Mon enfant! I give you my hand!

I’ve been in a big reading kick lately I guess I kind of always am into reading (even though I really shouldn't be taking time away from homework to read) but I’ve especially been into graphic novels. Not like the Watchmen type though. This summer I just discovered the genre of philosophical graphic novels. My top two have actually both been memoirs. The first I got earlier this summer from half price books. It’s called Everyday Matters by Danny Gregory and it is absolutely beautiful. The second graphic memoir I just finished today. It’s called Blankets by Craig Thompson and it was incredible. It was slightly raunchy here and there (on some parts it would not seem half as risque without the pictures) and I was really taken aback at the end with the agnostic tone, but it was genius nevertheless. I love the mixing of art and literature. It makes the reading experience four dimensional in a way. Reading a graphic novel is somewhat comparable to how I feel when I watch a film, except more personal. Even when you’re watching a movie by yourself, the sound and action is taking place in a way that would be visible to anyone who walked in the room where the movie’s showing. I think people that are able to create deep graphic novels are absolute geniuses. In between reading graphic novels, though, I have to read just straight out books otherwise my mind gets too used to how much easier and faster it is to just read a graphic novel. So after finishing Blankets today I picked up Love Story by Erich Segal which is a highly entertaining read. I love when authors intersperse little bits and pieces of other authors poems or mention other books in their own novel. In one part of Love Story Walt Whitman’s Song of the Open Road came up. Boy, that’s some good stuff. It’s filled with a lot of this and that (crazy poemish thoughts that extend into race and politics and all sorts of topics), but I just like the picture I get while reading it. This may be my last blog post for awhile…I guess I might be able to make short entries here and there, but I’m about to embark upon my first three hour musical practice tonight and thus embark upon an even busier life. I’m OK with busy. I like busy a lot actually. As long as I get some time to read here and there.

What I would do if I wasn't sitting here blogging...

I have alot to do. Because I have so much to do I am definately a little stressed out. This is typical of a college student though. I feel as though I will only get more stressed out if I try to do anything now. I just need a fresh day. Trying to do things on a day that is already almost up is pointless...(I shouldn't even try to justify my terrible procrastination with my horrific, irrational reasoning...)

Here's what I normally do when I am stressed out:

1. Bake something. Usually bread, because you can kneed it and that is a stress reliever.

2. Blast some Weezer and dance around in the...um...yeah that's all I'm going to say.

3. Play piano.

4. Paint.

5. Go running.

6. Put on a yoga DVD.

7. Read a good book.

8. Drink Tea.

9. Watch Gone with the Wind, or some other classic movie.

10. Play with Kyle.

11. Write a story.

12. Pet a cat.

13. Make Paper Cranes.

14. Listen to those thunderstorm cd's.

Numbers 1-5 and 10 and 12 are out of the question because I don't have the facilities or the materials needed or the time of day is crummy for the activity...I already feel less stressed out just blogging about what I would do if I wasn't sitting here blogging. This is ironic. I'm just going to go and do some things now.

Sunshine is a wonderful thing to be thankful for.

Every morning I lifeguard at my school's pool from precisely 8:00am-9:00am. It's fairy easy seeing as all I have to do is sit in a folding chair and watch some elderly people swim back and forth. Occasionally there isn't even any one there! On Fridays there is a water aerobics class that starts at 9:00. The older ladies and gents usually come around 8:00 to free swim for an hour. The first Friday I life-guarded a woman who organized the park and rec program came into the swim area and said that they were not allowed to swim, because they were not covered under the insurance during that time because the life-guard shift from 8-9 was not paid by the city; that the free swim from 8-9 was for faculty and students of the school only. This had never before been the case. So all of these wonderful older people got up bright and early to go for a little swim only to learn they could do this no longer. There was an up rage! There was a lot of debating going on, and all I could do was observe. I wanted so badly to run in between the older people and the woman, throw my hands up, and just yell, "Stop! Can't we all just get along! I really wouldn't mind guarding! I mean we're here anyways and there's no one even in the pool right now!" The women left to go have a brief meeting with the pool adviser or something and the other life-guard and I were given strict rules to, "Not allow those folks in the pool by any means!", followed by a little wink...I just felt horrible. As soon as she left they all came over and were like, "Oh she's gone, let's go for it!", but they didn't. Thank goodness, because I would have felt so bad asking them to, "Step away from the pool!" One elderly gentleman walked in during the middle of this fiasco and just waltzed over to the pool and started going in not realizing what was going on. I had to politely ask him to get out. He was so confused. I felt horrific. Pretty soon the next lifeguard on duty came and when she heard what was happening she said, "Ridiculous! Everyone get in the pool!" Bouts of cheering pursued and this life-guard received much thanks. I wish I could have been the lifeguard who had the 9-10 shift that day. She was their hero. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, however, there is a water aerobics class during my shift and boy is that fun to watch. It's pretty intense. There's these four older guys who always come and they are just hilarious! They goof off the whole time and make fun of each other. I really don't think there is much difference between the age gaps. Today one of them took eight of the water weights and stacked them up like a pyramid. It was grand. After their class their instructor always asks them what they are thankful for and they shout things out. One woman every Tuesday and Thursday without fail responds, "Sunshine!". I agree sunshine is a wonderful thing to be thankful for.

Paper Cranes.

Life is wierd. Life is also crazy awesome. I'm learning how to deal with this mixture and in the process figuring out how I fit into it all. There is so much ambiguity right now. It's as delicious as tofu stirfry though. Being in all of these awesome English classes makes me want to run away to foreign countries and write and act and do everything I've ever wanted to do. It's funny though because that technically can't happen until I finish up college. So I'll have to put up with the constant pull of wanting out but having to stay, in order to get to where I really want to be. I'm not the biggest fan of college. I love to learn. LOVE. I love being on my own. LOVE. The other parts of college I could do without, though. I plan on going to school year-round for the next two years so that I can get out of here sooner. I want to go off to Eastern Europe and teach English as a second language real bad. There's also a butt-load of other things I want to do though. The cool thing is that I'm young and I can do those things! I accomplished one of my goals yesterday. I tought myself how to make an origami crane. They're not of the best craftmanship, but they're hopelessly beautiful. I hand crafted them with love. If I make a thousand my wish will come true. I'm two down, 998 to go. No prob, I got this :)

Give it a go!