dear isobel

When I saw this challenge on Huma’s uber-fabulous blog, I told myself that would be a great idea. And then I forgot. Today, I’m bored.

Day 10: 10 Secrets
1. This galls me to admit, but I am somewhat jealous of my younger sister. She’s always had better taste in fashion and was somehow born knowing how to do things with her hair and makeup that I couldn’t do with years of practice. She also graduated from college in the traditional four years and I’m stuck, nearly 27, still pursuing my undergraduate degree.
2. I talk about wanting to live on my own and think about leaving the house to go to grad school — I don’t really want to. I like living with my parents (most of the time) and though I like to spend a lot of time alone, I like having either one of my parents five seconds away. I’m not nearly as independent or self-sufficient as I should be.
3. I’m pretty sure I won’t ever get married because I don’t think I’d find someone who make me happy enough to make that commitment.
4. At my first real job, after over two years of working hard, they let me go to give my job to someone they couldn’t fire, and who had been shuffled through many departments, I spent the last month I was there surfing the Internet and not doing a lot of work because I didn’t see the point. I purposely left the new girl with a ton of backlogged work to make her life miserable.
5. Up until my senior year in high school, I actually thought I could sing and auditioned for solos (a very nice choral teacher took me aside and informed me I was tone deaf)
6. I used to have actual arguments with people on soap opera boards. I remember believing it was worth it at the time, but now–almost eight years later–I know it was a complete waste of time. We spent a lot of time in chat rooms discussing our replies on the boards. I can’t even claim I was bored.
7. I read romance novels constantly, but tend to skim the love scenes, especially authors who are really explicit. I might be a closet prude.
8. I cry very easily. Not just at commercials or like movies, which actually don’t make me cry, but in arguments where I know there’s going to be some sort of confrontation. I’m not good at thinking on my feet in those situations and when I can’t think of how to respond, I get nervous and then I cry. It’s very odd.
9. I tried to commit suicide when I was about 15, but I didn’t take enough pills so I woke up the next morning. I honestly can’t remember what drove me to it, which I guess is odd because it should have been important, but I remember it more for just being incredibly grateful it didn’t work.
10. And to end this list on a somewhat brighter note, I find traditional fiction incredibly boring. I can’t read any fiction that isn’t romance, or any nonfiction that isn’t history-related. I also hate most of the great authors. I feel like people expect me to read more high-brow literature because I’m smart, so obstinately, I can’t bring myself to do it. I love trashy romance novels, but I used to be really ashamed of it.

So yeah. Hm. This was harder than I thought it would be.

Seven Examples of Behavior That Ought to Earn Someone the Proverbial Punch in the face

1. Being a Mets fan. (I’m feeling annoyed towards them, this shouldn’t be much of a surprise.)
2. Wearing Uggs with either a short skirt or shorts. Either you’re hot or you’re cold. Pick a sensation and go with it.
3. Parking your busted down van in front of someone’s house that you don’t even know and then NOT moving it for three weeks.
4. Making me come all the way to school on a day that I don’t have to so that I can drop my final off in your mailbox. You’re just lucky I only live ten minutes from campus, you torture-seeker. It’s reading week, not finals week.
5. Cutting my hair two inches shorter than I asked so that I can’t even put it up in a ponytail and will therefore be very cranky while studying due to the aforementioned hair in my face. Always wear contacts to your hair appointments, ladies. Then you’re not blind as a bat.
6. Being an idiot kid on their bike in the middle of the street and laughing at a car behind you when they beep at you because YOU’RE IN THE STREET. Should have run them over.
7. Not turning in your paper on time and getting the professor to give you until Monday when I busted my ass to finish the book and the paper by Thursday. Boo.

I can’t believe how fast 2007 went and how much happened this year. I was both hired and fired from a really well-paying job, my mom got her first job as a permanent teacher since graduating five years ago and my parents finally got back on their feet financially. We were never that badly off, but they never could get ahead, even when my brother and I gave them money for bills and treated for dinner as often as we could. That’s finally past us, so I’m glad for that.

We’re heading to my grandmother’s for Christmas Eve. We eat dinner, open presents and spend some time together. We started it the Christmas before my uncle died so it’s a good tradition for us to have because Uncle Gary loved Christmas and always went all out for my grandmother’s present so she will always need as much family around her as possible these days.

My aunt’s coming up for Christmas Day. Joy of joys. We get along so much better when she stays in Baltimore. She’s mad at my mother for spending so much time with my father’s mother instead of her own sister, but due, Aunt Bea does live a few states away. Gas is expensive.

We managed to get through Thanksgiving without any drama. *crosses fingers* Let’s hope we can do the same now. Read more »