Time

I've been thinking a lot about being busy and lifetimes and eternity and a million other heavy topics lately. A Bible study I'm a member of recently asked in one of the devotionals, "what three things would you like to accomplish in the course of your life?" The week's focus was on redeeming time and making the most of opportunities. I'm not certain really, about life goals, I mean.
I guess I'd like the basics, for starters. I'd like to be happily married, with a job I enjoy (whether or not I'm actually at a workplace, working from home, or my family is my main occupation) and I would like the picture perfect clean and inviting living room with an adorable pet and a couple of children laughing and all of that...
Mainly, I want to be able to look back on my life and feel that the people who knew me would want to re-live all the time we had together because it was worthwhile. I'd like for my children, if I do ever have any, to think of me now and again and call me a few times a month of their own volition. I'd like to be truly proud of the adults my children become.
As for more inconsequential things, I have always wanted to be an author of some sort. I'd also love to live abroad for a year or so. I would love to find some capacity or place where I can be a teacher of some sort, not a real school-teacher but maybe simply a mentor?

Oh, and I love sleeping, so I would love to someday have a bedroom that is perfectly minimalist with a bed that is so incredibly comfortable and soft AND I would be unbelievably happy if I could honestly have one week literally free of duties and responsibilities so I could lounge and sleep as much as I wanted. I don't care if that would in reality be unbearably boring, I still want to dream about it. Hmm, that's especially funny since that would be wasted time this post began by talking about redeeming time...ah well. I guess some time can only be redeemed by being 'wasted' a bit.

the worst of the worst

Alright, in the interest of fairness, I am now going to post a list of some of the things I am not such a fan of.
I will admit, however, that I was really rather proud to find it more difficult to write this list than the gratitude list. That's positive, isn't it?
Nevertheless, here are the things that make me wrinkle up my nose in disgust:

1. ironing
2. highlighters (I know, they're convenient and helpful and bright and even sort of fun, but, I'm sorry, I just don't like them. At all.)
3. homework or studying
4. noses. Actually, I don't mind noses themselves, I think noses look sort of strange and function weirdly, but mainly I hate that noses always seem to be cold or runny or too dry or stuffed or upset at smells. Noses are the great complainers of the face, and I do not like them.
5. scorpions. I don't like spiders either, and I really do hate cockroaches with every fiber of my being, but scorpions just get to me. I had a horrible encounter with a scorpion once and every since I just can't get over the irrational fear that there may be a scorpion hiding in my shoes. In my closet. Even in the middle of December when it's snowing outside. I know, it's irrational.
6. insomnia. So frustrating.
7. bad dreams. The only thing as bad as insomnia is finally getting to sleep...and then feeling desperate to wake up. I always have nightmares when I'm sick.
8. crowds
   This is just a random photo off the internet to illustrate the point, but aren't the hostile looks such a bonus to the whole feeling of the picture??
   
   
   
   
   
   
9. static. Sure it can be fun to see the balloon make your friend's hair stand straight up in middle school science class, but when my hair and clothes and EVERYTHING is all static-y and wild, oh it drives me insane.
   
   and finally, though not the worst,
   
   
10. having to go shopping. I'm stubborn in general, so I hate anything I have to do, but needing something immediately and being forced by circumstances to go and buy something makes me angry. I like to window-shop. I like to see the best deals I can get on things. But you can never find good deals when you must get it. The deals are only there when you aren't looking for them. Seriously. It's science. (maybe not, but...)

What things make you sad or annoyed?


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you knew it was coming

Yep, gotta jump on the Thanksgiving bandwagon and share some of the little things in life that make me happy. I'm going to try to stick with the less obvious things, because you had better believe I love food in general and my family even more.

1. minty gum
2. extra pillowcases, in unexpected colors
3. tea; especially constant comment and good earth jasmine tea. Oh yum.
4. kit-kats
5. crisp mornings
6. naps
7. chapstick. seriously. (did you know the pioneers used ear wax?? that is beyond gross)
8. huge fluffy towels
9. post-its
10. walks
    
11. fall leaves
12. stars
13. naps. this should have been at the top, perhaps...
14. fire. not to come across as a pyromaniac, but don't campfires just sound and smell awesome?
15. baked potatoes are incredibly satisfying. a good baked potato can honestly make my day.
16. lazy afternoons
17. books
18. those random stuffed animals from childhood that skulk around in a now grown-up room
19. hot water
    
20. I have randomly fallen in love with black socks. they're just so unexpected.
21. traveling
22. deodorant. grateful to have it for myself---grateful that others have it as well!
23. cereal. just classic.
24. birds. I just like seeing them around. they get so excited about things!
25. ice cold coca colas. oh yes.

I actually have quite a few more to share...we'll just have to continue this another time. And, to be fair, I also have a list of the minor things in life that annoy me; gotta share that too!
What are some small things in life that make you happy?

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Because I Said So

Okay y'all it's quite late and I am definitely tired, but nevertheless I wanted to share a few pointless thoughts.
The first is a pet peeve. I used the word "y'all" above because, well, I am currently living in the Midwest so the real question is, how could I not use that word?? But in actuality, that particular word has been seeing a great deal of written use on my dorm floor, in emails and on bulletin boards, et cetera. Now here's my point: the word y'all is a crazy combo of the words 'you' and 'all' right? "Hey you all is my bestest friends!" That was a really painful example sentence, actually. It just seemed to fit the mood of the word... *ahem*
Anyway, you-all = y'all. Note the contraction, where the apostrophe is. Do y'all agree with me? Because lately everyone has been spelling it "ya'll" and that, frankly, gags me. My brain wants to put a letter there, like how don't is actually do nOt, I want to say ya-O-ll and what in the world is that supposed to mean??

On another more ironic and less insane note, in class recently we discussed the advantages and disadvantages of cooling engines with either air or liquid (talking about aircraft engines here). Cooling with air saves you the space needed for a radiator, but you have to have a way to very specifically direct the air without creating too much drag and slowing the plane down. Liquid-cooled engines pump water and some sort of other added coolant around the cylinders to remove excess heat.

But here's where I find it amusing: a liquid-cooled cylinder has all the normal pieces, with an outer 'shell' around it. The coolant flows in between the inner and outer shell, you see. (I'll try to find a decent picture). The sleeve used to cool the cylinder is actually called a 'cooling jacket.' Just strikes me as quite the oxymoron there.

Alright that's all from me...for now, ha. Get ready for Thanksgiving!

One of Those Days

Today has not been the best ever. It hasn't been the worst day ever, either, it's just right in the middle of the list of 'days I would not have minded completely skipping over.'
I'm taking a class all about engines, and the lab is very intensive. I'm about to change into my 'mechanic's clothes' and go work on a little old-school engine for awhile with my lab group. Here are photos of some of the process. It has actually been quite fun, learning all about it and actually getting better. I'm not exactly the most mechanical person in the world...I don't even really like Legos all that much, no offense. And look at all the crazy wires! These pictures are actually from the end of that phase of overhaul, we were running up the engine to make sure it still worked after we took it completely apart, cleaned it out, and (attempted) to put it perfectly back together. It ran beautifully, so I guess we did just fine!

It's almost the end of the semester so we'll be finishing up projects and taking the final exam for that class next week. Hard to believe...but so wonderful!
All of my lab groups have at least two girls, reminds me of Rosie the Riveter!

http://archive.ccm.edu/rosie/

From the Get-Go

To start off this grand adventure, I wanted to share what has led up to my taking the blogging plunge.

I think too much.

It's not always a bad thing, mind you, but there are times when there is simply too much to say and too few opportunities.
So here we are!
At the moment I am eagerly awaiting Thanksgiving break. This semester has been the strangest combination of whirlwind boredom...I enjoy nearly all of my classes, but each individual class period can feel never-ending.I miss my ocean. The Midwest is very, well, flat and dry. I do have plenty of trees to keep me happy here, though the 4 separate and distinct seasons here are wildly different from the 'seasons' in California: 1)cool or 2)hot.
In some ways it's the best of both worlds; the (slight) chance of snow in the winter and the delicious Californian beach during summer break.

Ah, well, enough for the first day.
To bed and to sleep, to dream of vacation!