Go to your Calendar and find the first entry for each month of 2009 (not including memes of course). Post the first line/sentence of it in your journal, and that's your "Year in Review".

January
Hey guys I'll be at the Galleria tomorrow.

February
Go Steelers.

March
.......and it's all Cindy's fault!

April
Okay. Script Frenzy started about an hour ago.

May
Ah, the end of the world.

June
I want a new lj layout, but I can't find any that I really like.

July
"Something wrong Jim?" Leonard McCoy asked, as his captain slinked as surreptitiously as he could into the seat across from him in the mess hall.

August
Anyone planning on being there only for Saturday and Sunday?

September
I really didn't want to get up and come to school today.

October
We were talking about this at the meet up.

November
I think I may be turning into Caroline McKenna. Um. Huh.

December
New journal layout guys!

Okay, so I've been super stressed lately and the sort of sad that borders on hardcore omg-I-need-meds depression. My choir teacher's partner died on Monday, and for some reason it really dredged up memories of my dad, which makes no sense because my father was neither gay, nor did he die of complications from esophageal cancer. But anyways....I'm dealing with it. Not in the best way, but I am dealing with it in a way that isn't going to destroy me.

My mood has been greatly improved by the fact that I've decided what path I am taking next semester. Over the summer and the fall I am going to finish up my requirements so that I can get my Associate of Arts. Then in the spring I will be starting on my web design degree. I'm very excited for this turn of events. I'm just so utterly thrilled that I can't help but want to do a little dance whenever I think about it.
( Summer/Fall Schedule )

I'm still not sure about my work schedule, since I'm not sure where I will be working come fall. Most likely, however, I will probably be staying at Party City for the majority of the summer since they are really good about letting me off when I want/need to have off since they don't want to accidentally piss me off and have me quit (lol...too late for that!). I also would really hate to get hired at a new place, only to have to request off a good portion of the first two months of my employment. Geez, it just seems like no matter how hard I try, I can never get away from P.C. XD Whatevs. I'll hopefully be gone within the next six months.

I'm not going to be doing choir next semester. I love Dr. Faber, but I'm just sick of the fact that we never get anything done in class and are automatically expected to learn our music outside of it. I can work on memorization and rhythm fine on my own, but I can't actually work on the notes since I don't play piano, am not a vocal major, and do not even take private lessons. I mean, if we actually got work done during class, I wouldn't mind it so much, but we aren't. So. Hmmm... we'll see how music will fit into my life come fall. I'd hate to stop altogether, but I dn't know if I can afford private lessons (for my violin) and I can't find any string classes that aren't taking place when I'm in class/on a different campus. I'd also like to find some sort of physical activity to do so that I don't remain in my horribly mushy out-of-shape sort of way of being. I hate that I used to be so strong and flexible, and was still able to keep most of it up after quitting karate, but then lost it all when I died. D: Dying sucks guys! It will steal away all of your muscle tone! Don't do it! I used to be able to do the splits!

Ugh....anyway, I think that's mostly it for now. Easter was fun. Gene came over and made steaks. The con was hella boring, but I was with awesome people so that made up for it. Takuya Angel's people/table/panel/everything was just...too much for words. I didn't even go to this con to see him, but I left feeling that way. Definitely way more worth it than Miyavi. I was rather disappointed in his performance at his concert. The fashion show was really awesome. The lolis were super cute and I loved the Takuya Angel portion.

I'm sleepy now, though, so I'm going to bed. Good night.

What is the iCiNG Transformation Challenge? Well, it's a chance to transform yourself! A better explanation comes from the mouth of the unicorn herself:

For those of you who weren’t here for it last year, the iCiNG Transformation Challenge is an opportunity to achieve something you’ve wanted to do for a while but as yet, haven’t quite managed to hit out of the park."

Gala Darling did this last year, and she's doing it again and I've decided to jump on the bandwagon. For this year's iTC I have decided upon just three goals:

1. Write something every day. Doesn't matter what. It could be a beautifully worded grocery list or a short story or a poem. So long as I do it with intent and to the best of my ability, it counts. I am hoping that this will cause me to grow artistically and creatively.
2. Along the same vein, I will take at least one photograph each day. It can be an image that sums up the experience of my day, or a picture of one special moment. It can even just be an outfit shot or a hastily taken, 'Oooh, look! My cat is cute!' photo. I just have to take one.
3. I will start playing my violin again. That doesn't necessarily mean practicing everyday, though. My goal is to play several times a week, and to be conscious in my efforts of improving my technique and style while doing it. As long as I am present during my practice, I will get more out of it than if I were just playing every day for the sake of playing. My hope is that as I get back into the groove, it will once again become impossible for me to put it down!

What about you guys? Are you up for the challenge?

Honestly, I've got a problem with this day. The media keeps hyping about this day being a Great Day in American History and Black History. What a great day, they keep on saying. The African Americans have been redeemed! This is the day that proves Race Doesn't Matter!


Yeah.....right. Whatever.


If you ask me, this is the day that proves race is still just as important in this day and age as it was fifty years ago. It's so insanely disappointing; I cannot find words enough to describe my exact mood on this day.

Now, as I watch President-elect Obama step forward, surrounded by aides and security officials, I cannot help but wonder if he knows that he won that office mostly because of his race. So many people I spoke with during the election season were scandalized when they heard I did not plan to vote for him. There were so many people who furiously asked me why I did not want a black president. I patiently explained on countless occasions that I had nothing against this country having a black leader, but that I did not feel he was the right candidate to be elected and that I would placing my vote according to which candidate's political platform and actions most closely matched my political views. I cannot tell you how many dumbfounded looks I received upon uttering those words. It absolutely blew my mind how many of the people I spoke to were voting for him solely because they wanted a black president, or because they wanted to vote for a "winning" candidate. Most of the people I spoke to knew nothing of his actual political stances; even fewer cared.

It is this sort of uniformed voting that makes me most skeptical about Obama's ability to best represent the views of the American public. I wonder just how many of the people who are cheering for his ascension to office actually know what he has claimed he will do. And no, I will not accept the abstract "change" for an answer.

There are many people who are filled with excitement and hope for the future. I, however, will be withholding my cheering for when he actually proves his ability to lead the American people and turns his rhetoric into policy and legislation. I will celebrate change when it happens--and not before it arrives. Obama's race and words have no effect on whether he will be a good leader. For that, we have to wait until his reign has passed, and until that day, I will remain skeptical.

This week's Carousel (a sort of compendium of links that she finds quite amusing, useful, or other-wise interesting) was an absolute explosion of delightfulness! Really, I do believe I am falling in love with her. ♥

Most notably, were links to this article in two parts about vacationing in Japan. Handy, yes?

And just a few days ago, she posted this entry--"How to have the Best Holiday Ever." I love the images she used in the article, and she made some very good points that I absolutely had not thought of!

I'm just getting so excited at the prospect that I'll be in Japan in a year. I really feel as if this is going to be an auspicious vacation. I'm getting such good vibes from it. :) It feels good to have something seeming to work out for once. Even if this summer isn't as amazingly epic as I'd like it to be, I find the fact that next year will be even better to be quite comforting.

And to keep you dorks entertained for the night, I present to you Winter Wolf Studio's Master Chief's Day Off....


Master Chief's Day Off by =girltripped on deviantART