So I told people my blog address...... I guess this means starting a new secret secondary blog so I can vent about the people who may or may not be reading this..... just kidding, or not, you just won't know will you.
Sunday, December 5
Saturday, December 4
Friday, December 3
Eschew Obfuscation! and other rambling thoughts from another friday afternoon at work
I love words. Which is in no small part why I love books. Nothing makes my day better then using/reading/hearing a wellplaced obscure word. The more I learned German the more it seemed English was lacking. I would try and translate passages but found English lacked a concise match and often needed 3 or 4 words to make the same point. I can't think of any good examples at the moment but I think anyone who's learned much of another language knows what I'm talking about. Then I went to college and bought a new dictionary and began using it regularly. Amazing. What could be more satisfying then finding that one word, with all the right meanings and connotaions to perfectly complete your sentence. English is wonderful after all. Maybe this is why I love Shakespeare.... I love learning etymologies. I want to learn Latin for this reason alone.
I never claimed I was anything but a nerd. And this is even the nerd side people don't see very often. If you know me, you know about the Math, the patterns, the random and often useless facts, but it takes more time for the verbiage obsession to appear.
This is not to say I'm one of those people who runs around using big words needlessly in an attempt to prove that I'm well read and educated; no. If we're discussing Spanish Explorers in the 16th Century it is entirely appropriate to use the word Conquistador. Angie. One of my favorite phrases: Eschew Obfuscation. This of course has lead to all new problems, especially at my wonderful college prep high school with an English department that emphasized "showing" over "telling." Why use five words when one will do? because we say so. What if I can get my point across in three concise sentences, including supporting examples? too bad we still want it to be a three page paper. Do you live to torture me? yes it's called "preparing you for life after high school".
I think about the teachers I liked best in High School. Bad-ass Brian who called me on my bullshit essay about how I dislike normal english classes because we move too slowly dues to half the class being morons who can't discuss their own lives intelligently let alone the saitre of Jonathan Swift or the dystopian undertones of Huxley's Brave New World. But at the same time I refused to join the Advanced English track; mainly out of a desire to never write a 15 page essay on poetry. Or CLucas, who despite my petulant insistence that I only did math because I was good at it, told my parents at conferences "it's so wonderful to have a girl in the class who loves math." She was such a bitch, I hated her at the time. But one of these days I'm going to get back there and just say thank you. I'm graduating soon with a BS in mathematics. Who knew? She did. Damn I hate when other people are right like that. The teachers I like best are those willing to call me on my bullshit. hmmmm. That seems to be true with my friends too.
I'm one of those weird people who is quiet and reserved if I don't know you, but ask any of my friends and I'm definitely outgoing (see first post about the name). So I gravitate towards people who can, essentially, hold their own against me. I know who I am, do you know who you are? Colin once said that he was jealous because I was me and I had it all together, that I don't sweat the small stuff. But that's not true, I replied. I have God, and God has it all together. And I know that faith means there will be bumps and bruises and things I may never understand, but I will never lose His love. Matthew 6:33, 34 says seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these [Earthly] things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for God will take care of your tomorrow as well.
But this wasn't supposed to be about that. I was trying to write about my friends and my personality and how there's nothing more enjoyable then having a friendly arguement when I know I'm wrong but won't back down because it's more fun to argue and watch other people get worked up about it. The same way Twain and friends played dumb in "Innocents Abroad" in order to aggravate their tour guides. Example: I say Moose and Elk are essentially the same thing. I know this isn't true. I'm BSing again. I really need to learn to stop doing that. Most people wouldn't say anything, just smile and agree. Jess and Angie jump all over me. No they aren't. They have different antlers. Let me tell you it's pretty freaking hilarious to watch people try and demonstrate the differences between moose and elk antlers. They raged for 20 minutes, drawing everyone around us into the debate. I just sat back and laughed and enjoyed. Am I weird or what?
I never claimed I was anything but a nerd. And this is even the nerd side people don't see very often. If you know me, you know about the Math, the patterns, the random and often useless facts, but it takes more time for the verbiage obsession to appear.
This is not to say I'm one of those people who runs around using big words needlessly in an attempt to prove that I'm well read and educated; no. If we're discussing Spanish Explorers in the 16th Century it is entirely appropriate to use the word Conquistador. Angie. One of my favorite phrases: Eschew Obfuscation. This of course has lead to all new problems, especially at my wonderful college prep high school with an English department that emphasized "showing" over "telling." Why use five words when one will do? because we say so. What if I can get my point across in three concise sentences, including supporting examples? too bad we still want it to be a three page paper. Do you live to torture me? yes it's called "preparing you for life after high school".
I think about the teachers I liked best in High School. Bad-ass Brian who called me on my bullshit essay about how I dislike normal english classes because we move too slowly dues to half the class being morons who can't discuss their own lives intelligently let alone the saitre of Jonathan Swift or the dystopian undertones of Huxley's Brave New World. But at the same time I refused to join the Advanced English track; mainly out of a desire to never write a 15 page essay on poetry. Or CLucas, who despite my petulant insistence that I only did math because I was good at it, told my parents at conferences "it's so wonderful to have a girl in the class who loves math." She was such a bitch, I hated her at the time. But one of these days I'm going to get back there and just say thank you. I'm graduating soon with a BS in mathematics. Who knew? She did. Damn I hate when other people are right like that. The teachers I like best are those willing to call me on my bullshit. hmmmm. That seems to be true with my friends too.
I'm one of those weird people who is quiet and reserved if I don't know you, but ask any of my friends and I'm definitely outgoing (see first post about the name). So I gravitate towards people who can, essentially, hold their own against me. I know who I am, do you know who you are? Colin once said that he was jealous because I was me and I had it all together, that I don't sweat the small stuff. But that's not true, I replied. I have God, and God has it all together. And I know that faith means there will be bumps and bruises and things I may never understand, but I will never lose His love. Matthew 6:33, 34 says seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these [Earthly] things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for God will take care of your tomorrow as well.
But this wasn't supposed to be about that. I was trying to write about my friends and my personality and how there's nothing more enjoyable then having a friendly arguement when I know I'm wrong but won't back down because it's more fun to argue and watch other people get worked up about it. The same way Twain and friends played dumb in "Innocents Abroad" in order to aggravate their tour guides. Example: I say Moose and Elk are essentially the same thing. I know this isn't true. I'm BSing again. I really need to learn to stop doing that. Most people wouldn't say anything, just smile and agree. Jess and Angie jump all over me. No they aren't. They have different antlers. Let me tell you it's pretty freaking hilarious to watch people try and demonstrate the differences between moose and elk antlers. They raged for 20 minutes, drawing everyone around us into the debate. I just sat back and laughed and enjoyed. Am I weird or what?
Wednesday, December 1
Ask blog questions
After much "research" I've determined that the most interesting blogs are the ones where the writer is most willing to share... everything. And so I have to decide if I'm willing to do that. What if people I know start to read it? What if I talked about them? What if I have a huge complex about needing people to like me and they find out and then like me less (or something insecure like that)? So if I'm going to keep posting here do I have to just take that chance, say whatever happens happens, I don't have to explain myself any further? Why is that such a hard thing to do? Why did I already post a link to the website I put pictures at? Does that mean I've already decided that I'm ok with sharing? or are pictures less personal and therefore I don't care who sees them?
It is all or nothing. Sharing sucks. It means letting people know things that can be used against you. Why can't I trust people like that? Why do I keep people in my life that have already broken that trust and therefore make me all the more wary about sharing in the future? Why is this week's bible passage Luke 17:1-10 which includes one of the verses that has always haunted me, Luke 17:4 " If [your brother] sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, 'I repent,' forgive him." It's just so much easier to cut people out. Not that that's any better in the long run. Because then 2 years go by and you haven't seen the person who used to be your best friend, the person you weren't afraid to share with, and they're at a party and all you can say is "hi" and hide in the kitchen with the keg, telling yourself that you aren't avoiding her, you're just being social with all these other people you haven't seen in a few months. And then there's the friend who you've talked to about your bad habit of cutting people out and she can relate and you start to share with her too, but no it turns out sometimes she's even worse because she's a hypocrit and will throw things back in your face. But you're too nice to even betray her like that, no matter how much you want to shout her secrets to the world, so everyone can see who she really is.
Well I guess I've decided to share.
I'll try and still include random stories like I originally planned, but this may turn into one big vent more often then not.
It is all or nothing. Sharing sucks. It means letting people know things that can be used against you. Why can't I trust people like that? Why do I keep people in my life that have already broken that trust and therefore make me all the more wary about sharing in the future? Why is this week's bible passage Luke 17:1-10 which includes one of the verses that has always haunted me, Luke 17:4 " If [your brother] sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, 'I repent,' forgive him." It's just so much easier to cut people out. Not that that's any better in the long run. Because then 2 years go by and you haven't seen the person who used to be your best friend, the person you weren't afraid to share with, and they're at a party and all you can say is "hi" and hide in the kitchen with the keg, telling yourself that you aren't avoiding her, you're just being social with all these other people you haven't seen in a few months. And then there's the friend who you've talked to about your bad habit of cutting people out and she can relate and you start to share with her too, but no it turns out sometimes she's even worse because she's a hypocrit and will throw things back in your face. But you're too nice to even betray her like that, no matter how much you want to shout her secrets to the world, so everyone can see who she really is.
Well I guess I've decided to share.
I'll try and still include random stories like I originally planned, but this may turn into one big vent more often then not.
Sunday, November 28
Hang out with people from high school
So it was colin who told me that my stories ought to be posted and he said my stories were starting to sound more and more like Brandon L stories.... and then I ended up seeing and hanging out with Brandon tonight.... how crazy. We even made fun of the way he tells stories :D
I drove all the way up to Milwaukee tonight to go to Brent's party at 9. Matt and Tony and Drew were supposed to be there at 9:30 but of course they don't show until 11 something. When I walk in I say hi to Tate and his new girlfriend Lindsey (sp?) and Brandon and then who's in the kitchen? but of course Abby. It was great to see her and I really wish we had the chance to actually say more than a quick "Hi!" There were so many people there that I just hadn't seen in a while it was pretty awesome.... all WFBHS kids of course. Who knew you could major in nuclear engineering at madison???!!! Good times good times. And seeing Jim and bashing ISU with Amy... pleasant surprises. Aaah who needs 5 year high school reunions when you can get together with everyone you'd actually care to see over Thanksgiving!
well I'm still feeling a bit drunk so I should hit the sack.
I drove all the way up to Milwaukee tonight to go to Brent's party at 9. Matt and Tony and Drew were supposed to be there at 9:30 but of course they don't show until 11 something. When I walk in I say hi to Tate and his new girlfriend Lindsey (sp?) and Brandon and then who's in the kitchen? but of course Abby. It was great to see her and I really wish we had the chance to actually say more than a quick "Hi!" There were so many people there that I just hadn't seen in a while it was pretty awesome.... all WFBHS kids of course. Who knew you could major in nuclear engineering at madison???!!! Good times good times. And seeing Jim and bashing ISU with Amy... pleasant surprises. Aaah who needs 5 year high school reunions when you can get together with everyone you'd actually care to see over Thanksgiving!
well I'm still feeling a bit drunk so I should hit the sack.
Saturday, November 27
Tell Big Stories
If the sentence starts with "Hey let's..." I'll probably say yes. This has led to both a lot of fun and a good bit of trouble. I was recently told that my stories are random and that I ought to share them with the world.... so that's my plan.
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