YOU ARE WELCOME

Blogger said I could "add some words to your blog - like a welcome message - with our rich text editor". I complied.

PS. I am just going to tell you right now. I do not proofread this stuff. You get it as I think it.

Sunday, August 22, 2010

BEDA Day 21: Finding faith in weird places...

So this morning at 7:22 am I was working on my short story. I had about a page or so left to write. But I was starting to get very tired. Tired to the point were I could not motivate my fingers to keep typing or my brain to click. When this happens to me I like to "think about what I am going to write next" for a minute and lay down and close my eyes. The intention is that I will plan out stuff and get a bit rested and then keep going. I have written whole assignments in this way many times. I call it "writing in my sleep". However, this also tends to end badly. Like with me falling asleep and not getting up in time to properly finish the assignment.

Well anyway. So this morning I was getting real tired and I decided I would think/nap for exactly 30 minutes. I figured it would energize me enough to get me through the rest of the job. So I set the loudest possible ringtones on my phone and laid down to think.

Now let me take a moment to explain to you exactly how dangerous this was. The assignment that I had due this afternoon was worth 50% of my grade in this class, and my instructor in that class is the most strict instructor I have ever had. I once did not get credit on a really big assignment in her class because I submitted it online exactly 30 SECONDS late. She does not fuck around about not accepting late work. She really just DOES NOT accept it. At all. No leniency what so ever. So it was either get this done and submitted by exactly 1pm or fail the class.

Well anyway. Guess what happened. I SLEPT THROUGH MY ALARMS!! I laid down for that little cat nap and slept right through the loudest alarms on my phone. Actually, when I finally did wake up I checked my alarms and apparently I woke up just enough to reset all the alarms (as in erase them) and then fall back asleep. Which I do not remember at all.

But here is the amazing part. By 7:22 am this morning I had gone 19.5 hours without sleep. Which is and isn't a pretty big deal. Not enough to knock you out for a week, but enough to make you pretty effin sleepy. In addition to that I had not slept a whole lot this week (finals week=many nights of no sleep), so we can go ahead and assume that I was tired enough that, if nothing woke me up, I could have slept through the day. THIS COULD HAVE HAPPENED. I had fallen asleep after turning off all my alarms and could have ended up sleeping right through the deadline for my portfolio. Or at least sleeping late enough that I would not be able to finish it in time and still would have failed (that teacher is pretty strict about completeness too). (BTW If I had failed that class I pretty much would have had to change my major because there is almost no way I could finish is, scheduling wise, if I had to take this class over.)

So here comes the miracle. I had set my alarms for 8:00am, 8:01am, and 8:02am. Those are the ones I slept through. At 8:38am I woke up and quickly realized where I was and what still needed to be done, WITH NO ALARM. I got up, started working and got my portfolio done at 12:49pm and turned in (without an ounce of proofreading...oh well) at 12:52pm. 8 minutes before the due time. The 93 frantic minutes I spent typing up my 6 page cover letter (I just wrote it as I thought it. No organization. Nothing. Just like these blogs.) were honestly the SCARIEST THING THAT HAS EVER HAPPENED TO ME! IN MY LIFE! My entire future weighed on my turning this one assignment, acceptably complete by the 1pm deadline, and I managed with just a fraction of time to spare.

The point is. What if I had slept any later? What if I had slept until 11am or even 9am? There is no way I could have possibly finished my story and my cover letter in time. I promise you. No way possible. I already wrote them as quickly as I could and just barely go it done. For all that could have happened, I could have slept until 2pm and had no chance! It is just such a miracle that I woke up at all, let alone with exactly enough time to rush through the project.

I have to say. My faith just that little bit stronger because of this story. Somebody in the universe was with me today. Looking out for me. And I feel like, more than ever, that I am doing the right thing. That I am supposed to be working towards that Creative Writing degree. I feel like I am doing something right, and today was the universe's (God's) way of showing me. Maybe it was luck, maybe it was the result of a well trained subconscious, which are just as possible, but I think it was something more. It was too perfect. And I am so incredibly grateful. 8:38am guys. Just woke up. In perfect time. Best this ever.

Friday, August 20, 2010

BEDA Day 20: BUSY!

BUSY TRYING TO FINISH THIS STORY BY 1PM TOMORROW!!!

THAT IS ALL! Night.

PS. Have I ever told you how much I love words? Man. They are awesome. But such a bitch. I seriously just spent the last hour or three arranging and rearranging one paragraph.

Also. I love verbs. Especially ones that pretend to be nouns from time to time.

K, but really though. SEE YOU ON THE OTHA SIDE!

Thursday, August 19, 2010

BEDA Day 19: The present is a strange experience.

I have one more project left to do for this quarter. One. It is a big one. Very important. (Short story revision and extended metacognition.) But it is only one. After I finish it I will be free. And like anyone who finds themselves nearing freedom from the clutches of academia, I have been dreaming of all the things I am going to do with my free time. Here is a list (If you haven't noticed I quite like lists):

THINGS SARA IS GOING TO DURING HER MONTH OF FREEDOMISH:
1. Find a new place (Days till move out: 11.5)
2. Make some dollars (aka LOOK FOR AN EFFING JOB)
3. Read the Hunger Games (I am afraid that I will like it too much... I am dumb.)
4. Visit the Riv!
4a. Get new drivers license
4b. Go to the doctor
4c. Move all of my belongings to Seattle (... bittersweet)
4d. Possibly work
4e. Do everything else
5. Go to Boston! (Sept. 16-21)
6. Play guitar, constantly
7. Move into my new place. Like actually MOVE in. I have moved so much in the last two years that I never really finished moving in anywhere before move out again. I need to make it feel like home.
7a. Go through all my junk
8. Work on my application to the Creative Writing major
8a. Write a lot of poems
8b. Work on some short stories
8c. Get feedback
9. Make some of the youtube videos that have been swirling around him my head
10. Write some of the music that has been swirling around in my head :)
11. Read. Everything.
12. Write. Everything.
12a. Prepare for NaNoWriMo?!
12b. Write some higher quality blogs. XD
13. Watch some of the TV shows people keep recommending...
14. Apply for internships
15. WORK OUT

Yeah. That is all. Think I will have enough time for it all? Maybe if I spend less time on Facebook and Twitter. haha. Maybe it will be good for me to not have a job. I honestly have not had so much time without any obligations at all (school, job, etc) since... The summer of 2005? Unless you count Spring Break in 2009... other than that. I have always had work, homework, or packing (if you count that week in 2008 between when I quit my job&when I moved to DU) to think about every second for the last 5 years. Maybe this will be different... Maybe not. But I am optimistic.

That is all.
NIGHT!

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

BEDA Day 18: Who thought this was a good idea? Was it YOU?

Hmmmmm. August 18th. I have two finals in the morning. Also my brains hurts. Also. I cannot find anyone to go see Sufjan Stevens with me in Seattle. I do not want to go alone.... :( I mean...I could buy two tickets and then just randomly invite someone that I meet between now and then. BUT. That seems silly. Also. I have been listening to Glee music via youtube all night. Also. I really have not made much progress on this essay. Also. Well. Just know that not much has changed between yesterday and today. Sometimes life is like that. Now, go away. I am busy.

NIGHT.

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

BEDA Day 17: Get a Real Job

First. You should know that Stephanie Perkins (no relation) is giving away an advanced copy of her book Anna and the French Kiss. You can find out about that here:
http://naturalartificial.blogspot.com/2010/08/beditshoa-one-with-anna-and-french-kiss.html

Second. You should know that my legs are hot. But not in a good way.

Third. You should know that I have gone to sleep every night this week desperately stressed out about what a failure I am at job hunting. I have had dozens of interviews in my life and have NEVER been hired after any of them. All of the jobs I have ever had did not interview before hiring. So. I have come to expect to never get a job after an interview ever in my life. Because if I cannot even get a job at Regal Cinemas or Forever 21 after they interview me why should I expect to get a job at Scholastic or Time Magazine or anywhere ever? What if I never get a job? How will I survive? How will I pay rent? Pay off my student loans? Pay to go to wizarding events? Help my brothers through college? How can I do anything if I cannot get a proper job? I have been stressing about this CONSTANTLY.

I cannot help blaming it on dumb things. Like appearance or something stupid. I mean. Obviously I look good on paper if people are calling me in for interviews. But what is it about meeting me in person that turns people off? Is it the way I talk? How young I look? What do I do wrong and how can I fix it?

Anyone have any advice? Aside from "rehearse" , "be yourself", "dress nice", "act professional". You know the normal bs. I have heard it. To no avail.

BEDA Day 16: Quotage

Hey guys!! It is finals week. Soooo....I have been studying, but while I was doing that I ran across some quotes that I liked:

“If the dead are not raised, Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die”
1 Corinthians 15:32

and this one:

"Let all that you do be done in love" 1 Corinthians 16:14

Make of that what you will.

Night.

Sunday, August 15, 2010

BEDA Day 15: Things I am looking forward to...

On my dashboard (the one on my Mac), I have a bunch of countdowns running. As of right now, they are (by title and time left):

"21st!"- 17 days and 25 minutes
"Boston"- 31 days, 9 hours, and 19 minutes
"Wrockstock!"- 80 days, 23 hours, and 24 minutes
"DEATHLY HALLOWS!!"- 95 days, 1 hour, 24 minutes
"Graduation"- 299 days and 23 minutes
"LEAKYCON!"- 331 days and 23 minutes

Also, summer quarter is over on the 21st of August at 1pm, after I turn my last assignment in. That is in less than a week folks!! Then I get a full month of actual summer. HOLLA!

NIGHT!

PS. I had some really crazy dreams today. Really, really crazy. But oddly touching. There were babies. And also it started to snow in Seattle, in August. Needless to say, I slept all day. My dreams are crazier when I sleep in the afternoon. Haha. :)