Done! Almost.

Well, I've finished reading The Playboy of The Western World. Now I need to...

nap.

Short

I feel like I haven't written in a while, and how silly is that? I've been writing more than one post every day, and so this feels like a big time gap to me. I need a little cheer. I'm listening to the Twilight soundtrack right now, and [I love how music can do this] I'm picking up a whole new mood. Okay, so
I'm stuck on my Shakespeare assignment. I'm supposed to analyze a literary work I'm familiar with which alludes to Shakespeare. I can't think of anything besides Twilight which I do not want to write about. Again. Other than that, all I've been reading lately is historical fiction. I know there is no hidden Shakespeare in these works though because they are based off of real events and not adapted from Shakespeare. So what do I do?

The Things On My Mind...

My forearms are resting - more like lazily propping - themselves on the edge of the desk while my tired hands and wrists try to keep diligently typing. I have to read 'The Playboy of The Western World', write a Reading/Analysis/Discussion paper on it, write a reaction/comparison on the idea of meals in literary works as communions to an example from a book. And all I can think of is Twilight and New Moon [the two books I've most recently read through], which I don't think will impress my literature teacher [not that I should care anyway]. Oh and I have to do another reaction/comparison on how Shakespeare is alluded to in an example of choice [Again, all I can think of is New Moon, but the allusion is the opposite of subtle and I'm not sure if that's what she wants].
Anyway, I am not at all excited to do all this by 11am on mardi.
Do you know, I don't even enjoy the smell of coffee anymore? What I mean is- I don't even think about the smell anymore. I just... want to drink it. I've been drinking it so much lately, it's become more of a ritual than something I do because I really enjoy the experience. Which is sad, so maybe I should stay away from coffee for a while. It's a choice; I feel sometimes I am incapable of addiction. Addiction to drugs because I avoid them completely. Addiction to coffee because I've never noticed a physical reaction to caffeine anyway. I don't think anyone can be addicted to food though because it is a necessity to the body. I'm jibbering, and I could erase the bit of it, but I don't want to. Thoughts are precious, even silly ones.

Les Coeurs Des Soeurs * Cafe and Eatery

Amy and I are planning on opening up our own little eatery for coffee and desserts- perhaps some soup too...[I love soup] So I've been thinking about what it would be like. I'd want it to be cute and inviting. We could paint murals on the walls. We could have a miniature chandelier- maybe a couple. I'm just musing on the name, it would probably be something more... something. But it would be super cute. We could employ all our sisters! Wouldn't it be great if we all worked together in a little shop that sells coffee and food? Then I would never have to worry about falling out of touch with my sisters. Of course we'd have bouquets of flowers here and there... I don't know about outside seating though... Oh well, I should probably talk to Amy about this...

My Go-To List

It's easy for me to become stressed or tense and unhappy, and forgetful of things that make me happy. So, I've decided to make une liste of things which cheer me up and release some of that tension.

• My best stuffed buddies-Blue and Pancake. I love to cuddle with them, it makes my life seem simple.
• My bed! Usually just lying down for a little bit relaxes me and makes me feel safe.
• Doing yoga, it's the only exercise that doesn't feel like exercise and puts my focus on breathing while getting a good stretch.
• Watching a movie after exercising (it feels like a reward which makes me feel like I did a good job exercising and I'm proud of myself for not rewarding myself with a snack)
• Spending time with my sisters
• Baking; it's different from eating (which could be bad) but still indulges my love of food. Plus, I love making tasty food to share with the people I love.
  

Why Ben&Jerry's Is My Favorite (And Why It Should Be Yours Too)

1. They have 63 delicious flavors for berry lovers, chocolate lovers, dessert lovers, coffee lovers, nut lovers, and people that just love mixing different flavors together. To fully appreciate the many options Ben&Jerry's offers to all of us ice cream lovers, I've composed a list below for...

Berry Lovers:

• Black Raspberry (low fat)
• Cherry Garcia
• Orange and Cream (orange sorbet swirled in vanilla ice cream)
  
• Strawberry

Dessert Lovers:

• Peach Cobbler
• Strawberry Cheesecake
• Peanut Butter Cookie Dough
• S'mores
• ONE Cheesecake Brownie
• Coconut Seven Layer Bar
• Creme Brulee
• Banana Split
• Cake Batter (yellow cake batter and chocolate frosting swirl)
  
• Cinnamon Buns
• Oatmeal Cookie Chunk
• Magic Brownies (black raspberry ice cream with brownie swirls)
  

Nut Lovers:

• Chocolate Macadamia
• Butter Pecan
• Pistachio Pistachio
• Vanilla Almond

Mint Lovers:

• Mint Chocolate Cookie
• Mint Chocolate Chunk
  

Coffee Lovers:

• Coffee
• Coffee, Coffee BuzzBuzzBuzz! (with espresso bean fudge chunks)
  
• Coffee Heath Bar Crunch
  

Chocolate Lovers:

• Chocolate
• Brownie Batter
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl
• Chocolate Therapy
• Chocolate Fudge Brownie
• New York Super Fudge Chunk
• Fossil Fuel (chocolate cookies and chunks in vanilla)
  
• Flipped Out-Peanut Butter Chocolate
• Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
  

Mix-It-Up Lovers:

• Vanilla Heath Bar Crunch
• Vanilla Caramel Fudge
• Triple Caramel Chunk
• Sweet Cream and Cookies
• Turtle Soup
• Karamel Sutra
• Neapolitan Dynamite (cherry ice cream and chocolate fudge chunk ice cream)
  
• Mission to Marzipan (almond cookies and marzipan swirl)
  
• Imagine Whirled Peace (caramel, toffee cookie pieces, and little fudge peace signs)
  
• Half Baked (chocolate chip cookie dough and brownie in vanilla and chocolate)
  
• Chunky Monkey (banana ice cream with walnuts and fudge chunks)
  
• Dublin Mudslide (irish cream liquor ice cream with coffee chocolate swirl)
  
• Everything But The...(chocolate covered almonds, white chocolate chunks, peanut butter cups, and heath bar chunks)
  
• Goodbye Yellow Brickle Road (brickle candy pieces in chocolate, peanut butter, and white chocolate)
• Chubby Hubby (chocolate-covered peanut butter-filled pretzels in vanilla malt ice cream)

2. The coffee, cocoa powder, and vanilla used in their products is Fair Trade Certified.


3. The cows they get their cream and milk from are not shot up with hormones.

4. The eggs they use come from hens with access to clean water, adequate space to be a hen in, and wholesome food.

5. The brownies used in their Half Baked, Chocolate Fudge Brownie, and Magic Brownies ice cream come from Greyston Bakery in New York (a bakery which besides making awesome and delicious brownies is devoted to providing employment and support to formerly homeless, low-income, or disenfranchised (people who've been deprived of privilege or right) people and their families.

6. They DO NOT believe in cloning animals for food, something which the FDA has recently approved of for human consumption. Oh and, products from companies which do clone animals don't even have to carry a label saying so, yikes.

7. The containers are colorful and make me happy (okay, not so controversial, but hey- still a reason).

Don't worry, these guys know what they're doing.

*Flavors of Ben&Jerry's sorbet's were not included in the above lists. All information from the official BEN&JERRY'S website.

Inner Dialogue

So you know those times when you are watching something and you have this inner one-sided dialogue going off (like you're voicing your opinion loudly but not aloud)? Well, I had one of those moments today. As you might know, Kyle came over today. As you also might know, I don't like him. Around or otherwise in my life at all. And by extension, I don't want him eating the food I've made. I make my food with love. I don't not want Kyle near anywhere or anything I love or have loved.
So today Kyle came over, and Amy and I both had slices of the banana bread I have made with love whilst a group of us were playing cards at the kitchen table. Tempted, and always the conformist, Kyle took his share of bread too. A generously thick slice. Now, I'm not allowed to (God forbid) deny Kyle anything. In spoken words. So the whole time Kyle was sitting next to me, eating my bread, my thoughts resembled the following:
"Oh yeah, how does it taste? I hope you choke on it. I hope you hate it. Spit it out. I hate you. How dare you eat my bread. Bastard."
Was I too harsh? This is all Kyle said while he scarfed down the food I made:
"Tastes better with chocolate chips."
As I type this, the edge of the bread he did not eat is sitting on a plate in the kitchen.
WHO WOULD EVER CHOOSE TO BE AROUND YOU!?!? YOU ARE SUCH AN ASSHOLE! For those who may not know, Kyle is not the kind of person that says something positive along with critiquing. No, if Kyle says anything, it's how you could have done something better or how it's wrong. About my long-worked-on self portrait all Kyle said was, "Yeah, your hair's not that dark." Like you could ever make good banana bread or paint a self-portrait that looked anything like you!
Amy made dinner and all he said was that it was watery.
Oh, and later on, he farted in my face and got me all wet. I had to shower. The bra I had on smells like skunk. I smelled like skunk. There's nothing more to say on this topic.

Breaking a Habit

Here is a link to a short article on Breaking Bad Habits. I found it really helpful, and made me think of things I hadn't before. If you have a bad habit, whatever it is (whether overeating, procrastinating, or picking at your skin -like me) this could help.

http://depression.about.com/cs/selfhelp/a/breakbadhabits.htm

I'm thinking of buying a little stress ball to keep my hands busy... and away from my face or back or shoulders.

Food for Thought

"Without trust, there can be no love." -The Narcoleptic Argentinian, Moulin Rouge

The Day's Happenings

Woke up at noon. Rest of house still sleeping. Called Rich. Went outside with magazine. Californian issue. Skipped to the workout cards. Need 5lb. weights and a stability ball. No money for that. Went inside. Read some more Twilight. Oh Charlie. Lilly woke up and found me in the living room. Moma joined us soon after. Went up to the sleepy Amy and asked to use her laptop for blogging purposes. She reluctantly agreed. Prepared cereal with blueberries for breakfast. Used the laptop to successfully load pictures. Pleased with myself. Remembered to add note for Katie. Went back to reading Twilight. Thought about things I haven't done in a while. Took a bike to go climb trees. Tried unsuccessfully to climb a big tree. Walked over to the smallest tree. Took a running start. Got into the tree successfully. Panicked momentarily over how to get down. Scratched my legs on the tree bark. Walked the bike halfway home. Ate packaged lasagna. Took quiz on my character. Blogged about it. Read more Twilight. Prepared Burundi Bwayi coffee for Amy and I. Enjoyed. Sat down at the computer to blog...

One More Thing I Have in Common With Shakespeare

You are an

INFP (Introverted iNtuitive Feeling Perceiving) INFPs have the ability to see good in almost anyone or anything and never seem to lose their sense of wonder. Idealistic, loyal to their values and to people who are important to them. Want an external life that is congruent with their values. Curious, quick to see possibilities, can be catalysts for implementing ideas. Seek to understand people and to help them fulfil their potential. Adaptable, flexible, and accepting unless a value is threatened.

Careers Psychologist Human resources professional Physical therapist Researcher Translator/interpreter Legal mediator Employee developement specialist Religious worker College professor : humanities Massage therapist Social worker Librarian Fashion designer Holistic health practitioner Editor / art director (web sites)

Strawberry Rhubarb Under-buttery-Cover

Friday was spent lovingly creating my first pie. Completely homemade down to the buttery crust. It turned out sooo good, as you can see from these pictures. Lilly and I are expert food critics. Trust us.

6 cups of strawberries, 4 stalks of rhubarb, a little vanilla, 1 cup of sugar, 2 TBSP of butter, and 3 TBSP minute tapioca all mixed together...

...add a personal touch...

...cook for 15min at 425F and another 54min at 350F, and voilà! I was super proud of myself and happy it turned out looking so good. ("The pie overflowed!" "Good thing Heidi randomly decided to put a baking sheet under the pie!" Um, not a coincidence. Don't worry, that's how I knew it was done-the filling started to bubble.)


And now for the tasting... Lilly was the first to try the pie!

Heidi takes her first bite!

If Katie were listening, I would tell her she is very lucky I managed to save her a piece given how delicious it was and how willing Moma would have been to eat half the pie herself. And I would also mention that I am looking forward to seeing her soon. Au revoir!

....And Then Not Quite

Exactly My Logic

Underlying Principles

I believe that from one small observation about a person you can uncover a much greater part of character. At the very core of everyone are a select few ideals which reign over every decision we make. It's something I find difficult to describe...
As an example- I don't like rereading books; even ones I loved the first time around. Not even thinking or saying this to myself ever, I have it etched in my character to avoid repetition. This fact brings about many other choices I consider characteristic to me such as that I don't like repeating myself or hearing other people repeat themselves. And I like to try a new drink every time I go to Perc Place. There are so many little instances where I can connect multiple choices I make to a bigger, deeper principle I hold. Such as avoid smoking anything. I sit in nonsmoking sections when given the choice, I hold my breath if I'm passing a smoker, I avoid being around people that smoke, if I realize one of my friends is a smoker they slowly become less and less my friend unless they stop smoking. At the center of our judgment and reasoning are these guiding principles which we use to decide anything and everything. They're also prioritized. Say your friend lies about having taken something from you without asking. Everyone deserves a different chance is more important in this case than don't waste time on liars.
And in this case, avoid situations in which you could be marked as an idiot is outweighed by share your ideas. That's not to say we're always right... after all, after struggling through the first couple chapters, I am currently enjoying Twilight for the second time. Hope I was right about sharing my opinions though.

Things Which Seriously Bother Me

>The phrase "pet peeve". Peeve is just a gross word. Hence my alternative post title.
>Houses with garages visibly larger than the actually house part.
>People who contradict themselves depending on their mood. You know who I'm talking about.
>Car horns. In my opinion should not be used for anything but emergencies. I'm sure they were either invented by someone emergency-conscious or a complete asshole.
>People who ask a question more than once because they didn't get the answer they wanted the first time. Like they pretend they didn't hear you answer their question the first time. Hello people, my answer is not going to be different the second time!
>People who do not eat all the food on their plates. If you're not going to eat it all, do not take so much or save it for later, don't just leave it. Movies in which people order food and then leave the restaurant without eating it seriously bother me. WHO DOES THAT?! NO ONE DOES THAT!
>People who keep things which they have not looked at or used in multiple years and do not plan on doing so.
>Reality TV shows with super vivid colors, swearing, drama, and flashing quickly between several shots. Breeding grounds for attention defecit problems, skewed perception of reality, and headaches.
>Parents who do not discipline their children.
>Smokers. If I pass one, I automatically hold my breath until I am able to breath untainted air again.
>People who respond to anything you say with a statement about themselves.
>Kiss-ups. It's okay if you do someone favors once in a while, but don't become their best-friend/slave and say they're the devil behind their backs.
>When good shows go off air because the masses prefer reality TV smut.
>People who out of bitterness from their jobs are rude to customers. Generally, it is not the customers' fault. (ex. Public libraries)
>People who say everything like with a condesending tone even when they are completely wrong.
>People who only talk to other people to make a point of how smart they are.

The Existence of Average

More than once the question has come to my mind: Would it be better to live in a world with extreme highs and lows or a world in which you have the average of the two? Theoretically thinking, wouldn't both have the same effect? Theoretically, [in the world of highs and lows] the highs balance out the lows and you are given the effect of average anyway. However, the effect in the two worlds is different. My thought is this: A high plus a low does not equal an average. Our lives are not math. Two opposite experiences do not leave you with nothing.
Say you find one hundred dollars one day. You tell people about it. You wonder what you should do with the money. You muse on what you could buy with that money. You take another look in your wallet and somehow you have lost the hundred dollar bill. It must do that a lot. Are you the same as if you had not found the money at all? Theoretically, yes. But you really aren't. You are changed from the experience. You have a funny little anecdote to share with people about luck. You've thought about your values (where you put your money). You have another little thing taking up a piece of your allotted memory.
Bad experiences develop character and appreciation. Good experiences drive us to keep living. Average experiences create a comparison to differentiate between the two. If your whole life were average, a comparison to nothing, would your life be anything at all?

Expand Your Mind

Another thing you might not have known about me: I love logic problems. I feel proud of myself when I can solve a problem that requires thought and wit (especially when other people can't). I give myself a hypothetical pat on the back. So here is one in particular which I just solved and found difficult yet not impossible:

Between a husband and his wife, the couple have lived a total of 91 years. The husband is now twice as old as his wife was when he was the age she is now. How old are the husband and wife now?

Concerning my upcoming Birthday...

I would like a new camera. This has to do with the fact that the last camera which was mine became a communal camera and will suddenly not take any pictures that are not blurry and of poor quality.

COFFEE EXPERIMENTATION

Since-due to complications with equipment-I could not load pictures of the real thing, I found a very nice substitute. I have recently discovered the secret to making a mocha: Homemade chocolate syrup. Of course, what I just made for Amy and I is not fancy with whipped cream or some shredded chocolate bits to top, but still yummy. My experimentation probably ends here though because I can't steam milk and I have no other resources (i.e. whipped cream, various flavored syrups). Ah well.

Monkey Pose

I want to learn to do this

5 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Heidi

1] I don't like repeating anything. I am currently struggling (because I have nothing else to read) to reread Twilight.

2. Sometimes I feel like I have no way to express my anger or frustration when it arises. I feel like this is unhealthy for me, but that's just the way it is right now.

3) I never plan on getting my ears pierced.

4> My favorite weather is sun shining, breeze blowing, cool grass but since this kind only comes once every two years, my second favorite is overcast skies.

5* If I had a car, I would like to volunteer at the Humane Society. I love animals and I think it would be fun to help walk the animals or play with them.

Slap Bet

Why did I stop watching episodes of How I Met Your Mother? Oh yeah, Rich wanted to watch them with me. Well, maybe I'll rewatch the ones I've already seen. What a good show!

A Fancy Dinner Out

It started with a hungry belly and the thought, 'I should probably eat something about now.' So I looked around the kitchen. Cereal. Hardly any milk [and only because Danny left behind his 1/2 gallon of 2%]. Few eggs. Frozen chicken [which moma tongue lashed me for thinking of eating]. I am not about to eat eggs - again - without having any cheese or anything to go with it.
So a couple of days ago, Daddy came up to me and asked me how I was. I said 'fine'. He gave me a dollar. He said 'Now you're better.' I thought it was silly at the time, but now I was glad it had happened. I CAN USE THAT DOLLAR TO BUY A MUFFIN FROM THE GAS STATION. Cool.
I walked to STOP-N-GO, the nearest gas station and as soon as I looked in, I realized that Kwik Trip is the one that has the muffins. Okay, so I walked to Kwik Trip which isn't exactly close because hey, I was determined to eat something worth my $1.
Once I got to Kwik Trip, I went right over to the muffins. $1.19. What? I don't have 19 cents! They did have an appealing 12oz. Berry Vanilla Cappuccino for 99 cents. But I didn't want a beverage. I craved some sustenance. Hmn..
So at McDonalds, the guy at the register was someone I had known as a senior when I was a freshman. He asked what I wanted and I said, "Well, I'd like a McDouble, but I only have a dollar and a penny." [by the way, I had found the penny on the road while I had been walking] Without changing his expression he said, "Go home." A very serious second passed. "No, I'm just kidding. That'll be $1.06," I handed him my dollar and penny. "...about." I guess I looked a little unsure because he said, "I'm not evil you know." When I asked for a cup for water, he gave me a paper cup so I could get soda if I wanted. I was so happy!
I walked back home and sat down at the computer to write about it while I took the first bite of my dinner. Delicious. I definitely appreciate this more than anything else.

On The Bright Side...

I will definitely not have any trouble losing some weight this summer because there will be nothing to eat because it tastes good around this house! yay!!!!

How I First Became a Coffee Lover

<("COFFEE!!")
Well, it all started a couple years ago when I was best friends with Steffanie Maher. We used to walk to STOP-N-GO and buy some cheap cappuccino. I favored the French Vanilla, and would sip at it sparingly as we walked back to her house. Once there, I would typically put it in her fridge and leave it there. Then after watching a movie or two, Steff would fall asleep, I would step silently over to the fridge, grab my now cold beverage, turn on her Mac laptop, and stay up for hours. Ah, it was so refreshing; I connect good feelings to cappuccino still. I remember one particular night in January, I was reading a story online or posting to my livejournal, when I looked out the glass patio door to my left. The sky was a dim navy (Think 5am in January) and there was snow piled up a foot high on their patio including on its table and separate chairs. It was so serene, and I just paused to take in how beautiful it was. Before anyone had walked out and broken into the perfectly smooth blanket of snow. I took another drink of my cool cappuccino (which by the way tastes much better than hot cappuccino and won't disable your taste buds) and went back to my reading.
Around that time, I also tried some drinks at Perc Place, and Katie (my oldest sista) would offer me coffee around the house. Of course, I took the coffee Katie offered me because hey, I wanted to have something in common with her. Well, the caffeine hooked me. I loved that freshly brewed coffee smell, and the feeling of being more like my sister [you know, "cooler"]. Soon enough, I became a coffee devotee. I bought coffee and cappuccino from the local grocery store, drank it occasionally with my grandma, and soon I was the one trying to convince younger siblings to try coffee.
After I got my braces off, I became more conservative in my coffee habits ("I don't want to stain my teeth!"), and drank it less and less often. Now, I think I've got it to a good balance (somewhat...) and even if I'm not enjoying a daily cup of cardboard (haha, Lilly), I still enjoy a mug now and then.

Heidi Sees You

Hey Guys! Check out my cool new clock!

Saturday

As You Like It

Oh yeah! Amy and Heidi are so ghetto!

When Animals Die

Sorry this is so morbid, but Kelly made me think of this new topic!
Apparently in the Bible it says that animals do not go to heaven. I believe the Bible; I'm not saying that. I just can't accept that all those fluffy, loving, loyal pets just disappear when they die. (When they seemingly have the same life-driving presence in them as we do).

So.

I like to think that animals, when they die are recycled into the next generation - always staying on earth. (Maybe a dog becomes a dog again or a polar bear). Whereas we humans come in and out of this world.

Blahgging!

So Kiwi (my fluffy and loveable bunny) has been really cute lately. I had to change his litter yesterday, which was sort of a pain. But then I hadn't changed it in like a week... and Amy said it was starting to smell. Really bad. (She comes into my room sometimes to borrow clothes). I haven't let him out of his cage either.. but I'm sure he doesn't mind.

Kiwi's Point of View:
So Heidi didn't feed me this morning. Again. I haven't been out of this God forsaken cage in days... Other people have been coming in and out of the room. I've heard them. But they are quick to leave me alone again. So terribly alone. At least the wench finally cleaned my latrene. It was getting so unbearable to be around. I almost lost consciousness the other day... nevermind though. God willing, my current plans for breakout will follow under way smoothly...

A Quick Note

Kelly and I just helped Ma move the telly. It hurt my fingers!