Weekend

The last two nights have been some of the craziest and most eventful of my life.  My good friend, B,  came to visit me and we had a great time.  The first night we went out for dinner at a wonderful little Italian restaurant in town.  The food was great and the company was better.  It was so nice to be able to catch up after such a long time.  We then went to a small local bar and had a few drinks to pass the time (we were waiting until 10:00 to go and watch The Hobbit at the Imax).  We got there a bit early, so the music and dancing had not started there, but we had a drink each and had more time to talk.  We then went to the house of a friend of his and the three of us went to the movie theater.

The movie was wonderful, even though it lasted until the wee hours of the morning.  It really did not feel like we were watching it for three hours.  After the movie we went back to the friend's house to retrieve our cars.  B ended up coming home with me, despite other plans, because he is allergic to his friend's five cats.  We finally got to bed around three in the morning.

Last night was an adventure as well.  We met several friends of mine from work for dinner.  It was a bit awkward, since he had not met any of them before, but I think we both had a good time.  We exchanged Christmas gifts and drew on the table cloth.  Afterwards B and I met up with his friend C.  The three of us went to karaoke.  The bar was full - we could barely find a place to sit.  It took nearly an hour for our turn at the mic to come, but once it did we tore the place down.  Well, we had fun, at least.  It was getting late by the time we finished singing, so we left shortly after.  We went back to the bar from the night before for a little extra fun.  This time we arrived at the proper time - the music was booming and the dance floor was alive with bodies.

Usually I am not much fun in places like this; I don't feel very comfortable dancing when others can see.  B tends to make me ignore my personal vices though, so I soon found myself in the middle of the dance floor.  We danced for an hour or more before the club closed.  We went out for breakfast after (thank goodness too: I needed the several cups of coffee I got there).

Other exiting things happened.  Or at least, it was fun for me.  I'll spare you all the boring details.

I guess the point of this post is to say that B went home today.  After such an eventful two nights, it feels a little strange to be at home typing on my computer.  It will be wonderful to actually get to sleep tonight, but I can't help but feel a bit lonely now.  I suppose it makes sense, but I can't seem to shake it.  Seeing what it can be like to have so much fun out with someone, I feel even more acutely aware of the fact that I don't have anyone to go out with.  I know that it will happen someday, but I do get tired of waiting.  So that's my pity party for the week.  I am lonely and it sucks.  The end. :)

Clipper Nightmares

Not those things again.  I hate them.  I HATE them.  They are loud and they feel weird against my skin.  Usually it is a lady at Mommy's work that forces me to sit still while those things tear through my beautiful long fur, but now Mommy is doing it herself.  I don't know why.  What did I do to deserve this punishment?

I do everything I can to make her stop.  I shiver and shake, I try to jump down off the table and run off, I lie down to cover the parts she is trying to clip.  However I try though, it just doesn't seem to help.  If I lay down, she picks me up.  If I try to move, she tells me to stay.  If I shake and try to crawl onto her lap she only holds me for a moment before putting me back on that dreaded table.

What's worse is, I don't think Mommy even knows what she's doing.  She takes those noisy awful clippers to me, but my fur feels weird afterwords.  It is short in some spots and longer in others.  I look silly; I just know it.  Now my legs are naked - it feels strange.  The dew on the grass is colder now in the mornings without my thick fur to protect me.  I must keep my eye on her from now on.  Perhaps I'll find someway to destroy those clippers so she cannot use them again. . .

Boring Day

Mommy's so mean.  She never lets me do what I want.  Today I saw a really neat green ribbon sitting up on the table next to the couch.  Naturally I tried to climb up to claim this beautiful toy, but Mommy saw and yelled at me!  It's no fair!  She did the same thing when I tried to play with some paper from there.
That table always has the best toys on it.  I don't know why she won't let me climb on it.  Maybe if I just keep trying she'll realize how important it is to me.

Also, my Pappaw is gone today.  He left really early to play "golf" or something.  I'm not sure what that is, but I think it involves playing with a ball all day.  I can't believe he didn't take me with him.  I am GOOD at playing with balls.  I guess I'll just lay by the glass door and wait for him to come home.  Maybe then he'll throw some balls for me.

Summer Fun

I had a great two weeks with my sister.  She was in town (visiting from Oklahoma) to get a Missouri driver's ed course under her belt.  She was a little green, but she learned quickly.  Guess who got to take her around to practice driving in between lessons?  If you guessed me you win. . .  respect?  It was a little nerve-wracking to be honest.  I'm pretty fond of my car.  It takes me places I want to go.  I was a little nervous to have a new driver behind the wheel.  We managed to make it through in one piece, though!

I haven't been up to much other than that the past few weeks.  We went swimming a couple of times, which is always fun.  I worked on my underwater handstand.  I still have terrible balance, but it's a little easier underwater.  I actually got to the point where I could hold it for 10 seconds or so. . . occasionally.

I've started roleplaying again.  I didn't really realize how much I missed it.  I know I'll burn myself out again soon, but I'll enjoy it while it lasts.  It doesn't help that I have to write a 50,000 word story in 10 days for one of my Pokémon websites.  It's a huge task, and I hope I can get it done in time.  Wish me luck!  

Almost There

Ah, finally almost finished with my summer online course.  I go in to take the final today.  Once I take that and finish the revisions for our final essay I will be done!  I have to admit, I have mixed feelings about it.  On one hand I'm excited to have extra free time for a few weeks until fall classes start.  On the other hand, I was really enjoying some of the writing exercises and resources that the teacher was giving us.

Since the class will be ending, I no longer have to post daily (well, almost daily) blog entries.  I would still like to keep this open though, as a way to journal and play with different writing ideas.  I can't promise that updates will be regular any more, but I think we will still have fun.  If anyone has any fun writing prompts to share with me, please post and let me know!  In the meantime, I'll get back to you all later.  I've got an exciting day of swimming and test-taking ahead of me.

Reflection

                This blogging experience was both new and exciting for me.  I had tried blogging in the past, but I had never been able to keep up any consistency with it.  I certainly hadn’t tried one for just writing exercises.  It was a lot of fun to be able to try new prompts each day.  I did come across a few bumps along the road, but overall the experience was a good one.

                The biggest problem that I ran into was remembering to keep up with the daily schedule.  I would often get busy in my day-to-day life and forget that I needed to write for my blog.  I would remember, of course, the next morning when it was too late to post anything.  I also had difficulty finding subjects that I wanted to write about.  There were several prompt ideas available through the links we were given, but it was difficult to find ones that sounded entertaining.

                Despite that, I was very happy when I did find fun or exciting prompts.  I loved being able to describe situations or explore new stories.  One of my favorite prompt types would say to start out a story with a certain word or phrase, or incorporate certain words into the story.  It was amazing to see what could be shaped from a few simple words. 

On days where my life was more exciting I even used the blog as a sort of journal, which was great.  It was a fun way to share what was going on in my life.  I have always loved the thought of recording important events; I keep several journals in different spots for whenever I feel like writing.  I would like to continue this, but expand it onto an online journal as well.  I would obviously keep my more private thoughts in my paper journals, but blogging could be a great way to share stories.

Overall, I really did enjoy this assignment.  I regret that I was not able to keep up with it as consistently as I should have.  I can’t help but wonder what I might have written on those lost days.  I hope to continue this blog in the days to come.  I hope that through continuous writing exercises I can grow in ways that have thus far eluded me.

Freewriting

I like spending time here at the book store.  The adjoining coffee shop is a little loud, but the people are all so nice that it doesn't matter.  I always know that I'll share one interest with anyone here: reading.  It is that same feeling of community that draws me to anime conventions (like the one I'm going to this weekend) or the ukulele conference.  I love feeling that I belong.  I love feeling like I don't have to worry about fitting in, because everyone around me is already a friend.

I used that word again.  "Worry".  Perhaps I do use it too often.  I cannot help it sometimes, though.  It is in my nature to worry, to stress, to be tense and uncomfortable.  I try to work on being more comfortable around people, but sometimes it is just too hard to change.  Even if I could change, would I want to?  It has become a part of who I am.  It is part of what makes me make the choices that I do.  If I didn't worry and over-analyze things, I would be a whole different person, right?

Perhaps I do need to make more of an effort to communicate with people, though.  Too often I find myself out in public, alone and uncomfortable.  I have no problem with passing conversation.  I can be pleasant to strangers around me with no difficulty.  I have absolutely no idea how to hold a real conversation, though.  It's part of the reason that I have trouble making new friends.  We have fun together and enjoy each others' company, but then the silence inevitably comes.  I don't mind the silence, myself.  I can tell that other people find it uncomfortable, though. 

The worst part is, I have no idea how to end it.  The more I think about how silent it is, the more my mind goes blank.  I search in vain for a subject to talk about, my my head just says "nope".  And that's that.  Not having anything to talk about just makes me more nervous, and it becomes a vicious cycle.  Am I the only one that feels this way?  Why is it so hard to do something that should be so natural?  I have no idea.  The only thing I can think to do is continue pushing myself out of my comfort zone and hope that eventually something clicks.

Forgiveness

The hallway was silent.  I stared at the wooden blockade in front of me.  The knot in my chest clenched tighter.  It has been nearly a year since we last talked.  What will he say when I suddenly appeared at his front door?  I raise my hand to knock, but cannot force myself to make contact with the wood.  I sigh, slowly loosing my nerve.  I glance down the hallway to my left.  My right.  There is no one here; no one will know if I leave now.

I hear movement inside the apartment.  There is no denying that he is home.  I steady myself and knock tentatively on the door.  The sound echoes eerily down the abandoned hallway.  I hear shuffling approaching and suddenly find it difficult to draw a breath.  The lock clicks as he turns it from inside.  The door inches open.  A bead of sweat drips down the nape of my neck.  I force a smile.

"Damien."

His blue eyes widen in a mixture of joy and confusion.  He motions me inside without a word.  He prepares us both a cup of coffee and I sit down on the old sofa.  The one we bought together.  It looks out of place against his newer decor.  The coffee in my cup ripples as my hand shakes.  Damien remained silent.  I wish that he would speak.  I wish that he would yell and call me all the horrible things that I am.  The silence is killing me.

"I'm sorry."  The words catch in my throat.  I don't know if he could understand them or not.  He looks down at his hands.  Slowly he stands up and claims the seat next to me.  His strong arm wraps around my shoulders.  The touch is not romantic, but it is forgiving.  For now, that is enough.

I Am A Fish

I am a fish.  My body glides effortlessly through the cool salt water.  I emerge, my head breaking the stillness of the water.  It rolls down my neck to rejoin with the larger body of itself.  A smile plays across my face.  Deep breath.  I submerge again, letting myself fall down into the darkness.  The stroke of my arms plays out a rhythm that pulses through the water around me.  The world is muted through this glimmering pool.  The music of the water is all that I can hear.

I open my eyes to the engulfing darkness.  My eyes filter the small amount of light that has found its way here.  A small bubble escapes my lips and dances towards the sun.  It seems so alive that I send more after it.  They bob towards the surface with uniformed chaos.  A small twist of my hips gives me a view of the sun.  It shimmers and twists down at me.  The ripples play across it like old friends causing it to sway to the water's tune.

My lungs burn and I am once again forced to surface.  The sun beats hot against my naked head and my eyes squint in the bright light.  I sigh and allow my lower body to float to the surface.  I lie on my back and close my eyes.  The sun paints an orange and pink tapestry across my eyelids.  It is almost time to leave now, the real world is calling me back to it.  I dive once more.  I push against the bottom and propel myself out of the water.  A shower of tiny droplets spring out with me and fall back down.  Hundreds of ripples skitter behind me as I force myself to crawl back onto the land.  Tomorrow I will be a fish once again.

Delicious Memories

"Would it taste as good today as it did back then?  Write about a favorite meal someone used to make for you."

As a child I always looked forward to visiting my mom's parents.  "Mammaw" and "Pappaw" were always full of fun stories, endless love, and wonderful food.  My favorite meal there was always breakfast.  Regardless of what we would eat the rest of the day, I could always count on having several large breakfasts during the visit.  It could be biscuits and gravy, pancakes, ham. or my personal favorite: grits and eggs.

For those of you unfamiliar, grits is a southern dish made from hominy.  I've seen it fixed several different ways.  I've seen it prepared as a sweet desert and a salty breakfast.  My favorite way to enjoy it was introduced to me by my Pappaw.  Grits, butter, salt, pepper, and a fried egg on top.

The first time that I saw Pappaw prepare his like this I couldn't help but make a face.  It looked disgusting!  The yolk from the egg was running all over his plate and mixing with everything it touched.  He must have noticed my discomfort.  I can't remember exactly what he said, but it had the same effect as "don't knock it until you try it."  It took some prodding, but I eventually made a decision.  In what I considered to be an amazingly brave act, I broke my egg and pushed it towards my grits.  It was fantastic.  The yellow-orange color no longer mattered to me; Pappaw was right.

To this day, this is my favorite breakfast food.  Pappaw is still able to get me to try anything.  Even the most disgusting looking things I will at least try.  I've been surprised many times -- not always in a good way.  No matter how much I've set my mind on an opinion, I'm always open to trying new things.  Who would have thought that grits could teach such a good lesson?

Place Freewriting

I am at a small lake near my old house.

I close my eyes -- my nostrils flare.  A smile flickers across my face.  Honeysuckle is growing nearby.  It's sweet fragrance perfumes the air.  I can smell the soft earthy smell of the dirt underneath me.  A breeze plays across the water, bringing with it the mixed smells of the water and the geese that live in it.  The breeze feels good on my skin.  It is cooled by the water.  The air is warm, though the shade from the tree above me also helps to mute the heat.

The soft sound of the water breaking against the shore pulses through me.  I can hear the traffic from the street nearby.  It is one of the few things that reminds me that this place is in the middle of a busy neighborhood.  One of the local geese flaps its wings.  The water flies off of its oily feathers and splashes back into the larger body of water.  Their honks fill the air as they converse with one another.

My eyes open slowly and I am momentarily blinded by the bright sun reflecting off of the water.  I blink the tears out of my eyes and look around.  The picnic table I sit at is the only place to sit on other than the grass. There are a few fisherman that chose that option.  They sit silently at the edge of the water hoping for a bite.  The geese have noticed me.  The waddle slowly towards the picnic table, hoping that I have brought them back more bread.  I cannot be the only one that does so, for they have no fear of humans.  They literally crawl over my feet in the rush to find their bread.  I laugh, but have to show them my empty hands.  One over-eager one nibbles at my fingers.  Deciding that they are not edible, the flock waddles back to the water.  I lean back and prop up my elbows on the table.  I could sit here all day.

Worn Down

There are some days that I tire of my job.

     Don't get me wrong -- I love my job. I love getting to play with dogs and cats each day. I love getting paid to do so. It is always a great joy to meet the owners in our practice and get to know them and their pets. It is so fulfilling to know that we are able to help them live happy and healthy lives. There are days, however, that almost nothing good happens.

     Euthanasias have always been a bitter sweet thing. It is wonderful that we are able to help end a patient's suffering, but there is always a great lose for those who are left behind. Our job is to take care of the pets and offer understanding and consoling words to the owners. I've always understood this. I've always known that what we do is for the comfort of the pet. Despite this, there are still days where the sad things build up on your shoulders and ride home with you.

     Today was one of those days. We had two separate Euthanasias; each one was heart wrenching in its own way. I cannot get into too much detail, but I definitely carried them home with me. I feel that even though we did everything we could in both situations, it just wasn't enough. We left one owner distraught and alone, and the other frustrated and unsatisfied. On top of the emotional stress was the physical pain of working an eight hour shift on an injured knee. I'm not sure how I injured it, but that's unimportant now.

     The whole day left me drained and in desperate need for a break. Unfortunately, I cannot have one yet. I'll return to work early tomorrow morning ready for more disasters or miracles. Perhaps tomorrow will be good enough to make up for today. That's the good thing about tomorrows, I suppose. They are a chance for everything good that you are waiting for.

Ticks and Tests

Today we had a wonderful surprise.  Rascal had turned on his belly for a rubbing and we noticed small red and black spots all over him.  They looked irritated, so I worried that he had gotten a small skin infection or some sort of allergy.  Upon closer examination however, I discovered that the black spots were not scabs like I had thought.  They were dozens of seed ticks.  I was confused at first.  We have him on a preventative, and our yard is fairly clean.
I was told that yesterday Rascal had snuck into our neighbor's yard.  My guess is that he picked them up there.  I had just discovered them when I needed to leave for work, so I left Mammaw to take care of him.  She gave him a proper back to scrub all those little bugs off of him.  I feel sorry for the poor little guy.  He hates baths to begin with, and I'm sure that scrubbing out ticks didn't help him like it any better.  On the bright side, he seemed happier (and cleaner) when I got home.  We applied an extra preventative that would cover ticks better and they seem to all be off and dead now.  Hopefully we'll be able to keep them that way.

On a slightly different note, I had to go in to my doctor's for a bone density test today.  I wasn't sure what all would be involved, so I was a little nervous.  It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, though.  I waited in a nice little room with a couch for a while as I waited my turn.  When the nurse finally called me, I was escorted to another room with a large black table on it.  I answered some questions for her and then she had me lie on the table.  Once we got the positioning right all I had to do was wait for the machine to finish scanning me.  I was told that I should get results back in a week or two.
Honestly, I'm not sure what the test will show.  I've been on Prednisone for three years for an autoimmune disease.  I obviously don't want to have any issues, but it would be nice if there were some other drug I could take instead.  I know that I need to be on it, but I'm worried about long-term side effects.  I guess we'll just have to wait on the test results and go from there.  Wish me luck!

What a Weekend

I had such a great time on my trip.  I really didn't want to leave, but I have to work at eight in the morning tomorrow.  It was so nice to see my friends; we really need to get together more often.
We slept in for a long time, but we had stayed up until two, so I don't feel bad about that.  We hung around the house for a while and watched Avatar: The Last Airbender on Netflix.  I hadn't watched the show in a long time, and now I want to go back to it.  I think I have watched the first season, but I'd like to go back and watch the whole show again.
We were planning on having sushi for lunch, but the restaurant didn't open until five, so we went swimming instead.  We were only in the pool for half an hour or so before the lifeguards forced us to get out.  There were some dark clouds in the sky and we heard a couple claps of thunder.  The rules of the pool say that after any thunder there can be no swimming for thirty minutes.  There was one more sound of thunder ten minutes later, which restarted the clock.  We just hung out on the pool chairs for forty five minutes and talked.  It was nice, but the water was so tantalizing just feet away.  I enjoyed a nice ice cream cone while we waited.
Finally, we were able to get into the pool again.  We splashed around for another hour or so before we needed to drip-dry before getting into the car.  Apparently we were all too excited to get to the pool, because none of us remembered to bring towels.  After a while more lounging on the chairs we headed back to the house.  Several showers later, we finally got to go out for our sushi.  Oh my, that was good.  Between the six of us we ordered 13 rolls of sushi and a plate of chicken.  We were stuffed when we left there, but we still went to a Mexican restaurant for desert.  I don't know why.
My friend is very good at Spanish and began speaking it with the waiters in the restaurant.  For some reason this made them think that all of us spoke Spanish, so they didn't speak a word of English to us while we were there.  We were able to figure most of it out though, and we only had to order desert, so it was more amusing than anything.
After that three of us had to leave for home, which was sad.  I went back to my friend's house with him and we watched Paranormal Activity II with his roommate.  We didn't get to bed until two (again!) but we had a great time.  He also helped me speed up my computer, which was an added bonus.

Today we went to lunch at a little Greek place that had fantastic gyros.  I was able to go there with one of my best friends, who had just gotten back into town today.  I hadn't thought that I would be able to see her this trip, so it was a nice surprise.  I wish we had of had more time together, but I had to leave for home.  Four hours later I'm sitting on my couch.  It's nice to be home, but I can't wait to see my friends again.  Next time, it's their turn to visit me!

Escapades

Last night was simultaneously exhausting and exhilarating.  I left town around ten in the morning.  I didn't leave right away though; I had a few shopping stops to make first -- mostly to buy my friend's present.  I finally got on the road around eleven thirty.  The trip was mostly uneventful, which was nice.  I did stop on the way at this dirty little souvenir place.  I wouldn't have stopped at all, but I had drank a giant glass of chai tea and was about to explode.
When I got in there I could not find any sign of a bathroom, which was disheartening.  I ended up buying a little heart bracelet and asking the clerk about facilities.  He pointed me to the back of the store.  I felt kind of bad going back there because it had the feel of a storage place.  It didn't seem like somewhere I was supposed to be.  The bathrooms were marked as men and women however, so I guess they were meant to be public bathrooms.  Hidden public bathrooms.
The bathroom itself was hideous.  There were two toilets in it and no stalls.  It was literally just two toilets sitting next to each other with a roll of paper in the middle.  To share, I guess.  I didn't even wash my hands there, choosing to use my hand sanitizer I keep in my car, because I felt like that sink would make me dirtier rather than cleaner.
After that though, I had a few hours of open road and a straight shot to my destination.  I had a blast seeing my friends, many of whom I hand't seen in months or a year.  We drank some and cooked some and watched TV some.  I won't get into too many details, but it was a great time.  I didn't get to bed until almost two in the morning, but I still somehow woke up fully rested at five.  I have no explanation for this.  I'm sure I'll crash again by mid-afternoon.
Today I'm looking forward to Sushi and swimming.  I can't wait!

A Trip

I am very excited today.  I've been planning a trip for the past week to visit a friend of mine from high school.  It's been a long time since I've seen him.  I thought for a while that I was not going to be able to go.  I only had a week's notice before the trip, so I hadn't asked off of work.  I was already scheduled to work all weekend, so I began the mad scramble to find someone to cover my shift.  It took a long time, but I finally got it covered.  I owe my co-workers a lot of favors now.  A lot of favors.  One of them is going to be working all weekend to help me out: Saturday morning and evening and Sunday morning and evening.  I feel bad about that, but I am so thankful that she was willing to do it.
So now here I am, bags packed, on Saturday morning.  I plan on leaving in just twenty minutes or so.  I need to stop by Barns and Noble on my way out of town and pick up a birthday present.  When I don't know what to get someone I always give books.  It's a great safety net gift.  They also have these little "Ugly Dolls" there that I think he will love, so I will pick up one of those.
I am not looking forward to the trip itself though.  I really hate driving long distances.  Five hours is not terrible, but it's not fun either.  On the bright side, it will be a great opportunity to listen to some of my new music.  I love talking to people as company, but sometimes it's nice to just to just sing along with the music.
I'm going to miss my puppy while I'm gone though!  I know it'll only be for two days, but I'll miss playing with him every day!  I'll miss seeing my dad and sister, who are visiting, but I'll be going to see them in just a few weeks.  That will be a whole other post!
I'll have new things to write about after the trip, so stay tuned!

Fireworks

Fire flies up high in the air, exploding with a crash that makes the whole ground shudder.  I hear other dogs barking at them, but it doesn't seem to stop the onslaught of bright booms.  I'm glad that my big brother Shadow is here with me.  He looks up at the explosions too, but he doesn't seem scared.  If Brother's not scared, then maybe I don't need to be either.
My family seems relaxed around me.  They are chatting and watching the bright lights in the sky.  They call to me, but it's late at night.  I'm tired.  The explosions don't let me go to sleep, though.  I wander around the back porch trying to find a good place to lie down.  It's all the same wood.  There is no great place to sleep, much to my disappointment.  Mommy takes me up on her lap, but Shadow won't fit too, and I want to be with him.
Oh!  What's this?  There's something yummy stuck to the foot of the table here.  Pappaw had been cooking something out here all day.  This tastes like that smelled.  I will like it for a while.  My family is laughing at me now, but it tastes really good!  I will lick it until it doesn't taste good anymore.
Shadow goes down the stairs into the grass, but I don't feel like jumping down them.  I watch him with sad eyes, but he doesn't come back up until Mommy calls him to go Inside.  I go too.  Then they put something cold in my ears.  They've been doing this for a while now.  I don't like it.  It does seem to help with the itchiness, but I don't like it.  At all.  It was a little less bad this time though.  Mommy gave me some treats.  It makes it better.  Now it's time to sleep, though.  Shadow hops up onto the couch and Mommy lifts me up with him.  Zzzzzzzzz.

Gem of Knowledge

        Justin grabbed his bag and ran out the door.  If he didn’t hurry, he was going to be late to his first class of college.  He made a mental note to smother his roommate in his sleep tonight.  He deserved it after turning off Justin’s alarm clock so that he could get more sleep himself.  He decided to take a short-cut across campus.  If he jumped the bushes in front of Dean Hall, he could cut a good five minutes off his walk.  He was nearing the aforementioned hall now.  In one decisive movement, he leapt over the Dean’s prized garden.  He came up short however, and found himself lying on his back in a pile of what used to be tulips.   As he struggled to get up, he heard a yelp come from underneath him.  Startled, Justin jumped to his feet.  When he looked back over his shoulder, he saw a small black and brown puppy wagging its tail at him.  He closed his eyes with a sigh.  He was definitely going to be late now.

He continued on his walk to class, hoping the tiny creature wouldn’t follow him.  Luck didn’t seem to be with him however.  He looked back, and saw the thing trotting happily by his side.
“Go away,” he whispered, “We’re not allowed pets on campus.”

The dog sat down at his feet and panted up happily at him.  Justin looked around, unsure what to do.  He couldn’t just leave it out here all alone; who knew what could happen to it.  With a sigh, he picked up the thing - which he saw now was a boy - and stuck it into his nearly empty bag.  The puppy gave a small bark of protest, but quieted down when Justin glared at him.
“None of that, now.  You’ll get me in trouble.”

He entered the classroom, and took a seat in the back.  He scooted into his chair, being very gentle as he put his bag on the floor.  The teacher raised one eyebrow at him, silently promising a talk after class.  The lecture went fine, until Justin noticed scuffling sounds coming from under the desk.  He looked down to find that his bag was wiggling and scooting across the floor.  He moved quickly, stomping on the bag’s strap to halt its movement.  His action didn’t go unnoticed however, and the professor called him up to the front of the class.  Completely humiliated, the poor boy handed his bag over.  The professor opened it, and gave a cry of surprise as the puppy leapt out.  Justin quickly explained the situation, hoping to keep out of trouble.  The teacher smiled and patted the dog gently.
“I guess we have no choice,” she said.  “We’ll just have to adopt this little fellow as our class pet.”
The class took a vote, and the dog soon had a name; Gem.  The teacher smiled at the dog.
“Well little guy, I guess you’ll be our own Gem of Knowledge.”

Good Bye

There were so many things that I wanted to tell you.  There were so many things that were never resolved.  Despite how I may have spoke or acted, I appreciated you.  I appreciated the advice you gave, though I didn't always agree with it.  I appreciated that you always pushed me to be the best I could, even when I didn't want to be.  I appreciated that you took the time to talk to me, even when I had nothing to say.  I appreciated how you thought of my feelings, even when I was trying to hurt yours.  I appreciate how you put up with my stages, even when I didn't know I was in one.
There are so many things that I took for granted.  There are so many things I'll never get back.  I miss being able to call you when I have nothing better to do.  I miss your hugs.  I miss the way your hair got frizzy in humidity - matching mine.  I miss your nagging.  I miss your letters detailing the advice you were afraid you'd forget.  I miss your smell being on everything in the house.  I miss worrying about you.  I miss you worrying about me.  I miss having someone to call when things were going bad.  I miss calling you when I'm scared.  I miss having someone to argue with about our moral issues.  I miss your religious influence.  I miss your instinctive kindness.  I miss your ability to find every hole in the ground.  I miss watching you dance when you think I'm not.
There are days that I still cannot believe you're gone.  There are days I reach for my phone to call you, only to remember that I can't.  When the family gets together, I still look for you.  It feels like you should be in just the other room.  I don't understand how you can't be around anymore.  I am so sorry that I never told you how much you mean to me. I am so sorry that I never got the chance to say Good Bye.

Required Words

Writing Prompt 185: Write a story using the words little boy, torn page, market, and cart.

I shuffle over to the couch and plop down on the sagging cushions.  Water drips down my face from my hair, still wet from the shower.  My eyes wander down to where my little boy is playing on the worn-out rug.  I always hated that rug.  Lee likes it though, so I’ve never replaced it.  He looks up at me now, his big blue eyes still bright with the ignorance that comes with youth.  I smile back.  He holds up his coloring book to me, showing me the car that he’s colored red.  Mostly in the lines.  His little hands slip on the paper and it rips down the middle.  Shoot.  I slide down to the floor with a smile.

                “It’s alright, Little Man,” I say, taking the torn page from him.  “We’ll work on this next page, okay?  What color should the puppy be?”

                Lee has lost interest in coloring now, though, and looks at me expectantly.  I’m too tired to entertain him.

                “Why don’t we go to the market, hmm?” I ask. 

His face breaks into a toothy grin at the suggestion.  Lee loves the market.  I put his shoes on his tiny feet and we walk out the door.  It is a short walk from our apartment and the weather isn’t too bad.  The sun is a little hot on the back of my neck.  I pick out a cart from the line and place Lee down in the seat at the front.  He looks around excitedly, but does not see what he is looking for.

                “Your dad’s around here somewhere,” I assure him.  “We’ll probably see him at check-out.”

                We go to the produce aisle first.  I pick out what I’ll need for this week’s cooking.  I grab a ripe-looking peach and hand it to Lee.  The juice dribbles down his chin as he takes a bite.  I should have brought something to wipe him with.  He finishes the fruit while I pick out the rest of what we’ll need.  Lee’s father smiles at me from behind the register.

                We exchange pleasantries, but Lee claims most of his attention.  He loves to tell his dad about his day.  He asks how I’ve been.  Tired, but good.  He’s looking forward to the weekend when he gets to take Lee.  He’s planning a day at the park.  I’m sure that Lee will tell me all about it.  We say goodbye and leave.  Lee waves goodbye over my shoulder.  When we get back, he starts to color the dog purple.

My Audience

     Last week as an assignment we played a 20-questions-ish game to get to know who we would be writing for this semester. There were several fun questions and insightful answers. It was a fun opportunity to "see" the people in my class, even though we only meet online.

     In ten years time most of us envision ourselves with a house and a happy job in the careers that we are preparing for. Several of us are interested in starting families, some looking forward to children. Others are more specific as to where they'd like to be physically, some describing land with farm animals and some wanting to live near the water. I think it's a safe summary to say that most of us plan to be happy and successful, which is why we are working hard now to secure that future.

     It seems like most of us enjoy dancing, but have no real confidence in it (I fall into this category!) Sometimes making a fool out of ourselves is the best way to relax!

     One of my favorite questions was "what makes everybody happy?" It seems like such a simple question, but sometimes its good to sit down and actually think about it. There are several things that make me happy that I don't necessarily think about. The one thing that seemed to ring true in every response was this: family. Our family and friends are such a joy in our lives, and I'm so happy to see that everyone is able to appreciate those around them.

     Given a week to spend one million dollars it seems like most of us quickly secure the things necessary for an easy life: a house, a car, pets, perhaps a vacation or two. After those things though, I'm proud to say that most of us would rather donate the rest to a charity than whittle it away on meaningless stuff. It's always such a great thing to see how many people are willing to help others when they have the means to do so.

     The question I asked was what everyone's favorite book was. While I did get several responses, I was slightly disappointed at the number of people that didn't have one. Most of the people that did have a ready response were ones that I have not read or heard much about, so I look forward to exploring them later.

     Overall, it seems like I am surrounded by a diverse and colorful group this semester. While we obviously cannot share every interest or desire, it seems like we are all aware of ourselves and who we want to become. I am sure that through this semester and what comes after we will all work to achieve what we strive for and keep close to the things we care about.

Soreness and Happy Days

Nothing super fun to write about today.  I worked a nine hour shift at the animal hospital, which is something I'm not used to doing.  My legs feel like they want to fall off and just lie there for a few days.  The whole day seemed a little "off" for me, honestly.  I'm not sure what was going on, but I just seemed to be one step behind all of the time.  I would be slow pulling up vaccines, or get the positioning wrong on x-rays.  It was rather frustrating, especially since I had no idea what was dragging me down.
I also spent most of the day stressing over trying to get a weekend off for my friend's birthday party.  He didn't give me any notice until just now, and the party is next weekend.  It didn't give me a lot of time to prepare.  I finally got the days off (I think) but it took a lot of messing with the schedule and begging favors from my co-workers.
On a happier note, my dad and sister came up from Oklahoma last night to visit.  They'll be staying for a full week this time, so I'm really happy.  I don't get to spend enough time with them since I moved from there.  I don't regret the decision, but I do miss spending time with them every day.  It was very happy last night when they came in from the drive.  We were expecting them to come in late, but the arrived around eight.  They brought their little Pomeranian, Shadow, with them.  I really love that dog.  He loves to cuddle, and wants to be by my side all the time when he's in town.
They're going to Branson for a few days at the start of next week, so I'll get Shadow all to myself.  I wish I could go with them., but I have work and school work that needs to be done.  Speaking of work, I have to head off now for another six hours of fun.  I just hope that things will work a little smoother this time

Rascal's First Groom

I woke up early in the morning with the older man they call "Pappaw".  He took me outside to play!  I think he might take me out there for some other reason, but I'm not sure.  I got to eat my food, which was great!  I ate it all up at once, but they didn't give me more.  I was disappointed.  Mammaw got up after a while and we all sat out in front of the house for a while.  It was hot, but I like the shade on the porch.  The cement feels cool on my belly.
The Bill-human came over to play with me.  He talked with Pappaw some too, but I made sure that he didn't have to focus on that for long!  He's got these loose pants on, and it's fun to chew on.  I love the feel of the cloth (or anything, really!) in my mouth, but Bill doesn't seem to like it as much.  He said something about "That's me in there," but I don't know what he meant.  He didn't want me chewing on him after that.  It's okay though, he'll probably come back to play with me tomorrow.  He really likes my company.
The younger humans got up and ate breakfast.  It smelled good, but they wouldn't let me have any.  Not fair.  After that, Mammaw, Pappaw, and my Mommy (who they call "Savvy" for some reason) sat out on the back porch.  They weren't paying attention to me, so I chewed on my flowerpot.

This was all normal.

Then Mommy took me to where she works.  I like it when she takes me there.  My Sarah-friend lets me sit up on the desk with her while she does stuff.  I saw Sarah when we walked in the door.  She was so happy to see me!  I gave her kisses to reward her.  But then Mommy took me back to a room I hadn't spent much time in before.  There was a lady there with loud things in her hands.  I didn't like this room.  She held me weird and put the loud things on my paws and face.  My hair started falling off when she did that.  I tried to get away, but that made Mommy mad, so I sat still like a "good boy".  I glared at Mommy so she'd know I wasn't happy.
When she was done, that lady put me in the tub!  As if the loud hair-trimmers weren't enough, she got me really wet and put soap all over me.  I hate baths.  Mommy knows I hate baths, but she didn't stop it.  I tried to look really sad so Mommy would help me, but she just laughed at me.  She can be mean, sometimes.
Next they put me in one of the kennels in the back.  I usually don't like these much, but this time it was awesome!  There was this big tube they attached to the cage that made warm air blow on me.  It was neat.
After that I got to play with everyone for a while!  They seemed like they were busy, but I know that they really just wanted to spend time with me.  After that Mommy took me home.  I was so tired!  I always wear myself out giving attention to all of those humans.  I hope they appreciate it.  I think I'll take a nap now.

I Believe Free-write Response

I believe in love.  Love can come in many forms: through friendship, family, romance, and even people we meet on a daily basis.  I think that this world does not think about love enough.  If more people were to focus on love rather than confrontation, we would have less problems in this world.  This has been something that I’ve seen a lot in my short time here in this world.  I often marvel at how petty people can be over the smallest of things.  I cannot believe that people are so unable to see past their own small differences.  Even in school or work I often encounter people judging others’ actions.  While I sometimes find myself falling into that habit also, it’s something that I actively try to avoid.  I really do try to love everyone, despite what they’ve said or done to me.  Really the only thing that I have trouble forgiving is when someone wrongs a friend of mine.  I don’t care too much about what happens to me, but I am very protective of those I care about.  While I do consider this a good character trait, I still need to be able to forgive people for any action they may do.

Even in my family I see love taking a back seat to petty arguments, which is something I regret deeply.  I don’t know why, but sometimes I am able to get along better with a complete stranger then I am with my own sister.  We usually get along great, but when we argue it’s like beating our heads against a brick wall.  Perhaps it’s because we are both very stubborn and have trouble admitting when we are wrong.  Still, love manages to win eventually, once we are able to actually listen to each other.

I often get frustrated when watching television – be it news or fictional stories.  There are so many things I see that could be avoided if people would simply take other people’s wellbeing into consideration.  If people could care for each other the same way they look after themselves, things would be so much simpler.  I often wonder if I am unique in this viewpoint (something that feels rather arrogant now that I write it out).  I know that other people care for people, but why are we as a species so unable to look after each other?  We let small things like possessions keep us from looking after what truly matters.  It makes me so sad when I sit down and think about it.  I guess that all I can do is try to be a positive influence in the lives that I come across and hope that it gives others the desire to do the same for others.

Word Count: 457

I Believe. . .

10 minutes on the clock to list things I believe.  Here we go!

I believe in Jesus Christ.  I believe in love.  I believe that humans are strong.  I believe in friendship.  I believe that pets are family.  I believe in the healing power of happiness.  I believe that all people have the capacity to do good.  I believe that we never stop learning.  I believe that books can change the world.  I believe that music can change the soul.  I believe that we rely too much on technology.  I believe that technology saves lives.  I believe that war and hate are unnecessary.  I believe that rain is necessary for growth.  I believe that friends are family.  I believe that family is the most important thing we have.  I believe that people do not listen enough.  I believe that dancing occasionally can be good for the soul.  I believe that art is under-appreciated in many forms.  I believe that anyone can create art.  I believe that most skills can be learned by a determined person.  I believe that children are the future.  I believe that we don't think about the future enough.  I believe that discipline can be necessary to understand rules.  I believe that there is nothing we cannot do.

Word count: 198

Jung Typology Test

For my composition course I was asked to take the Jung Typology Test (available here for those interested) as a pretext to self-analyzing myself as both a student and a writer.  I was interested, though not terribly surprised, at the results.  Upon completing the test, which consisted of 72 easily answered questions, I was labeled as being ISFJ which stands for Introverted, Sensing, Feeling, and Judging respectively.
This test is almost unnervingly accurate on several accounts when discussing my personality.  While some of these descriptors are rather flattering, others help me to see things that I need to work on to be a stronger individual.
The analysis provided describes me as being trustworthy, warm, punctual, and kind.  Unfortunately, I usually take all these things to a fault (which is also predicted through this test).  There's a part in the analysis that states that, in being so capable, I make it easy for others to overlook my accomplishments since they are now the expectation.  Sadly, I have seen this be the case in several circumstances.  While I could spend countless paragraphs boring you with the insight this has provided me, I think it best if we move on now that we both understand that I do consider this test to be accurate.
Most interesting to this assignment is what occurs later in the analysis of my particular learning/personality type.  The writer is so kind as to provide insight as to how being an ISFJ can and might effect my school and writing.  Since these are the primary focuses of my assignment, let's have a look at them.

In Regards to Learning


Being an ISFJ means that I learn best through practical applications of ideas and struggle with theories or deep analysis.  I have always found this to be the case and am relieved to discover that I am not unique in these difficulties.  Knowing this, however, offers me an opportunity to work on my weaknesses.  Perhaps my exposing myself to things that I find difficult, I can become more comfortable with them.
The test correctly identifies me as preferring to study alone.  Admittedly though, I sometimes have difficulty concentrating if I don't have someone there to keep me honest.  I hope to be able to study more with partners rather than just by myself.  That being said though, I still plan to keep it small.  One study partner is more than enough for me, if I can find one that I enjoy and trust.
It also points out my weakness in procrastination.  The analysis puts it in kinder terms: "An ISFJ may procrastinate or leave a project uncompleted if they are not able to meet their own high standards or when they feel overwhelmed with the information and data they have compiled."  I would say that I simply am too lazy to force myself to concentrate on the problem before me.

In Regards to Writing


And now we get down to what I'm really interested in: how does this information apply to my writing habits and capabilities?
I must be honest - this is the area where it strays farthest from what I see to be true.  There are a few points that still apply, however.  I would rather write on paper than type, and I love writing in quite places.  I also prefer to write one draft of something and then edit it only as necessary.
It is wrong about my process of writing.  It predicts that I will be very organized - always writing an outline.  It also says that I should rely a great deal on reflection.  Both of these are false, as I usually write whatever is on my mind.  I will write an outline for a professional essay as a necessity for organizing those thoughts, so I suppose that it's not entirely untrue.  Overall though, it's not how I work.

I would definitely recommend taking this test.  Even if you don't learn something new about yourself, it is a great way to delve into the traits you do know and understand how they will come across in the practical world.