Le Premier Repas de la Journée

That's French by the way, in case you can't tell.  Thank you, Google Translate.  I've noticed that it's only moderately helpful sometimes.  It doesn't always give the words/phrases you want.  Ah well.  Lost in translation, right?  I don't speak French anyway.  I'll pick it up next year or something.

So breakfast.  This morning, I had Pop-Tarts, Reese's Puffs cereal, and a tiny cup of apple juice.  It's definitely not the healthiest breakfast I've ever eaten, but it did the trick.  I was hungry!  Consequently, I really didn't eat much at lunch.  Actually, probably not consequently.  I'm really not eating much at all these days.  I'm just not hungry.  It doesn't help that my digestive system is totally screwed up lately.  I don't understand.  Constant state of indigestion and stomach ache, and now my left kidney hurts.  A lot, actually.  That started up yesterday, I think.  I mean it's hurt before but now it hurts.  I'm unimpressed.  I probably have an issue.  I hope I can get my mom to set up a doctor's appointment or something.  See if anybody can really figure out what the deal is. hmph.
I forgot to take my vitamin this morning. =/ And yesterday. =/ =/  Damn.  I should take another of my other thing today, too.  It's pronounced acidopholus but I can guarantee it's not spelled that way.  It's the stuff that's in yogurt, but like, 100 servings worth of it.  According to my mother, anyway.

Soooooooo breakfast.  Apparently my friend from Alabama didn't know what Pop-Tarts were this weekend. O_O Yes, for real.  I was the only one of the entire group of us that could explain to him what they were, which was rather incredible to the guy from South Carolina.  Apparently it's weird that I would know how to describe such a thing.  I'm not quite sure how one would be unable to explain it. It's a Pop-Tart for pity's sake!

But that's all I've got.  I know I skipped pick-up lines yesterday, but it was actually kind of an accident.  I was going to post Monday-Wednesday all at once, but then I forgot to include Wednesday.  Oops.  My bad.  So I'm just moving on.  Tomorrow I'll hit you up with some weird news.  I've got some good stuff.  Come back. Promise.

Ta ta!

Post Playlist (courtesy of Pandora Radio and YouTube):
Fall to Pieces--Krystal Meyers
Awake and Alive--Skillet
Crush Crush Crush--Paramore
Desperate--Fireflight
Playing God--Paramore
Fixed at Zero--VersaEmerge

Wednnnnnnnnesday!

It's weird to try and spell Wednesday like you'd hold it out while saying it because it's spelled weird.  I just noticed that...

I would have posted on Monday and Tuesday while I was in Orlando--I even brought my laptop--but internet at the hotel was $15/day, and I didn't feel like paying it.  And there wasn't time at the convention center while entering cards.  So I just didn't post.  I figured I'd get to it eventually; I just didn't realize that it was going to take me until today.  I kind of (naively) thought that I would be home earlier than I was last night.  Go figure.

So Music Monday.
I'm not really going to talk about what I've been listening to lately becaaauuuse there really isn't anything new.  But I'ma tell you about my musical experiences this weekend.
I participated in a flash mob! With a musical group--much like an adult version of a Glee Club--called SING.  It wasn't as legitimately awesome as a real flash mob since we only sang America for the Nat'l Rural Elec Coop Assoc (NRECA) annual meeting.  but it's all good.
Some country singer by the name of Lee Greenwood sang the national anthem, and some awkward version of the Pledge of Allegiance.  I don't know.  It's not that it sounded like crap, it's just that it was vaguely awkward.  Kinda cool in a way nonetheless.  I guess I just wasn't overly impressed because I don't like country music.  My mom said he used to have a really nice voice but he had to shake his head for his vibrato this weekend.  I don't know.  Apparently he also wrote that Proud to Be an American song, which I didn't know until my roommate told me this weekend.  Whoops.  Oh well.
The SING group was actually good, but they so didn't perform for their demographic--men/women living in mainly rural communities across the nation, in their late 50's-60's.  And they were singing Black Eyed Peas.  What?? I felt kind of bad though because they were really good.  Ah well.  The one guy--I think they said his name was Mike--had one of the most beautiful tenors I've ever heard.  I loved it.

But that's all I've got there.

So now we're on to Tuesday and the important literature for discussion.

I'm actually reading 2 different Laurell K Hamilton novels right now, one from each series.  Ironically enough, I think they're both book 8.  But one is the end of a series and the other is just partway through.  I'm also still trying to plow through Anna Karenina, but so far the only new development is that his farmer friend is in love with his sister-in-law--but I don't think he really is.  I think he's just decided that he should be so he's bound and determined to be.  God these people were weird--and would like to marry her. But that's all I've gotten besides really difficult to pronounce Russian names and mediocre prose.  Tolstoy is not my favorite author.
I have a bunch of books I'ma need to talk about but not tonight just cause I said so, including:
Shiver--Maggie Stiefvater
Linger--Maggie Stiefvater
Infinite Days--Rebecca Maizel
Fat Kid Rules the World--K.L. Going

Blue Moon: Laurell K Hamilton

Apparently Richard (the werewolf) is in jail in Tennessee, acused of rape.  Which is bullshit, because like Anita keeps saying, he's a "friggin boy scout".  Usually that's okay, but sometimes it gets him in trouble.  And he's so hard-headed sometimes.  If he weren't so sweet and sexy and all that I'm not sure I would like him.  But he has just as damn much attitude as she does, so it's difficult to really be too hard on him.  I've only read the first chapter of it so far--on a plane; go figure--so I'm not too certain how it's going to go, but I greatly appreciate Anita and her perspectives (and Laurell's writing style, without a doubt), so it's okay.

Divine Misdemeanors: Laurell K. Hamilton

I may have talked about this book already... I can't even remember.  How dreadfully sad is that?
Anyway. Merry is pregnant and still trying to work.  She's getting these weird cravings and mood swings and she's not terribly impressed by them.  Still having wild sex, though... hahaha. Go figure.  She's still really early though, so it's technically okay.  And they're Fae, so who the hell knows.  I'm not going to make any major comments about it.
There's apparently someone killing Fae in LA which is kinda weird since the mound is in St. Luis...I'm trying really hard not to give out spoilers just in case anybody's trying to actually read this series.  So that's all I can really tell you.  Because the rest of the plot information is too... well, wrought with spoilers.
Sorry.



Post Playlist (courtesy of Pandora Radio):

Up to You--Krystal Meyers

Meant to Live--Switchfoot

Innocent--Stellar Kart

Say Goodbye--Joy Williams

Make Some Noise--Krystal Meyers

I Will Rise--Chris Tomlin

You Gave Me a Promise--Fireflight
Realize--Colbie Callat
We Ride--Rihanna
21st Century Girl--Willow Smith
Obvious--Watershed
Pale Shelter--Tears for Fears
What I've Overcome--Fireflight
Not Without a Fight--Pillar
So Help Me God--Fireflight 

Breakfast!

So this is the one topic that I have yet to cover, so I'm going to do it now.
What I ate for breakfast this morning and why you should even care.

As a matter of fact, this morning I had to get up at 5 so I could be to the school by 6.  So breakfast was eaten on a bus.  But I did eat it!  So go me.

For breakfast this morning, I had a multivitamin with a drink of V8 Splash, most of an orange roll, and cherry yogurt.

The vitamin is because I don't eat regularly enough--or the right things when I do bother to feed myself--to get all the stuff that I need to be getting and so my mother insisted I start taking one.  So far I've been remembering, but... I'm sure I'll stop eventually. haha. I always do.
The V8 because it was left from a couple days ago.
My mother packed the roll and yogurt for me to bring with because it's easy to eat in transit.

Why you should care...

• I'm attempting to be healthy(ish) and that's important.  Healthy people are happier people.  Happy people don't write crappy blogs.
• Rolls contain sugar.  Sugar has some kind of link to B vitamins, which are necessary for your body's get-up-and-go power, of which I generally have very little.  This means that I will actually bother to write my blog during the day.  Which means you get to read it.  Which should be a good thing. haha.
• Yogurt is good for you.  And so are cherries.  So now we're back to the health point.

Dude, I don't really know.  Just go with it. hahahaha.

That's all I've got!

Ta ta!
--Emily Renae <3

Pick-Up Lines

I just spent--literally--two minutes trying to come up with a cute/amusing title for today's post, but pretty much failed. Sorry.  I tried. I did.  You've gotta believe me.
Actually... no you don't. But I would rather you did.

Anyway.  Now that I'm done babbling (Hah! As if), let's get on with life.

Did you just fart? Because you blew me away.

I'm sincerely praying that this is strictly a joke and that no poor soul has ever tried to honestly use this as a legit line.  Beause it's probably the worst pick-up line I've heard in my life.  Well... maybe not the worst, but top 10.  For sure.
I'm not really sure what I would actually do if some idiot tried to use this on me.  I think I would probably stare in disbelief and then die laughing.  It might depend on how drunk I was, of course, but even completely smashed this wouldn't work.  I've obviously never tried it, but I just know myself that well.  Alcohol doesn't change a person that much.  For real.  Then again, I've never been blacking-out drunk or whatever, so I could be wrong.  I just like to think that I retain enough of my intelligence to manage evading shitty pick-up lines.
God. Did you fart.  Who the hell would have the balls to ask that?  For real?  And what would you do if she actually said yes? O_o  Ew?  I don't know.  I hope I never have to find out.

Muggle?  I don't know. You seem pretty magical to me.

Okay, coming clean, I totally came up with this one on my own.  This is my very own, hand-crafted pick-up line that... unless both parties are serious nerds, would never possibly work.  Also, it requires that the girl be wearing a Muggle shirt--as in a shirt that says "Muggle"--so it's kind of... well, the opposite of versatile. Restricted?  Whatever.  I seem to be having trouble with my vocabulary these days.  I don't really get it.  I still understand them all it's just that the words aren't quite coming to me like they should be.
I know it's corny and dumb, but I still kind of like it.  I think it's fun. haha.  Still, if someone ever tried to use this on me, I would laugh in their face and walk away.  It's not that cute/fun.

I'm not going to bother with discussing another.  Just because I'm in math class and don't really care.  Plus I'm tired and just slightly cranky so I don't wanna. haha.  I don't want to be in school today; I...don't even really want to be awake right now.  I have so much to do.

Okay, I suppose I could catch you up with my life a little bit. How about a nice bullet point list:

• This is my last day of school for an entire week.
• Tomorrow, I'm going to the state capital with the entire junior and senior classes (almost, anyway) to view the governmental action or some such a matter.  I don't particularly wish to go, but oh well.
• I don't have school on Friday, and I have a speech meet in Glenburn that afternoon... From which I won't be home from until late.  Like, between 11 and 12 I'm sure.  I'm not really enthused.
• Saturday morning, I fly out of Minot to Orlando, Florida with an hour layover in Denver.
• Next Tuesday, I will leave the airport in Orlando at 10:30 (or so) in the morning with another layover in Denver eventually to finally (hopefully) return home at 10:10 p.m.  Which means that, again, I will be flying all damn day.  Ugh.  Oh well; it's worth it.
• I have 57 days of school left, not counting what's left of today.  Quick math, that equals just over 11 weeks and just under 3 months.  Praise Jesus.  I'm so ready to be done.
• I took 8th and 4th place in inform this weekend at the Shiloh Christian and St. Mary's Christian HS speech meets.  I also did really well in poetry, which is kind of funny because I'd looked at my piece a grand total of like, twice. haha. In the car. On the way there.  I guess I'd read through it enough to write an intro the night before when I had to type it up, but still.  So I'm hoping it goes well.

So that's my life in a nutshell.  My love life is prett much nonexistent, so that's why there's no mention of it. So there you have it. I'm moderately boringish.

Ta ta!
--Emily Renae <3

Ta Da! Tuesday!

Today is not so very much ta-da factorness because I didn't bother to actually post anything yesterday and so this kind of equals fail-recompense. Sorry.  (I'm not convinced I used that word right, either.)
Anyway, since I'm in the mood and I'm in my math class and all, (not paying attention or anything because learning is all overrated and stuff after all), I'm going to cover the music I would've covered yesterday AND the literature I intend to cover today.
And since now I know that randomly people actually read this thing, maybe I'll try to be a little less weird.  Actually, no I won't, haha; what am I saying?

Music.  Let's see... Ah, yes.  Here we go:

Band: 2*Sweet
Album: Sleep Without Dreams

It was a gamble at Hot Topic this weekend.  It was $5, so I was cool with giving it a shot.  I initially thought that the band was called Sleep Without Dreams and the album 2*Sweet, but upon uploading it to my computer, it turned out I was mistaken.  Go figure; I should've known better.  I guess I just tend to go with the big words plastered across the front of an album...
Anyway, I was actually pleasantly surprised by it.  I'm not quite sure exactly how to classify it but I would try something like soft metal or softish hard rock?  That's really oxy-moronic, I know, but that's all I'm coming up with.  It's got the feel of metal music without the screech and... metal and stuff.
I don't think I know what I'm talking about. hahaha.

The other album I bought on Saturday IS:

Band: We Are the In Crowd
Album: Guarateed to Disagree

One of the songs on this album was on a compilation album that I bought one time... probably Take Action Vol. 9 but I can't really remember.  I'm pretty sure that's what it's on. haha.
Anyway, this is another female-fronted band to hit the alternative pop/rock/punk scene alongside Paramore's original fan-base, Hey Monday, Automatic Loveletter, aaaaaaand I just lost my other example. (Damn.)  They're really good, though.  They belong on the Girl Power station that I have created on Pandora for when I feel like listening to songs with attitude by female-fronted bands.
Okay, so the station isn't really "Girl Power" but mostly just because I haven't bothered to mess with it.  I've got a few stations that do that, though, so it's technically Girl Power.  Moving along.

And then!:

Transformers Score: Revenge of the Fallen
Composed by: Steve Jablonsky

1. Steve Jablonsky is probably my favorite composer right now.  I'm in love with the Transformers soundtracks, and I'm still trying to find the first one.  B&N is being really dumb and unhelpful though, so I haven't managed yet.

2. Soundtracks, with actual, legit bands and stuff (like Linkin Park, who did a lot of music for these movies) are cool and all, but I much prefer the score.

3.  This is probably my favorite venue for classical music.  I'm serious.  It's epic.  The emotions created and exploited by a good film score can make or break a movie, at least in my opinion.  The music they put in these movies keeps your blood pumping and your eyes glued to the screen, emotionally invested in the events that are going to unfold with or without your permission.  It's beautiful; it's intense; it's sexy.

Film scores are what I've taken to listening to when I get distressed or pissed off, or really just upset in general.  Listening to film scores calms me down and keeps me from blowing a fuse or crying or whatever.  I get all worked up about stuff.  Listening to classical movie music helps. At least something does.

Now I shall move on to literature, like today's blog was SUPPOSED to cover but I put off until, well, right now.

Burnt Offerings: Laurell K. Hamilton

This is the book that I mentioned last week (the week before?) that I lost and would have to rebuy... I wish that I could tell you I found it and all was well, but I didn't, so I can't. Unfortunately.  I had to buy it this weekend in Bismarck when I was there for speech competition.  Ah well.  It was pretty well worth it, I think.

Anita's life takes a few more disastrous tumbles (sorta) in this one.  I haven't finished it yet, but it's just as good as they've all been.  I won't lie; I miss Richard.  I do.  I understand the issues Anita faced with Richard and all, but... I miss him about like she does.  They're so...so...tangled in their own personal failings and issues and beliefs and emotional ghosts.
But then, Jean-Claud has his own set of background issues too.  And he and Anita aren't exactly a perfect set either.

If you're going to read the Anita Blake series, make sure you do it in order.  It's important.  I suppose you could technically get by just picking up in the middle, but you really get more out of them if you know the background previously discussed in the novels leading up to the current.  I do recommend them, though.  They're compelling reads.  I neglected the series for awhile and found myself missing Anita and her attitude. haha. I'm a geek. I know.

A Brush of Darkness: Allison Pang

I just started this book onnnnnnnnnnnnn Sunday night I think?  Monday? Sunday... Yeah, Sunday.  (Long story; I'd prefer you didn't ask. You really won't wanna know anyway. Trust me.) Anyway.

It's another fantasy/action/romance novel--look at that cover and tell me you didn't guess the last in that sequence--about some chick who has a contract with a Fae (is that still correct if you're referring to a group of them? Dunno... *shrug*) only her Fae person has been missing for about six months.  And she really doesn't know what's going on.
So this incubus shows up and wants her to help him find his sister (who just happens to be a succubus if you hadn't guessed already) but... under the table? Sorta? I'm not certain yet.  I'm only in chapter 4! Gimme a break.
She has an enchanted iPod and a (horny) unicorn staying in her underwear drawer because she apparently somehow TouchStoned with it.  (Don't ask me what a TouchStone is; it's creative license with the plot info.  Just go with it.)  Anyway. Yeah.  It's really really funny, but vaguely awkward simultaneously.

So far it's been fun.  Rather amusing and fast-paced, easy to read, and nice to look at. Straight-up, yo. *cough*
Anyway, that's what I've got.  I've been trying to read Anna Karenina at random intervals just to get it read, but I still don't like it, sooo it's tking forever.  Ya know.  (I already wrote this once but the internet at this school is freakin retarded so I'm cutting it short this time.)  So I hope that eventually I'll get it read, but at present, the 8-Ball reads "outlook not so good."  Whoot. =/

Ta ta.
--Emily Renae <3

After Tuesday...

Even the calendar says WTF.  hahaha.  I like that joke.  Namely because life is totally strange-o these days.  You know how it gets.  I only have 12 weeks of high school left.  It's hard to comprehend.  It's totally exciting, but... weird.  Also, my school has just adopted this new anti-bullying program that totally fucks up our Monday schedule, and I don't like it.  I mean, I agree with its message I guess, but I just think that the way they're carrying it out is being anti-productive.  It's not to get students not to bully, it's to teach others how to step in and try to stop it.  Good idea, but the way that it's being worked with is probably not going to do anything.  At least not yet.  As seniors, we aren't doing much with it because they've decided we're already a lost cause to "look the other way" and whatever, and in part they're probably right; I won't complain though because the last thing I want to start out my week with is anti-bullying training.

Anyway. According to schedule, today is Pick-Up Line Evaluation Day.  So today's pick-up line is:
You know what? Your eyes are the same color as my Porsche.

Why this wouldn't work, at least on me:
First off, they don't make Porsches both aqua and amber.  They just don't.  Maybe the interior could be amber, but still.  It's not likely.
Second, this pick-up line totally suggests that I'm so shallow and material that I would go out with a guy simply because he has money.  That's vaguely insulting.  Also, it clearly suggests that you're looking for a shallow/material girl, which means that you're not likely to be looking for a long-term relationship, but a fling, and that's not what I'm after.
Among other things, (not that this has much of anything to do with the line; I'm just saying), I do actually have a rich guy friend that would be perfectly content to use his money and expensive cars to buy my affection.  He tried, actually.  Unfortunately (for him more than me, maybe) I wasn't really that into him.  I can't just go out with a guy that annoys the crap out of me because he can buy me nice stuff.  Not that this guy "annoys the crap out of me" but there are definitely some key things I can't really put up with.  But that's beside the point.

I would do another, but I really feel like doing something else.  So I'll just do one this week.  Maybe next week I'll do a few to make up for my laziness.  Who knows.
Anyway, so that's all I've got.

Ta ta!
--Emily <3

This Week

Okay, so I didn't really post anything the last two days because I was sick, which is a pretty poor excuse if you think about it, but it's the one I'm going to go with.  Basically I just wasn't in the mood for it. Because I've been sick.  I'm still sick, I'm just bothering today. haha.
Anyway!  On with the day.

Apparently, some Indonesian guy went wildlife shopping in Thailand and got caught at the airport with a wide variety of animals in his 3 checked bags.  What surprised authorities was not so much that he was trying to smuggle the wildlife, but that he was so stupid about it.  Usually people will, for instance, tape up turtles to keep them from moving.  I'm going to put the link up, but I really just want to include this list (of animals he tried to smuggle) because of how terribly ridiculous it really is:
88 Indian Star tortoises               34 ball pythons
33 elongated tortoises               22 common squirrels
19 bearded dragons               18 baboon spiders
7 radiated tortoises               6 Argentine horned frogs
6 mata mata turtles               4 spiny tailed lizards
4 striped narrow-headed turtles               3 aldabra tortoises
2 boa constrictors               2 Sudan plated lizards
2 corn snakes               2 king snakes
1 ploughshare tortoise (world's rarest turtle)               1 pig-nosed turtle
1 African gray parrot               1 milk snake
1 hog nosed snake

Isn't that absolutely ridiculous?  My gosh!  Apparently he bought a bunch of them from this black market which is, ironically enough, just down the street from both Wildlife Protection and Nature Crime Police Offices.  Go figure.
Here's the link, if you want to read it yourself: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41512490/ns/world_news-world_environment/

In Florida (Fort Myers Beach), some guy went into a strip club and asked for a lap dance, and then proceeded to steal the chick's garter belt with $314 in it.  She apparently had counted it after paying her manager the house fee.  Now, at that point, why wouldn't you just put it in your purse or your stuff or whatever before you go to do your last lap dance?  What. The hell.  I don't know.

Anyway, what's even dumber about this story is that he stole from a chick that had given him a ride home before, so she knew where he lived.  What kind of idiot...?  That one, apparently.  Wow.  He's been arrested, by the way.  I don't know what kind of charges he's going to get though, so if you care watch. haha.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41496333/ns/local_news-fort_myers_fl/

Well, I was going to cover more stories than that but I'm not finding anything actually amusing.  "Polite" robber was arrested; some professor at some random college was arrested for peeing on a colleague's doorstep.  Random stuff like that.  Nothing overly spectacular, or I'd probaly talk about it.

Ta ta!

--Emily Renae

Tuesday Means Literature!

So since I'm trying to avoid writing the essay necessary for my rural electric cooperative scholarship as well as my English homework, I'm going to write a post about the books I've read recently.

Actually, I'm going to start with the topic of eReaders.  Like, Kindles and Nooks and stuff.  When they first started showing up, I thought they were a bit ridiculous.  I like books.  I like the feel of paper, the smell of it.  I just like the entire reading experience.  It's something that's always been entirely enjoyable for me.  Anyway, I really didn't want one.
My parents decided that I really didn't know what I was talking about and they bought me one for Christmas.  A Kindle, to be exact.  And I'm not going to lie, I love it to pieces. (Not literally.)  But it's really really cool.  Don't get me wrong; I still adore my actual physical novels, and I'm going to continue to buy them.  A piece of technology can never replace an actual book.  However, the Kindle does have its advantages.  So I alternate reading on my Kindle and from my actual physical library these days.  I will never give up my books, but I will definitely continue to use my Kindle.  It's really good for reading classics.  Probably one of the niftiest tools in it is its dictionary, which you can actually use as you're reading.  You move a little cursor up to a word and the dictionary pops onto the bottom of the page. Totally handy. I love it. (=

FIRST OFF!

 The Scarlet Letter: Nathaniel Hawthorne

This is the first book that I read on my Kindle, and I read most of it while traveling to and from Seattle, Washington.  It's a rather abysmal tale, in all reality, but I enjoyed it.  The preface is long and arduous to get through; it also seems vaguely irrelevant, but I think that it's probably worth it.
The content of the actual story is interesting and can lead to a fair number of religious and philosophical questions regarding not only human nature but the nature of society.  It's been almost two months since I read it last so I can't really get into it now (on my own, anyway) like I could have been able to then, but it's okay.  All in all, if you never read it for school, I would suggest picking it up.  Don't let the preface scare you off; even skip it if you must.  It's what took me longest to get through.  There are also a lot of really good quotes from this novel, the majority of which I highlighted on my Kindle--another of my favorite features.

Queen of Shadows: Dianne Sylvan

This might be the first book I actually bought on my Kindle, and it was worth every penny (that was charged to my dad's credit card). (tee hee). 
It's about an empath and a vampire, who happens to be the leader of his areas Shadow World population (containing mostly just vampires, I think.)  It's a really cute love story, but it's so much more than that that you can really excuse it.  There's a dark plot that keeps getting closer and closer to the two main characters until all hell literally breaks loose.  It's not a love story like you'd exactly expect, though.  It was really interesting and extraordinarily compelling, also filled to the brim with excellent dialogue and, interestingly, a few life lessons worth learning.  (It's worlds from preachy; trust me.)
I give this book a full five stars, and I might even have to add it to my favorite book list.  Just maybe. ;)

Just Listen: Sarah Dessen

Yes, she's a teen fiction writer for teenage girls.  Yes, I read this stuff.  Yes, I actually enjoyed it.  No, I'm not embarrassed.
Now that that's been covered, this is a really good novel about a girl that makes friends and eventually romance with the boy that everyone avoids.  He's kind of misunderstood, but he's kind of weird--I won't lie.  He's also really sweet, though.
The point is that he's really into music, so he tries to introduce her to all of this stuff, and he makes her a huge pile of mixed CDs, the majority of which contain material that makes her grit her teeth and squinch her eyes shut. (I know "squinch" isn't a word, but it should be.)
I read this months and months ago, so I'm really kinda forgetful about a lot of the finer points, but he really just wants to get her to listen. Not just to the music, but to her heart and to him and to what's going on.  Something like that.  I may have just been slightly misleading.  In any case, if you're a girl between 12 and 20, I would definitely suggest reading it.  Hell, I'll go all the way up to 24 even, though that may be pushing it just a touch.  Your call.  I thought it was good.  It made me happy.

 This Lullabye: Sarah Dessen


I just finished this one like, yesterday.  And at first I didn't really like it very much, but maybe just because Remy's attitude toward life reminded me too much of mine and they always say you wouldn't like yourself if there were two of you.  Not that we're identical by any means, but there's that level of cynicism that kinda... irritated. You know?  Maybe not. haha.
Either way, Remy has a strict code about dating and is really not interested in musicians, except for this one.  First he irritates her, then he intrigues her, and then he loves her.  But she's kind of afraid of the whole concept of love and all that because her mom's on her 5th marriage, something she shares in common with this musician dude named Dexter.  It ended up not being so bad, but I didn't like it as much as I've liked her other stuff.  It was still good, I guess, it just... tried my patience a little bit.  I think I need to go back to my intense fantasy material and ditch the teen fiction for awhile.  I go through phases of what I need to read.  I've been that way for ages.  Can't help it.

Before I Fall: Lauren Oliver
As if you totally can't read the book cover. Whatever.


Anyway, so this book is about a high school girl who's apparently really bitchy (though, reading it, I don't really get that so much...) high school girl who ends up dying one night in a car accident, except that she wakes up again in the morning, and it's the same day.  Sound familiar?  Groundhog Day with Bill Murray: bing bing bing, yes.
This is a teenage rendition of a story anyone older than 12 probably already knows.  She dies and then wakes up to relive the same day over and over and over again until she can actually manage to accomplish something, which, if I recall correctly, is saving someone else's life?  Something like that.  I'm not very far into it yet, but so far it's been alright.  (Apparently she seduces her hot math teacher one of these repeats, so I'm kind of looking forward to that section.  Mostly just because it should be terribly amusing... and--never mind.)

Once Bitten, Twice Shy: Kim Harrison


So she apparently wrote a teen fiction novel?
Honestly, she's better at 18-24 age range fantasy novels, but it's actually a pretty fun story.  It's a continuation of a short story contributed to Prom Nights From Hell (a collection I actually have, I should mention).
The basic plot (begun prior to the novel) is that a girl is shipped to her father's place after sneaking out one too many times.  While there, she ends up leaving prom with a guy that was not her date who promptly gets her into a car accident (which doesn't kill her) and then whips out an energy sword and kills her.  Only there's some big epic plot there that I'm not aware of yet because I'm not far enough into it to know.
Anyway, there are angels and guardian angels and reapers: dark reapers kill people before their time; light reapers try to prevent them and ferry souls to the other side, basically.  The problem is that the main character (whose name I actually hate to admit I just forgot) steals the amulet of the guy that reaped her, and amulets are what make all this business work.
I don't think any of this actually makes sense...
Basically, she's dead. But because she has this amulet, she's able to fake being alive. Only there's a shit-ton of issues involved all the time, and things aren't going so great.  I can't really tell you much else because I'm still reading it and I'm not even halfway through, I don't think...  so that's that.

I don't think I actually have any more material to cover with you... Oh. Maybe just one.

Anna Karenina: Leo Tolstoy

I downloaded a bunch of classics onto my Kindle because I've been meaning to read them for ages but I just never manage to get around to it.  I hardly feel motivated to go buy them when there's so much other stuff I can spend my money on.  Anyway.


So far, I really don't like this book.  Granted, I don't think I've even finished the entire first chapter.  But oh my gosh, it's just bad.  So far, it's about a guy that cheated on his wife with his kids' governess and doesn't feel bad about it at all because how can he be expected to love her when now she's old and ugly?  Like, really?  Conceited asshole.


I just know that it has to get better than this.  There's no way this ridiculously long novel can be about just this.  There has to be something that makes this worth reading, and if there's not, well, then I guess I'm just going to waste a buttload of time on it, because I intend to read it.  Sometimes my endeavors are hardly worth their trouble.


I think that's all I'm going to cover today.  I could easily cover two more Sarah Dessen novels and Lord of the Flies, but I'll refrain.  You're welcome. hahaha.  (God I hated that book.)  That's my literature for the week.


I shall write you again tomorrow, but this time the subject matter may be a tad more laugh-worthy.  Everyone loves pick-up lines, but for a slew of different reasons.  We'll chat tomorrow. (=


Until next time,
~Emily Renae


Blog Playlist (those I can find on Youtube are hyperlinked for your convenience):
Await the Sun--The Workday Release
Never Know You--Jonny Diaz (They Need Love)
Where I Ended--Everyday Sunday
Are We Alright Now?--I'm OK, You're OK (Presents...)
Love in a Box--The Workday Release
Tumbling After You--Starfield
I Don't Wanna Go Back in the Bag--That Was Something
Firefight--Jimmy Eat World
For a Pessimist, I'm Pretty Optimistic--Paramore
Misfit--Lesley Roy
Getaway Car--My Favorite Highway
Fall For You--Secondhand Serenade
I Don't Wanna Be in Love (Dance Floor Anthem)--Good Charlotte
Say So--My Favorite Highway

New Year! New System

Okay, so since I really can't remember what last year's set of subjects was about, I'ma make up a new schedule.  It's probably going to be really similar, actually, but that's alright.  It's my way of saying I'm starting over. haha.
Anyway.  So the new order of topics shall be!:
Monday--Music
Tuesday--Literature
Wednesday--Pick-Up Line & How They Work
Thursday--What I Ate For Breakfast, and Why You Should Care
Friday--Odd News for the Week

Honestly... No one cares what I ate for breakfast on Thursday; I know. It just sounds amusing. I laughed.  You probably will too.  I'll try to mix it up and come up with interesting facts for you about my breakfast.  Not as though you really care.  It's just the truth.  So that's what I've got. (=

Until next time,
~Emily Renae

OnePointFive Days

That's what I've got left for school.  That's it. And then I'm a senior.  Do you have any idea how intimidating this is??  Well, okay, so it's not precisely "intimidating."  It's just... well, really weird.  I don't know exactly how to handle it.  It's hard to think of myself in terms of a senior.  Like you don't even know.

I'm going to be taking senior pictures.

I'm going to be a senior.

I'm going to graduate.

I'm going to leave home.

I'm going to college.

This summer, I'm going to DC, South Dakota, Minneapolis, Nashville, and Valley City.  Also working around all of this, as well as applying to colleges and for scholarships and for financial aid and all that mumbo jumbo.  Life is about to get way different, way fast.  Here's hoping I can handle it.

I don't really have time to write more sooooo I'll catch y'all later. Toodles!