verbingnouns

Rachel Has a Blog

My sister has been keeping a secret blog, but now she's ready to unveil it to the world. Maybe we can get her on Chattablogs or over to Monroeblogs (eventually). I'm just glad she's not using Xanga anymore. The concept of e-props really bothers me. For now, she's with blogger. You can find her here.

If You Are Afraid of Red Ink, Tommy's Going to Come Around and Hit You on the Head with a Tack Hammer, Because You Are a Moron

File under "You can't make this stuff up"

Apparently, school children should not be subjected to the horror of having their papers marked in red ink. The Boston Globe reported that students find red ink scary, so teachers are now encouraged to use purple ink to grade papers. Being a mix of red (which is an angry color) and blue (which is a serene color), purple has red's authority, but blue's calmness. Teachers
want their correction to be friendly and non-confrontational.

Red ink = scary, hurt-feelings, inadequacy, nightmare inducing, judgemental

Purple ink = I love you, you love me, we're a happy family

How about they just stop marking wrong answers altogether? Who's to say that teachers really have the authority to say what's right and wrong? Why can't we all just get along?

Monday Poll

If you could compete in any Olympic event (summer or winter), what would it be? (Physical limitations notwithstanding)

I'd have to be generic, and go with gymnastics (not rhythmic).

General Update

*I spent the weekend in lovely Nacogdoches with the whole fam. Though we didn't do anything terribly exciting, it was nice to be there just hanging out with everybody and taking it easy. Every time I go over there, I'm reminded of how much nicer Texas is compared to Louisiana (generally speaking). I would say I intend to move back to Texas someday, but I've learned that my intentions have little correlation to reality.

*Life at the sorority house went well for week 1. I've never lived with 3 other girls before and I have to say it really changes roommate dynamics. So far, so good, though. We need to come up with a name for the house, because it's too much to say "Christin, Rachel, Micah and Sarah's house." I love the house itself and I look forward to getting the last few boxes unpacked tomorrow while I have the day off of work.

*I have only 2 more weeks to get through before I'm on vacation.

My Lucky Day

It's Saturday morning. It's moving day. I'm making my first trip accross town with a car load of boxes, when I start thinking, "Hey, my car doesn't usually make that sound." About 60 seconds later, I find myself in the parking lot of the Kangaroo, with all manner of water draining out of my car. I sit in my car for a few seconds, trying to pull myself together and think, "why today?" Amy and Angela come over and pick me up and as I tell them about how I'm moving today and now I don't have a car and I try to keep from crying, I open a Diet Coke and say half-heartedly, "at least I won a free Diet Coke." Amy says, "It must be your lucky day."

It's Time For Another Round Of:

BEST THINGS SINCE SLICED BREAD:

*April-like weather in mid-August
*salon visits
*bonding with your sister over ridiculous things
*my new house
*anticipating vacation

WORST THINGS SINCE CHOPPED LIVER:

*confrontation
*packing
*unpacking
*SPAM (both kinds)
*Friday traffic

The Pros and Cons of Getting Healthy

The bad news is my metabolism is as slow as a frozen slug. The good news is, if I'm ever on a desert island, I won't starve to death.
I've spent the past several months devoting myself to becoming a healthier version of my previous self. I've cut out the cheeseburgers and cokes and replaced them with water and more fruit and veggies than seems reasonable. I've kicked the TV habit and replaced it with working out. I don't pretend to be the perfect picture of health. I still have some work to do and I'll be the first person to ackowledge that. (I don't need anyone to second that, thank you.) This has been a daunting task. The first month or two I was tempted to go back to my old ways almost every day. But after I recognized the benefits, the lifestyle change has become easier. Here are some of the benefits of healthier habits:

*I feel better in general.
*I'm not the queen of insomnia, like I was before. It used to take me nearly an hour to go to sleep every night. Now it takes me about 15 minutes.
*I was always skeptical about those people who say exercise gives you more energy. Turns out it's true.
*I have a legitimate excuse to buy new clothes.
*I've learned that a nice pair of running shoes can change your life. After buying my most recent pair, I actually thought to myself, "this is what walking in heaven must be like."
*I have track friends...people I don't really know, but I see them everyday at the track and we say hello and smile.
*For the first few months, I really hated exercising, but now I actually look forward to it.

There are many other benefits, which I'll save for some other post. However, with the benefits, come embarassments and much discomfort. Here are a few cons of the healthier lifestyle:

*I've worked very hard on my persona: I don't play sports, I don't touch dirt, and I don't sweat. I can still maintain my "no dirt" policy, and I still can't imagine myself actually playing a sport, but I do sweat. And I like it. I wear tennis shoes, too. In public. What will people think?
*I have had more callouses, blisters, and bruises in the past 6 months than I've had in my whole life. You could touch my heels with a hot branding iron and I wouldn't even know it. (This is all due to my old ill-fitting running shoes.)
*I learned the disadvantage of having really small ears. I can't wear those earphones that hook over your ears. They're ridiculously too big and I look silly wearing them. I have take them off and hold them for jogging/running, else they just fly off by themselves. The same goes for earbuds.
*I've learned how truly bad the radio stations are around here. I tried to go with something upbeat, but the first station I tried played WAY too much Rod Stewart and Huey Lewis. I mostly listen to 101.9 now, but what I really need is a small, lightweight, MP3 player with an armband.
*I have less time for post-work activity, since I still refuse to get up and work out in the mornings.
*Sometimes, I just want some ice cream. (I'll admit it: if I really want it, I eat it and I don't feel too guilty about it.)
*Despite regular outdoor activity, I still don't have a tan.

Obviously, both lists could be much more extensive, but I'll leave at that. Maybe by January, I'll have made this such a habit that I can work on another issue: passive-aggression.

Why Not?

Hot hot! I am Curry Flavoured. I have a spicy personality. If you can take the heat, you'll love me, if not, I'll probably make you cry. I am not for the faint-hearted. What Flavour Are You?

Note to Self

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger...or so they say.