the sake of interacting. If you want to talk to an Introvert, just start talking. Don’t worry about being polite.
Myth #3 – Introverts are rude.
Introverts often don’t see a reason for beating around the bush with social pleasantries. They want everyone to just be real and honest. Unfortunately, this is not acceptable in most settings, so Introverts can feel a lot of pressure to fit in, which they find exhausting.
Myth #4 – Introverts don’t like people.
On the contrary, Introverts intensely value the few friends they have. They can count their close friends on one hand. If you are lucky enough for an introvert to consider you a friend, you probably have a loyal ally for life. Once you have earned their respect as being a person of substance, you’re in.
Myth #5 – Introverts don’t like to go out in public.
Nonsense. Introverts just don’t like to go out in public FOR AS LONG. They also like to avoid the complications that are involved in public activities. They take in data and experiences very quickly, and as a result, don’t need to be there for long to “get it.” They’re ready to go home, recharge, and process it all. In fact, recharging is absolutely crucial for Introverts.
Myth #6 – Introverts always want to be alone.
Introverts are perfectly comfortable with their own thoughts. They think a lot. They daydream. They like to have problems to work on, puzzles to solve. But they can also get incredibly lonely if they don’t have anyone to share their discoveries with. They crave an authentic and sincere connection with ONE PERSON at a time.
Myth #7 – Introverts are weird.
Introverts are often individualists. They don’t follow the crowd. They’d prefer to be valued for their novel ways of living. They think for themselves and because of that, they often challenge the norm. They don’t make most decisions based on what is popular or trendy.
Myth #8 – Introverts are aloof nerds.
Introverts are people who primarily look inward, paying close attention to their thoughts and emotions. It’s not that they are incapable of paying attention to what is going on around them, it’s just that their inner world is much more stimulating and rewarding to them.
Myth #9 – Introverts don’t know how to relax and have fun.
Introverts typically relax at home or in nature, not in busy public places. Introverts are not thrill seekers and adrenaline junkies. If there is too much talking and noise going on, they shut down. Their brains are too sensitive to the neurotransmitter called Dopamine. Introverts and Extroverts have different dominant neuro-pathways. Just look it up.
Myth #10 – Introverts can fix themselves and become Extroverts.
Introverts cannot “fix themselves” and deserve respect for their natural temperament and contributions to the human race. In fact, one study (Silverman, 1986) showed that the percentage of Introverts increases with IQ.

http://jerrybrito.org/post/6114304704/top-ten-myths-about-introvertsCopied from above. No copyright infringement intended.




So I guess I'm a little bitter.  Every year we have to re-take a personality test for RA training.  Because my personality of course is super mold-able and is likely to change.  Not.  


Both times I have been an ISTJ.  Rough translation= introverted sensing thinking judging.  Also rough translation: anti-social prudish know-it-all that everyone hates.


Here's a link to a description of your typical ISTJ:http://www.typelogic.com/istj.html


Woo go me.


You know what my fictional equivalent is?  Eeyore the friggen donkey. You know what my boyfriend's is?  Actually, he has a couple awesome ones to choose from- but most awesomely- GANDALF THE GREY. For serious? That and his real people equivalents include CAESAR. 

Me- depressed sack of ass. Literally.

Don, clearly fighting a fire monster and clearly BEING MORE AWESOME THAN ME. Grr.

I do hope someone else understands my pain.  I'm also Puddleglum the Marshwiggle from the Chronicles of Narnia.  PUDDLEGLUM.  Great. That's a wonderful new nickname.  At least Don thinks so.  And when I looked up what a Marsh Wiggle actually was, the pictures were not flattering.  This is my life.

Now, that list I found on the magical internets is very accurate.  Except I really don't like people.  I'm just kidding.  Maybe.

But still, the whole idea that I don't know how to have fun because I don't make a drunken picture of myself every Thursday night is just absurd.  And that has NOTHING to do with the fact that I'm under 21, those of you who are thinking "prudish rule-follower".  It has everything to do with loving books and movies and me-time.

I really only share my me-time with one other person. Don is the only one that I feel just as comfortable being around as I would spending time relaxing alone.  So I guess you could say that I don't mind people then.  It just takes a helluva lot more effort to be around them then it does for some crazy ass extrovert.

Oh and please note: the last line- IQ goes up with level of introvert-ness. OH YEAH.

But I wont deny that I am a little weird.

I can't sleep. So I guess I'm going to talk about my Art.

I don't think this will be a sarcastic blog.  My personality shifts at 2 in the morning:

Butterfly.

A birthday present for a friend.

Eric

A bunch of different works in progress.

Playing with Colored Pencil

Playing with Watercolor Pencil.

My Lizard, Ulla.

Beyonce

A Uromastyx in watercolor pencil

Sport

Now, what you've got to understand about my art is that I am so specific.  I only get joy out of drawing animals or other things that I feel close to.  Naturally, I get frustrated easily and I only get "urges" to draw (much like I get the urge to blog).  It is very difficult for me to maintain a steady level of drawing talent year round.  Sometimes I have bursts of creativity I can't keep in.  Right now I'm painting (like I said, I had the urge) my beagle Duncan.  But that urge was something I woke up with two days ago.

You can tell the animals that I'm particularly close to from the others because they have eyes that deliberately connect with the viewer.  The ones that I don't have a close bond with will have less of a connection because I have nothing to recreate.  Personally, I was closest to Sport, intrigued by Eric, and I thought Butterfly was wonderful to draw.  I don't know if the differences are noticeable to anyone but myself.

In high school I was encouraged to go to art school by my art teacher.  He- for whatever reason- believed that I had the unique combination of drive and talent to really make it in art school.  But what he didn't understand was that my drive came from recreating the images of animals I had loved or seen around me.  And my talent (I would assume) came from the same thing, and from practice.  What he also never understood was that my preferred name is Jenny, not Jennifer, but after 2 years I had to let that one slide.

So I didn't go to art school.  I went to Becker College, where I was able to major in Animal Care and Criminal Justice.  I got to be around the animals that inspired me and got even more opportunities to draw and create images that other people could take home with them after the source was gone.

After I created a good deal of art for the December Petfest, I went home and visited my High School.  My art teacher was excited to see me and had asked how my art was going.  I was glad I had something to show him.  Despite not going to art school.  And he promptly introduced me to a freshman very interested in animal portraiture and asked me to explain the most important part of a portrait.  As I said before, I think it is the connection with the viewer that matters the most, and to me, that is in the eyes.

I guess you just have to decide what in your life is most important, and to what extent it drives the rest of your life. Sure, Art mattered to me, but my love for animal rescue is what got me drawing.  You can't let anyone push you into the wrong career because of the way they perceive your strengths, I suppose you have to trust your gut.
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Also, I didn't want to be a starving artist.

Here's some links:

My art on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.177194529877.153954.578409877&l=f8e6ceaaa9&type=1

My Art Teacher's Work: http://victorleger.com/  He does landscapes.

I played a video game. To my boyfriend I might as well have finished a 5k. I would have rage quit a 5k too.

I didn't finish the video game though.  Let's not get too ahead of ourselves here.

I have problems with my hand eye coordination as far as these things go.  I can't quite master the quick movements it takes to be good at a video game, because I am not and have never been a gamer.  I did however, play one city-building game when I was younger.

This game, to be exact.  I love Greek mythology.

Some Gameplay.

When Don found out, it was like he stumbled upon gold.  A whole new side of me was revealed, I may have to go on Maury or Jerry Springer because the level of drama my double life caused was so extensive.

Not really, he was just super happy and he went and told all his friends. (who also had loved to play Zeus)

So it was by this discovery he convinced me to play Portal.  Which is way more difficult then Zeus.

For those that DON'T know portal, here's a Dorkly (that's a website, for those who also don't know) video that pretty much explains the basic premise of the main tool in the game.

It's catchy, I know.

So here I am beating 14 levels of Portal, when I get to level 15.  Well crap.  Now I have to shoot a portal WHILE FREAKING FALLING.  I don't have the capacity to do these kinds of things, I AM NOT A GAMER.

So here comes another "Don is a Proud Daddy of a New Gamer Moment"

"Awwwww Jenny's first rage quit!"

Gkaljdflkasjdf. The rage quit.  I'm pretty sure it went like this:

Don: Do you need me to do this

Jenny: No I'm gonna do it

D: You sure

J: *10 tries later* I HAD IT THAT TIME AND IT DIDN'T WORK

D: You used the wrong color portal

J: *screeching* AND YOU DIDN'T NOTICE THAT THE OTHER 10 TIMES?

D: uhm no.

J: *grumbles and swears*

D: Do you need me to just get you past this part?

J: NOOOO *screeches in frustration*

D: ok! ok!

J: *three more tries/three more failures* GOD F***DAMN-IT SH**F***STUPID FREAKING GAME  

D: You're angling it wrong.

J: *glares and tries again* *screeches in agony/frustration*

D: Oh! That one was close.

J: *Tries again, fails* THAT'S IT I'M DONE WITH THIS GAME AND ALL VIDEO GAMES EVER I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU CONVINCED ME TO PLAY SHUT THE STUPID COMPUTER DOWN I'M GOING UPSTAIRS. *stomp stomp stomp*

I know, not my most mature moment ever.  Apparently Don thought my full blown hissy fit was an adorable "Baby's First Rage Quit". Dear lord.

I suddenly understand this meme so deeply.

Don thinks I could probably beat the game before I have to go back to school in two weeks. 

I think that he trusts me too much around his beloved gaming computer because I would have strangled it if it had a throat.

Way more fun then a Portal Gun.

The X-Files: Or the reason I no longer have a life.

Insert Theme Music Here- wait, can I do that on this blog?

No, I'm pretty sure I can't. Damn.

The X Files.  I have no life because of this show.  It's absolutely addicting.  Even though it is basically an adult version of Scooby-Doo (which I also loved)---I only find the repetitiveness endearing and comforting.

In fact, I am struggling with the nagging urge to log into Netflix right now and resume watching episodes where I left off.

So I'm returning to this draft around 2 weeks later because I did indeed go watch some episodes.


Also during this time my lovely boyfriend got us both matching "I Want to Believe" posters. Awww. That's so romantic.

The poster in Mulder's Office.

I CAN PUT THE THEME SONG HERE. I just figured it out BOO YAH. Lets see if the video actually works or if I'm just an idiot.

I'm not sure it worked. Whatever.

But you get so obessed with this show.  I found a bunch of stuff online after my obsession became full blown.


All I need to know I learned from the X-Files

• Trust No One
• Smoking really IS bad
• Always make back-ups of your important data
• Don't eat at restaurants where the motto is "Good People, Good Food"
• The Truth Is Out There
• "Nojo on the rojo"
• Bambi? Her name is Bambi?
• Sometimes you really do get your $29.95's worth from a mail-order video
• Deny Everything
• If it's iced tea, it's love
• If it's root beer, it's fate
• If you find an audio cassette in your car, 10-to-1 you can't dance to it.
• If there's a white van in your driveway, don't drink the water.
• Beware of women named B.J.
• Don't pass judgement while in the Arctic
• Never scan unidentified metals
• Don't look for romance on-line
• Don't accept dinner invitations from bald, tattooed, half-naked men
• Make sure you remember the birthdays of people who are inportant to you
• No wardrobe is complete without a New York Knicks T-shirt (holes optional), at least one red speedo, and black silk boxers
• Sometimes the only thing you can say is "Sure. Fine. Whatever."
• Miracles happen
• Everyone has on uncle who is an amateur magician.
• Just because someone shot you doesn't mean they're not your friend
• Never, ever, go into a bathroom
• "Go with it"
• If you see a cockroach, say hello to the aliens
• Recieving Superstars of the Superbowl is a good reason to live
• Sometimes simple answers are good. e.g." Why is it so dark in here?" "Because the lights aren't on."

I don't take credit for this list. I just found it and was appalled at how much of it I understood.

Also, from Urban Dictionary:

x phile

A person who is a huge fan of the hit tv show "The X Files". Normally they will apply ever aspect of the show to everyday life. Can often be found making music videos to the show, writing fan fiction or creating digital art or manipulations with the shows main characters, Mulder and Scully. A true x phile should be able to quote every significant event throughout the 9 year run of the show. Possibly the only people to ever understand the complex conspiracy that just got more confusing as time went on. Can be found anxiously anticipating the next x files movie. "It will happen, I know it will!" A typical x phile would be able to say any of these at least once every day and incorporate them into otherwise unrelated conversation. "That was like that time in that episode in Season 3 when Mulder asked Scully to..." "That's why they put the 'i' in FBI!" "This must be conspiracy" "Oo! I feel like I'm stuck in an X File" Endlessly singing the Catatonia hit: "Things are getting strange I'm starting to worry. This could be a case for Mulder and Scully!" Whilst watching TV: "That guy was once on the x files in an episode where Scully and Mulder...." "Trust no one" And of course: "The truth is out there!" Oh boy.  Well I don't write fan fiction or make music videos, but I also have a 10 year distance from when the show stopped running pretty much.  Well.  I suppose by the rest of the definition I am in fact an X-Phile. I would do a witty review of the shows crap but I wont as I'm feeling lazy, so I will leave you with one last goody from the web on my new favorite show: This kind of simplicity is why I liked Scooby Doo so much.