SUPERBOWWWLLLLLL

So... what's new for me?
Not much.
I've been sick [again].
Fun stuff!
And this kind of sick isn't the kind that lets me shuffle around the world. Because I'm contagious, and it would be inconsiderate to share the germs.
On Friday, I woke up with a fever and dull achy-ness. I rested, and hoped it would go away. It didn't. I felt like...well, there are no words. I do know that I was stubborn and insisted on going to eat thai food. I love thai food, and no fever is going to stand in my way. I thought maybe I was just making the sickness up.
On Saturday, it was worse. Despite the fact that I could barley shuffle out of bed, I could almost convince myself that it was all in my head. I could be a trooper, I had work to do!
Thank goodness, my parents still know best.
They took me to the doctor. I told my dad that I could sleep it off, but he wanted a strep test done, just to be sure.
When I went to the doctor, he acted like I wasn't really sick at first. He took my temperature, which was around 100.7 (low-grade for normal people, a higher fever for me. See, I run a low temperature naturally. I think it's genetic, but my "normal body temperature" is about 97.6, a degree lower than the average. It's weird, but it's normal.) he looked at my throat and told me that since my dad wanted it, they would do the test.
I'm pretty sure he thought I was just a girl with low pain tolerance.
He was wrong. He cam back in and told me that I did have strep. He was so much nicer.
He prescribed three different types of pills and told me to rest.
Rest I did. I slept for hours and hours. I ate some dinner, and then slept all night.
Crazy.
Yesterday, I rested all day too. I woke up this morning feeling tired.
But I've had enough sickness, and it's time to be a grown up. I need to be healthy now.

So I am going to be.

Part of me would love to take it easy again today, but that's not happening.


Yesterday, as pretty much every american knows, was the super bowl, or Everyone-pretends-they-like-football-day.

I didn't really care about the outcome until I remembered that jerk Tom Brady played for the Patriots [boo!] and that Kareem McKenzie (name twin!) played for the Giants.
Then I was a Giants girl.

It was a nail-biter finish.

I watched the commercials, laughed a bit with a friend (I have a good idea for a blog post now! Inspired.), and was blown away by OK GO's chevy ad.
Favorite. Ad. Ever.
At. Least. For. This. Year.

Also, it's a good song, so, win-win.
This is also a practical application of physics!

Finally, I am seeing the light when it comes to that subject.

Watch it:


So, yep. My weekend: get sick, sleep, watch the superbowl, sleep.
Now off to be a productive adult!
*sigh*

Ooh, what was YOUR favorite ad? Do tell.
(you can see all of them on hulu's adzone. Sweet)

Bumper-kiss

Yes, yes, I willlll finish that ten-day challenge.
Soon.
But I have better news.
I was in an "accident" today.
I didn't die, of course.

I just felt terrible about it.

Also, don't worry, no one else died.
Here's the sitch:
I'm riding in the car with my sisters, running errands.
A car in front of me decides to stop in the middle of the road.
I put on my brakes as fast as possible, but just as I was almost to a total stop, a foot from his car, my car decided to roll forward and touch his bumper.
There wasn't even a backlash from the bump.
There was no sickening crunching sound either.
I felt relief. 

Then the man pulled forward, hazards on, and got out of his car.
I couldn't see any damage.
I turned on my hazards and got out.

He pointed to a dent in his bumper, and it was indeed a dent from me.


After lots of pondering what to do next, we finally worked everything out. I'll spare you the details. I was amply freaked out. There was lots of phone calling, and the man told me at least five times that he "worked for the city", though he didn't mention his position...for all I know it could have been, "sanitation worker".

I can't tell you how shook up I felt after the ordeal.
I had dinged this guy's car, not a huge deal, I know, but, still.

It's not like I had killed someone, or robbed a store, or eaten poison mushrooms.
This experience rocked my world, because it was something totally foreign to me.
The whole thing was surreal. I felt like I left my body, and that I was just watching myself. Weeeird, right?

I felt like crying afterwards, but I didn't, because that would just be pointless.
Some occasions warrant tears, this one did not.

Looking back on it, it was actually a somewhat comical affair. Perhaps the full account, with all of its glorious silly details will be posted someday.

I think the exchange between me and the guy could potentially be humorous, once a nice cushion of time has passed.

The details of the exchange between the guy and me will not be shared at this time.

I did feel emotionally extra-sensitive post-bumper-hit, which is a laaame side-effect. If there is one thing I do not need, it's added sensitivity to my surroundings/interactions with others. I think, if someone had said something mean to me, or even just looked at me funny, I would have had a meltdown.

I'm pllllleennnty sensitive.
It's not my favorite aspect of my personality. I'm working on getting a tougher skin, really.

I also felt like going into my introvert-shell for a while.
Which wasn't the greatest thing since I was volunteering today at a conference at my church. I mean, there's about 220-some-odd people attending, and as one of the volunteers, it's kind of important to be outgoing and talkative.

What a day.
I would say more, but I'm about to pass out from the craziness of the events of the day.  Maybe I'll tell you about the endless desserts next time. Or maybe I'll not be so lazy, and I'll finish the 10 day thing. We shall see.

Peace.

A Story About Shooting

Blogger, after some down-time, is baaaack!
Yay!
I thought about starting a wordpress blog, (I do have a wordpress blog, it's empty-ish and sad, so don't go there), buuuuut, well, I'm loyal to blogger still.

>>>>>
Last night I had a fantastic dream.
I dreamt that someone had stolen my camera.
Wow, fannnntastic.
This someone didn't like the fact that I was shooting in the woods. (shooting pictures of course, but my dreams were feeling punny last night)

It was a clear, beautiful day. I was in a secluded forest, happily shooting things.
Someone ran up, snatched my camera from me, and vanished. They yelled, "no more shooting!" and looked at me indignantly before they vanished.
I was distressed.
Utterly bummed that someone could be so heartless.

...what a dream, eh?
It gets better, I promise.
So, I was bemoaning the fact I had my camera stolen, and trying to figure a way to find the camera-snatcher. I wandered about the woods.
As I did, I almost stepped on something.
I looked down, and I saw a long tube. A long black metal tube.
I picked it up.
It was an ultra-zoom lens! Ahhmaazzzing.
I still didn't have a camera, but as I kept walking, I found more and more camera components.
 Eventually I had collected an amazing assortment of pro shooting apparatuses and a fantastical camera.

Kind of a pointless dream, but it made me happy, and I woke up thinking that maybe, just maybe, if I could find those woods again, I could amass some pure awesomeness.
Maybe.

That's me. In the woods. Shooting something.

Wonders of the Weekend

Alright, so, I present a sum-up of the weekend:

mmm...brains

so, usually I've been posting in the early morning, right?
Weeeeell, today is different. Today I woke with a caffeine/sugar/benadryl hangover.
Ew.This weekend was awesome, and I'll type about it when I feel less like a zombie.

Musical Sub-conscience

I've never been one of those "turn the music up till you can't hear anything else" types. Really, I treasure my eardrums.

For the past few nights, I've been listening to some majorly loud music. I can't help it. It's my sub-conscious.

because I'm awake.

You know when you've been riding in the car, and the rhythms of the road begin to lull you into an utterly sleepy stupor?

Ah, yes.

Well, that happened to me tonight as we drove the three hours back from my Aunt and Uncle's house.
So peaceful.
The vibrations and noises of the road combined with the darkness and my sleepiness totally turned me into a hibernating Kenzie.

But then, we stopped, the hum of the engine left, and doors were noisily opened. I fumbled, squinted at the overhead lights, collected what luggage I could, and lugged it into the house (that MUST be how luggage was named). I had to make another trip to the car, since I am such an over-packer.

By then, the magical feeling of sleep had all but disappeared.

I need it back.
Badly.

coffee and philosophy

I had a dream...

A dream in which everything was realistic, unlike my normal dreams. It was realistic to the point of confusion; it took me a few minutes to figure out what reality was when I woke up. 

It reminded me of the story of the man and the butterfly.

blissful beauty

If you read yesterday's post, you saw that I am not feeling 100%.
Stupid virus.

I've figured this virus out. When I tell you how to fight it, you're going to roll your eyes.
Well, the secret is...

Sleep.


 Have I rocked your world?
I haven't? That's what your mom told you, too?
...yeah, well, experience is an interesting teacher; moms are better. (I heard it from my mom, first, too.)

The way this virus reacts to sleep is dramatic. I'm not talking about just a good night's rest.
This is some sort of "nap bug". If I am feeling really crummy, but I let myself conk out for a few minutes *cough*hours*cough*, I feel amazingly better.

I didn't get much rest Friday night. My heart rate went up for three hours, and I was dehydrated. It makes enough sense for me to get sick from that.

On top of that, I'm a night person. I have the hardest time going to sleep at a good hour.
For the past three weeks or so, every weekday, I've been getting up at 6:30. I thought it would help adjust my sleep schedule.


I. Am. Not. A. Morning. Person.

So why put myself through torture? One simple, lovely answer: COFFEE. Cappuccino, to be exact.
That is so worth zombie-behavior in the morning.

I'm sure, reader, that you now have plenty of questions.
1) Where does the coffee come from? 2)Why 6:30? 3)Why do you keep blogging my assumed questions? 4)Are you a mind reader? 


As for number one: well, reader, the coffee comes from a coffee plant. The plant is located somewhere warm and exotic. Somewhere I would love to be right now. The tree/bush/plant is harvested... here, look at this diagram:

...oh, you mean the finished product? 


It's magic. Poof, there it is, at 6:30 every morning. Coffee elves.
Really.
Descendants of the shoe cobbler elves. See?

Actually, no.

To answer question 2:
See, I have a wonderful mom and dad. Mom has work in the morning, and Dad gets up and makes her a cappuccino. If I am up, I get a cappuccino too.
Dad's pretty possessive of his espresso machine, so, you know, if I over-sleep, then I can have plain old coffee, which is okay, but not at that same goodness level.

(cappuccino > coffee. See, I can use math in everyday life! lightbulb moment!)

It's pretty much a win-win. My parents get me out of bed at a good hour so I can be functioning by say, 8 or so, and I get bribed with yummyness.
I'm such a sucker for caffeine.

Questions 3 and 4?

I KNOW what's on your minds, I have my ways, ok?

Have I answered your queries? If I haven't, ask away! I LOVE answering questions, I really do. I have a formspring (you know, that site where you ask bizarre questions anonymously to avoid embarrassment? If that sounds fun to you, click here)
...or you can comment. Comments are lovely, lovely things. Comments get you kudos, and kudos from me are worth a lot, ok? ok.

Where was I? Oh yes.
I've been getting up at that before-the-crack-of-dawn-time.
Today, I slept in.

Technically, I still got up at 6:30 for my coffee shot, but THEN, I went back to sleep. (if drinking coffee and going back to sleep sounds odd to you, remember that you aren't sick and tired like me. Normally, that is odd behavior.)

I'm not making sleeping in a habit, but oh man, it was so blissful. I felt amazing waking up when the sun was streaming in through my windows. I felt rested and truly alive, not zombie-alive.


I LOVE SLEEP.


If only I can remember that at night when I don't want to sleep.

The only downside to my extra sleep today was that I had less time to get ready for Physics class.

But that is ok. I was in a wonderful mood as I walked in class a few minutes late.
My teacher is a chill dude, and really nice.
Physics is actually a great course to take. I can feel my brain growing while I sit in lecture. True story.

I am going to try to stay on Mr. Converse's good side and be on time in the future...

It's a beautiful night for a moondance

it really is. It's frigid outside, but it is crisp and clear.

The moon tonight is like a spotlight. The stars seem to twinkle all the brighter.
It's like the heavens knew there was going to be a show. They came prepared.

Ever so slowly, it is happening. The Earth is eclipsing the moon.

This eclipse is supposedly really unique.
Why am I posting on my blog instead of viewing this beautiful sight? Well, I've seen part of it, and someday, if I ever need a conversation topic, I might bring this up.

"Yeah, I saw that really special lunar eclipse that only happens every 400 years or so on the winter solstice.
Well, I saw half of it. The other half I spent sleeping....and there's a good reason..."

and then I'd delve into why I was so sleepy. (A good story)

But that hasn't happened yet. I'm really sleepy, so I shall sleep and worry about this silly blog later.
I had a great post in mind, but it will have to wait. This sleepiness is overwhelming.

I'm so sleepy that I'm afraid I'll forget tonight ever happened. Thus, I'm posting on my blog to remember that I DID see the super special lunar eclipse.

(don't) kiss me

Well, the irony is crazy.
This irony makes me laugh ...soundlessly.
Why soundlessly, you ask?

If I tell you, it will cause you to pity me, I'm sure. {At least I hope it will. DO pity me.}

To set the stage: I've been learning some new tunes on the guitar. Last week, my sister and I sang "Kiss Me" by Sixpence None the Richer. We sang it a few times in a row. We even went so far as to sing it for others to hear.

You reap what you sow.

I didn't plan on actually kissing anyone. You know this, right?

Strangely and sadly enough, I have the KISSING SICKNESS.

Ewwwwww.....
*Dun, Dun, Duuuuuuunnn*
How can this be?
All I did was sing about kissing.
Maybe I should go whisper-sing about NOT kissing. Would that help??

I've been sick quite a few times in the past few months off and on.
All of the viruses have had the same complications and symptoms.
Annnnnd, the symptoms match up with mono.
My voice is gone.
My head is throbbing.
My lymph nodes are swollen.
I'm not hungry.
I ache.
I also have a propensity to complain via blog. (the tell-tale symptom)

Sorry. I don't mean to take it out on you. But since I can't vocalize my feelings, typing about them helps.

...I read "Hard Times" by Charles Dickens today. I hadn't read it before. It was a good read, but sad and a bit depressing. Not the best "get well book"
It made me thankful to live now rather than in Victorian England. I'm blessed to not simply have facts.


In order to redeem this post, that is to make it somewhat readable and a smidgen entertaining, I will tell you about a hobby of mine. [Prepare for major geekiness.]

I have a garden growing in my room.
It is a modest garden, but it adds a sense of homeyness and happy.
Okay, it's a collection of houseplants.
But they are so fun!

...I can see you rolling your eyes.
Stop.

If you were allergic to almost every animal, you'd love plants too.


In order to personify them, I have named them. Some of them even have baby plants now. aww...
There is my crazy colored plant that turned out to be two plants in one pot. Bonus! After separating them, I decided to call it "Duran" and "Duran". Good band and good plants.

Then there's my dappled aloe plant that goes by the name of Fitzgerald.
It has grown two aloe-ettes that have been transplanted.

There's two baby sunflowers that are growing rapidly. Who knew that you could grow sunflowers inside? Turns out, it's entirely feasible

...I hope.

Anywho, I missed homework help, due to my sickness. There was still sunshine and rainbows tonight, because Noella {who is an amazing girl} made me and my sister a picture.
Have I mentioned that I love art?

"Get well Miss Makenzie and Savennah." 

In other news, today, as Mom was slicing potatoes for potato soup, she found a hollow cavity that looks like a heart in one of the potatoes. Just in time for... 

Also my beautiful bed arrived today! It looks princessy, but it does NOT have a pea under the mattress  (I checked) 

I think I'll go make use of it. I'm so groggy. 

Leche and Leeches

Mom made monster cookies the other day.

Pure yumminess with oatmeal, chocolate chips, peanut butter, m&m's... mmmm

She made them for her BSF ladies group and for us to have a special treat. I took advantage. I'm not going to say a number, but I consumed a lot of cookies. 

I OD-ed on the cookies. 

This was me (in blue cookie monster form): 

Sugar does some crazy stuff to you. For most of the day, I was hyped up.
Borderline ADHD. 

Then came the mighty crash. 

This crash was terrible and happened a few hours before bed. 

Extreme sleepiness, increased irritability, and there was still utter lack of attention for anything. 

Totally zoned out. 

When I fell asleep, I had crazy dreams that made no sense. (flying monkeys as beauticians anyone?) 

When I woke up, I was groggy, felt moody, and wanted to sleep for the rest of my life. 

I'm not making this stuff up. I had a legit hangover from the cookies. I have researched the sugar crash, and it is a very real medical phenomenon. (Wikipedia calls it "a supposed sense of fatigue after consuming a large quantity of carbohydrates.", but what do they know? Other medical sites actually back it up. So there.) 

If you could have seen me, you would not have known me. It took a long time to get over the symptoms. 

Thankfully, I had blood drawn today, and it was amazing how much it helped my overdose. I think those doctors in the dark ages were on to something with the bloodletting.

No, now, I didn't let my own blood or get hurt; 

I had some taken from me for testing. 

You know earlier when I was talking about SUPERPOWERS? (<- see for link to blog post)

Well, there's been some interesting occurrences, and the medical community wants to check it out...I'm not supposed to say too much... You'll keep it on the down-low, right? I know I can trust blog readers.

Anywho, after 8 vials of blood were taken from me, I felt better, albeit a bit weirded out to see my own blood in such a context. Eight vials looks like a large quantity when you have a tube running out of your arm. 

My theory is that enough sugar concentrate was removed from my bloodstream for my body to perk up rapidly. 

Tonight is homework help! 

I love it. Except for when it's homework that the kid wants me to do for them...nope, not happening. I instruct and guide. I'm not an enabler. NOT. 

...

My sister and I are learning some neat harmonies. It takes a LOT of practice to train your voice to sing different notes than the melody. The end result will be great, hopefully. 

Now, I'm going to go revel in the fact that I am no longer under the spell of the sugar.

...maybe I'll eat a cookie to celebrate.

Benadryl Zombie!!

Yep, that would describe me about now. I need brains. **gggglf glorpsh.**

I wrote a song about my condition. I'll have to see how it sounds after the side effects have worn off and my brain actually starts to reengage.

I don't remember this drug changing me SO very much last time I took it.
I am an utter airhead.
...
Yesterday night was our church's fall festival. I was the White Queen/Corpse Bride/Queen Elizabeth I.

It wasn't a super-defined character. It had the ambiguity I needed. I powdered my face and wore a wedding dress, pearls and a HUGE diamond ring. (I plan on my engagement ring being just as large *goofy grin*)

I would have powdered my hair, but I woke up 30 minutes before we were supposed to leave. For some reason, on Sunday I was tired. Utterly wiped out. What can I say? Sunday is, after all, the day of rest.

I went to a costume party last week, and I actually had time to do my hair and better accessorize:

Dressing up makes life much more fun. My beauteous sister (on the right) was the red queen. But as you can tell, I have the magic. Magic is much better than looks. Just like in Snow White. The evil queen could make herself beautiful/ugly/whatever...she had the power! {I'm ignoring her eventual downfall}

Okay, this feeling is madness. I DO NOT enjoy being high on allergy medication. My eyes will stay open no longer. I type with them closed.

I bid you goodnight.

It's in the air

...and it's making me sneeze. Whatever the trees/plants are putting off, my body is wrongly interpreting it as evil.
It's fighting this stuff to the death ...for no good reason.

Thank you, immune system.

Since this reaction is so dreadful, I must resort to the inevitable:

the litte pink pill known as benadryl.

This medicine is going to be popped.

It will affect me in crazy ways. Soon my head will be up in the clouds, my attention fogged, and there will be a dazed look on my face.

I'm only taking 1/2 a dose, mind you.

But the side effects sure beat this crazy allergy attack.

Such is the curse blessing of being a redhead...

**update** I am content with staring at the wall. My appendages are so heavy. There is something wrong, but I can't put my finger on it. Everything is fuzzy...I'm not sneezing though.

Morning has broken...

This morning has been great so far.


 Here are the facts:


Fact #1: I slept in late.


There is no better way to start the morning. There was no alarm to rudely awaken me out of deep sleep. No reason to groggily get out of bed and fumble for the snooze button.


Sleeping in can also be one of the WORST ways to start your day. Especially when you have somewhere to be at the ungodly hour of 7:15 am...
Luckily for me, I didn't have anywhere to be, so I slept and slept. What bliss!


If you know me, you know that


I AM NOT A MORNING PERSON. 


This morning however, I was peppy. Considering that it was around 11:30 that I finally decided to roll out of bed.


Hey, don't judge. I'm only going to be a kid {and irresponsible} for a few more months... I'm enjoying it while I can.


Fact #2: I cooked a yummy breakfast.


It is a well-known fact that breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day. 


The other important meals  are second breakfast, elevenses, luncheon, afternoon tea, dinner and (later in the evening) supper.


This morning, breakfast was scrumptious and an instant mood-enhancing meal.
I fried some italian sausage, sautéed onions, and made a fritatta with feta cheese.
(fritattas are the new omelets, but prettier and more fun to make)


I like cooking. When things turn out, it makes me happy. When other people can ingest and actually enjoy the food I've made, it increases the happy meter too.


I do not like baking. Baking is NOT my thing. If you want cake or cookies, ask my sister. She's good with such things. (I always like to peek in the oven, which results in flat cake. meh.)


My mom is an amazing cook. She has the gift of being able to throw just about anything together and it ALWAYS turns out savory and delish. I'm glad she's sharing her secrets.


Fact #3: I acted as a barista.


No, not a barrister, but a coffee maker. Cappuccinos. mmmm. C'mon, it's Saturday.
 (SHHHH!)
....
Then one of the chickens got out of the pen and we had to chase her around the yard...which made for some excitement.


A bit later, I'm going to a costume party (!) which makes the day even better. 




 Happy Saturday!!

The nuances of being a neologist

I feel like rambling a bit
...again
This is what this blog is for, right? Right.

Summer is OH SO RAPIDLY approaching. I'm feeling giddy.
Summer is pretty much the best time of the year. At least right now it is. (In August, I just might be ready for some snow, but I doubt it.)
I remember this past winter thinking to myself,
"I'll miss the cold in July. I'll be whining about how hot it is. Maybe I should just soak up the cold."
So I did. I sat in the car, before the heat cut on, absorbing the chill. Let me tell you, it was nothing like soaking up sunshine or a warm day.
It was, well, cold. Not terribly pleasant. But I did it so that I wouldn't complain in the summer. And this past summer, I did not complain (about the heat, at least).

I've begun to value sleep. Perhaps that's a sign of maturity.

There are some cases where sleep is unimportant.
And that's okay. Every once in a while.
But trying to stay up every night does a number on one's immune system, brain, etc.

My sleeping patterns have been messed up lately. I've been feeling sick and crummy.
So, the past few nights, I've been going to bed at a somewhat decent hour.
The difference is drastic.

I'm still a night owl, but...
I'm beginning to understand that if I don't get at least 8 hours in, life becomes a haze. Life becomes no fun.

So a word to the wise: sleeeeep!

(and a neologist is someone who coins new words! FUN FACT ALERT!)