On this day in 1965…

On another note, Happy Birthday Joanne Kathleen Rowling! You are now officially one of my top three favorite authors. (That says a lot in my book.) Along with Mr. Fitzgerald and Ms. Austen, you’re in good company. What would we do without Harry? (Clearly not have nightmares about Voldemort, which is described below.)

Voldemort is out to get me.

I have this problem. I think I have been way too involved in Harry Potter this past month. See, every night before I crawl into bed, I feel as though Voldemort is in my room and about to kill me. I wish I was kidding. I have read the 5th, 6th, and 7th books and went to the 5th movie pretty much all in this past month. Actually, no. The past week and a half, really. Why do I keep having nightmares about this? What is wrong with me? (Although my roommate did admit to having the same feelings.) The thing that bugs me is that we shouldn’t have to even worry about Voldemort anymore. (Sorry, that could be a spoiler, but did you really think the books would end without killing him?) But then I get to thinking, because the 7th book clearly shows Christian religious symbolism. It is painfully apparent in the final book. So, pretty much Voldemort = Satan. (Which isn’t that hard to come up with, I know.) I know that Satan is real to me, and very well could be in my room at night. Creepy, I know. So every night this past week all this runs through my mind, and my correction lens-less eyes play tricks on me, before I finally pass out from the exhaustion of the day. These need to stop. What can I do?

We need better "role models" or our future is dim.

I couldn’t have said it better myself Rob Schneider.

How is it that I can respect Paris but can’t stand Lindsay? What’s the difference? Well, Paris seems genuinely interested in turning her life around for the better. But Ms. Lohan makes us all look bad. She’s the same age as me, and I can’t imagine falling into the trap she’s dug for herself. Maybe she’ll do better, but honestly, I have my doubts.

On the Move

I am currently in the process of getting ready to move out of my current apartment. (Thank God, I hate this apartment complex. The management sucks.) As I was throwing stuff into totes, I realized how much I hate packing. And how much crap I have. The problem with my love for reading is that I have a ton of books. And they are really heavy. So I am attempting to balance the weight of boxes and things by putting a few books on the bottom of each, and piling clothes or other light items on top. Because clearly Christina and I are the only ones who will get the fun task of hauling it to my new place on Saturday. And we aren’t the strongest of women. Sure, I can lift a certain amount of weight, but there is a point to which it becomes impossible, like anything. Oh, and I live on the second floor of an old house with a staircase that is not a straight shot up.

I can hardly believe I’ve lived here for almost a year. I remember before moving in, I was so excited about life! I had a great new apartment, my classes were in my major (finally!), I had a new job starting out, and there was a guy in my life. I thought everything was perfect! Then life happened. I realized the guy wasn’t what I wanted, my apartment flooded, the job was not the most exciting thing in the world and I was still worrying about money, and my classes weren’t a piece of cake for me like I thought. By January I was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. By February things were straightening out, but I still looked back to August and thought, “What happened?” I still think that from time to time. I’ve turned into a cynic. Sometimes I don’t believe in love, a lot of the time I don’t want to get married, and everyday I wonder what the future has in store.

I guess what I’ve learned this past year is that I am growing up. For real this time. No longer do I have silly school girl fantasies about falling in love at first sight. I know it takes time for love. You can’t take it for granted and believe it will happen right away. Worries will always be there. Only a select few are truly financially secure, and they throw money on stupid extravagances, that it makes me ill. (Do you really need a piano worth a million dollars Wayne Newton?) Sometimes your housing will not be what you expect. And just because you get a B- in your fiction class, doesn’t mean you’re destined to be a failed writer. It just means you are a big procrastinator who didn’t take the class as seriously as you should. Who knows what my junior year will bring? I have to admit I am getting excited once again. My roommate is my best friend, our little apartment in our new house is charming, my classes are all literature and history, I still have a job that pays three percent more, and I have no intention of looking for a new guy in my life for a long time. In fact, I could wait two years. (That’s when I graduate.) But all this could change tomorrow. So…don’t take things for granted today. If you’re at peace with the world, take the time to relish in that fact. It is a rarity to be so happy.

What a day!

A few congratulations are in order.

First of all, I must say Happy 23rd Birthday to my older brother Patrick!

Next, congrats on getting hired for your very first “real,” “adult” job, complete with salary and benefits. The Boy Scouts will never be the same. (He’s the District Executive for the BSA!)

Lastly, JASON RENYT TYNER!! (Renyt is Tyner backwards by the way…) He hit his very FIRST major league home run today in the game for the Twins versus the Indians. It only took about twelve hundred at bats in a span of seven years. But he did it! We knew this was the year!! Thank God we were watching the game and saw it!! Plus they won, which ends their five game skid. And Jason Tyner’s homer did it all. Aw, boys…you might just be on my good side again!

What did you do today?

My roommate and I may be a bit nerdy, but our Saturday might have been better than yours. It cost nothing, other than lunch, and was quite educational. I present our photos:

What are these dinosaur statues you might ask? Well, the Science Museum of Minnesota is celebrating their 100th Anniversary this year and 60 of these babies are painted by local artists and are on display throughout the metro. (Mostly in downtown St. Paul.) Christina and I managed to locate 29 in one hour’s time this morning. There are more pictures, but it would take far too long to upload and find the name. The ones I decided to show are my favorites. The figure skating one, obviously because I used to figure skate. But also the 2008 U.S. Figure Skating Championships are at the Xcel Center in St. Paul in January. I am so there!! Joe Mauer, clearly one of my loves. (Even though the Twins are far below sub-par. But I digress and I have gotten over it.) The accountant one makes me laugh. Christina told me that it was me, and I said, “No! That is my father! Not me! I will NOT be an accountant’s assistant forever!” This afternoon we visited historic Fort Snelling. Yeah, I am pretty sure that every elementary school in the metro area goes there for every end-of-the-school-year field trip, but I grew up elsewhere. It figures the highlight would be seeing about 4 very good looking young men. I would say gorgeous for one particular re-enacting soldier. But unfortunately I turned into a 13 year old girl again and was far too embarrassed to talk to him or even make eye contact.

For Ms. Rowling:

Thank you for creating the most beautiful work of art anyone could have ever imagined. It has been an amazing journey, and I am at peace with the ending of a truly historical series. What you have done for the entire world is more than most could ever wish for. Achieving the impossible feat of getting kids to read–and get excited over the activity!!!–makes me so proud. If I can accomplish a quarter of what you’ve done, I will die happy.

For those who haven’t caught on to the phenomenon that is Harry Potter, I am sorry. Go to the nearest bookstore/library/friend and READ THEM! If you do one thing for yourself, that would be it. I can’t imagine life without him, but he will live on forever. For when you read, the books take you on adventures beyond your wildest dreams. Authors have achieved the impossible time and time again, and I hope and pray that one day I will bestow the same gift as my predecessors.

A Mere Plea…

Please listen:
The importance of reading (and not just Harry Potter)

This is very important to me and I agree with Dana Gioia’s arguments. Obviously reading is way up there on my list of priorities and my one wish for everyone in this world is for them to have the same pleasure that I do when reading.

"Hey, it could happen!"

As a child, one of my favorite movies was, Angels in the Outfield. Ah, yes. Classic. Alas, over the years, I fell out of touch with the film. This past year, as my baseball knowledge has expanded greatly, I felt the need to watch it again, just to see what I know now that I passed over without a care when I was 8. Guess who’s in it? Matthew McConaughey, Adrien Brody, and Dermot Mulroney! Back then, they were nobodies. Now? They can’t get milk without getting a picture taken.

Anyway, my beloveds, the Minnesota Twins, are in a bit of a dry spell. We may have just been swept by the Jays, and are currently in a 4 game losing streak. This is coming after a 4 game sweep of the A’s, and a sweeping by the Tigers last week. What’s wrong boys? I don’t want to be one of those fans, who give up when one little glitch occurs. People are already saying, “There’s always next year!” Come on, kids! Have a little faith! I had my moments this week. Especially the inning yesterday in which the Twins gave up 11 runs to the Jays. That wasn’t so pretty. But I hereby pledge my allegiance to this team and will not give up and quit watching, just because it looks like the playoffs have floated away from our near future. The last I checked, there are still two months left in this incredibly long season. Why not just simply enjoy this game and not worry about whether or not we’ll catch Detroit and Cleveland? Sure, winning is great and the playoffs are wonderful, but we still have the game of baseball. And in the words of the charming J.P., “Hey, it could happen!” And it did for those Angels, it certainly did. (And I am pretty sure they were a little more worse for wear than we are now…)

Why not major in English?

“Life is a foreign language; all men mispronounce it.”
–Christopher Morley (1890-1957)

So many people out there just go through the motions day in and day out. For the first 18 years of one’s life, expectation gradually builds. An education is mandatory, but once the 13-plus years are completed, one has a choice to extend their “knowledge,” or try the “real world” on for size. For those of us who were silly enough to spend at least four years at the university level, what are we really striving for? And for the others who found successes in different ways, (or did not find success) was it worth it? Is anything in life worth it? Are we taking for granted this most precious of all gifts? After one completes a business degree, for example, they go on to work for 35-plus years, only looking forward to retirement, and after that…an imminent death. Is this how our lives are meant to be? Should we just follow the crowd, go to college, get a “real” degree just so I can waste time until I die? I don’t believe that is the way life is meant to be. Like the quote I found for my inspiration, so many of us have no idea how to run life in a way that it will be worth it. Worth all the waste produced, worth all the time spent by others educating, listening, loving. If we just simply go through the motions in life, never taking a risk, not taking vacations to see the world that we all live in, not standing up for what you believe in and what is right for all…why are we here? I don’t want to major in something “useful,” I want to do something that I love…that I am passionate about. Which is why English makes sense for me. If writing is my passion, the one thing that calms me down when I am upset, the one thing I have wanted to do my entire life, what I love more than anything in this world…why shouldn’t I take a chance and pursue it? I only have one life, why not make it a good one? My little gamble could pay off, and it also could be a huge risk that will blow up in the end. I could end up working at a cash register for the rest of my life, but I will know that I tried. You know, I have always wanted to be a postal worker. If all else fails…why not? So here is to the English majors, the theatre arts majors, the Art majors, the ones who aren’t good at math and could never succeed in the volatile business world. We’re the ones reaching for the stars. They may be far, far away, but if we work hard enough, and try our best, one day…we’ll find them. So study foreign languages, take chances, mispronounce things!! But don’t be afraid of finding the truth in life, one day it will all make sense, and you’ll die happy and fulfilled, like you left a true and lasting mark on the world, making everything better for our future.