A dream with a chance of becoming reality...

*** This is your warning! This is a REALLY long entry! I really hope you read the whole thing, but if you don't have time at this moment to read it, wait until you have the time. You have been warned! :) ***

Sounds deep, right? Especially since this is my first post since August. I apologize, by the way. The point of this was to keep you updated with my busy life, but as it turned out, my busy life was too busy to squeeze in time for me to keep you updated. Kinda ironic...but again sorry. I'm going to try to do better in the new year.


Okay, now the true meaning of the title of this post, I have recently been considering something that would literally change my life, forever. It involves transferring colleges, changing majors, and moving out of the state of Louisiana.


So, if you know me then you probably know at least a little bit about what I'm about to say, but for the readers (who I am sure are imaginary) that don't know me, I'm going to give you a little bit of background.

During my junior and senior year of high school, I was a typical teenage girl who had absolutely no clue what she wanted to do with her life, thus she had no clue what to major in once she got to college. And as anyone who has been or is around that age, the first question people ask you after you say you're going to college is, "What is your major?" And everyone just expects you to know. Well, being the typical teen that I was, I had thrown around a variety of things. I had thought about being a teacher, a writer, a journalist, a photographer, a psychologist, a nurse, a pharmacist, and even a lawyer. Because of my parents involvement in the media department at our church, I was exposed to the directing, producing, recording, and editing of a television show beginning at age 8. During my junior and senior years in high school, I got really involved in the department, and I decided I wanted to be a director and producer and I had my sights set on Hollywood, even though there were those who thought it was too big of a dream. However, I had a problem. I fell in love with a certain college campus and the closest they had to a film studies department was broadcast journalism. At the time, I felt that it was close enough to get me to where I want to be.

I was completely on board with my major for my first semester and a half of college. In my second semester, around March of this year, I had a change of heart. I was taking Psych 101, and I fell in love with another major, and it was on my list of majors to consider when I first applied. I wasn't at all interested in the journalism aspect of the broadcast curriculum, so after about a week and a half of thinking and brief mentions to my parents and friends and one quick walk to the admin building on campus, I changed my major to psychology with a minor in addictive behaviors.

Now, another semester and half later, I am beginning to wonder if perhaps my decision to change my major was a bit too hasty. I have to admit that it is partly because I am helping my sister get her college applications in order, and her decision to pursue theatre design has gotten me thinking that maybe I gave up on my dream of being a director and producer a bit too quickly.

Before I continue with the school that I'm looking into and where it is and all that's involved, I want to address the fact that maybe I just get bored easily, or that I'm only considering this decision because I'm jealous of my sister and her opportunities, or that I'm just not a stable person.
1) I know that I get bored easily. I've had like 7 cell phones in 5 years. I constantly want to rearrange my room. I jump from fad book series to fad book series (though I have to admit, I have gotten rather attached to a few new ones lately and I don't see me letting go any time soon.).
2) Maybe I am a tad bit jealous of my sister's realization of her dream. But, as I said, I made the decision to "give up" on my dream in a week and a half. I think that gives me the right to reconsider such a hasty decision. I think of my sister as an inspiration to not give up on my dream, even if it means adding another year of schooling to achieve it. And,
3) If you know me, then you know I am not normal, sane, or stable, but I know what I'm doing (for the most part) and I have a decent head on my shoulders. :)

Okay, so while helping my sister research her choices for colleges that offer a theatre design major, my mom and I came across a school. (I don't want to reveal the school yet because I want to tell the story first. If I start talking about the school, I'll never finish the story.) We found a brochure for it when we were attending a production that my sister worked on. So we brought it home, and I went to their website, as I did with any other college my sister considered, so I could see if they offered theatre design. They did, and Ash liked the location (though not as much as she does now, after the research we did over the past couple of nights). And again, as I did with the other colleges, I looked at what other programs they offered. I noticed that they had a film & video major with various concentrations. I didn't dig too deep into it at the time.

Now, my sister is going to this conference in Chicago in February. There are a whole bunch of colleges' theatre departments there so the prospective students can audition all in one place to make it easier for everyone. This particular school is one she can audition for at the conference, so thus it was added to her final college list, which has 5 other schools on it, and she sent in her application a week ago.

Since my winter break started 3 weeks ago, I've been thinking that after I graduate with my bachelor's in psychology in 2014, I can go to film school. So I started looking into the school for the fall of 2014 to get my 2nd bachelor's in film studies. Then about a week ago, my grandma, my dad's mom, called. Both she and my grandpa, who live in Indiana, have many various health issues and my grandpa is getting worse. My parents always talked about moving in with my grandparents after one died because we know that neither can handle living alone after the other passes. I know this is depressing and kinda morbid, but these are things we've had to think about after various health scares from my grandma and my grandpa. So now that my grandparents' health is on the decline, I'm already partly on my own in college, my sister is on her way out to college herself, and the ever looming closing of the shipyard my dad works at, my parents are seriously considering moving when he gets laid off. Serious to that point that my dad talked to my grandma about it. (All the times we've talked about moving, semi-serious or not, that has never happened before.)

So, this got me thinking. I know my mom, and even though she is seriously considering moving, she does not want to leave me in the state of Louisiana alone. She would be nearly 900 miles away, and even though I'm an adult, she would be constantly worried because of the distance. And I don't blame her. My family is not from down here. I may have lived here since I was 2, but my biological family would be living in another part of the country if my parents did move. So, I've been trying to come up with different solutions.

And now I've come full circle to the dream...
I know this is a dream, but as the title says, it has a chance at reality.

Since I've been thinking of my parents moving, I've asked the question, "Why don't I take this as my chance to move too?" The college that I am still not revealing as of yet, is a lot closer to Indiana than Louisiana. It's somewhere that my sister is seriously considering, and everyone has concerns (sorry, Ash) about how well my sister can adjust to college life. So if I'm there, not necessarily in the same room (though we've talked about that too), but at the very least the same school, she might have a better chance a success. She's not even applying to my current school. The school has my dream major with concentrations in both directing and producing. I can even dabble in acting, if I want.

Sounds like I have it all worked out, right? Well, as much as I want to have it worked out, I don't. As many reasons as there are for me to transfer (more to be named after I reveal the school), there are just as many to keep me where I am now. I love my school. I just joined a sorority and Delta Zeta isn't at the other school, which would mean going alumnae after only one year. I made a lot of new friends that I don't want to ditch after one or two years. There are a select few it would be VERY hard to leave, and I wouldn't even know how to break the news to them. I'd almost feel like a part of me would be missing. I've lived in Louisiana nearly all of my life. I do actually still have friends at home too. ;)

Have I built up the drama enough??

Okay, so I've put it off long enough. I've been going on and on about this school, and have managed to tell you pretty much he whole story before telling you the name of the school and where it is. I've been talking about Columbia College Chicago in well, Chicago.

Over the past couple of days, I've been looking into the housing options that my sister has at the various schools she has and will apply to. And last night I spent quite a bit of time on Columbia's website. It took some digging to find the link to the housing site for one, and I actually looked into their film & video department. And guess what, I fell in love with everything about Columbia. The location, the school, the program, the opportunities.

The Location:
Hello, it's Chicago! Big city. Lots of things to do, lots of things to see, lots of people to meet. The school itself is literally a half a mile from Lake Michigan and it's across the street from a huge park. (Put "Columbia College, South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL" into Google Maps to see for yourself.) Something I thought was cool was that while I would live in Columbia College's housing, it's not on campus. Normally, I wouldn't like that, but the walk is no different than the walk I have now, which is amazing. It's about 5-7 minutes from the housing to Columbia's campus. Columbia offers 4 different housing options 731 S. Plymouth Court, The University Center, The Dwight, and The Buckingham. (I like looking at the outsides of the buildings and what's around them too, so type "731 S. Plymouth Court, Chicago, IL", "525 S. State Street, Chicago, IL", "642 S. Clark, Chicago, IL", and "59 East Van Buren, Chicago, IL" into Google Maps for street views.) All of them are unique and amazing in their own way, but my sister and I definitely like The Dwight and University Center the best. Both are about 7 minutes from campus, and they have breathtaking views. I don't know about you, but seeing the tall buildings of a city from my window is a dream of mine. If you want to see what I'm talking about, follow the links to the different buildings. Just scroll through the pictures from the different buildings. All of the housing options are about a mile from the lake and a half a mile from the park.

The School & the Program:
As much as I want to put it into my own words I think the school's About Columbia page says it all. (Please read/skim it.) Columbia has dozens of notable alumni from the film & video department alone that have worked on everything from Blood Diamond to Star Wars: The Clone Wars to Avatar to Lost to True Blood as animators, cinematographers, and producers, and the president of HBO Films is an alumni. Through the system of alumni, there are countless connections to the film industry, which leads me to:

The Opportunities:
Semester in LA Program (SiLA): "...five intensive weeks during which students maintain full-time Columbia status while acquiring direct experience in what it takes to make a mark in the world’s most competitive film production environment...Classes are held on the historic Raleigh Studios lot, which is Hollywood's oldest and longest continually-operated studio.
The Production Fund: "...a resource dedicated to assisting advanced film and video projects that are being produced by undergraduate and graduate students. Annually, the Department awards as much as $100,000 to successful applicants."
The Big Screen: "Our annual student film festival...has become one of the most anticipated film events in Chicago. This juried competition of student produced films and videos celebrates the creative diversity and incredible talent in the department, while also offering cash awards and trophies for Best of the Fest, Audience Award, Best Script, and Best Treatment."
And there is so much more!

Now, I know I have to get back to reality. This move, should it happen, would be incredibly expensive. Going to school at Columbia is about twice as much as what I'm paying now. That's a lot more student loans to pay after I graduate. Plus, I'd have to find out if a transfer within the company I work for is even an option. If not, I'd need a job. Though, I don't think that would be too hard, but you never know. So there are still a great many things to consider and work out, but I'm in love with this dream. And for now I want to dream. And to just know that there is a chance that I might be able to live this dream is enough for me. And who knows, since this wouldn't happen for another 8 months, I may have a new dream by then. :)

Okay, I'm getting a little theatrical now. I'll end this 2500 word entry here. I apologize for the length. There are only so many times that I can mull over all of this information before it overwhelms my brain and I have to get it out. Thanks for being patient and reading this and hopefully following the links. :)

Much love,
AmberMarie

Delta Zeta Now and Forever! :)

So, if you didn't already know, like if you don't have Facebook, I am now a pledge of Delta Zeta Sorority, Kappa Alpha Chapter. Basically, I have 98 new sisters. :) Oh, and our colors are rose and green, so expect a lot more pink and green from me, now. :)

Starting last Wednesday, I went through sorority recruitment for Delta Zeta, Phi Mu, and Sigma Sigma Sigma sororities. Each night was a different topic, and as the week went on each night got fancier and fancier. The week went like this:

Wednesday night - Greek 101. Basically, the 12 recruitment counselors (Four of each of the three sororities. The recruitment counselors had to be disaffiliated from their sororities starting June 1st until Bid Day. They weren't allowed to tell us which sorority they belonged to.) walked us through what it meant to be Greek, and what to expect over the next few nights.

Thursday night - Philanthropy Night.  That night all of the girls (PNMs, Potential New Members) were divided into 5 groups. Each group went to all three sororities' parties. In each sorority's party the PNMs learned about the philanthropic organizations that each sorority worked with. It was also a time for the PNMs and active sorority members to get to know each other, and feel out who would be a good fit for each sorority. That night each PNM filled out a preference card and ranked the 3 sororities in the order they liked them.

Friday night - Slideshow Night. That night each PNM could have been invited to 1, 2, or all 3 sororities' parties. In the parties that night, the sororities showed slideshows of all of the events they held and attended the previous year. After the slideshow, the PNMs and actives had more time to talk and ask questions and try and get a feel for each other, again trying to find out who would be a good fit for each sorority. (I went to all 3 sororities' parties, and I am told that that is unusual. But hey, it's me, so who would expect anything less?? lol)

Saturday Afternoon - Preference Night. (I know, it was in the afternoon, but it's called Pref Night, and who am I to argue? lol) On Pref Night, a PNM could go to a max of 2 parties. Some only went to one. I know of some girls who weren't invited back to any, and it's sad, but that's just the way it works. Anyway, Pref Night was the most serious. I can't speak for all of the sororities, and I'll explain why in a minute, but I am told that the Pref Night parties are similar. Pref Night is the night (afternoon...) when everything finally comes to a decision. The actives talk to the PNMs one last time before bids go out. Pref Night is where the actives tell/show what their sisterhood means to them, and what their sisterhood is all about. Now, I only went to one Pref party, Delta Zeta, and I am told that that is also unusual, and again it's fitting, is it not? My current roommate, Amanda, requested to lead me through DZ's Pref party, and let me just say, it was very emotional. Delta Zeta's way of displaying their sisterhood felt so real and genuine. There literally wasn't a dry eye in the room. By the end, I knew I wanted Delta Zeta.

Strict Silence - Saturday night through Sunday morning. This was a period of time where actives and PNMs could not have any form of contact with each other. I don't know the specific reasons why, but there were consequences for contact and that was reason enough for everyone. I guess I can also put in here that if you were not going to receive a bid from a sorority, you were going to get a call sometime after 7 pm Saturday night saying that you didn't have to come Sunday morning.

Sunday Morning/Afternoon - Bid Day. First, a bid is an invitation to a PNM from a sorority. Each PNM could only receive 1 bid, and that bid had to come from a sorority whose party you attended on Saturday. Sunday morning all of the PNMs waited patiently to find out which sorority had given them a bid. (If the PNM was like me and only went to one party on Saturday, then Sunday morning, they already knew which sorority had given them a bid.) Each PNM that made it through to Sunday morning received an envelope which contained a bid. Each PNM went into a room, opened their bid, and either accepted or declined. (I know of at least one girl who declined. :/ ) If you accepted, like I did, we went to meet the other PNMs who were now our sisters. We each got a Bid Day shirt with our sorority letters on it. ΔΖ :) After all of the PNMs were sorted into their respective sororities, the recruitment counselors finally got to reveal which sorority they were in, and rejoin their sisters. Then the PNMs headed to meet their active sisters. Each PNM had a Bid Day buddy, and Amanda was mine. :) Then we all headed out to our sorority's pool party! :) (I got sunburt, of course. lol) Had lots of fun at DZ's '90s themed pool party.

All of the DZs in front of a banner that says, "Delta Zeta is All That!" You know like the '90s show...yeah...lol

Monday Night - Pledging In. Tonight was Pledge Night. All of the new DZs pledged into Delta Zeta sorority. I cannot tell you what happened because it's a DZ secret. But, it was an amazing night. We all went out to Cane's after the Pledging In ceremony. Talk about loud. :)

So, anyway, if you have a Facebook, you probably noticed that I have added over 90 new friends since Wednesday, and they were mostly yesterday. Yeah, those are all my sisters. :)

And this last picture is my pledge class, all of the girls who went through recruitment with me and became Delta Zetas. :)

Well, I know this was a long post (and my first one with pictures!!), so I'm done for now. :)

<3 Amber Marie ΔΖ

My Newest Obsession = This Song

"This Is War" by 30 Seconds To Mars

I am absolutely in love with this song. I cannot seem to express the reasons why; I can just listen to this song over and over and never get tired of it.

Real Update!

I haven’t done a real update in a while, so I decided it was about time to do so.

Soooooo, I am so excited for school to start! Move-in day is getting so close. I cannot wait to see Brittany, Trina, and Amanda! I’m so bored here at home, and I know I’ll complain of boredom in once I get to school, but at least I’ll have my best friends to entertain me! lol. :)

I’m also extremely excited for my classes, even my statistics class though I might change my tune after the first few classes. lol. Only one class has the potential to be awkward (I can’t think of another word to describe it.), and that is chemistry with Britt and someone else who shall remain nameless in this post.

I am also thinking about rushing this year. I haven’t completely decided, but I think I’m still going to do it. Hopefully it will be a fun way to meet people.

Hmmm…what else?? I think that’s it about school, for now.

I guess I’ll continue with weather, since it has decided to start POURING rain right about now. I know we had the driest May and June on record, but I am really sick and tired of the wettest July and now possibly August on record! I was ok with it until the 15th of July while on my way to Morgan City to see Brittany, I got caught in the heaviest downpour I’d ever seen! I was doing 20 mph down the highway! I never got over 50 mph the whole 70 miles! Then the following Monday, I was attempting to bring Ashley to summer camp and got almost all the way there before we ran into flooded streets that our Civic couldn’t get through. Luckily by the time I had to go to work that afternoon the flooding had gone down. And then the following Sunday I went to church with my dad and Ash. Ashley had her summer camp performance, so we knew we’d be there a while. As soon as church ended we had to go across the parking lot to the rec center and cafeteria where the performance was going to be. Well by that time the parking lot was flooded! Ashley and I ran across the parking lot and got pretty wet, but my dad, who couldn’t run, was far wetter. We were the lucky ones though. There were others who had to make there way up to the church down the same flooded street (it was worse Sunday) I attempted to get up on the Monday before. And finally, my last battle with the weather was yesterday. It was about to rain and my dad asked Ash and I to go cover his motorcycle. We’d heard a couple low rubes of thunder, but nothing too close or loud. We had his bike almost covered when the loudest, sharpest crack of thunder and the closest, brightest lightning I’d ever heard/seen came out to nowhere. Ashley and I jumped and ran into the house so fast. The hair stood up on our arms and we were shaking! And my dad, yeah well, he just laughed at us. So, yeah. I’m tired of this weather! Ugh.

Okay, I think this suffices as a real update! lol. :)

Ttfn,
Amber Marie

Countdowns!! :)

NOCCA Starts (for Ash):  9 days
Move-in Day: 12 days
Classes Start: 15 days
My 19th Birthday: 40 days!!!

Those are the important things coming up. Nothing else really to say. Haven't been up to much.

<3 Amber Marie

Update. :)

First, I would like to thank the 3 of you who gave me music selections. I can't believe I was worried about not getting any suggestions. lol. :)

I just wanted to post a little something about my job. I am working at Lane Bryant now, and I really like it there. I can't wait until I can use my employee discount! lol.

I don't really have anything important to say. I just felt like my blog needed an update. :)

TTFN,
Amber Marie

Music Challenge

I have decided, that because I lost my entire iTunes library, that I would take this as an opportunity to discover some amazing new music. I would like to request that the few followers I do have on here suggest a new band or two or more to me so that I can expand my musical experiences...And Rachel, I know you are going to say Matthew Mayfield and The Civil Wars, but please add some others too!! :) lol.

Thank you in advance,
Amber Marie

p.s. I will be very sad if I don't get any suggestions. lol

Perhaps I should be banned from using electronics??

As you may or may not already know, I gave my cell phone a bath in Sierra Mist last night. It is sort of difficult to explain how it happened, but I shall give it a go anyway. I had my laptop and my phone on the arm of the couch (next to me) and the glass of Sierra Mist was on the couch between me and the arm of the couch because I was afraid to put it on the floor because our dog, Emma, has a tendency to knock cups over. Then my phone goes off and I grab it to see who it was (it was Twitter, not important!!), and the phone slipped through my fingers and into my cup. I pulled it out, and I held it up, laughing as Sierra Mist poured from it. My mom got me a towel, and my sister got the uncooked rice and a bowl. So yeah...

This after getting a computer virus a few weeks ago has led me to believe that maybe I should stay away from electronics for a while...lol.

That being said, both electronics are fine now (even though I did lose a lot of files with the computer virus, namely my 706 song iTunes library). And for that I am very happy. :)

Clumsily yours,
Amber Marie ;)

Finally!!! :)

I finally got a job!!! After looking since I was 15, I got a job, and it's not a temporary job! I get to work all year round, even if it is just the weekends while I'm in school. I'll be working at Lane Bryant and getting a discount on clothes!! :) A very good thing! I'm so excited. I'll be starting right after the 4th of July. :) YAY YAY YAY!!

Ok, I'm done. :) lol.

Ta for now,
Amber Marie

I Miss My Laptop :/

Somehow I managed to corrupt my laptop and get a virus early this morning when I was surfing the net (did I really just say that??) instead of sleeping. And the real issue is, I have absolutely no idea how to get rid of the virus. I feel so lost without my laptop. I hope we can get it figured out soon. For now, my whole family will have to make do with just the Mac and our dinky PC desktop.

I feel like an idiot even though it was a complete accident. Oh well. This has just made me even more determined to get a MacBook Pro ASAP! So now all I need is a job. lol

-AmberMarie

There Are Seasons For A Reason

Goodbye, Bro. Jonathan!

I know he's not dropping off of the face of the earth, which I heard from a few sources is a direct quote, but he will be missed. He did a lot for our PHASE youth group. His PHASE is the reason I went to youth (before college that is), and under his leadership, the youth bonded, more than any WDF youth group had in while. I thank God for Bro. Jonathan's time with the youth, and I know everything happens for a reason.

I want to congratulate Mr. Tim and Mrs. Twila and I hope they have much success with the youth group, too. :)

Thanks Bro. Jonathan! I know the youth group is sad to see you step down. I'm praying for you.

-AmberMarie

p.s. Wow. I kinda made this sound like he's dying or something. Oops. He's not! Just stepping down and, for the millionth time, he will be missed. :)

Oops....

Okay, so somehow I managed to miss the entire month of May. And do you know what I did the entire month of May, with the exception of finals the first week and a half? Absolutely NOTHING! Oh, well. I don't really have anything to say, I just didn't want the few who do care to think I'd abandoned them. I'm still here. :)

-AmberMarie :)

It's almost over...

So, there are only 3 more days of spring break left, and this leaves me with thoughts of the end of this semester. I literally have 6 days of school left. I have 3 days of classes from May 2-4. Then I have 2 days of finals before the weekend. The next week, I only have one exam on Tuesday, and I will officially be finished with my freshman year of college.
I'm so excited! I just hope I get a job, so I'm not at home ALL summer long. lol :)

Is it spring break yet??

ok. So, I don't know if I'm just in a crappy mood, but this week has sucked and it won't get any better until I'm home tomorrow afternoon. I had an art test yesterday. I don't think it went too bad, but the math and psychology tests I had today are a completely different story. I'm am tired of this semester, and I'm not only ready for spring break, I'm ready for summer! I want to be finished with freshman year, and just move the freak on. There are a lot of things that happened this semester that I just want to ignore, forget about, and move on with my life.

-sigh-

I don't know what's wrong with me...lol

I think it's finally sinking in...

I only have 2 weeks of school left before spring break. And after spring break I have a week and a half of my freshman year of college left. That's 4 1/2 weeks until I'm a SOPHOMORE in COLLEGE! This is crazy. Where did this year go? I think I finally feel like a college student. At first college wasn't all that different. I mean, yeah, I actually had to go to classes and I wasn't in my pjs all day, but it was about the same workload and difficulty as home-schooling in high school. But now, looking at my schedule for next semester, I feel like I'm in for a more challenging semester. And, wait for it, I might be rushing and joining a sorority! It sounds like a fun way to make new friends, and find other people with the same interests. I know sororities have a certain connotation attached to them, but I know some girls in the different sororities, and after talking to them, the sororities seem like a big family more than, well everything everyone assumes a sorority is. So, yeah, I think I'm finally realizing I'm in college and I'm an adult and I am doing what's best and what's right for me. :)

Peace!
-Amber

Humans vs. Zombies Rules! :)

I was bored, so I finally sat down and adapted the rules so the youth group can play.

Humans vs. Zombies Rules

*adapted for PHASE for Freestyle Fridays*

Overview:

Humans vs. Zombies is a game of tag. All players begin as humans, except for one player who is selected at random to be the “original” zombie. The “original” tags humans and turns them into zombies who can then start tagging humans.

Objectives:

·         The ZOMBIES win when all of the humans have been turned into zombies.

·         The HUMANS win when all of the zombies have been killed.

Equipment:

·         Bandana: worn on arm if human; worn on head if zombie (REQUIRED. This is used to distinguish humans from zombies.)

·         Nerf gun: used to kill zombies (OPTIONAL. However, you will not be able to kill zombies without one. Rest assured that you can still survive as a human without one.)

·         Balled socks: used to stun zombies (RECOMMENDED. Use old worn out socks with holes in them. Roll them into a ball. Simple and cheap.)

Safe Zones:

Areas, such as bathrooms, are areas where game play is forbidden. The safe zones will be determined by the leaders prior to the beginning of the game.

Safety Rules:

1.      No realistic looking weapons.

2.      Darts must not hurt on contact. *

3.      Safe Zones are just that, SAFE. NO game play in those areas. NO exceptions.

* If you are unsure, test by shooting a dart on bare skin at point-blank range. If it hurts, DON’T use it.

Human Rules:

Stunning a zombie: Humans may stun a zombie by hitting them with a sock or shooting them with a dart. The zombie will be stunned for one minute, allowing the human to get away. The minute starts once the human has retrieved the darts shot at the zombie. Humans are expected to retrieve their darts immediately after stunning the zombie.

When tagged by a zombie: A human must be firmly touched by the zombie to be changed. The human instantly becomes a zombie, moves bandana from arm to head, and may begin catching humans.

Bandana: Must be on human’s arm at all times until you are changed into a zombie. NO EXCEPTIONS! If you remove your bandana, you are out of the game.

Nerf guns and socks: for HUMAN use  ONLY!

Zombie Rules:

Getting stunned: If a zombie is hit by a Nerf dart or sock, the zombie is stunned for one minute and may NOT tag whoever shot them while stunned. When stunned, the zombie is frozen in its spot (like freeze tag). The zombie cannot interact in the game while stunned. If zombie is hit by darts three separate times, the zombie dies. Socks CANNOT kill zombies.

Dying: If a zombie is shot with a Nerf dart on three separate occasions, the zombie dies and is out of the game for good.* The dead may not interfere with the game. (Trust me, it’s just as fun to watch.)

Tagging humans: A tag is a firm touch to a human’s arm, leg, or back. *

Bandana: Must be on zombie’s head at all times until you die. NO EXCEPTIONS! If you remove your bandana, you are out of the game.

* If there is a disagreement as to whether a human was really tagged or a zombie was really killed, players are expected to work it out. Some options are playing rock, paper, scissors or asking a ref if it was a fair tag or kill.

Refs:

Because there are rules to be followed for the game to go smoothly, it is recommended that there are some adults to moderate. The adults will be responsible for making sure, if a human is fairly tagged, that the human becomes a zombie, and if a zombie is fairly killed, the zombie exits the game.

I've been thinking....

I know for those of you who know me, those might be the scariest words you've ever heard (or in this case read), but I'm serious. You know what I've been thinking? I've been thinking (I can see you cringing!! lol), I've been thinking that Shrek was right. "Shrek was right."??? What ever do you mean?? Well, let me tell you.

Shrek said that ogres were like onions; they have layers. Well, what I've been thinking is that people have layers. Now, I know that this is not a new concept. Not only did Bro. Jonathan just talk about that a few weeks ago, but I am also learning about Freud in Psych 101, and he had a theory about the layers of our conscious.

Now, I'm not necessarily talking about the layers of our conscious. I'm talking about the layers of our personality in regards to what we show to certain people. (For those of you in the youth group, you know that's what Bro. Jonathan was talking about.)

If you've read my last few posts, you know that I've been ranting about two people that I consider to be my "best" friends. Well, I've been thinking (There are those scary words again!!) that I don't know if I can call them my "best" friends. Now, before you flip out because you are thinking a million different things about what I mean by that, let me explain. I don't know if I can call them my "best" friends because they don't know me. The real, true me anyway, or my id according to Freud. They know a lot of things that other people who are my "just" friends and my former "best" friends would never guess in a million years, but compared to what I know about myself, and even compared to what other sets of "best" friends know about each other, they really don't know anything.

I have so many layers that it makes me wonder if I have a problem. I mean honestly, I don't know if I could count how many layers, or I guess I could call them faces, I have. I feel weird admitting that, but it's kind of a relief. It feels good to admit that I am not the same person with everyone. I know there are a select few who have seen more than one face, but most only know one.

Recently, I have been tossing aside some of the faces that I have decided were unnecessary, either because the person/people know another face, or because I just don't care what those particular people think about me anymore. And while this is liberating, it also makes me feel exposed. It's almost  like saying, "Hey, I've been acting like someone different around you, but I don't feel like it anymore, so here's the "real" me, or the face I want you to see anyway."

And then there's another thing that kind of scares me, it's seems that I am very good at keeping track of which faces/layers go with which people. I'm not saying this to say that I'm proud that I can trick so many people and keep it straight. I'm actually saying that I wish that I would fail sometimes. I wish that I would screw up and reveal my true feelings to someone, accidentally, just so I wouldn't have to act anymore. It gets tiring. Pretending to be so many different versions on myself takes time and effort.

You know, I thought that once I got to college last August that I would be able to start brand new. I'd give up all of my old layers, and start off right with this new set of people. But instead of losing my old layers, I added some more. I did drop a few because I don't talk or hang out with some people, or they know another face, so some faces could retire, but I still have so many layers. If I were an onion, I'd be one huge freaking onion.

Now, it seems as though it should be easy to just come out and say, "YO! This is who I really am. I'm sorry if I'm not who you thought." But it's not. That's what would come out of my mouth, but all everyone would hear would be, "Hey! I've been lying to you since I've known you, but I still want to be friends." Would you want to be friends with someone who walked up to you and said that your friendship was based on a lie?? I know I wouldn't.

So therein lies the issue, and that's what has been consuming my thoughts for the last few days. It's pretty deep stuff, I know, but it's something I've really been trying to figure out. And I'm just guessing, but I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who had thought about this. I don't think it's something I can solve, but maybe through this reflection, I can figure out how to fix things with some people who are seeing faces that they've never seen before.

Oh, Writer's Block

I should have known, when I actually wrote the introduction to my paper 3 weeks before it was due, that I would have issues writing the rest. In the last 2 hours, I've written 67 words--three sentences--on top of the 131 word--nine sentence--introduction. So I have a grand total of 198 words, which make up 12 sentences. :P Ugh. This pretty much sucks. I guess it's back to work.

-Me :)

This is for you "No Pants"...

I wish someone would inform the public that leggings ARE NOT pants. They are leggings to be worn under dresses or long, tunic-like shirts. EMPHASIS on LONG shirts. I do not like looking at butts, which is all you see with the leggings-as-pants scenario. I don't care if you are skinny or not--although if you are on the heavier side, I don't understand why you would even think of doing such a thing--but it does not look good. It's almost like being naked, but I guess it is slightly better because if you were naked, psychologists would be making a lot more money by this point. (I guess that's good for the psychologists, but not for innocent eyes.) Ugh...

Other people's children........lol

Have a lovely day!

Was that really necessary?

So, I was quite shocked by my  Art 110 instructor this afternoon. He was lecturing about the concepts of beauty and ugliness, and he was showing us some photography by Diane Arbus. One of the photos was of a very sickly looking boy. He was all skin and bones. He had knobby knees and claw-like hands. In one of his hands he had what looked like a hand grenade. He was a mess, dirt all over, and sloppy clothes. When my instructor got to the photo, he started making fun of the boy and calling him ugly. He has no idea why the boy looks like he does. He could be plagued with some sort of disease, and he's lucky to be alive. But my instructor has no idea. I realize that his point was that not all art is beautiful, and that the boy in the picture is probably old or dead by now, but I think making fun of the boy was a little out of line. He could have kept on the topic by simply stating that the boy is obviously not the most handsome and that he looks kind of sickly. Maybe I'm blowing this out of proportion, but it was really the only picture where he literally yelled, "You're ugly!" at the picture before moving on.

I guess that's one opinion of many. And that is the purpose of this blog, giving my opinion.

I think I'm finished with my rant. :)
Have a nice day! lol

Birthday Shout Out!

This is a Birthday Shout Out to Heather! :)

Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday Heather,
Happy Birthday to you! :)

Happy Birthday Heather! Hope you have an amazing day! Wish I was at home to say it in person.

<3

Sigh...

I don't understand some people. I know it's not my job, nor am I required to. But sometimes you think you know someone so well, and they prove you completely wrong. It amazes me that some can act so well. Seriously, they should consider a career in Hollywood! Ugh.

I hate that I'm so riled up by this because it wasn't even about me. But it's not something that should have happened, and it makes me upset. I guess I'll get over it. I'm used to it. But I hope the others involved can move on too.

I guess I really have nothing else to say...