Achoo!

School, work, and a cold make for a very brain dead Amanda. Expect the usual musing post early in the week.

  For now, some cool stuff on Etsy.

Surprisingly, there are tons of these super cool sketches and prints on vintage book pages. This one is on a dictionary page, but there are some on pages from novels and refrence books. Not to mention, you can find a picture of almost anything.

These wonderfully unique pieces are not only fascinating to look at on all elevels, but they are a great conversation pieces. And at about $7-10 a piece, they are very affordable.

These pictures are offered by several Etsy sellers, but these images are from Winterberry Cottage

Birds of a Feather

"Whale" Watching

This morning I went whale watching (actually, it was more like dolphin watching since I didn't see any whales), and what an incredible experience. It was amazing getting to see these beautiful and playful animals swimming right next to our boat.

Best joke of the day: Captain - "How do you know it's a sea lion?" Me - "Because it's lion down"

What I'm thinking at 12 am.

As an English major and aspiring teacher/writer, I'm kind of obsessed with words. Language is such a magnificent invention - allowing us to share ideas, expression, and who we are as a people - and see how all of this changes throughout history.

Being such a word geek, nothing shakes me more than not being able to find enough words to express myself; to say everything that needs to be said.

When this happens out of beauty and joy, we call it awe.
When it happens out of pain and confusion, well, that can be a very terrible thing.

Music I Loving - August 2, 2010

I've always kind of though of music as being representative of the way society views itself. It is the underlying pulse behind most social gatherings, and quite literally the expressive heartbeat for anyone who sings, plays, dances, or just listens. Accordingly, the music almost always seems to reflect the desires or tone of those who enjoy it.

Here are three songs that I am really loving right now: The Dog Days are Over by Florence and the Machine, Blank White Page by Mumford and Sons, and Animals by Neon Trees. So what do my recent music choices say about me?

Lets just say it's something a little unsure, but optimistic.

It Didn't.

For several reasons, last night the poetry slam did not go down.

Actually, there are really only two reasons.
1) we thought it started at 8, and it started at 7, so by the time we got there the list had been made and people were already performing.

2) as it got later we probably could have tacked our names onto the end of the list, but it was a small crowd (a lot of people had left) and I had already decided that if I was going to do this, then I would to it full out and to an audience.

Even though I was somewhat relieved, I'm more than a little disappointed that I didn't get to get up there. I want to see what that instant feedback is really like.

I will go back there, and I will read something - eventually. It's hard to find a Wednesday that I don't have to work.

But it will happen.

I thought I Already Conquered This Beast

I'm supposed to slam tonight.

Holy crap.

For those of you who don't know, "slamming" is when you read a poem, or some other piece you have written for an audience (think coffee, berets, and snapping - and only not as steryotypical and cheesey). I have been to this coffee house's open mic night a couple times to watch, and now my best friend is making me get up there and slam.

And I am freaking out!

When I first started this blog, I was pretty nervous - even embarrassed - about posting all of my writings for the world to see, but before long I became more accustomed to it. It even started to feel a little exciting. Now look at me - I love blogging.

But there is something about getting up in front of complete strangers and actually reading something I have written. If it bombs, I will know. There's just no getting around it. I still haven't even decided what I'm going to read; every time I think I have my mind set on a poem, I practice it out loud, and I am then horrified at how it sounds audibly. Not to mention the lack of *spark*. Am I just being extremely self conscious, or have I always sucked this much?

I have no clue what I'm going to do, but I better figure it out lickedy split.
wish me luck.

Free Stuff

It's cold here.

And it's raining.

In July.

Last time I checked, I lived in Southern California. Temps should be (at the very least) in the high 80s. According to the little news blips that pop up on yahoo, New York is in the middle of a heat wave. Hey New York, want to trade??

Normally I love cold weather, but wearing Ugg boots and sweat shirts when I was hoping to be going to the beach is kind of messing with my summer.

But, you all could probably care less about my weather woes, which is why I'm hooking you guys up with a chance to win free stuff! Just head on over to http://tresorsmarche.blogspot.com/ and enter her lovely contest!

TTFN. (ta ta for now ;D )

The Rant You Probably Could Care Less About

I've been a busy bee lately.

But Amanda, it's summer, how can that be?

Two words my friends: summer session.


You see, I am extremely dedicated to transferring schools after only two years (it takes most people 3 years to aquire enough units [60] and get all of their g.e.'s out of the way). Seeing as last year was year numero uno, that means I only have one more year to get everything into place - and have to start applying to colleges in October (to which I often say "wait a second - didn't I JUST do all of that nonsense when I graduated high school?" Yes. Yes I did.)

The only way to even come close to getting enough classes done is to take summer session, which is kind of a wrench in the whole "summer vacation" thing.

Before you get tired of my whining and stop reading, hear me out.

Summer classes are 6 to 8 weeks long, where as the normal class in 14 to 16 weeks long. This means that instead of going to class 2-3 days a week for an hour and twenty minutes (per class), I go to class 2-3 days a week for three, to sometimes 3 and a half hours a day per class (the later occurring when the teacher holds us late, which happens somewhat frequently. Plus, being the nerd that I am, I like to stay and ask questions).

Now, for the most part the extended class time doesn't bother me too much, but what does is the homework. Ideally, summer classes cover the same amount of material in a shorter amount of time, which usually means piling a weeks worth of homework onto one night. Not to mention that term papers and projects, which are usually given significant class time to go over, now just sort of get lost in the mix, leaving me feeling thoroughly unprepared.

I've just started a second summer class, and I have about five hours of reading to do. Not counting researching my presentation topic and listing to online lectures/online discussion board.

And I work 5 days this week.

Ya... Go me.

While I am thankful that summer classes are offered, I wonder if the time crunch combined with the fact that it is, after all, summer is somewhat detrimental to the whole learning process. I love going to class and getting to discuss what I have learned, but with all the stress of what I have to accomplish, It really is all to easy to simply do the work, rather than care about the work.

This was a lot easier last year when I took a summer class. An intro to psych course, the class was really interesting, and something I looked forward to. But, last year Psych 1 was my only summer class, and I wasn't working - in other words, a minority in the community college world.
Sometimes people at work or school ask me how I do it all, and still manage to get relatively good grades. My answer? What else can I do? These are the cards I've been dealt, and now I have to suck it up and get it done.

We are not the geniuses, just the technicians.

One of the principle truths of human kind is that we are constantly searching for answers. Another truth is that every culture, ethnicity and religion has their own idea of what the "big questions" really are, and their own perspective on the solutions to these questions. With so many people focusing their energy on answers of the universe, God, true love, human purpose, and every other school of thought that can be found printed on an over priced notebook - we forget why we began searching in the first place. We treat all of these questions like a highly complex math equation (with many groups logically viewing it in their own terms), and regard the answers as a holy grail of power - just look at how many wars have been fought over which school of thought gets to write the book on human existence. But, at the heart of all these questions and answers is very simply, humanity. Our confused sense of self is something that can no more be transcribed onto paper than "true love" can be to some one who has never felt it, or the color red to someone who has never seen. But here is the kicker folks; the one last truth of human kind: we will always try. While we may never be able to find or agree on all of our most important questions (and maybe we are not meant to), it is a process that is unavoidably and undoubtedly human. All of us feel deep down somewhere that these questions are vital to our existence, and that the knowledge will bring us comfort and purpose. Really, the answers have nothing to do with it. It's the act of learning.