Honestly Ingrid… what else throws apples?! I love this line from Ingrid Michaelson’s new song, “Locked Up” off her new album. Okay, it’s not really new to me because Miss B. heard Ingrid play it at her concert last year and showed us a youtube video of the song, but this was its first release. It’s one of my favorites. Miss B. got the CD with some of her friends on iTunes (they split it). It was really exciting; usually we don’t get music the week it’s released.
This week has been… not too great. Well, actually just today. Last night I felt like I was coming down with a cold or something, or maybe my allergies were acting up. It’s definitely a cold. I feel MISERABLE. I went to skating practice because I didn’t have a fever, and Sam totally chewed me out for it. I know my body, okay? I know when I can and can’t skate. I skated fine. I’m used to skating under any condition. It’s basically like if you would be able to go to school or not. I would definitely be able to go to school (thankfully, we have a 3-day weekend) but I wouldn’t feel great. Same with skating, although I guess I can see how you are supposed to rest and not do physical activity. I just conveniently forget that. I’ve never gotten pneumonia in my life, Samantha! Then Piper freaked out because she thought I had swine flu. Which, I don’t. There’s a difference between the way a cold and the flu feels, and plus with the flu you have a fever, which I don’t.
Okay, normally this wouldn’t bother me, but I guess the laying around and contemplating made me even more annoyed. Em and I did have a good game of checkers, though. She won.
And I got another weird letter from Lindsay! What the heck?! This one said “Look to the western sky!” which Sam said was a Wicked reference. I’ve only seen the show once so I didn’t get that right away. Neither of us could think of anything that would mean, though. I don’t know if I like this club thing. All the secrecy/mystery is kind-of fun but frustrating too!
Sorry this sounded negative if it did. I imagine once I feel better, I may be more inclined to be positive. And are we there yet?
Here’s the album of me surrounded by tissue world: Checkers!
Yay, me.
Also, Ingrid’s new album has “The Chain” on it. Again. Just thought I would let you know since everyone in Ingrid-world seems to be obsessed with that song for no reason. She explained in one of the videos that it is a canon, which does explain why it’s so attractive. Still, I’m more obsessed with other songs.
I’m not sure if I’m allowed to share my picture yet, or give very many details, but I spent a good part of the evening reliving a part of my life I’m rather proud of, but probably wouldn’t want to relive. Although I was nervous at first, it was actually pretty fun. Why am I doing this? MB let me enter Little Miss Playthings! The theme for the first shoot is “Heroes”. (The theme for the second week is “Clothing”, and I already have that one done too. I finished it yesterday.) When MB saw that, she remembered this online debate on the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition website. Their theme this year was “Heroes” too, and a bunch of people said that none of the people featured on the show were really heroes because they didn’t give up their lives for anyone else. MB was really mad when she saw that, and then she remembered how people have always called her their “inspiration” just like the people on the show. It annoys her. And me, because people have called me that too. And “Hero”. And I suppose Harper has been called too, but we’re not getting along well. Although I’d like to be her friend, we just have so much in common that sometimes I don’t want to confront it.
So I took my shoot, in the way people have referred to me as a “hero”. And I doubt I qualify, but I hope people understand what the shot is about. MB and I hate that point of view because we both are like, we haven’t DONE anything. But if people want to be inspired, fine, I guess… I just hope people don’t misinterpret the photo! If I may say so myself, we did good!
Sorry I haven’t updated in awhile, but there is truly nothing going on. Besides skating practice, skating practice, and skating practice. But really, what else is new in life? I have a doctor here too, who is not as cool as Dr. Kolberts but will do for the short times I stay in OH. Who knows if I will even be here next summer, if I’m off doing some internship thing…? Anyway, once we got home and unpacked from our 15-hour drive from good old Omaha, we all changed into casual summer clothes and went downstairs to hang out with some other OWT girls. I have to say, I am getting along really well with most of them. I doubted I would, but they are all really accepting and nice. I really like Kira; she’s going to be a college junior next year and is a ton of fun.
One of us is thinking about entering the Little Miss Playthings Contest this year. We’re not sure who yet. Hope really wants to do it but Sam thinks I should. Honestly I don’t see why – okay, I do think I’m a bit photogenic, but some of the themes seem a little daunting. Like “Lines”. I am not a photographer! And “Heroes” – I don’t really have one. But it would be a ton of fun, so I’m thinking about it. Then again, I don’t want to compete with Hope about it if it comes to that point (but on the other hand, isn’t she like the star of *everything*? She’d totally go off on me about being spoiled if I did this, though…).
I’m hearing some odd things from Baby-Ruthie. They have capes, and they say they’re investigating something that requires sneaking around at night. I don’t really want to know what they’re up to. They just got back from Chicago, so maybe it has something to do with that. Baby has told me she’s pretending to be “Narcissa”. From Harry Potter?! By the way, did you know her real name is Ruby? I didn’t. I don’t see why she goes by Baby when she has such a pretty real name.
So I got a new dress, Hope implied that I was spoiled (no contest there, really), Hope decided she liked the dress better on her, Hope claimed the dress. Pretty typical story around here.
On another note, I am continually amazed at the religious allusions in 80s/90s pop-rock, such as U2, Peter Gabriel, etc. Most recently, I discovered “With or Without You” has this whole allusion to Jesus being crucified. Even though I’m usually lukewarm on my religion, I really connected to this one. (Sam has been begging me to do something about the “lukewarm” thing, but whatever.)
So tomorrow we are flying back to OWT for spring break and everyone’s going to be there. I NEED to get out of here! I have this one really stressful class with tons of reading… I’d go into it, but I’m just so tired of it that I don’t think I can talk about it anymore. Harper and I have been discussing it for the past two days. Hope is so lucky she doesn’t actually go to school here because it’s a requirement! And Sam is taking some classes to transfer for college next year but she’s just taking whatever she wants, not core classes.
I’m sorry I haven’t written for awhile… it’s this class! I know how I talked about how college was easier than I thought. Now I’m just frustrated! What’s more, I found out I have to go to the doctor to update one of my prescriptions which is going to be LOVELY. And I think a lot of – ok, ALL – the girls here are really nosy. I don’t need them to know what medications I’m taking. That’s totally private. To complain even more, I have to get a local doctor which is going to honestly suck. I like Dr. K. I wish I was going home for break too… as I’ve said, I find it so hard to get along with everyone.
Sorry for the short post; gotta pack.
Yesterday was at first disastrous. We played Truth or Dare, which – as Sam predicted – turned out horribly. I don’t know why, but they kept attacking me with really personal questions. They didn’t ask anyone else as mean questions. Most of the truths were more like “What did you really get on that test?”, which, compared to what I was asked, was pretty benign. Then Hope kept bugging me to be on her Relay for Life team, which I Do. Not. Want. To. Do. I’ve been asked to do it before and I just don’t think it would be fun. I was so glad we weren’t playing Truth or Dare then because I know they would’ve asked me why. UGH. But we got some really cute shirts in the mail that have Valentine’s Day sayings/pictures on them. Then Cupid Elmo flew over and gave us a Hershey’s bar that was decorated and said “From a Secret Admirer!” We were really confused and about to eat the chocolate when this red bull came up to us and started going on about how his love “burns like the heat of a thousand jalepenos”. It was pretty funny. Harper suspects he is one of Stitch’s friends sent over to bug us. A Secret Admirer – Album
You know, there are five gazillion things going on in the world than whatever you were complaining about right now. So just stop.
I know awhile ago I was talking about how I’m not really sure if I believe in God. Well that hasn’t really changed, but I want it to. Hope, Harper and Sam all have really strong faiths, even though they believe in different things. I don’t know what I believe. But I was listening to them last night – not really doing anything, just listening (Miss B. was watching Grey’s like obsessively… so if she was doing nothing, we felt justified). And one of them was complaining about something and Sam said, “Well, I’m going to pull a Mrs. M. here, but you just need to shut up and offer that up to God. There’s noting you can do about it.” Wow. Imagine letting it just disappear and leaving it up to someone else. Sounds good, right? (Mrs. M. is one of Miss B.’s friends, by the way.)
So then I thought that I would really want to be able to do that. I’m technically Catholic, but I don’t really practice or anything. I have a lot of questions and doubts. I get really pissed off at my life a LOT. But what Samantha said made me think – maybe I brood too much.
Then I heard this song by Meiko – I’ve heard it before, but I really listened this time… and I kind-of got from it not that she totally hates where she is in life at that time, but more that she has hope it will get better, and that hope makes her feel like her life will be ok. My life is OK, compared to a few years ago. According to that song, I’m kind-of at the point where I can say how lucky I am. I mean, I could go to the Olympics. That’s pretty amazing considering the rest of my life.
So I think maybe I like my life. Or I will soon. I feel now that that acceptance needs to come with me thinking more about my religion. But it is really nice. And when that morning comes, I’ll make coffee and you’ll read the paper. We’ll talk about our plans and I’ll keep saying how lucky we are.
In honor of Miss B. I posted the Cleveland performance… haha.
And I suppose I should be saying something about the inauguration. Well… I slept through it. I didn’t mean to! Honestly! I’m actually kind-of upset! But I’m sure it’ll be on YouTube or something.
Well anyway, Miss B. made us these t-shirts for Christmas that are really cool! She made one for me, Kit, and Kat. I don’t know why they get all the attention around here. I’m kind-of glad they didn’t come to college with us.
My t-shirt (isn’t it cool?):
This picture makes me look really nerdy, but the better ones didn’t have a full-on view of the t-shirt.
Miss B. told us that people have been talking a lot about whether or not they worry about others making fun of them for collecting dolls.
What I don’t understand is why people are so caught up in worrying at all?
There are so many horrible things that happen in life that it is a total waste of time to worry about them all. You’d be overwhelmed just trying to think of every single thing that could go wrong with your life.
Moreover, if you are going to worry about something, why choose to worry about something so insignificant? I mean, it’s just something you like to do, and if other people can’t respect that they are obviously not worth your time. I know in middle school/high school it was a huge deal – even though I was homeschooled I had to make the decision once to bring my stuffed butterfly to a sleepover even though I knew nobody else would have a stuffed animal. But my mom asked me, “do you want to bring her?” and I said yes so she told me “then there’s no reason not to”.
Life is way too short to worry about what other people think. At any moment you could find out someone you love died, or you have cancer… would you be caring what others think then? I hope not.
Also – another new random song that I can’t stop listening to, “Careful with Words” by Aly & AJ:
Let me tell you the story ’bout the call that changed my destiny.
I was talking to the kids at the rental counter yesterday, and we actually have a boy working there now which really balances things out. I remember the first time I worked there and my blog post was about how catty and unintelligent it was. The girls are a lot nicer now, and maybe I just have issues being social. Well anyway.
“Boy”, a.k.a. Trent, and I got into a conversation about how schools let kids know that their relative is dying or whatever. Great conversation, let me tell you, especially since I’m home schooled, so I was basically just listening to him about how that day some girl in his class’s grandpa was in critical condition or whatever, and everyone knew about it, and she got called down to the office and it was pretty awkward.
And that led to a discussion of “The Call”.
Generally meaning, when you find about about said death or critical condition. And he was talking about how this one time someone he knew was out of town and they had to be contacted by their airplane line or something to tell them to turn around and come home. How could they handle that? he wondered.
Oh, easy. You pack up a bunch of chips, rent a car, and drive. No biggie.
- But you have so much time to think alone!
Yep. Except at that point you’re in adrenaline mode and you’re not breaking down on the side of the road. You’re in shock, you’re steaming up, and all you have to do is get home. You don’t make rest stops unless absolutely necessary.
-Wow.
I’m totally shock-proof.
[I mean, not that I've had experience with this or anything.] I proceeded to tell him about how doctors like to call you at least five times until they reach you because they don’t want to leave you a message, and it’s always the actual doctor, and they’re always like, “you need to come into the office immediately”.
Instant fail.
SO THIS ONE TIME… I was at a skating competition. It was like one of my first ones, and my dad had gone with me. Well, okay, I think it was one of my first competitions where I’d actually gotten through all the levels. And my mom called my dad and he “knew something”, he was acting really weird… it was the first time I’ve experienced that, but definitely not the last. And I got home and my mom showed me this printout with a bunch of numbers on it. Well, naturally, I had no idea what they meant. And then my mom explained it to me.
I don’t know why they told me that way, but the numbers fascinated me, and although I was scared, those numbers also sparked my interest in medicine and science.
And I was in the lovely hospital the next day. Story of my life. That was not the last Call. That’s why I know getting “The Call” wouldn’t shake me up or even surprise me. I’d just be like, “okay, let’s do this again.”
Sorry.
-Shocked face.
Sorry about the crap video length. All the real ones were “embed-disabled”.
To "flutz" is to screw up a lutz, basically, and it's the last thing you'd ever want to do at Nationals, Worlds, or Olympic Trials.
However, I have been known to flutz. Even double-flutz. We shall see.
"Flutzing to Vancouver" is a fictional blog told from the point of view of the character Cate Flannery. It does not represent anyone actually involved with US figure skating. For more information on the OWT Girls visit [here].
