tanlines

1. i did nothing today. aka i laid out in the sun all day, (sort of) watched the baseball game, and got some tanlines. yay, sunshine. 
2. i went to a good dinner and then got ice cream. deeeeelicious. 
3. blogging is hard on the weekends.

not much to say again tonight. except i love spring! today was the first day of spring...which makes me so happy. the sunshine was live-giving today. and tomorrow will be nice weather again, and hopefully next week too! so yeah basically, i'm just happy about the weather and happy that it's spring. i love spring; it's possibly my favorite season. but i like summer too...

nm, u?

1. best afternoon ever: lunch with a friend, hours in the sunny, beautiful quad with friends in a new dress, great dinner. 
2. then, got in my first car wreck ever. long story, but i basically reversed into a girl's car. not that much damage, but still scary as all get out. 
3. then a good night, really fun night, followed by some minor drama...can't wait to sleep.

i don't have anything to post about tonight? does that mean that my new year's resolution was a failure? i don't think so. i said that i could post about whatever i wanted, and tonight, i honestly am at a loss for words in describing how i feel.

medicating the masses

1. had three classes today, and my weekend started at 4:45. baller! 
2. had a delicious and fun (!) dinner with my grad student friend. good times. that's all i can really say about that. 
3. i had a great night. except for that one part involving a ping pong ball and an oreo... 

so my subject line may be telling...but i am pissed off about overmedication. i think it is way to shove drugs at someone to attempt to solve problems. this issue is really personal for me in more ways than one, but in general i think it is a huge issue for western society today. what happened to just letting a headache be a headache? what happened to just letting a cold run its course? sure, the argument of "why feel pain if there is a medicine to remove pain?" is legitimate, and in some cases completely understandable. but pain is the body's way of alerting us to the fact that something isn't right and needs to be fixed. it's a built-in warning system--why mess with that? it means you're stressed or have been staring at a computer for too long or aren't getting enough sleep or aren't eating right. so...change whatever is off and make it better. but drugs mess this process up--they mask the pain, thus masking the body's natural response and inhibiting the proper action from being taken. i also look at this from an emotional standpoint. it's like feeling hurt/angry/sad/stressed and doing something maladaptive to mask that feeling. the actual problem doesn't get fixed at all, just the symptoms are taken care of. but that's not getting at the root of what is actually wrong. so by merely treating the pain and ignoring the cause, no progress or growth can be made; then how are people to grow as individuals? overmedication really bothers me. i wish i could say more right now, but i'm feeling a block building up inside my head--writer's block, i guess it's called.

"why couldn't it be follow the butterflies?"

1. no class today, but still a super busy day. 
2. the weather was b-e-a-utiful. it made me so happy.
3. three classes tomorrow, then the weekend! i have exciting plans.

i believe in fairies. i have posted about magic, greek mythology, being superstitious, and now i'm posting about fairies. my friend found out that i believe in fairies and was...incredulous. he shook his head and changed the subject. but really, i'm just the girl who never stopped believing in fairies and goblins and spirits and all sorts of magical creatures. i can't really explain this without sounding slightly mental, but i've already admitted that i retain a belief in magical creatures--how much worse can it get? so yes, i believe mainly in fairies and goblins, and the power of magic and its influence on life. there isn't that much more to say about it, other than think about it this post next time you lose something and have no explanation for the place it ended up, or the next time you find a flower blooming in the dead of winter.

step one

1. first classes since spring break ended--pretty depressing but still classes that i enjoy, so they weren't all bad.
2. played my first of several intramural softball games today! it was pretty fun, but still rather embarrassing at times. the plan is for me and my friend to start a kickball team, so that should be much more fun!
3. so busy all day tomorrow--volunteering from 10:30-4:30, meeting from 4:30-5:30, another meeting from 6-7:30. yeesh!

so i said that tonight i would get serious and talk about psychopathology. but i want to take this a different way and talk about stress management. i have become stressed as of...today...about a few things in my life. while i am still enjoying every minute, it's not like i don't have bad days or stressful times in my life. just because i'm overall really happy right now doesn't mean i don't also get sad/upset/stressed. but i just read this cool article about chinese medicine tactics for falling asleep. but it made me think about how i am dealing with the personal stress i am feeling right now (and will probably stick with me for awhile). i think that blogging helps, though i can't be really explicit with describing my problems. that is why i need to start a for real journal that only i have access to. but anyway, writing helps me get out any lingering thoughts from my day and see how they look on paper, as well as go back and read those thoughts later. but what is most pertinent for me is how to manage my career goals and my personal life. i want to help people, but am afraid i will feel too much and won't know how to separate myself from my work. also, i need to figure out how to not think about stressful decisions that are not facing me right now. i should stop thinking about may and the changes it will bring, graduation and graduate school, and writing a dissertation and getting a job. like really, what the heck is wrong with me that i'm worrying about things so far away? okay, may isn't that far away, but i still can't let the thought of may coming mess with my mind right now. i need to compartmentalize my life--something i have always been horrible at doing. i'm very organized and structured, but it is hard for me to compartmentalize my thoughts and my life into manageable segments. i have always been jealous of the male mind for this reason: they can shut out or allow in thoughts at will. how can one just...stop thinking? i would be terrible at meditation. and the lady from eat, pray, love was convinced she would be terrible at it too, but eventually became proficient. hmm, maybe there is hope. so this has been a bit rambling, but i am starting to take that as meaning it was inspired.
http://health.yahoo.com/experts/drmao/24717/sleep-solutions-from-chinese-masters/

realization

1. got back into the swing of things--kinda. didn't have class but had some meetings and lots of homework (that i am still not finished with...)
2. i had an appointment today about study abroad next spring! i have italy fever--i want to live there and eat there and drink there and study there and...be there, simply be. 
3. signed up for a coed intramural softball team (ha!) and am going to start a coed intramural kickball team with my friend. any takers? 

everything is starting to fall into place. i'm finding a place to live this summer, talking more about plans for this fall/next spring, focusing on my post-college plans, and enjoying every minute of every day, even if it's stressful or gloomy. i just hope that things continue to work out, and if they don't that i can find ways around the obstacles and fix the mistakes and accept the challenges. i feel like i'm starting to have boring blog posts because they are all about how happy i am and how much i love life. i promise, tomorrow i will blog about something important to me. i'm thinking...developmental psychopathology. cheers!

geaux tigers!

1. drove back to school today. i'll miss home, but will be back again for easter. 
2. the weather at school is beautiful! warm and sunny and blue sky, with blooming flowers and trees.
3. i'm excited all over again to only be in 12 hours this semester.

i knew that 2010 would be my year. it is the year of the tiger and a lot of my forecast for 2010 has been spot on (i'm the year of the horse). just look at this...

The Horse

Fun, charming and attractive sums up the Horse’s traits perfectly. They love parties and crowds and being the center of attention. They can also be egotistical, hotheaded and impatient. The Horse is a considerate and protective friend and partner and when in his company, there will always be excitement around the next corner.
Forecast for 2010
The Year of the Tiger will be an exciting and lively year for the Horse. On the home and family front, there may be some changes with family members moving in, moving out or relocating to another location altogether. On the social front, the Horse will be in much demand with invitations to parties and gatherings increasing as the year moves on. Health wise, with such a busy year and added pressures, the Horse must ensure that he looks after his diet and gets adequate rest. Otherwise, irritability and heated arguments could arise unnecessarily. Those born under this sign will do exceptionally well career-wise this year. However, they must follow up leads and career openings with vigor in order to take advantage of the fast paced energy of the Tiger year. A word of caution for the Horse – they need to keep a careful eye on their finances as overspending could happen very easily. August through September will bring fantastic opportunities for those looking for love. March through May will be lucky for changing jobs or careers while November and December will bring fun and lively social gatherings.
Interesting Horse Facts:
Zodiac Stone: Golden Topaz
Special Flower: Rose
Best Hours: 11am-1pm
Season: Summer
Horoscope Colors: Orange, White, Yellow

a lot of these things have already happened! my uncle just relocated houses and moved out of the one on our property at home. career opportunities...well my summer is shaping up to be awesome for my career but i'll have to remember to be on the ball at all times. overspending will be more of a hazard for me this year too considering i won't have a "summer job" and will be wanting to travel over fall break...and study abroad in the spring (the year runs from 2.14.10-2.2.11). and socially, it has already been pretty exciting! my life is just on fire right now and i hope a lot that it continues (it sounds like it will)! yes, i put some faith in horoscopes. couldn't you have figured that one out by reading my post about superstition? anyway, i just found all this stuff online and it made me pretty excited!

so my bucket list item for tonight: throw a baby shower and bachelorette party for someone!