TWO WEEKS

I am stressed out!  Although sometimes I tend to stress about stressing so maybe my judgment of myself is a little skewed.  I really need to focus on the next 2.5 weeks.

We’re so close to the end, yet it seems so far.  I have the opportunity to be a proctor for Psych 100 next semester and I need to get a 3.0 to be eligible.  As of now I’m fine but I’m trying my best to get an even better GPA.

I most definitely started out in the swing of things this semester but now I’m hardly rocking.  It went by so very fast for me.

Now that the snow has fallen I feel the urge to be riding (snowboarding) everyday but I know that I just need to concentrate on school for two more weeks.  I have all of winter break to ride.  I need to balance out my work and play.  I’m holding on to one rule: “Find a happy medium”.

Her hair blocked most of her face.  I could just see her eye lashes fluttering; they were intrigued by the lecture.  The coat she wore had wrinkles and hair was everything but perfect.  This wasn't an issue for she was very abnormally gorgeous (I had hoped no one else would notice her beauty for I wanted to enjoy her through my eyes only) and I would have done immoral things to have her.  She had been sitting in the front of the room everyday sense I can remember.  She must have just wanted to face her back to everyone.  "How sexy," I said to myself.

The next day I sit.  She walks in and sits also.  I start to in vision her with less clothes on (I guess I just got bored with what I could physically "see").  She didn't seem to mind at all.  The professor asks me a question that I cannot answer.  Maybe had I been paying attention at all this could have been avoided.  Thank god; only three mins left for today.  I wait for her. We leave together.

Raymond Carver

It was a gloomy winter night.  She had just picked me up from somewhere.  It's not important.  She and I were contributing to an irritating silence.  The car was dirty.  It had a floor of trash instead of carpet.  She asked. "What is wrong?"  "Nothing." I said.

We do this to ourselves from time to time.  Maybe it thrills us.  I really couldn't say. You can make your own assumption.  I got the pipe and loaded a bowl from her bag.  This hardly helps the situation.  Yet it makes everything better.  We don't have to talk.  She said nothing.  I did the same.

The rest of the night was kind of a blur.  Not from the marijuana. I just can't stand to recollect my feelings.  The basement was my home.  Not much of a home; it was my friends basement.  At least we had our own bathroom.  The blankets pulled us into bed.  We didn't speak a word.  I turned my back to her.  She began to whimper. 

I got out of bed and poured a drink.

Halloween

This Halloween was so much different from any "normal" Halloween of mine.  The usual Halloween consists of me dressing up in a dumb and certainly uncomfortable outfit and getting black out drunk like an idiot. 

I hardly ever taste the sweetness of candy anymore.  That was the good old times when candy was just as much a part of Halloween as the booze is now.  I felt extra anti-social this year and did the complete opposite of what I would have usually done.  Every night this weekend I sat on the couch and watched movies, ate pizza, and drank beers with my lady.  Some were scary and some were drunken mistakes.  They were later noticed after the beer had run dry. 

I guess the fact that I had to work at seven in the morning on Sunday morning didn't help my reclusiveness.  This definitely played a part in my decision to stay back and not hang around with all the inch worms in downtown Missoula.

Do I feel like I missed out?  With the money I made and the money I saved I'd say "yeah" this Halloween totally sucked and I wish I could do it over.  I'd dress up as a crazy PETA activist and raise hell.

1.  THE HELL WITH IT:  Don't dwell or stress about what to write.  Just write until you can't feel your finger tips anymore.  At this point you'll most likely have enough written to next sit down and read through what you've come up with.  It's easy! Now just do some editing and revising and the hard part is over.

2.  PICK THAT BOOK UP:  How will you ever be a good writer if you don't read?  What you write can only be interpreted by readying so get on it.  I'm willing to bet all the greats were big readers so follow in their footsteps and become an amazing writer too.

3.  GET OFF THE COUCH:  Try not to get into a routine with your writing.  If you usually write sitting on your couch or at the same coffee shop then try a new place.  Let the outside world inspire your work. Then your article, paper, or poem will reflect on your new positive environment.  This will also help with the repetitiveness of writing a piece your not so interested in.

4.  SLEEPY NOTES:  Always have a pen and paper by your bed so when you think of an idea or have a crazy dream you can write something about it.  This will keep your joints and mind well oiled.  Plus dreams make for some pretty cool stories or poems!

5.  BUILD IT:  Structure is one of the most important aspects of writing.  Don't let this get the best of you though.  After you have your quick write or rough draft read it over and over until you can piece the structure of you work together.  With unstructured work your audience won't feel the full effects of your writing.  And remember that your audience is also on the list of most important aspects of writing.

Two Truths and a Lie

1.  Last year I moved to Missoula from LA.  It was a easy transition as far as the city life goes.  The vibe is defiantly smaller and more laid back.  Although its a beautiful place to live I miss the music scene terribly.  I hardly ever see good shows up here.

2.  I have been vegetarian off and on sense seventeen years old.  As of today it's been just under a year sense I last consumed any meat.  I've also been vegan for a few months of my life.  It's super healthy and believe it or not, very tasty!

3.  When I was growing up my father raced and built custom cars.  I wasn't ever into it but my little brother followed in his foot steps.  Thus, now I'm the odd one in the family who likes music(a little to much) and tattoos(way too much).

awkward much? Thank you Dwight.

I have the worst anxiety sometimes when I'm put in awkward situations.  This has got be a factor in why I feel that The Office is such a good television show.  I can enjoy the uncomfortable feelings that would usually overwhelm me.  If you've never seen the show before it can take a few episodes to get into but this is true of most TV shows in general.  Steve Carell is a well known actor and plays the branch manager in The Office.  I find his character along with Jim and Dwight to be most hilarious.  Another six or so characters make up the rest of the cast.  They are all equally as important in delivering the laughs that make forget to think.  I basically think most everyone has seen an episode and if not I really do recommend it.  I don't have cable so as soon as the season comes out on dvd I watch every episode (usually in a row) on Netflix.  Oh, what a wonderful invention for the laziness of future generations.