Transitions

So! After much deliberation and a slightly neurotic persistence to make a confident decision, I've decided to switch to Tumblr for the summer. As stated earlier, I'm fond of its very-photo oriented layout and endless themes to choose from, along with its simplicity. In short, this is basically a summer gift to myself (I only just re-remembered how exciting it is to create a new blog with a new username with a new start and a new design) and I'm not planning to abandon Blogger anytime soon.

What I couldn't figure out, though, was how to keep musings equally updated. I dug around to find that forwarding verbatim posts is more commonly known as spam (oops), so my solution will likely be a form of post redirection using screenshots and possible excerpts. I'm not sure if I'll stick to this, and how often I plan on doing this (perhaps weekly recaps?), so everything is malleable.

I'm super excited--hopefully this isn't "feeding my internet addiction," as someone dear to me noted, but rather a fun way to explore a different blogging website and to satisfy my fleeting design wants.

Thus, without further ado, my new blog (pristine at the moment!): packet.

(And let me tell you, it took forever to find a simple and unused one-word url username. Kind of really random.)

See you there! :)

---

Psst...do you notice any design changes? I found a really interesting website, stiqr, that allows you to do easy edits. I'd still like to learn how to properly code (my Neopet homepage days are over and my knowledge then was scanty as is), but I think this is just such a great idea! I'm actually not sure if any of the things I added (image/link, especially the font, at the top and a fixed sidebar on the side) work on PCs, as it doesn't appear on my iPhone web browser either, but nonetheless, I'm a huge fan. And all right, that's all I have to say!

lazy days

I'm back from the beach! Well technically, I got back yesterday...there's a long story I could tell you about how my dad accidentally broke my air conditioning while trying to make sure it would be in pristine condition for the trip, but I'll hold back (mostly since it's too early to joke about it. It was almost as unbearable as that one time I was on the bus leaving Sainte Anne's in Nova Scotia, en route to the airport, where the driver--who, mind you, has his own little comfy fans--somehow did not notice that he had the heater on full blast and not the AC, thus causing all of us to overheat-->faint-->fall asleep (I kid you not), confused of why it was so hot...until this one brave soul crawled. I repeat, crawled, up the aisle and informed clueless mister chauffer that we were literally toasting...actually, I'll admit that that particular experience was probably one of the worst in my life. So driving to the beach and back without air conditioning was very bearable in comparison, though my eardrums hate me from the highway wind...

Okay, I'm rambling. Anyway, what I wanted to say was that the beach was beautiful, although the water pretty chilly, and that it was such a fun day/evening/half day spent there with some of my senior friends and some random other people, and I finally understand why Americans have this huge beach house-mentality. Because I have caught the same mindset. Must go down there again soon.

However, today was spent clearing up some misunderstandings (number three within the last two days, in fact), being upset about missing outdoor park painting as a result of the third misunderstanding, heading out to a delicious brunch at Hank's (which was also close to the outdoor painting venue, so a good/weird/bad thing), visiting a small organic market close to home for the first time, beating the Elite Four minus the Champion in Pokemon White, taking a nap, making delicious summer rolls for the church Bible study potluck and mooching off the ingredients, eating some more at the potluck, coming home and beating the Champion, finishing uploading/catching up on photo albums for Facebook (I somehow feel incomplete when I'm not caught up. It's strange and slightly OCD, though I'm getting better), uploading a few to Flickr/starting the endless process of editing late uploads, and writing this.

Summer is awesome, to be totally colloquial and brief. I feel like I've been productive since I read and do this photo sorting thing and don't spend all my time online but sometimes watch ABDC episodes to see Chachi dance...but overall, it's been nice. I am slowly giving up on the prospect of a job--anyhow, my summer is actually pretty filled up--and should begin writing an actual to-do list before June slips away.

In the meantime, I love these lazy days.

favorites

Profile view count is currently at my favorite four-digit number! And related but not really: 120!!! Not going to last; totally ephemeral, but pretty cool nonetheless. My wart needs to fall off so I can start running. I also don't know if I want to apply for jobs or not (called around 10 places today and I have a decent chance of getting something so long as I try...). If not, I'm going to be devoting most of my summer to the gym, repainting and cleaning my room/the house, reading, photography, and cooking--I want to work on a food blog! But then again, even if I do get a job, I'll probably still be doing all those things, just a lot less than I'd like. But then again again, I'm fairly lazy so there's a chance I won't even do those things without a job. And I'm still going to be tutoring consistently over the summer (senior preference, yay) so it's not like I'm completely without income...although getting a job would be nice for my parents...I wish we lived closer to the mall so I could apply to places there...meep.

On another note, graduation is tomorrow! And I would be watching the Script tonight, but I promise I'm already over that. I do, however, need to figure out what to do with my hair. And totally irrelevant-but-not-really: I think we're going to get sushi afterwards tomorrow! Real sushi, and not at a buffet (although a Minados trip is mandatory and in the makings). How exciting! :) :) :)

fact #2

I might as well do these everyday. Or whenever I can't think of something to write, to get back in the habit. Ah, how do I come up with such good ideas? ;) Just kidding.

Two:

In the summertime, I sleep perpendicular to my bed, with feet and arms dangling off. It probably has something to do with skin not touching bed = less heat, but anyway, I'm so ready to slip back into that routine!

Going to eat lunch now (but it's so earlyyyy), and then AP Statistics. I am so ready to be done with all this testing; the chances of me doing very well? Well, let's look at the expected values and compare them to the sample...

the tide is turning

this is redemption's hour...


Hello! :)

I'm presently studying ("studying") for my AP French exam, which is in approximately 24 hours. Scary, but I find myself a lot calmer than I would expect. To be truthful, I didn't plan on studying at all, but was sort of peer-pressured into it--though not a bad thing, I suppose. I should, however, start reviewing for AP Stat, which is my last test, since I know I'm not going to do well. I have no idea how to do anything and haven't practiced in two weeks. Bah.

Nevertheless I'm in this oddly light mood. It probably has to do with the fact that I'm almost done all my APs and especially because the intense stress that revolved around AP Studio Art has finally dwindled and this truly marks the end of the school year. The end of my K-12 educational career. The end of an era.

Not sure what's going to happen over the summer...must finish applying to jobs...but I'm so excited. Nothing ever turns out as planned, as I've well come to acknowledging while trying to make plans for the next few months ever since September rolled around, but God has and always will provide.

This is such a random amalgamation of thoughts, but really, I'm just super excited to be done with French tomorrow and then study my butt off in a last-minute cram for Stat and then just leave the rest to God and the AP curve, heh...either way everything will turn out straight dandy and I know my syntax and diction do not match up whatsoever at this point, but it's just this strange feeling, not formally being in school for so long. Things are really ending. I just can't believe it.

I'll hopefully be back with more coherence soon. And another interjection: I'm fond of the "new" Blogger editor. And not having a protective guard over my MBP's keyboard. Even though that's dangerous and temporary, since I have to wash/clean the protector...but anyway.

Back to work! Going to do another multiple choice section or two and then pack up for the evening. I was thinking of starting Stat, but I mean, an extra half hour isn't going to really change anything, right?

More later,
M :)

disappointment has a name

Not allowed to go to Burkina this summer...instead, I'm supposed to work at a restaurant for pocket money.

Here is where my (almost) 16 years of being spoiled comes into play. I literally may have the biggest tantrum of my life. I understand the whole "don't get a real job during high school because you need to focus on your studies" mentality, but I feel it exceedingly unfair to just throw the complete opposite upon me during the supposedly best summer of my life, the only summer when I'm not bogged down with high school homework/trying to "enhance" my high school resume or with trying to get an internship to "enhance" my college resume.

In short, I feel betrayed. I also find the justification behind not letting me go scathingly ironic. I can understand financial issues, but why plan on letting me attend at 10-day program in Europe--a complete luxury--and deny me this opportunity (and yes, I decided on my own will not to go because of many hypothetical personal conflicts)? And "I don't like Africa" is perhaps the worst finish to an argument one could ever make. Also worth noting that they believe that if it truly was my calling, then they wouldn't have a hard time agreeing to it. Does that really make sense when their final words are "I don't like Africa"?

Betrayed. I feel betrayed.

However, I am realistic enough to see a hole in how useful I would be there. If the sole plan is to plant a church, building and hammering away at a rooftop, then I will openly admit that I am of no use there (yet). If the sole purpose is grain distribution, I would not try and foolishly trick myself into going. After Haiti, I question much of the first-world country "aid" we provide...but if we are working on a church to further His kingdom...

I know I'm not going. I guess I'm not mature enough. I suppose I have to do what my parents want me to, even if it's staying home and working at a restaurant the whole summer, as they are willingly paying for my college tuition in full (though where I will go...yeah). It pains me to no end, but if my command until 18 years is to honor my parents, then what else can I do?

I'll be ready for the next opportunity.