Routine

It's funny how your whole life can change in a day, yet your day to day routine can change very little with it. I completely uprooted myself, changed my life, where I live, and yet, my routine in the mornings and nights have stayed the same. I still go straight for the coffee pot when I get up in the morning, then take a shower, get dressed and ready, and proceed with my day. At night, I still stay holed up in my room (though now for different reasons), occasionally venturing out to watch TV and eat, and I still stay up late.

However, while my day to day morning and night routines have not changed, the rest of it has. Unlike college where a person goes to same classes multiple times a week, I only go to each of my classes once a week. Each day is a different class, different professor, different subject, and while that is routine for the week, it is not routine for every day, and for me, that is a good thing. Honestly, if I had to take the same classes multiple times a week, I think I would go nuts from the monotony of it.

Yet, each night after class, I do the same thing. I do my work, though I work on a different subject almost every night, I usually do spend the same nights week to week working on the same subject. And sometimes, I do spend more than one night on a subject. I do have somewhat of a routine here; I fell into one here the same way I fell into one back home. It is just a different one, and it varies a bit day to day, which is good for me since I hate doing the same thing day in and day out. Routine is nice, but variation is even nicer.

25 Life Lessons

Yesterday was my twenty-fifth birthday, and as I turn a quarter of century old and prepare for a huge change in my life, I cannot help but think about the life lessons that I will take with me. So, in honor of these major life events, I decided to write about these important life lessons I. I have no doubt that there is a vast amount of lessons yet to be learned, but in the meantime, here are those 25 lessons that I will be taking with me (in no particular order):

1. Be yourself. People will love/like you for who you are.

2. Have confidence and be confident. It shows.

3. Do not be afraid to love, to risk your heart and take a chance. It is one of the scariest things you will ever do, but it can end up being one of the best things ever.

4. Don't be afraid to ask questions. It is better to ask questions and get it right in the end, then to mess up because you were too afraid to ask.

5. New experiences are great, but don't forget that the ones in your past are where you learned most of your lessons.

6. The same can be said for friends. Make new friends, but don't forget the old. They helped you get to where you are today.

7. Speaking of friends... "Friends are like bras: close to your heart and there for support." Lean on them when you need, be there for them when they need. A true best friend is one of a kind.

8. Take care of yourself, inside and out. It is important, more so than you know.

9. Laugh. Whatever happens in life, do not forget to laugh, including at yourself. "Carry laughter with you wherever you go."

10. Do not forget what your passion is. Follow it, live it.

11. Take responsibility for your actions and words.

12. Forgiveness is not for other person, but yourself. Forgive, but you do not have to forget.

13. You are stronger than you think. Much more so.

14. Work hard. Only you can get what you want.

15. We all make mistakes, we are human. "Mistakes are part of being human. Appreciate your mistakes for what they are: precious life lessons that can only be learned the hard way."

16. Trust yourself. Trust your instincts, and what you believe.

17. Enjoy the simple things in life. They are more beautiful, and most times more fleeting, than you realize.

18. Live in the here and now. The past is gone, and the future is yet to come, but now is already here.

19. Slow down long enough to notice the people and things around you.

20. Do not act like a child, but do be child-like.

21. Time does heal all wounds, so give yourself (and time), time.

22. Find something to believe in.

23. Do not take yourself too seriously. No one else does.

24. If we all threw our problems into one big pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d grab ours back.

25. Life is what you make of it, so go out, enjoy it, and make the best of it.

The Need for....Change

Every so often in life, I get this urge to change something. Nothing big, just something to shake things up, make life a little different, a little exciting. It does not have to be something that I do to myself, but it has to shake my life up a little bit. It does not have to be anything major, either, but it has to be fairly substantial; nothing like going out and buying a new pair of shoes. It can be as simple as (another) piercing, cutting my hair, or buying a new mattress (which I did not do). But it has to be something.

Lately, I have been having this urge. I have this desire to do something, make my life a little more exciting, because you know, my life is not already exciting enough (with all the upcoming and past events, holidays, and moving). Really, I do have enough excitement in my life right now. There are (or were) the loads of Jewish holidays this month, next month I have two bridal showers (one of which I am helping to plan), a bachelorette party (which I am planning), a wedding, preparing to move, and some other things I am sure I am forgetting. So why in the world do I feel the need to bring some more excitement to my life? I do not have the time, energy, or patience for much else at the moment, yet, the desire is still there. And it is going to stay there. This is one time in my life I do not need any more change or excitement.

My Last Hurrah (a.k.a. Niagara Falls)

The second to last weekend in August I went to Niagara Falls, on a vacation with my best friend. We went to the Canadian side (and, according to our shuttle driver, we chose well as there is nothing on the New York side). Months ago, when we were originally discussing taking a vacation, we talked about going to Las Vegas, but we ended up in Niagara Falls because of an event that took place there that weekend.* 

We had an absolute blast! We met some very awesome people, partied like it was 1999, and had a boatload of laughs. It was one of the best vacations I have ever been on. And best of all, my best friend's dream came true--she met her idol. What are the odds that in your lifetime you will get to meet yours? Yeah, exactly. Slim. But she did (and she has the picture to prove it!)! We also saw some great skateboarding tricks, awesome motocross biking, went gambling for the first time (and lost), and of course, saw the beautiful Niagara Falls.

As I begin law school in January and will probably not be going on any vacations for quite awhile, I began declaring this trip "My Last Hurrah." I figure it will be the last time for at least the next three years that I will be able to do anything like it, and I am so glad I was able to do it, and that I had such a great time. Now I can go off to law school without looking back and thinking, "I wish I had done that before I left," because I did, and I have an indefinite amount of memories to carry me through until next time.



*If you want to know what event, look here (and don't judge :-P ).

The Optimistic One

The essence of optimism is that it takes no account of the present, but it is a source of inspiration, of vitality and hope where others have resigned; it enables a man to hold his head high, to claim the future for himself and not to abandon it to his enemy. 

-Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Optimist: A man who is chased up a tree by a lion but enjoys the scenery anyway.

-Walter Winchell

A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty. 

-Winston Churchill

I am the optimist in my family. My mom, my brother, and even my father, are pessimists. My aunt, my boss, and best friend are pessimists as well. I am surrounded by negativity on a fairly constant basis. Sometimes it amazes me that I am so optimistic. But I am. And I thank G-d for that. It enables me to see the bright side in just about anything and everything. Even in the smallest, most trivial situations, I see the bright side, while most everyone else I know is focusing on the negative. 

Sometimes I honestly do not understand how people can look at the world, the people around them, and especially themselves in such a negative way. To me, there is always a positive. It is not easy hearing their negative remarks either, about others, themselves, or anything, and it eventually gets to me. It frustrates me, sometimes quite a bit. There are times where I simply cannot stand to hear it and have to walk away before I say something hurtful to them about it. And there is only so much I can say to them, so much I can do, and only so many times I can try to put a positive spin on things, before I just give up. 

I know I cannot change the way they think; only they can do that, and they have to want to do it. But, for those out there wondering why being an optimist is so great (other than the fact that looking at the world in a brighter light just makes things better and easier), here are a few reasons to be one: better health, longer lives, less stress, persistence (we do not give up easily), and better emotional health. Those sound like some positive outcomes, right? Now if I could just get my family and friends to see the bright side of this...

Autographs

The other day my mom told me that my aunt found my grandmother's "Autograph" book. Later at home, I got the chance to look at it. It is a book from my grandmother's grammar school days, with "autographs" on each page. It is almost like a yearbook, but without pictures. Actually, without anything from a yearbook except for the last few pages that classmates scribble all over, signing them and writing messages. Each of her friends signed a page, mostly writing a poem or something witty. I am not sure if what they wrote is original or taken from elsewhere, but I copied the ones I liked.



Here today, gone tomorrow,
So do many joys depart.
But the gladness of your friendship, 
Lives forever in my heart. 




You asked me to write, 
What shall it be?
Three little words, 
"Think of me"




May your life be as bright as Broadway at night, 
As smooth as a Rolls Royce without flat tires. 




Isn't love a funny thing?
It's somewhat like a toy
If you want your heart broken, 
Just give it to any boy. 




When you have the children, 
One, two, three
Name the tallest one
For me. 




May your life be like a deck of cards,
When you're in love, hearts.
When you're engaged, diamonds. 
When you're married, clubs.
When you're dead, spades.




When twilight draws it's curtains,
And pins them with a star,
I hope you will remember me, 
Although I may be far. 



A ring is round and has no end, 
And so is my love for you, dear friend




In your chain of friends
Consider me a link, 
But not a missing one.



I wish you Dempsey health, 
Rockefellers' wealth, and
Shakespeare knowledge. 




If you see a cat in a tree,
pull it's tail and think of me. 




As the ripples flow, 
the ship at sea may roll. 



I write here not for beauty, 
I write her not for fame, 
I write to be remembered,
So here I sign my name. 




I wish you wealth, 
I wish you health, 
I wish you Rockefellers' gelt. 




Health to make you happy, 
Wealth to make you blest, 
That is what I wish you, 
Leave to G-d the rest. 




I thought, 
I thought, 
I thought in vain, 
Now I've decided to write my name. 




Roses are red, 
Shoes are tan, 
Bananas are yellow, 
And so's your old man. 



Sugar is sugar
And salt is salt
If you don't get a sheik, 
It's your own damn fault. 




Ashes to ashes,
Dust to dust,
If the bughouse don't get you, 
Then Hyman must. 




Look into the future,
Remember the past, 
Remember the fun, 
Remember the fun in Mrs. Wilson's class. 




Leaves may wither, 
Roses may die, 
Friends may forsake, 
But never will I. 



Friendship is a golden chain, 
That binds two friends together, 
And if you do not break this chain, 
We'll be two friends forever. 




There is a golden chain, 
That binds two hearts together, 
If you will never break this chain, 
We will be friends forever.




When you are in the parlor, 
And your man is by your side, 
Be careful when you kiss him, 
For his mustache may be dyed.




When you are married and have twins, 
Remember me for the safety pins. 




May your life be like an arithmetic:
Love added,
Sorrows subtracted,
Friends multiplied, 
Joys undivided. 




When day is done, 
And shadows creep,
Think of me, 
When you go to sleep.



Yours Till
(I am not sure what these mean, or if they have any meaning, but on some of the autograph pages, people wrote a "Yours Till" before signing their name. Below are all of them.)

Yours till I can quit talking.


Yours till the Statue of Liberty has twins.


Yours till angels play jazz.


Yours till misers part with their money.


Yours till the kitchen sinks.


Yours till the Eskimos wear evening gowns.


Yours till angel play St. Louis Blues.


Yours till fathers give their sons good allowances.


Yours until we walk our heads.

Wasting Away

I hate to waste things, anything, especially if it is something I paid for (or something my mom paid for). In fact, I will hold onto something for years that I have not touched in forever because I cannot bear to throw it out. These things I hold onto are not anything special either. They are nothing sentimental, or anything I have hopes of using again. In fact, these are things I know I will never use again.

Like my nail polish for example. I have quite the collection of nail polish, most of the colors I use (or will use when I have nails again), but a few colors that I do not use and have not used in quite awhile. But I cannot seem to throw them out. Or my makeup. I have mascara that I bought a year ago and have only used a handful of times. Yet, it is still sitting in my makeup bag in my drawer, along with four or five other makeup items I no longer use. I also have quite a collection of pens in two of my desk drawers.

And it is not as if I do not go through my things, sorting them, giving some away; I do, quite often in fact. I am not a pack rat. I hate clutter and have no problem giving things away, things I know will be used by someone else (like clothes and shoes). But I cannot throw things away knowing that this is it, that they will never be used again, knowing that they were wasted. I hate it. At the same time though, they are just wasting away in my possession, so there really is no difference, is there?

Therapeutic Blogging

When I first started my blog about four years ago, I did because I loved writing (and still do) and wanted a place to write whatever I wanted without being censored. It also allowed me to pass the time and make myself think, make my brain work, instead of just being numb from boredom. I also liked it because it was fairly unknown to the world and most people did not have one. (I am weird like that; I like having new, interesting things most people do not have or know about yet.) It became my hobby. I wrote whatever I wanted, whatever came to mind. It was great; I loved it.

In the last year to year and a half though, my blog has been more than just a blog. I no longer write random musings, thoughts, etc. I write as an outlet. It allows me to sort through my thoughts, get them down, organize them, and then go back later to look it over and think about it some more. It allows me to work through whatever it is that needs to be, whatever it is that is on my mind or bothering me. In a way, it is like therapy. And the best part about it: it's free.

The Husband Store

A brand new department store has just opened in New York City that sells husbands.

When women go to choose a husband, they have to follow the following instructions:

You may visit this store ONLY ONCE! There are 6 floors and the value of the products increase as you go up. You may choose any item from a particular floor, or may choose to go to the next floor, but you CANNOT go back down except to exit the building.

One day a woman goes into the store and rather nervously starts climbing the stairs.

When she gets to the 1st floor a sign on the door reads:
Floor 1: These men have jobs.
She thinks, "I can do better than that" and keeps going up.

The 2nd floor sign reads:
Floor 2: These men have jobs and love kids.
But she goes up another floor.

The 3rd floor sign reads:

Floor 3: These men have jobs, love kids and are extremely good looking.
"Wow," she thinks, but feels compelled to keep going.

She goes to the 4th floor and the sign reads:
Floor 4: These men have jobs, love kids, are extremely good looking and help with the housework.
"Oh, mercy me!" she exclaims, "I can hardly stand it!"

Still, she goes to the 5th floor and the sign reads:
Floor 5: These men have jobs, love kids, are extremely good looking, help withthe housework and have a strong romantic streak.

She is so tempted to stay, but she goes to the 6th floor and the sign reads:
Floor 6: You are visitor 31,456,012 to this floor.
There are no men on this floor.
This floor exists solely as proof that women are impossible to please.
Thank you for shopping at the Husband Store.

To avoid gender bias charges, the store's owner opens a Wives store just across the street.
The 1st first floor has wives that love sex.
The 2nd floor has wives that love sex and have money.
The 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th floors have never been visited.

*I wish I could take credit for this, but I cannot. I found this while reading another blog. It can be found here.

Anti-Social

Some people might call me anti-social. I hate running into people I know (except good friends), anytime, anywhere. In fact, I purposely avoid people I know if I see them somewhere. If I see them coming towards me, I will turn around and go the other way. I hate the small talk, the pretending to care what is going on in their life, what they are up to, and them doing the same to me. I hate it. I have not seen them in who-knows-how-long, and if neither one of us cared enough to seek the other out beforehand and catch up, it goes without saying that we definitely do not care now. I do not even care enough to stop and get whatever gossip I can. It is all so fake. So why bother? Why pretend?

I do not do this to everyone, though. There are certain people I do not mind running into, but those people are few and far between. So unless I see those people when I am out, I will be doing my best to avoid others. However, if you see me and talk to me, I will not be mean; I will talk to you, but do not expect it to be a long conversation like one would have with a friend. It will be short and sweet. So if you see me, and feel the need to talk, go ahead, but you will probably see the back of my head as I run in the opposite direction.

Snow Days

The first fall of snow is not only an event, it is a magical event.  You go to bed in one kind of a world and wake up in another quite different, and if this is not enchantment then where is it to be found?  ~J.B. Priestley

Remember when we were younger and we could not wait for snow days? Waking up in the morning, seeing all the white on the ground and the white that continued to fall in thick, heavy flakes, and praying to G-d that at some point in the next hour, you would hear the beautiful words, "School is canceled today" And when you finally heard the news, you would heave a huge sigh of relief. No school, playing outside in the snow for hours on end, watching tv during the day, and hot cocoa with marshmallows. Was there a better way to spend the day? 

I remember those days, maybe not all that well, but I still remember them. Where I live though, we rarely get snow days. We are the Midwest, we know how to handle snow (unlike some other states and cities that cancel everything when they get an inch of snow). Heck, it is normal for us to be covered in inches of snow throughout winter. Nowadays though, I no longer pray for snow days; I pray for days without snow, or at least a minimal amount. 

Yet, despite my hatred of snow (and slush and ice), I absolutely love the first snowfall of winter. The first time the snow falls, I just stand by the window and look outside, taking it in and wondering at the beauty of it. There is just something so beautiful about it, and not just when it falls, but when it covers everything and I look outside and it is all white. There is just something so beautiful, so magical about it. 

A week later though, I am ready for spring and some warm weather.

My Escape

Remember how in this post I talked about escaping, but not always being able to do so? Well, guess what? I am! I get to escape! It is not for very long; only about eight days, including travel time, but I am not complaining. I get to get away for a bit, something that I really need at this point.

Where to you ask? I am off to Israel, the Holy Land, the land of my forefathers and grandfather, the land my boyfriend is currently living in. So not only do I get my escape, but I get to see him. If you ask me, it's a win-win. Oh, and the bonus, I get to go to Madrid! I have a connection, both ways, in the city. I probably will not be able to actually see the city as my connections are about two hours apart (which basically allows for transferring, security, and checking baggage in on my next flight), but hey, at least I get to say I was in Madrid!

But do not worry my dear readers. I am not leaving for another week and a half, on November 24th. So you will still have me (and my posts) until then. (Also, I am taking my computer, so I can blog from there, if I have time.) In the meantime, I am busy preparing for my trip and counting down the days until I go.

101 Ways to Annoy People

A friend of mine recently commented of how she started to read my blog, but couldn't continue as it was too sad. I thought about it and realized that she had a point. As of late, my blog has kind of been a downer (Debbie Downer anyone?), so, in honor of her, I am reposting what I think is one of my funniest posts, and just one of the funniest things ever. (I wish I could take credit for it, but I cannot.) Enjoy!

1. Sing the Batman theme incessantly. 2. In the memo field of all your checks, write "for sensual massage." 3. Specify that your drive-through order is "to go." 4. Learn Morse code, and have conversations with friends in public consisting entirely of "Beeeep Bip Bip Beeep Bip..." 5. If you have a glass eye, tap on it occasionally with your pen while talking to others. 6. Amuse yourself for endless hours by hooking a camcorder to your TV and then pointing it at the screen. 7. Speak only in a "robot" voice. 8. Push all the flat Lego pieces together tightly. 9. Start each meal by conspicuously licking all your food, and announce that this is so no one will "swipe your grub". 10. Leave the copy machine set to reduce 200%, extra dark, 17 inch paper, 98 copies. 11. Stomp on little plastic ketchup packets. 12. Sniffle incessantly. 13. Leave your turn signal on for fifty miles. 14. Name your dog "Dog." 15. Insist on keeping your car windshield wipers running in all weather conditions "to keep them tuned up." 16. Reply to everything someone says with "that's what YOU think." 17. Claim that you must always wear a bicycle helmet as part of your "astronaut training." 18. Declare your apartment an independent nation, and sue your neighbors upstairs for "violating your airspace". 19. Forget the punchline to a long joke, but assure the listener it was a "real hoot." 20. Follow a few paces behind someone, spraying everything they touch with Lysol. 21. Practice making fax and modem noises. 22. Highlight irrelevant information in scientific papers and "cc:" them to your boss. 23. Make beeping noises when a large person backs up. 24. Invent nonsense computer jargon in conversations, and see if people play along to avoid the appearance of ignorance. 25. Erect an elaborate network of ropes in your backyard, and tell the neighbors you are a "spider person." 26. Finish all your sentences with the words "in accordance with the prophesy." 27. Wear a special hip holster for your remote control. 28. Do not add any inflection to the end of your sentences, producing awkward silences with the impression that you'll be saying more any moment. 29. Signal that a conversation is over by clamping your hands over your ears. 30. Disassemble your pen and "accidentally" flip the ink cartridge across the room. 31. Give a play-by-play account of a persons every action in a nasal Howard Cosell voice. 32. Holler random numbers while someone is counting. 33. Adjust the tint on your TV so that all the people are green, and insist to others that you "like it that way." 34. Drum on every available surface. 35. Staple papers in the middle of the page. 36. Ask 1-800 operators for dates. 37. Produce a rental video consisting entirely of dire FBI copyright warnings. 38. Sew anti-theft detector strips into peoples backpacks. 39. Hide dairy products in inaccessible places. 40. Write the surprise ending to a novel on its first page. 41. Set alarms for random times. 42. Order a side of pork rinds with your filet mignon. 43. Instead of Gallo, serve Night Train next Thanksgiving. 44. Publicly investigate just how slowly you can make a "croaking" noise. 45. Honk and wave to strangers. 46. Dress only in clothes colored Hunters Orange. 47. Change channels five minutes before the end of every show. 48. Tape pieces of "Sweating to the Oldies" over climactic parts of rental movies. 49. Wear your pants backwards. 50. Decline to be seated at a restaurant, and simply eat their complimentary mints by the cash register. 51. Begin all your sentences with "ooh la la!" 52. ONLY TYPE IN UPPERCASE. 53. only type in lowercase. 54. dont use any punctuation either 55. Buy a large quantity of orange traffic cones and reroute whole streets. 56. Pay for your dinner with pennies. 57. Tie jingle bells to all your clothes. 58. Repeat everything someone says, as a question. 59. Write "X - BURIED TREASURE" in random spots on all of someone's roadmaps. 60. Inform everyone you meet of your personal Kennedy assassination/UFO/ O.J Simpson conspiracy theories. 61. Repeat the following conversation a dozen times: "Do you hear that?" "What?" "Never mind, its gone now." 62. Light road flares on a birthday cake. 63. Wander around a restaurant, asking other diners for their parsley. 64. Leave tips in Bolivian currency. 65. Demand that everyone address you as "Conquistador." 66. At the laundromat, use one dryer for each of your socks. 67. When Christmas caroling, sing "Jingle Bells, Batman smells" until physically restrained. 68. Wear a cape that says "Magnificent One." 69. As much as possible, skip rather than walk. 70. Stand over someone's shoulder, mumbling, as they read. 71. Pretend your computer's mouse is a CB radio, and talk to it. 72. Try playing the William Tell Overture by tapping on the bottom of your chin. When nearly done, announce "no, wait, I messed it up," and repeat. 73. Drive half a block. 74. Inform others that they exist only in your imagination. 75. Ask people what gender they are. 76. Lick the filling out of all the Oreos, and place the cookie parts back. 77. Cultivate a Norwegian accent. If Norwegian, affect a Southern drawl. 78. Routinely handcuff yourself to furniture, informing the curious that you don't want to fall off "in case the big one comes". 79. Deliberately hum songs that will remain lodged in co-workers brains, such as "Feliz Navidad", the Archies "Sugar" or the Mr. Rogers theme song. 80. While making presentations, occasionally bob your head. like a parakeet. 81. Lie obviously about trivial things such as the time of day. 82. Leave your Christmas lights up and lit until September. 83. Change your name to "AaJohn Aaaaasmith" for the great glory of being first in the phone book. Claim it's a Hawaiian name, and demand that people pronounce each "a." 84. Sit in your front yard pointing a hair dryer at passing cars to see if they slow down. 85. Chew on pens that you've borrowed. 86. Wear a LOT of cologne. 87. Listen to 33rpm records at 45rpm speed, and claim the faster speed is necessary because of your "superior mental processing." 88. Sing along at the opera. 89. Mow your lawn with scissors. 90. At a golf tournament, chant "swing-batabatabata-suhWING-batter!" 91. Ask the waitress for an extra seat for your "imaginary friend." 92. Go to a poetry recital and ask why each poem doesn't rhyme. 93. Ask your co-workers mysterious questions, and then scribble their answers in a notebook. Mutter something about "psychological profiles." 94. Stare at static on the TV and claim you can see a "magic picture." 95. Select the same song on the jukebox fifty times. 96. Never make eye contact. 97. Never break eye contact. 98. Construct elaborate "crop circles" in your front lawn. 99. Construct your own pretend "tricorder," and "scan" people with it, announcing the results. 100. Make appointments for the 31st of September. 101. Invite lots of people to other people's parties.