We're Regular Rachel Ray(s)

Maggie (my sister) is here, and we just ate a delicious meal!

Salad:

Combination of three different kinds of greens
Gorgonzola
Dried berries
Avacado

Pasta:

Linguine
Shrimp/mushroom/onion in a white wine sauce with fresh mozzerella.

Crusty French bread

It was sooooo delicious! And, obviously, we are master chefs.

Love or Something Ignites in my Veins

Here is an interesting/hilarious/inappropriate/awesome conversation from work:

A: That poor guy; it's a wonder that he can even find his way to work sometimes.
J: You know what he doesn't have a problem finding a home for...
A: Oh my gosh, I KNOW! He has nooo problems with that at all!
J: Yeah...it's kind of gross, actually.
A: He's going to have a problem being a doctor.

Bahaha!

* "A" is not me.


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From this afternoon:

Today, for the first time, I saw the guy A and J were talking about.
He. Is. Hot.

EDIT-----------------------------------------------------------------

I just found out that he is actually a year younger* than I am. HAHAHAHA**

*This surprised me beyond belief (oh, and he looks like a total dumbass according to his fb profile).

**silent laughter because the roomies are in bed.

Things Have Changed for Me

and that's okay!

(I definitely used that line in my spiritual autobiography [which I may/may not post sometime]).

I just posted on a friend's Facebook wall, "Hey! Remember when we used to be friends?"--I was only semi-joking. Growing up is meeting new people. It is having new life experiences. Growing up is learning. I find it sad and exhilarating at the same time.

Pomp & Circumstance

• Jake just graduated! I'm so proud of him; he's going to do great things with his life!
• I saw my best friend for the first time since December!!! We made plans to move to Europe in June 2010. If you want to join us, feel free!
• Made tenative plans to have my sister visit next weekend. Woot!

It's so weird that Jake's going to college next fall. I feel so old.

Stella Loves Sitting in the Windows

Now that things have calmed down a little, maybe I can write something of substance.

Last week was jammed with packing, moving, cleaning, parents bringing furniture, and the obligatory "end of the semester" activities. Now, it's time to take a deep breath.

*deep breath*

I've been spending a lot of time thinking about what has happened between May 2008 and May 2009 (I know. Normal people do this type of reflection around January 1--deal with it). I don't feel like I've changed that much...I've just experienced a lot! There have been beautiful and happy experiences along with the bleak and depressing ones. I think what is really provoking this thinking is that I have officially moved out of my family's house. Sure, I've been "out" for a long time now, but this is one of the biggest steps towards "adulthood" that I've taken since leaving for college (and yes, I realize that this is true for most people).

I've spent more time thinking about what I believe, what I don't believe. What I can do, and what I can't do. What I want from my life, and what I have realized that I can completely do without. I think for the first time, I am completely satisfied with the way things are going; I am completely happy with myself and who I am becoming.

There are still some issues that I need to resolve, but I know that I have the strength that is necessary. I'm not worried anymore about becoming bitter--it's all going to be fine! I feel like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders!

All I Have to Say Is

a;lksdjf.,cmvowiejflkvm.fskfl;



There. That feels better.

I'm tired of pursuing something/someone that won't work out. It's not worth the time, energy, emotions. Bah.

Okay. Now, that really does feel better. G'Night! :)

My Ethernet Doesn't Work

Watching the storm come over the hill. Lightning fascinates and thrills me.

I love the new apartment so much. It's night number 2 for me, and I'm starting to get settled...ish (nevermind that I still have a lot of stuff at the Q).

and...

STELLA IS AN AMBITURNER!

My Castles Stand upon Pillars of Salt and Pillars of Sand

Today, I learned about the giant garbage patch that is in the Pacific Ocean. Basically, all of the plastic that people throw into the environment gets swept up in streams, rivers, and the ocean. Because of ocean currents, all of this trash gets trapped in specific areas--this particular one is between Hawaii and California. The amount of trash that has accumulated here is mind-blowing! Currently, it covers an area that is twice the size of Texas; in some places it is over 90 feet deep!

People need to start being more responsible. End of story. We need to stop being so wasteful, and we need to pick up after ourselves. Animals are dying because of our laziness. According to one study, whales have started contracting breast cancer (Yes. Breast cancer. In whales.), because they are taking in so much plastic when they feed. That's so sad!!

It's so frustrating to me that so many people do not recycle. Really. Why wouldn't you?!

Oh, and I found a song that completely and totally reminds me of Jean-Baptiste Clamance in The Fall (at least the Clamance in the middle of the book): "Viva la Vida" by Coldplay. Oh, how I love that song...

I didn't really want to be so down in this post...maybe it's the weather? I had a great day today with my lovely and wonderful mom (and the rest of my family). Now, I'm in the process of packing to move to our beautiful, new apartment!! Yay! Life really is good!

A Little Disconcerting

My 15 year-old sister and her boyfriend are celebrating their 8 month anniversary this week.
My 18 year-old brother and his girlfriend are celebrating their 7 month anniversary this month.

My longest relationship was about 3 months.

Is there something wrong with me? Bah. It's so weird!

Happiness is a Warm Gun

On MSN.com today, I read an article named Five Things Happy People Do. It was pretty interesting! Here is my take on the the five "secrets" of happy women.

1. They find their most golden self. This means having a happy, peaceful, and satisfied soul. One should strive towards excellence based on her unique strengths, talents, and potentials.
2. They design their lives to bring in joy. Recognizing what makes you happy is key to this step. Taking a short break from things that wear you down is so important! It requires a deliberate change on your part
3. They avoid "if only" fantasies. Stop focusing on the one negative aspect of your life. Instead, focus on the positive things. Keep your life exciting!
4. They put best friends first. According to studies, people find more pleasure in just hanging out with one or two best friends than in dashing around with acquaintences.
5. They allow themselves to be happy. It's okay to be happy. Happy people are more effective at helping others, so if you want to change the world, you first need to be happy with yourself.

The article was really interesting, and you should probably read it for yourself! Have a great day! Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Skip School and Go to the Lake! Have Fun!! Boom Boom Ya! *

These titles are ridiculous. Haha!

Things to do before the end of the semester:

• Intellectual/Spiritual Progression essay
• Digital Photo project
• Digital Photo essay (wtf?!)
• Typographer's chair
• Religion portfolio
• Business Foundations final

And then, I'm finished! Woot!

Drink Cook's Beer All Day Out of a Water Bottle*

It's May Day; it's 49 degrees outside and rainy.

It's ArtWalk; the PAC had the Capstone gallery opening today. Everybody did such a great job! You should totally go check it out if you didn't tonight.

It's 9:45 on a Friday night; I'm listening to Coldplay, playing with my cat, working on the mountain of homework, and have someone keeping me "aprised of any interesting developments" downtown. I'm pretty content right now though, because it's so gross outside. Although, there is a possibility of going to an 80's party downtown....

Every once in a while, he seems to want more...but then we go weeks without communicating.

This week was so weird. I'm still processing some interesting developments. I don't quite know what to do with some of the information.