Boring summer

Ok, so we're working on the internship. Almost there... It better come soon. I am tired of doing housework. Our basement flooded so I spent last week pulling up carpet and this week I was helping pull paneling and strand board off the walls. Now it's been determined that we're going to do drywall and insulation our selves. Oh joy. (I shouldn't complain too much; it's going to be my dad more than me, but I'll be doing quite a bit.)

I got my grades for the semester and did a lot better than I thought I would. I got three B+'s and one A. Maybe having breakdowns makes me do better academically, that seems to be a growing trend.

Since no one responded to my trivia contest, I think we will try it again at some other time. For those of you remotely interested, here are the answers:

1. Colombo
2. Liverpool, England
3. Boston Red Sox
4. James Garfield
5. John Lennon

That's about it. Kind of low right now, I've had a rough couple of days. I feel so screwed up inside and I hate that it's out of my control. I wish I was better.

Thanks for reading, whoever you are.

Charlie Brown

Movie Review #2

"National Treasure 2: The Book of Secrets"

I like the concept of the NT films because I love history and its little intricacies, and I enjoy puzzles and ciphers as well. This plot was a bit more pliable than the first one, but it was really exciting and the adventure scenes aren't too shabby at all.

3.5 out of 5 stars
Good enough for a second viewing

Movie Review #1

"Juno"

This is a really well done indie film. Similar to films like "No Country for Old Men", it's given more credit than it's necessarily due. But it's very enjoyable and well-intentioned. I think the plot kind of dissolved at the end but it was still good

4 out of 5 stars
I wouldn't buy it but I'd watch it again.

Trivia Contest

In light of reading Ken Jenning's book, I am going to start my own mini trivia contest. I will ask 5 questions a week, hide the comments, then post the answers the following week. We'll play cumulative scoring, so if you only get one one week and five the next you're still good. Being a poor college student, I can't afford prizes, so you'll have to live with having the pride of winning Charlie Brown's Trivia Contest.

First round (we'll make them easy):

1. What is the capital of Sri Lanka?
2. Where were the Beatles founded?
3. Who won the 2007 World Series?
4. Who was the 20th president?
5. Who did Fidel Castro refer to as a revolutionary on the 20th anniversary of his death?

Pretty simple, I think. Try to answer them sans Google. It's more fun that way.

Book Review #2

Brainiac
Ken Jennings

I have been waiting to read this book for a really long time. I am a trivia nut, and Ken Jennings is one of my trivia idols.His book reflects so much of my daily life, absorbing random information, always wanting to throw in an extra fact. There's something about it that's addicting and keeps us wanting more.

4.5 out 5
I would buy it.

Book Review #1

Rainbow Boys
Alex Sanchez

This is actually a young adult but I didn't realize that when i bought it. It's about three teens in high school, two gay and one bisexual. it chronicles one semester of their lives and what they go through at the school. I enjoyed this book because I was able to identify with different elements of all three main characters. I am bisexual myself, so it was nice to see someone struggle with the same issues I have, trying to figure out how to identify yourself and how to display yourself to the group.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Not a book i'd run out and buy, but worth the $2.50 I paid for it.

Summer Break Begins

So I am home for the summer, and what is the first thing I do? Pull up tackstrip. Our basement flooded earlier this week. Like sopping wet, carpet needs to be replaced, flooding. Ah, well.

No word on the internship yet. Hopefully soon, I really need to make money this summer.
I apparently have less to say than I thought. Finals went well (I hope). I get my grades next weekend. Stuff for England is falling in to place. Everything is going to start happening really quickly now. I'm excited, but a little nervous.

This year was hard. But it made me realize just how strong I am. If I could make it through that, I could make it through almost anything. I know I keep talking about all that I went throuh, but it really had a big effect on every aspect of my life.

Anyways, I'm going to post my first book review right after this. I'll do what I did last summer on my old blog: review every book i read and every movie I see. It's a good way for me to keep track of what I do over the summer. Maybe you'll find a book you want to read!

All right, that's all.

Time to update again/Recap

Okay, sorry for another pathetic post, but there isn't much to post when things are actually going well. I finished one paper today that is getting turned in on Monday, then I have one more paper and one exam on Thursday and that's it. My junior year will be over. I won't be back at school for 7 months.

There's a lot of weird emotions going on right now. It's weird feeling better, because there's no longer a burden, something to fixate on. It's this "what now" feeling, trying to figure out what to do with the rest of your mind. Once this becomes more normal, I'll feel more normal, but I still feel kind of out of sorts.

Summer's coming and hopefully that will give me time to make sense of this year. Just to recap this disastrous year:

First day of classes- My grandmother passed away
Late Sept.-I begin to feel depressed
Mid-Oct.- I crash for the first time, doctor contemplates sending me home
November- Diagnosed with bipolar disorder
December-on 6 medications at this time
January- 3 episodes while in Vietnam
February-new medicine, begin to slightly unspool
April-Psychotic episode, sent home on temp. medical leave (left on Wed. , returned on Mon)
May-finally beginning to balance out

Now the positives:
-Met C, one of the greatest people ever
-Realized how much people care about me
-Went to Vietnam
-Went to Boston
-Went to Atlanta
-Accepted to Student Congress in KY
-Finished the year alive

As C told me, "You were in hell. This was hell." It certainly was. But I made it. Not many people in the same situation do; in fact, very few people are in the same situation. May next year be better, because it sure can't get any worse!

Next, off to England!

Quiet

So traffic to the blog has been slow. Doesn't help that I kind of killed all my contacts when I shot down my old blog. I didn't want to do that, but I had to for multiple reasons. Mainly because you don't want the Dean of Students reading your blog.

Life in general has been relatively quiet for me. Nothing bad since last Monday which is good. I'm just kind of floating. It's like my adviser says, the meds they give you cut you off at the knees and they cut you off at the shoulders. I've accepted what used to be okay for me is now good. I can't go back to the same levels I used to be at; I need to adjust to where I am now.

I don't know why I'm posting right now. I'm in a kind of odd state right now, though it's not unusual. I've been socializing more, which is good, but I still feel lonely. It's the end of the semester and the work is overflowing. It will be done soon, and then I start my internship.

On the upside I got accepted to this Student Congress for statesmanship in Kentucky, which I'm psyched about. It starts on my birthday (21!), but all the costs are covered. It sounds really cool.
My mom was all like, "we have to celebrate earlier. It's a big birthday." I told her, "Mom, it's only big if you're going to drink. And I'm not a drinker. It's not that big; it's not like I can get my license or anything" (This is even funnier when you know I am 20 and don't have a driver's license.)

Sigh.

Now I am kind of rambling, but this is my blog, and I will do as I please. Stop reading if you want, I don't care. This is a catharsis for me, the only one that makes me feel like I can get my feelings out.


Okay.

Maybe I'll stop here. I ran out of things to talk about. If anyone wants to write a paper on Joe Cannon and Newt Gingrich let me know. Hahaha.

Feel free to comment. I like comments. Comments make me happy. Hint, hint. If this were any less subtle, it would be closer to your face than the screen already is.

Wow. Humor is lacking tonight. Time to shut up now.

Good night, Gracie.