Electric Lib

You're So Right Al

I was just reading Alice's website and noticed that she mentioned the freezingness of the school lately. It's ridiculous. She also mentioned that it really "grinds her gears" to wear coats in school. Her reference of course, was to the Family Guy movie, which is definitely worth seeing, if you have not already. Lastly, before I head to bed to read Nanny Diaries, I'll just note that I saw a neat dance performance tonight at the Flynn. The Rubberbanddance Group. It was comprised of four dancers, who performed three (long) dances. The style was using a lot of hip hop, breakdancing based moves, but was pretty modern. Thanks parents, for taking me!

Hmm

I've noticed that this year (and part of last year I suppose) people have been using the phrase "oh, you got raped!" or "we got raped" or any variation of that, using the word rape, mostly in reference to sports. I'll also point out, just as an aside, that I've really only heard boys use this phrase. I'm not usually one to freak out too much about people's word choices but that bothers me because it just seems so unnecessary, and takes some of the seriousness out of the word. That and that people make so many homophobic remarks and then try to play it off by saying "relax, I'm kidding," or something along those lines. Sigh, but as my Grandfather Daghlian would say (and as I've probably said on here before) the world is full of idiots.

Oh and today feels like Friday. That's all!

The Joy of Copying

Oh work. Work, work work. With the promise of another paycheck, I was lured into work today (which for me generally means answering phones, typing letters or copying stuff at my mom's office, but don't underestimate me because it's my mom's office, I'm a very valuable worker!). Today my job was entirely copying. Kathy brought out three huge laywer-y files filled with more files filled with papers. Now, worst case scenario in copying goes as follows:

1) File is labelled with sticky note saying "all," which means every paper must be copied.

2) First clump of paper within the file is secured with a binder clip

3) When binder clip has been removed, large paper clip is revealed, separating the big clump into two piles.

4) Within the first of the two piles within the clump resides the biggest nightmare: giganitic staples which are not easily removed with staple remover (damn you, huge staples!).

5) Large staple has been removed and first pile is ready to be copied, but sadly, no. A little staple is found within the first pile and must be removed and then pile must be separated into two stacks.

6) Ready for copying! About to press start, oh... Out of the five million pages, only one is double sided.... Must set copier to double sided mode (which requires each page to go through twice, therefore doubling overall copy time).

7) Copy complete. Copy and original must be restapled and we're onto the next one.

That's pretty much the life of a copier such as myself (I'll save the copier malfunctioning stories for another day). But it really wasn't too bad, I finished all three gigantic files, and oh wait, mummy brought out two more. I almost finished them, but the copier got too warn out (seriously), and coincidentally, it was 5:00. My brain has since turned back on and is functioning very well.

Hot Tub

I had just quit out of all my applications, logged out and put the computer to sleep when I all of a sudden realized I had something super important to say. After having been so uninspired to update for so long, I finally was and just had to come back and update. I was walking away, considering all of the things that could possibly occupy my afternoon when I realized what would be really nice is a hot tub. That was my inspiration for this update. That's all. A hot tub. It's not that I'm cold, we have the wood stove going. Actually my toes are a little cold. That could be easily fixed by a pair of socks, but a hot tub would be a lot more satisfying. Luckily for me the Aten's are getting a new hot tub. Maybe if I just keep mentioning them on my website I'll be invited to test it out. And maybe if I keep mentioning that Valentine's day is slowly approaching and I love chocolate, my mom will buy me some truffles. But I'm pretty sure those things will happen anyways, the real test would be to keep mentioning my plans to go to college and see if someone will magically pay for it... Oh wait, that's what parents do!

And now I'm making a resolution to stop making jokes about my parents and college, for fear they won't send me at all, that the threats of "oh you're not going anywhere, you're staying here to take care of us forever!" will come true.

Robber

As I was typing in the title, I had a flashback of my favorite movie when I was little. It was actually a book I guess, but the movie version was basically just showing pictures from the book with cute music in the background and then a voice reading the story. Anyways, that was a very long introduction to my story about the robber in our neighborhood! There has been one burglary that I know of, and the robbers have knocked on someone else door. I first hear the story from Emma, which prompted us to lock our doors.

In other news, I have been doing absolutely nothing all day long, just rotting my brain in front of the tv (with occasional breaks to fold laundry, eat yogurt, look at a magazine, etc.). However in a few minutes I'll go read some Nanny Diaries, which as Tyler pointed out (after having a passage read to him) is just like watching tv... Whatever, I'm reading Hamlet in school. I might not have been so lazy today except that this past week was very strange and involved very little school, therefore putting me in a vacation like mindset. Also it's been unusually warm, which automatically sets my mind a few months forward, and a lot closer to summer.

The other important event of today is that BU is playing UVM in basketball right now. The significance of course is that those are my top two choices for school. Anyways, now I have Spanish homework I must do. I'm listening to Shakira right now to get my Spanish flowing.

Shakira is one of my favorites, for sure. At first, one might be tempted to classify Shakira as girl music, but no! My dad has been known to request Shakira during long car rides (which are usually full of music that he's trying to secretly turn down every chance he gets), and then there's that boy I sometimes hang out with who played "La Tortura" almost as much as he played "Go DJ." Okay, that was my Shakira endorsement for the entry. Now I must really go. Keep checking in for more fabulous, and hopefully more frequent, entries from Lib!

Grapes In Heaven

Here at the Daghlian/Ripley house, we have been recovering from the recent loss of Micque. Although it was terribly sad to lose Micquers, I'm sure she is, as my title would imply, eating grapes and chips, and lying on expensive sofas, and barking at paper bags in heaven.

Along with mourning my pupper, I spent this past week toiling away at midterms, all of which I thought went well. It was very pleasant to feel confident about every test, as opposed to other years where math and science courses made me a little nervous. Since the end of midterms, I have been enjoying a nice lazy weekend. Tomorrow, as I celebrate MLK Jr., I'll continue being lazy (aside from two hours at work) before I jump into my last semester at MHS. Oh my. I feel so old. But probably not as old as my parents and brothers and sisters as they watch the youngest complete her high school career. (Yes family, that was more than just an observation, I was making fun of you too).

Fiesta Friday

Before I start in on this entry, I just have to comment on the constant confusion I have with particular numbers. This is my 460th entry, so when I saw that the number of entries I had was 459, I thought "wow, i'm at 500 already, impressive!" because clocks, with their 60 second/minute incriments, always confuse me. Alas, only 40 entries to go until I reach 500 (which is insignificant other than it gives me an automatic topic for entry).

Now to the real news, I actually really enjoyed a race tonight! It was the night relays tonight at U32 and they were just fabulous. I was almost upset at being put on a team with some Essex girls, but it turned out to be just fine because I did well this time, which overshadows being separated from the team. My mixed team, with Kaitlyn and James, was wonderful as well. I have to say, I think one of the huge factors in my improved performance from the Mt. Hor race to this one was that I had my own skis. I had been using ski room skis that were way too long and heavy for me, but I had my own tonight and it made a big difference. Anyways, I'm pleased, and even more so because tomorrow is our team's "Fiesta Friday!" Yay! Now I must shower so I can get to bed at a reasonably early hour in order not to spoil this good mood with too little sleep.

Oh, My Eyes!

My eyes hurt. I believe it's because I'm tired, although I was in bed at 9:40 last night. It's just a tiredness that's carried over for a few days, and exaggerated somewhat by a cold. I have been early to school so far, despite this. The problem is, I get in to bed early and just can't fall asleep, because I've spent all day trying to wake up, and by the time I am awake, it's bedtime again. No worries, this is a self fixing problem.

If you read Alice's website, you already know that we had a splendid ski practice today at Morse Farm. We took a pleasant (but still tiring, especially for those of us who still aren't quite in shape for skiing, and whose skis are too long and heavy because they keep forgetting to bring their own in from home) tour through Harry's Heaven, and followed it up with Maple Creemee's. Yum.

Again and Again and Again

While it is valuable to study the same information in depth and in various ways, after a while it starts to just sound like a broken record, and that's just the problem I noticed in school today. Of course every year you notice that you've already in some way studied what you're studying (like with the civil and revolutionary wars for example, or "define the scientific method" or the many rules of grammar). Occasionally you'll stumble upon a whole unit or even class about something you definitely haven't studied yet--like my freshmen history class where we spent a lot of time studying Russian history and South African history, topics I definitely hadn't covered in classes before. However today, my frustration with studying the same topics hit a new high (not to mention I may have already been a little grouchy from tiredness and being in school on a Federal holiday, while everone's parents were at home kicking up their feet... Actually I bet a lot of parents ended up working at home or something, but whatever). I'm taking a particular class, which shall remain nameless, all semester and I've enjoyed it... Until today the teacher introduced our last unit--advertising and the impact of the media on society. Seriously? Again? Oh and we get to bring in three advertisements which we will eventually analyze. I have done that exact assignment two or three times in my school career, I've done that same unit probably more. We did it last year, very in depth. I get it, I got it the first time, I don't need to do it again. Sheesh.