Why, yes, I am procrastinating. However, this also happened to look semi-amusing. I could read instead of doing this but I always do that. So, here we go.

25 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Me

1. I'm convinced I make life hard for myself. I just cannot ever do anything the day it's assigned. I always have to procrastinate until about three days an assignment is due. This habit has gotten me into serious trouble before, especially when it comes to overlapping deadlines.

2. I love, love, LOVE junk food, particularly sweets and salty items like pretzels. With all the dental work I've had done, the last thing I should be eating is peppermints but it's a serious addiction.

3. To go with #1, I can never go easy on my poor wrists. Typing, origami, crocheting and sewing are all bad habits that love to destroy my wrists. So, it isn't unusual I hyper-extend my wrists at least once a year.

4. I can tell if you've been in my bedroom without my explicit permission, regardless if you touched or moved anything, and I will throw a hissy fit. My bedroom is my one place of peace and comfort away from the chaotic world and impeding on it makes me feel violated. The only exception to this rule is Zena, who may come and go as she pleases. It's one of the many habits that reveal my Autism. Even my mom isn't immune to this rule.

5. I am in constant need of a bigger iPod than the 8gb I own. I should just plunk down the extra $200 for the ginormous iPod EVEN THOUGH I cannot fathom how much music it must take to fill the 50 or 80gb versions.

6. I'm addicted to House, MD. Nothing gets between me and House.

7. I love ballet and would love to do it again if it didn't mean going on pointe shoe.

8. Underneath the jean and t-shirt loving me, I'm a complete girly girl. I love glass and porcelain sculptures despite my inherent clumsiness.

9. I. Hate. Crowds. End of story.

10. My mom frequently calls me the daughter of extremes. I never act my age. I'm either incredibly hyper and distracted like a 4-year-old or not wanting to go anywhere and reading a book under a blanket like a 40-year-old. Again, it's a known habit of Autism. We're rather notorious for it.

11. I really, really, really hate churches. Don't get me wrong, some are insanely beautiful. Whenever I see one, though, the memory of how I was treated after I had a seizure in front of everyone in church in 5th grade plays out in my head and I can't make myself go into one.

12. I hate movie theaters for the reason stated in #9. I much rather be the last one to see a movie if it means watching it at home and having control of the remote.

13. I'm a blanket hog. Particularly if it's a silky or satiny blanket.

14. I'm the exact opposite of how I am online and in the classroom in real life. I'm incredibly quiet and withdrawn. My being outspoken and bluntly honest in class is a very recent phenomenon. People are always so surprised when they meet me outside of class or in real life. The only thing that doesn't change is how incredibly sensitive I am. I was a bully victim for most of my life and am still struggling to understand and undo/unlearn the amount of damage inflicted upon me. I'm not even fully aware of the extent of the damage done.

15. I horde lip products. I am NEVER without at least one lip product. I'd hate to know what I'd do without a lip product at hand. I firmly believe one can never have enough lip products. I have a ton of eye shadows and liners as well.

16. I'm forever a dog girl. I like cats as long as they're in someone else's house. I've owned a dog since I was 3 1/2 and that isn't changing anytime soon.

17. I've become a nail polish addict as of late. My nails are always polished to deter my biting problem. I have a habit of picking off my polish but only when I either really hate the color, extremely bored or I've noticed a chip so I always try to keep them immaculate.

18. I suffer from a horrible case of stage fright yet I'm in choir. Coincides with #1, #9 and #12.

19. I have a horrible fear of being left utterly alone and bugs. There are so few bugs I am not demanding my dad to kill when it enters my house.

20. Cities and I don't mix AT ALL. See #9 and #12. It's so overwhelming going to the city.

21. I once owned a hamster that I swear was Harry Houdini reincarnated. Her name was Pebbles. She escaped at least 9 times (even with the cage electrically taped shut) and chewed through the dishwasher cables once. Did I mention she did that all in nearly three years before she passed away? My mom forbid hamsters after Pebbles.

22. I've always wanted to own a wolf for a pet. I am enthralled with them. They aren't for the faint of heart and submissive, I know, but that doesn't stop me from daydreaming about having one. They are my favorite animal.

23. I love Nutella. I was a Nutellaholic long before the USA knew what it was and could only be found in high end grocery stores. It's not uncommon for me to eat it out of the jar with the biggest spoon that can fit into the jar when I buy a jar.

24. I'm alcohol-intolerant so even when I turn 21 this year, I can't drink alcohol. I'm tipsy off one tablespoon of wine. Pissed drunk off one adult dose of low-alcohol Nyquil.

25. I despise gory, psychologically disturbing, horror, excessively bloody, and/or excessively violent movies. They tend to be too much for sensitive me. Notable Exception: Pan's Labyrinth

Okay, so, I'm technically supposed to be cutting my typing down significantly (story below) but I thought it high time that I update this journal. So, I shall divide this into three (hopefully, short) sections: 1. In Which I Meet the Lynch, 2. In Which I Describe Zena's Halloween, 3. In Which I Answer the Question, "Why wear lavender for November?"

In Which I Meet the Lynch

So, as I'm sure most of my dear readers know, I am afflicted with very weak wrists. I have a tendency to screw them up really badly; sprains, strains and hyperextensions are nothing new for me. Normally, I put on my splints, rest and ice my wrists and a week later I'm back to normal. It's very unusual for my pain to be debilitating and last longer than a week. So, when it did, I was a little worried. When it felt like a dull scalpel was slicing my wrists apart after my concert, I knew the doctor was needed.

Here's the thing--my doctor was booked all this week. When the pain was really bad on Thursday, my mom drove me to the ER to see if they couldn't X-Ray my wrists, prescribe some pills and see what the hell was wrong. I waited for THREE hours to get into the ER; I even missed Grey's Anatomy to see a doctor. Now, here's the thing I don't tell all y'all when I'm in that much pain--I'm very bitchy and always about thirty seconds away from crying when I go to the hospital. I was stressed. I was in pain. I wanted to know what the hell was wrong with me. Imagine how relieved I was to get a doctor finally.

And then, Dr. Lynch (yes, that is her name) does nothing more than looks and me and say, "Your wrists aren't swollen and you haven't had any "trauma?" What is the emergency? You understand we are an emergency room? So, what is the emergency? I will not X-Ray your wrists because you have pain." How is excruciating wrist pain that's lasted two weeks not an emergency? I was shocked how rude she was toward my mom and I. I don't go to the hospital often. I'm not hospital crazy. I HATE hospitals. I also remember telling the triage nurse that I would like X-Rays to see what could be wrong. I waited THREE HOURS and she doesn't even X-Ray my wrists when I had REQUESTED them. It wasn't a stupid request; I've been to the doctor and hospital enough times in my life to know when something garners a X-Ray.

She basically wrote off the pain as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, gave me ANOTHER anti-inflammatory medicine, a referral to an orthopedic surgeon, a referral to see my doctor and sent me on my merry way. No X-Rays. No examination of my wrists beyond to see if they were swollen. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (for all my medical newbies) is basically when the median nerve that runs from your elbow to your fingers is pressed on by inflamed muscles in the wrist and the prescription is normally an anti-inflammatory such as Naproxen Sodium, Ketoprofen, Ibuprofen, etc. along with physical therapy, ice and rest. IF I had CTS, an anti-inflammatory should work. It hasn't which means no CTS. The one set of X-Rays I have had on one of my wrists shows my muscles aren't inflamed but pulling apart. Does that sound like CTS to you? No.

So, I will be seeing my beloved regular physician on Wednesday. She, unlike the ER doctor, treats me like a human and examines everything thoroughly. My physicals are an hour long for a reason; she goes literally head to toe. I can bet you twenty bucks that she'll order a series of X-Rays too.

In Which I Describe Zena's Halloween

Zena sends her late Halloween greetings! Pictures will be uploaded after I get them developed but I must say she had a very productive Halloween. She spent the majority of the day in her Lil' Stinker costume and got lots of love and pets as she was absolutely adorable in it. She did, however, snuff the skunk hat in the name of the radar ears. She absolutely hates hats that cover those big, giant bat ears.

At about four in the evening, she decided that she didn't want to wear her skunk costume any longer and got out of it via a marathon of roll overs.

I decided then I'd just take off her collar, since she wasn't going anywhere, and tied a big, blue, shiny satin ribbon round her neck in a big bow. I call it the "Doggy in the Window" costume. I named it after a popular children's song here in America. It was soooooooo cute. I dare say she needs a more shiny ribbon though. Her fur rivaled the bow in shininess.

In Which I Answer the Question, "Why wear lavender for November?"

November is National Epilepsy Awareness Month here in America. The ribbon color for Epilepsy is lavender. I have Epilepsy and therefore, I feel like I have a responsibility to myself and to others to inform others of this life-threatening condition and to help end the stigma attached to us. Among very conservative Catholics and other religions, having this disorder means that I'm a spawn of Satin, possessed by an evil spirit or Satin himself and therefore should be shunned. Among employers and others, people believe that those with this disorder are "broken;" therefore, they cannot work or live like normal human beings. This is absolutely untrue.

This is a real neurological disorder. A really bad seizure can cause paralysis, put someone in a coma, cause complete amnesia and can even kill a person. I myself have had a few life-threatening seizures. I remember nothing of these seizures but I know they scared my parents (especially my mom) half to death. I'm lucky to be here and have the ability to spread the word. I'm lucky to have no long-term side-effects from my seizures. I have amnesia of them ever happening and what went on before and after but I'm lucky I've had only that. I'm lucky my seizures have become fewer as I age. There are others are far worse off than I am. They deserve a voice too.

I've not taken medicine for my Epilepsy since I was nine. That doesn't mean my Epilepsy has cured itself. I've had four seizures that have been documented since then. My Epilepsy may become dormant, but it is never extinct or cured. I can't play Laser Tag or watch movies with tons of flashing lights, but I'm fine with that.

This is a disorder that really does warrant more research, not only for the source of Epilepsy but for a cure. There are people here, on dA, that have lost their child or their friend to this disorder. For all of us who have this disorder or know someone with it, they know how important it is for more research. There's little known of this disorder. It's only when our voices are strong enough that the medical field takes notice. Let's scream for Epilepsy research this November.

Of all the blastest times I could have gotten sick, it had to be close to midterms and a concert. Well, technically my allergies are masquerading as a cold but still, it really sucks. There is nothing I hate more than scratchy throats, sneezing and runny/stuffy noses.

If I'm sick on concert day, I'm going to be so pissed. We're doing Amazing Grace for crying out loud!!! I cannot be sick for that song. That is my favorite song. There's a solo for it too. It doesn't help we're also doing really hard pieces--Sicut Cervus (Renaissance & in Latin), Sweet Day (Elizabethan), Zion's Walls (Quaker song, I dislike it greatly) and a million other songs it seems. :screams:

Of course, I also seem to have lost my zinc pills when I need them most. Lovely.

On a completely unrelated not, can I just say this season of House, MD is absolutely wicked? Why did you do it Chase? WHY?

Oh yes, I bought Zena a Halloween costume. Once I get my hands on some film and process it, I'll upload a few pictures as she looks so cute. I'll give you a hint to what she's going as--Lil' Stinker.

Hello, everyone! Where have I been? Well, school mainly. See, I had this strange idea to take all block classes (classes that meet only once a week) and didn't quite know what I was getting myself into. There's a whole lot of reading in doing block classes. Thankfully, I do have one class that has fun homework--Children's Literature. My homework is basically reading children's books (score!). Who doesn't have fun reading children's books?

So, if you don't see me updating until December, you know why. Just know while some of you (coughCelsacough) are not in school and get to sleep in, I am stuck in school Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays and doing the leaning tower of reading and essays Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturday and Sundays. Isn't it great?

Also, I have finally managed to bring down Zena's weight back down to the weight she was when we first got her! Success at last! It only took seven months to bring her from 38 pounds to 30 pounds, in theory. I weighed her on the human scale so it may be a few pounds off. We'll have to see when we take her to the vet for a toenail trim.

Anyway, I'm reading Howl's Moving Castle for my Children's Lit. essay and remembered why I love the book as much as the movie. Miyazaki's version is very different from the book but I love both. I do prefer Diana Wynne Jones' version of Howl as he's so much more vain, pompous and a bigger drama queen but I love Miyazaki's green slime episode. Jones' green slime is funny but nowhere near as funny as Miyazaki's. I decided I would write down my two favorite passages from the book so if you haven't read the book, you can read a little bit of it here. In other words, consider it a gift for you to ponder and reply to until I can write the next journal.

My first favorite passage is a scene between grandma Sophie and Howl, who has caught the common cold and is up in his filthy room miserable.

Meanwhile a certain amount of moaning and groaning was coming from upstairs. Sophie kept muttering to the dog and ignored it. A loud, hollow coughing followed, dying away into more moaning. Sophie ignored that too. Crashing sneezes followed the coughing, each one rattling the window and all the doors. Sophie found those harder to ignore, but she managed. Poooot-pooooot! went a blown nose, like a bassoon in a tunnel. The coughing started again, mingled with moans. Sneezes mixed with the moans and the coughs, and the sounds rose to a crescendo in which Howl seemed to be managing to cough, groan, blown his nose, sneeze, and wail gently all at the same time. The doors rattled, the beams in the ceiling shook, and one of Calcifer's logs rolled off onto the hearth.

"All right, all right, I get the message!" Sophie said, dumping the log back into the grate. "It'll be green slime next. Calcifer, make sure that dog stays where it is." And she climbed the stairs, muttering loudly, "Really, these wizards! You'd think no one had ever had a cold before! Well, what is it?" she asked, hobbling through the bedroom door onto the filthy carpet.

"I'm dying of boredom," Howl said pathetically. "Or maybe just dying." -Howl's Moving Castle, pages 278-279.

My other favorite passage is when Howl (still with a cold) prepares for his mentor's funeral in the morning. Sophie had stitched back together a blue-and-silver suit for Howl but it was teeny tiny and Michael, Howl's 16-year-old apprentice (his name is Markl and is much younger in the film), performed a simple enlargement charm on the suit the night before. Howl comes down the stairs in a very large suit and Michael tries to explain that the very large suit is his fault due to an enlargement spell gone wrong.

"You're fault? Garbage!" said Howl. "I can detect Sophie's hand a mile off. And there are several miles of this suit. Sophie dear, where is my other suit?"

Sophie hurriedly fetched the pieces of the gray-and-scarlet suit out of the broom cupboard, where she had hidden them.

Howl surveyed them. "Well, that's something," he said. "I'd been expecting it to be too small to see. Give it here, all seven of it." Sophie held the bundle of gray-and-scarlet cloth out toward him. Howl, with a bit of searching, succeeded in finding his hand inside the multiple folds of blue-and-silver sleeve and working it through it a gap between two tremendous stitches. He grabbed the bundle off her. "I am now," he said, "going to get ready for the funeral. Please, both of you, refrain from doing anything whatsoever while I do. I can tell Sophie is in top form at the moment, and I want this room the usual size when I come back into it."

He set off with dignity to the bathroom, wading in blue-and-silver suit. The rest of the blue-and-silver suit followed him, dragging step by step down the stairs and rustling across the floor. By the time Howl was in the bathroom, most of the jacket was on the ground floor and the trousers were appearing on the stairs. Howl half shut the bathroom door and seemed to go on hauling the suit in hand over hand. Sophie and Michael and the dog-man stood and watched yard after yard of blue or silver fabric proceed across the floor, decorated with an occasional silver button the size of a milstone and enormous, regular, ropelike stitches. There may have been nearly a mile of it.

"I don't think I got that spell quite right," Michael said when the last huge scalloped edge had disappeared round the bathroom door.

"And didn't he let you know it!" said Calcifer. "Another log, please." -Howl's Moving Castle, pages 295-297


Isn't Jones' Howl hilarious? I think he's a riot.

The Midwest weather has decided to be a strange being this year. When it was spring, the weather acted as if it were winter. Now it's summer and guess what season it's acting like? Uh huh, SPRING. Cool and rainy. At the end of July. Where's the heat Midwest? The Midwest summers are notorious for being hot, humid and muggy. I can do without the mugginess and the humidity but where's the heat?!

Has anyone ever noticed, the moment I feel crafty, my wrist decides to play hooky? I'm typing with practically one hand at the moment. My right wrist is in that much pain. It throbs it hurts so much. I've been putting it on ice and in my brace but I think I can't do three-hour cutting binges anymore. I decided I was going to really test my patience and make a patchwork quilt with fleece puppy fabrics. Well, cutting tons of approximately 4.5"x4.5" squares really hurts my right wrist (sometimes, being right-handed sucks). My wrist hurts so much I've resorted to hair clippies to pull my hair out of my face as ponytail holders hurt my wrist too much.

Here are two of the three fabrics I bought:

[link]RODIDrd34556

[link]RODIDrd57212

Aren't they cute? I also bought another one that has fluffy white terrier dogs wearing black checkered coats, blue dog houses and the phrase "puppy love" all over on a white background. It was the first fabric I picked out but I'm not sure if I want to use it for the quilt as it's so darn cute.