Saturday, January 31, 2009

Thank you

Dear Jessica Simpson, 
Thank you for not freaking out when everyone else... well, freaked out. Thank you for not being a waif. Thank you for not flying away whenever you or someone near you sneezes. Thank you for that cute belt. (My eyes loved it and my heart leapt for joy.) Thank you for your normal body. And thank you for, at least not yet, going on a crazy diet so you can "feel better about yourself and be healthier." Jennifer Love Hewitt tried that, but we all saw right through it. 

I understand--it's fun to be thin. It's cool to snap on a size 4 without rolls or suffocation. (I'm sure a 0 would be fun, too, but I look trashy when I'm that thin.) But, to me, it's more fun to eat Greek pasta salad and pizza (both of which are currently beside me. Well, were beside me.) They are delicious and I hate to be hungry. 

So, please, Jess (may I call you that?). I'm begging you. Please stay strong. Don't let this get to you. It's not a big deal; I was really mad when it was all over the internet. If you do become a little upset, because sometimes it is hard to deal with criticism, just come visit me. Athens needs a little JSimp. No, no, it'll be GREAT. We can run 1/2 a mile, then come back to my place and eat chili, sandwiches, chicken, then go to the Ben and Jerry's store! We can laugh and sing karaoke at the Japanese restaurant. 

It would be so fun and so good for our souls. 

(Let me know if you're up to it.)

Love,
Nikki

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Where is the harmony?

I've forgotten how much I love Friends.It's just CLASSIC.

I just typed out a whole post, then decided against it.

I really like Twitter because it's my favorite part of Facebook (status updates) without any of the stupid stuff (♥ Taylor and Danielle ended their relationship, Jordan K updated "Favorite Books")! Thank you, Jillian!

Today was the Best-Worst day ever, which are actually my favorite kind of days. Here's how it went down:
Best: I got 9 hours of sleep last night.
Worst: I overslept.
Best: I got ready in record time and my makeup went on flawlessly
Worst: Diane Sawyer was on TV, which is at an angle so I can see it from the bathroom mirror.
Best: My hair looked great this morning
Worst: It was cloudy all morning and rained in the afternoon.
Best: Psychology class was let out early
Worst: I RAN to Moore, and burst into my Linguistics class. There were no seats, so I had to sit in the back in a CHAIR, not even a DESK!
Best: I wasn't late.
Worst: I was TEN MINUTES EARLY AND interrupted the linguistics class BEFORE me.
Best: It was Haley's class and I got to talk to her for a few minutes.
Worst: I don't know how to make consonants syllabic, and today made that apparent.
Best: I got a 96 on my quiz.
Worst: Was hit on by a creepy kid with a hole in his shirt.
Best: My iPod shuffled to "Pennies From Heaven" by Louis Prima while I walked in the slight sprinkle.
Worst: The sprinkle evoked my newest irrational fear: black ice.
Best: I found a new word to describe how it is currently raining at any given time. "Sizzling" (The sound it makes when it hits your window/windshield. If we ever meet, I'll demonstrate.)
Worst: When I went to Walmart to buy toilet paper and notecards, the HEAVENS opened up and I was soaked by the time I walked 40 feet from my car to the door. Then the Walmart patrons JUDGED ME.
Best: I talked to my mom 5-6 times today.
Worst: My phone died in the middle of one of our conversations and would NOT recharge.
Best: It's fully charged now.
Worst: AFTER I drove to the Verizon store, stood in line, and made a complete fool out of myself when the guy hooked it up to a charger and said "It's working now," hooked it up to my charger, "Still working," and hooked it up to ANOTHER charger and said "I don't know what it was doing before, but it's fine now."
Best: I had some really good tea.
Worst: My stupid classmates convinced my Linguistics teacher to postpone the test from Monday to Wednesday because they're all 12 and not adults and can't study on a Sunday night. This is the easiest stuff, too! ARGH.
Best: I am halfway done with my Psychology research participation.
Worst: /Funniest (This is Best/Worst/HILARIOUS to me) A blog I read is dedicated to a 4 year old girl at my church who has bone cancer in her femur. It's really inspiring and sad, but today her mom wrote "[She] wanted her pink blanky. Lord knows the Earth would stop on its axes [sic] if she didn't have it." I laughed, just imagining the world stopping on thousands of axes. Hopefully that would happen in a desert location somewhere so no one would be hurt.
Best: A really good stand-up special was on Comedy Central when I got home.
Worst: I can't remember why I laughed.

I just remembered that I have to do something before I leave in an hour!

Friday, January 23, 2009

Life and life more abundantly

I LOVE these hearts. I've made at least 20. I can't decide if I want to just make 8-10 (for each person) to make a pennant/banner or if I want to make them larger and embroider something on each one of them specific to the recipient. 

I guess I could do both.




(Ignore the loose ends)

Youth Quest is in less than a month. I've been distracted because it's ALL I can think about.

Athens has the prettiest stars ever.

I'm not in a paragraph mood. 

Yesterday's playlist was Christian rock and Christian rap circa 2002. I love Jesus, but Christian rap is TOO much. I laughed so hard all day. My French test was sprinkled with a few giggles just remembering "Pullin' out my big black book/ 'Cause when I need a word defined, that's where I look / So I move to the L's, quick, fast, in a hurry / Threw on my specs, thought my vision was blurry. / I looked again, but to my dismay / It was black and white with no room for grey. / Ya see, a big 'V' stood beyond my word / And, yo, that's when it hit me that luv is a verb / ... / Thinkin' of a way to explain-o / 'Cause you knowin' I'm flowin' like a bottle of Dran-o..." 

Today's is musicals--Broadway and movies. 
Between Nikki Blonsky and Christian rap, I'd take the latter. Nikki can be shrill. dc Talk is talented and at least has a good message. 
But I am enjoying the Peter Pan (2004) soundtrack. 

This weekend is my roommate's birthday.  (J'ai peur de le boom!) I think I'll make her a heart and a cupcake. (I won't make the cupcake. I've baked enough to last me a good 2 years.)



(Central Park Zoo)
It makes me want to plant a tree now. I don't think my apartment complex would like that too much! If I can't have a pet larger than fish in a 20 gallon tank, I don't think they'd be too keen on me ripping up their landscape. 

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

You smiled and then the spell was cast

Today I
  • Let my imagination run away from me for at least an hour and a half.
  • Amped myself up
  • Bummed myself out (Both thanks to my imagination on the lam)
  • Forgot about my tests
  • Wanted tea, but everyone was out.
It's been quite a day.

I only want 3 things right now: 
1. A good night's sleep
2. An "A" on my test/quiz
3. A positive response later today.

That's all, I think. 

Saturday, January 17, 2009

Day 7

I am thankful for unusual things. I am thankful for creativity and people who are strong enough to do their own thing, but aren't pretentious about it. I'm thankful for new ideas or old ideas used in new ways. I'm thankful for splashes of color in a gray and brown world.



I'm thankful that everyone's different, no matter how much we try to assimilate ourselves with cultural norms and fads. 

I am thankful that I stumble upon things that change my outlook on life and myself. 

I am thankful for ice cream in 12 degree weather and the memories of a fun trip.


Seven days of being thankful for small things has really put things in perspective for me.  I've really enjoyed looking for small things to be thankful for. It made me realize that I have A LOT of great things going for me; the stuff on here was only a small portion of what I've noticed over the past week. With all these small and large things, the bad things pale in comparison. The cold weather couldn't touch the way my soul was warmed by the sight of the sun between the buildings and trees or four new friends eating Thai on a Thursday night. 

I also cleaned out my car, which really helps my mood. 

Thank you, God, for opening my eyes. Help me keep them open. Help me love unconditionally and help me be more tolerant. Help me love myself, because it's hard to love others when you hold so much resentment against yourself. Help me serve, and help me with you-know-what. I'd really like that to happen.

Friday, January 16, 2009

Day 6

Today, as an "arctic express" rushed through Georgia, I am thankful for clothes. Scarves, earmuffs, mittens, hates, North Face jackets, pea coats, socks. Thermal underwear has been my best friend this week. I love cold weather, but this week has been strange. 

I am thankful that I am able to have warm clothes and that I've always had warm clothes. 

I thought of that when I walked from the bus stop to the Student Learning Center. It was probably 1000 feet, but the wind was bone-chilling. 

It was a really good day, today, though.

Green tea, potential presents, chocolate chip cupcakes, and one of the best soundtracks of all time make me forget about how harsh the temperatures are. 

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Day 5

I am thankful for sushi, French class, and The Office.

There's nothing profound about these things, but I am glad that they're in my life.

Sushi makes me feel mature, French class broadens my mind, and The Office makes me laugh every time. 



For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven; a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance.
Ecclesiastes 3: 1-4

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Day 4

I am thankful for order, control, traditions, and friends.

Every Wednesday, we all get together to watch Project Runway or Top Chef or whatever is on TV and talk and eat during the commercials. 

Sometimes, we do good things, too.

Like making Valentine's Day cards for charities (Some of us are more creative than others.)

I like to be spontaneous, but sometimes, it is nice to have something that you know will be constant. Like Wednesday night TV or Saturday morning brunch or study sessions eight hours before a test. I am thankful that my life is stable. 

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Day 3

I'm thankful for the opportunity to serve.

I will serve by leading or serve by serving. I will serve by leading an example and I will serve with all my abilities.
If your gift is serving, devote yourself to serving others. If it is teaching, devote yourself to teaching others.
Romans 12:7
I will stop looking for thanks and I will stop feeling resentful when I don't get a "thank you."
Watch out! Don't do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in Heaven. When you give to someone in need, don't do as the hypocrites do--blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get. But when you give to someone in need, don't let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.
Matthew 6:1-4
I will give as much as I can, as often as I can. 

I'm thankful for my health. I read Kylie's page every day, and it's hard to believe that a girl who lives in my town and is younger than my sister was diagnosed with bone cancer. I sit here, lazily, avoiding my homework, and I know that my family is safe, even though they're 70 miles away. I don't know what I'd do if something happened to any one of them. I'm thankful for their health, too. I really couldn't get through the day if I knew that something was wrong with them, or, worse yet, if something happened to one of them. 

I'm thankful that God always seems to have a hand in my life. Even in small things that most people call "chance" or "luck," I see God looking out for me. 

That's a good thought.

Monday, January 12, 2009

Day 2

Today, I am thankful for my family. I don't seem to appreciate them as much as they deserve. They really have been too good to me. And I know without a doubt that our vacation would NOT have been the same without tiny Hanna here. I would not have made the world's tiniest snowball, nor would I have made a "snow angel" (actually read "snow mixed with dirt angel" seeing as there was only an inch of snow on the ground!) for the first time in 7 years. I wouldn't smile as much, either, because every time I talk to her, she says something funny.

I am also thankful for music. Not just any music, because, let's be honest, some of it stinks (see: The Fray, Nick Carter solo).

I'm thankful that some people can play the piano. I am thankful that I can read music and can at least play the melody of a song. I'm thankful that some people can play other instruments, like the euphonium, the flute, and the guitar. 

But more than anything, I am thankful for the emotions that the song "Zero Percent" by Jason Mraz evokes. Every time I hear it, I feel ecstatic, content, excitement, giddy, and even a bit sad and overwhelmed. I hope I never become callous to this song.


Zero Percent- Jason Mraz
Well our friends on the front porch, well they're telling jokes
And they swing swiftly towards them happier times.
They're expending a line and finding more energy for the effort
And getting distance from that front porch spotlight.
But, us, we found peace in the shadows
Long enough to see the monsters rise.

Candy's got some space to fill in her daydream
Living high on yesterday's lies
Talking to me about some zero percent interest
And how she got a better deal than the next guy.

Oh my God, and the way the lightning shocked us
When we were lost and we were looking down that long deserted highway
Your hair was longer then and now I can remember
See now I remember oh, so well.

Oh, the roads encumbered by cats
They're burning like wet matches
Through my miracle mile mind

You left your thumbprint inside me now for months it seems
But mine only brushes your soft surface
And somehow,
Somehow it leaves me listless
My tongue curls under my lips, oh, oh, yes.
So I can't speak to tell you of the months before I met you

And the way the truth it locked us, oh,
Right 'bout the time after the lightning shocked us
I'll say it again.

When we were young, when we were young and missing
'Round that small New England byway
Our lives they were sheltered then and now I can remember
See now well I remember, oh, so well, almost too well
Well, it's not even being about that anymore
I gotta get you down tonight.

Those tiny fragments of perfection
They please me in a time unchanged
When it's not the same beginning
Or a long-awaited end.

If I knew all the words, 
I would write myself out of here.
If I was all the colors 
I would paint you pretty in gold
In a picture, so I'm told, little sister.

So now I'm sold, little sister
Why don't you tell me all about the sunsets in Sweden
And the laws of Eden
And how you were the rock of Gibraltar
And how they called you "foxy."

Well, that's another whole box of Pandora's,
That's another whole box of them ties.
Slide your foot off the gas
Before we crash
Right back into the median, Lord.

It separates our house
From the middle of the street.
Mi casa, en el medio de la calle. 

Our house.
It's on the front porch where we're telling the jokes and swinging oh, so swiftly toward those happier times.
They're expending all those lines and finding more energy for the effort and getting distance from that front porch spotlight. 
But us, we found some peace in the all of them shadows, oh, long enough to see that monster die, oh long enough to see the monster die. 

Is it long enough? Is it long enough for me?
Oh, my. If it isn't, and if it isn't, and it ain't, and if it don't. If it can't, then it won't. 
And that's just the way that it goes, over and over again.
That's just the way things go.


She said, "Hello, Country Bumpkin"

When a Georgia girl sees snow for the first time...
...she will want to make a snowball. There wasn't a lot of snow at first, but it was enough to make us all happy. And cold. As cliche as it is, it really did feel like we were in a snowglobe (which aren't allowed on airplanes!).

It had only been snowing for less than an hour, but it was still nice to see it.

Baboons...in their natural habitat?

The biggest bear we'd ever seen.


Lovely ladies under a bridge hiding from the snow.

At that point, I had my camera in one hand, a hotdog in the other, and a prayer in my heart that God would keep my feet from becoming frostbitten.

Sunday, January 11, 2009

Day One

Today, I am thankful for 
  • Going to the University of Georgia, one of the few colleges with green spaces; I love the way the campus looks when the sun is rising
  • When the clouds ACTUALLY look like sheep.
  • Country music when I'm driving
  • Rock when it's raining
  • Rap on good days
  • Pop on bad
  • Jazz when I'm cooking
  • Bluegrass when country gets old
  • The 366th day
  • Red hair.

Thursday, January 8, 2009

10 Things

That I Like
1. Seat belts
2. Text messages
3. H&M
4. Green tea
5. Automatic spell check
6. Typewriters
7. Clementines
8. Finding a friend in a new class.
9. First coffee dates
10. Banana splits without the bananas

That I Love
1. God
2. The first day of classes.
3. When the call log on my cell phone shows that I have more calls coming IN than going out.
4. Jason Mraz
5. The sky
6. Jazz Music
7. Macs ♥
8. Brightly colored umbrellas
9. Athens, Georgia
10. Prospects of an amazing future.

That I'm Surprised I Like
1. Longchamp
2. Toby Keith's older songs.
3. Bass Pro Shop
4. Service projects
5. iPhones (JUST A LITTLE)
6. Down Home With the Neely's
7. Bell Peppers
8. The song "Mary Jane"
9.  Purple
10. Jewelry

That I Don't Like
1. UGLY BROWN SHOES !!!! (Eco friendly does NOT have to be Fashion hateful)
2. When people touch my hair
3. Fur lining in jackets.
4. Shorts in the winter.
5. Extra-long jeans
6. Thrift/Vintage stores
7.  Katy Perry
8. The Fray
9. Eggplant
10. That when I laugh, my face turns burgundy and stays that way for hours. STOP FLUSHING.

That I'm Thankful For
1. That I have an amazing family
2. That people are embracing the color yellow.
3. That I've proven that I can do anything I set my mind to.
4. That I need help in the things that I don't totally set my mind to do.
5. That I have 4 friends who would do anything for me and I can tell them anything without feeling like I'm weighing them down or bothering them.
6. That I have other good friends who are always there for me, too.
7. That I've been given many more opportunities than my parents and grandparents had. 
8. That I live in America, but am free to go wherever I like (except Cuba and Aruba, but I'm okay with that)
9. That I can read, write, spell, walk, talk, love, 
10. Jesus, bien sur!

This week, I'm focusing on being thankful. I tend to say "Thank you" for a lot of things. I told God "Thank you" for the color of the sky every day last week (it was absolutely gorgeous) and for the stars that I could finally see. I told a friend "Thanks" for holding the door open for me. I told a stranger "thank you" when she told me that she liked my scarf. It seems like I say it every hour. Which is good, it means that my parents raised me to be a polite Southern girl. But I'm starting to wonder what being thankful ACTUALLY means. Right now, I believe that being thankful for something, like the color of the sky, means that you are incredibly glad that it is in your life and you don't know what you'd do if it weren't. 

I think saying "Thank you" should be a humbling experience. Not all the time, of course-- that would be exhausting. Sometimes it is okay to say it just to be polite. But truly being thankful for something has to be bigger than that. If I tell say "Thank you, God; the stars are beautiful," if I MEAN it, I'm saying "It is truly amazing that You are bigger than I could ever be and that even though I don't deserve it, you show me glimpses of beauty in this world." The words mean that you owe the person you are thanking, in a way. 

And I'm falling in love with that idea. 

Thank you, God, for everything you've given me. Everything on the list and everything that wasn't. 

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

To take or not to take...

My sewing machine is glaring at me. I finally fixed her and made stockings, but then I went on vacation and she's been sitting there, unused, ever since Christmas Eve. It's so sad. Her little light is on and everything. In a few hours, I will pack up to go back to Athens and I'm contemplating bringing her. If I did, I would have to buy a card table to put her on, but I'd also be able to sew whenever the notion strikes (it's really awful when I wake up at 3 AM with an idea for a picnic blanket. It starts out so wonderfully-- the lights go on in my room, the fabric comes out of the drawers,...then my face falls when I realize that both my sewing machine and my scissors are a la maison).

I have a hundred ideas for Valentines/Mardis Gras/birthday/Special day presents.



And I have three others that I'm trying to keep a secret. Only one of the pictures requires a sewing machine, and only two of the secrets needs a sewing machine, but it really is a drag to WANT to make a blanket or something and have to haul myself 140+ miles just to THINK about making it.

New York was loads of fun, ruined surprises and all. I took pictures, but I haven't uploaded them to my computer yet. When I do, this blog will have them. Go see The Little Mermaid on Broadway! My favorite movie turned into one of my favorite plays!

The packing must commence, and I should at least sew SOMETHING before I leave, in case poor Sheila the Singer has to stay home.

P.S. I hate PCs. I miss my Mac.