Because this one seemed interesting:
Ever wanted to see something about my life? I have a digital camera, so REQUEST A PICTURE. You can request anything you want--a picture of something in my house, in my life, at my work, in my neighborhood, ANYTHING. I will either post a picture that I already have, or I will take a new one.

Also, got grades today - a lot better than I expected, yay! Pulled Bs in Spanish, Math, and RS, which I thought for sure I had Cs in, and raised my Humanties grade to an A from last quarter.

And cheap Easter candy is the best kind - bought eight Cadbury Creme Eggs for two dollars. Mmmmm....

Sat down and spent most of the afternoon coding this sucker - I'm rather happy with how it turned out, except there seems to be a minor bug in Firefox that bolds all the entry text on mouse-over - anyone who's a little better than I am at this stuff care to take a look at my source code and smack me upside the head with what I'm screwing up? Oh, sidebar has been redone a bit, too.

In other news, got my fabric swatches in the mail today - everything is good but the black suiting, which, of course, is the one I need the most. Sigh. Will keep looking, I guess.

...Finding out that the Tech Writing I thought was due tomorrow is due in two weeks and getting a ride off of someone so I don't have to walk home in the rain :D

(and Steve just got bitched out by Caitlin next to me. Poor guy.)

On to homework!

It's always nice when a layout idea I wasn't certain would work out does. Should be up sometime this week - I could probably do it tonight, but I'm dead tired x.x

Anyway, went to Mara's house over the weekend. We went out to dinner with her family, then we sat around and cut out kimono and watched Star Wars Episode II and mocked Anakin and fangirled over Obi Wan. Sunday, we got up and did more kimono stuff and watched the Fifth Element which was...well, 'OMGWTF?' I think describes it properly XD; It was entertaining none the less. Then we went out and drove around Hampton Beach and oogled giant pretty old houses on the ocean that we wish we owned and talked and had lunch. Then we went back to her house and had smoothies and I went home. It was relaxing, which was nice.

Also, I think my guidance counselor thinks I'm insane or something, beacause I was dressed up some today - red shirt, black tie, black pants, and my giant 6" platform cyberpunk boots. Which a number of people didn't notice for some reason XD;

I'm sorry, love. For this morning, too <3

(Because only select people get the dance ^_~)

You are my sunshine, My only sunshine. You make me happy When skies are grey. You'll never know dear, How much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away.

A very nice song to get stuck in your head before falling asleep, I think ^^ <3

And now, for a recipe which also makes me happy and was my late-night snack and late breakfast (overslept by an hour, took a cab to school, and missed half of my first class ^^;)

Cocoa's Fruit-Slush Smoothies

Take whatever frozen fruit you happen to have and like - up to about a cup and a half's worth, but exactness is far from necessary - and put it in a blender. Add one fruit-flavored popsicle (Not necessary, but tastes good - avoid sugar-free lime, though. They taste wierd in smoothies). Add enough milk to blend smoothly - you can add more as you go along. Blend on high until slush-like. Add sugar to taste. Pour into tall glass, possibly with a spoon if it's particularly thick. Eat/drink while still partially frozen (although it's not bad refigerated for a while until it melts a bit - more traditional-smoothie like, though). Enjoy!

Oh, and if you use raspberries, be warned that all the seeds sink to the bottom, and they're kind of funny tasting, so just avoid the very last bit.

I think my vacation can be summed up as bursts of Doing Things inbetween a whole lot of nothing, ie, sleeping and sitting around my houses. Met Claudia in Framingham, which was nice even if the Fabric Place sucks and has no black wool. We sort of sat around and talked, which was nice.

Mara came over Thursday, and we went out to the mall all cyberpunked up and wandered around and bought food, then sat around listening to songs from musicals with my brother and his friend and singing Phantom songs. We also watched the Empire Strikes Back, and made bad jokes the whole time XD; I also bought a nice crimson dress shirt and a dollar-store wallet, both of which I like.

Saturday and Sunday were largely spent in the Middle Of Nowhere, AKA Yuumei's house. We went to an antique store, wandered around the mall some there, saw Constantine again, and stayed up late talking before getting up Sunday and watching The Secret Garden.

And that was largely it. Man, I so don't want to go back to school tomorrow...

(Oh! Amelia, your package came! It is all shiny, and I didn't have any of those, although had wanted some :D You winz XD;)

First and foremost, thank you to everybody who wished me a happy birthday. I didn't get around to replying to everybody individually because it was a busy weekend, but I saw, so, thanks ^^ It was pretty much a weekend of food and friends, which was nice, and then my mom took me to see La Mala Educación, the new Pedro Almodovar film, which was...interesting. I'm not entirely certain I can say I liked it, but it was interesting. Mmm, plot twists. This also means that I've now seen my firt NC-17 film ^^

Anyway, on to other things, for a short while at least.

I have problems with my own pride. Yes, sometimes it is a good thing - it gives me self-confidence, and I do have things in my life to be proud of. But at the same time, it also holds me back occasionally, as strange as that sounds.

I think the biggest problem with me and my pride can be summed up by saying that it keeps me from doing two things: one, largely getting anywhere _near_ the possibility of looking stupid in front of other people, and two, admitting I'm wrong.

While I've been trying to be better about the second, at least with the big things where it matters the most, I've begun to notice more and more recently that I'm starting to find myself wanting or liking or being interested in things that I refuse to tell people because I run the risk of looking foolish, or it's something I've previously dismissed or looked down upon, and by changing my opinions I'm admitting I was wrong.

Yeah, stupid, I know ^^

Meh. I'll figure out what to do about this later, I think. For now, Mario Kart :D

Haven't done this in a while, so you all get subject to it once again XD;

Read More?

There are some aspects of being Southern that I think can be inherited geneticlly. For example:

"I'm worried, so how about I cook something :D"

Ah well. Means I'll have dinner tonight if nothing else.

Food and sleep help my mood immensely, so instead of feeling totally dead and grumpy, I'm more just worn out but otherwise happy. It's nice not having anything to worry about for a little while, at least. And I hope we have a snow day or a delay tomorrow, because mmm, sleep.

Anyway. I know things have been rough for a lot of my friends lately - as always, if you ever need someone to talk to, I'm here, and my house is always open to my friends. Love you guys all lots, hope things get better for you soon <3

(Also, my grandmother sent me a cute birthday card, with Pooh and Piglet on it - the front reads '"A birthday is a hugging sort of day," said Pooh, "and I am a hugging sort of bear." It makes me happy ^^)

Managed through my Physics assessment without doing too badly - only had to entirely skip one question, although my answers for some of the other ones are kinda BS. I managed to fail miserably at my Spanish presentation - two or three minutes short of the required time, panicked, forgot words - but at least it's done with.

And now I am tired, and want food. And feel vaguely like discussing the similarities between Alexis and Nagare, but it requires too much thinking right now. Bleh. Three more days until vacation...

EDIT: Oh, had a dream last night people were sending me office chairs. I'm not sure what this is a sign of...

I was being all grumpy and fatalistic this monring, but having one of my horrible tv dinners for lunch seems to have made that all go away. Just have to survive my assessment and Spanish presentation tomorrow, and I should be fine for the rest of the week, I think. More worried about the Spanish, I don't do well in oral presentations.

...I think I had something at least vaguely important and/or interesting to say, but I think it got buried under an overwhelming urge to sleep.

EDIT: Damn, I wish I had money right now T.T

It's mind-boggling how fast life changes sometimes, for better or for worse, isn't it ^^?

I said there would be photos, so there are XD; I still need to do the center portion of the front, and the tie that goes around the bow, and put it all together, but the rest of it is painted and stuff :D (And yes, I know, the green is too dark and there's chalk on it still - second will be fixed, first will not, I spent too much time to do it over)

- Main belt front
- Back of the bow
- Front of the bow
- How the bow will look put together, sorta

And, two photos I meant to post the other day, but forgot XD;
- Claudia at Finale during Vericon
- Mara looking lovely her pretty green dress

I <3 my friends ^^

Also, happy birthday to Clare - it's still the 4th over in your part of the word, so I'm not too later XD;

Matsushita Yoko, you have taught me well XD; I'm at the point where I have to basically make stuff up for my Yuna-obi, because the second bow is hidden under the first, so there's no reference images, and I'm having a grand old time free-handing swirlies - a technique I learned doing the Tatsumi-yukata. Man, I <3 that thing - so have to wear it to school when the weather gets nicer.

In other news, let me scar you for life: Alexis cosplaying as Yuna. (There's more, but I'll share later. With Yuna-obi photos :D)

My school spawns the most interesting things, like that quote from Mrs. Dodge I posted last entry. Also heard or taken part in today:

(Working on a problem dealing with trees in math, Mr. Barys says something about how you can't have part of a tree)
Mr. Barys : ...So you either have to round it off, or truncate it.
Jon : Hahaha, truncate! That's a good one!
Class : *stares*
Jon : ...You know, like trunk? Like trees?
Class : *continues to stare*
Mr. Barys : *puts head in hands, laughs*

(Then, when Mrs. Bonneau and I were talking about something we're doing in Physics tomorrow, with these absorbant crystal thingies)

Mrs. Bonneau : They're kind of like those animal-things you give kids
Me : Yeah :D
*Me and Michelle walk off*
Michelle : What animals?
Me : You know, those foamish things you put in water and they grow? I think they've got organ-shaped ones too-
Michelle : Oh! Those things!
Me : *dies laughing*
(This is probably a lot funnier to those who know Cain, and that Michelle is our Jezebel XD;; )

Finally, there were a bunch of girls (seniors, I think, but I'm not sure) standing around talking as we go out to gym, and I hear one of them say "Yeah, they go down to the Cape and have a horrible time and bond." Which is a perfect description of Briarwood, and also kind of of her life XD;

Also, things that are fun - ghost crystals :D *will take photos, thinks they are neat-o* Things that are not fun - lower back pain >< But in a much better mood, anyway <3

So, after spending most of the last week totally freaking out about my Spanish project, I'm...going last. Apparently as some sort of punishment for forgetting my project on the first day. I'm annoyed more than anything else, mostly because I just wanted to get it over with, but meh. I'll just forget about it until next week.

...And apparently Mrs. Dodge just said 'School isn't supposed to be amusing!' Some of my teachers are full of teh crazeh. The bad kind, I mean. Anyway. Costume analysis time over on my LJ, 'cause I don't want to do physics :D! *apathy*

A Few More Things Cocoa Doesn't Like:
- Not being able to fall asleep
- How I get pissed off at people who I think are better than me, which at times includes most of the people I know.
- The stupid check-out program my hosting service uses that won't process my mother's credit card properly.

...I'm going to read some Sherlock Holmes and hope to hell I can get enough sleep to be coherent for my presentation tomorrow.

- This Spanish project
- Oral projects in general, actually.
- Not understanding WTF the last problem on my math homework - "The reader can verify it by induction." Verify what?
- The amount of Physics I'm going to have to do tomorrow if it's due Friday rather than Monday
- My group for Engineering. All the people I asked for are in another group, altogether
- The lack of food in my house. I can't even make ghetto Potage Crecy, which would have lasted me until Friday, because we have no onions. We also have no milk, and pretty much nothing else I consider generally edible except for pasta and rice pilaf mix which I don't have the motivation to make right now.
- Being made more bad-tempered by other people being bad-tempered at me, over stupid things all around.
- Geting only five hours of sleep last night.
- Not being able to get inspired to make layouts for myself.

Now, back to your regular scheduled apathy while I work on aforementioned Spanish project.