“justice at its best is love correcting all that stands against love.”–Martin Luther King Jr.

silence

10. which is worse, being in a
place that is too loud, or too quiet?

i am all about silence. all. about. it. in my opinion, there is no such thing as too quiet. in fact, it's difficult for me to function when i'm surrounded by noise. things like reading and writing, and sleeping and thinking become impossible for me unless it's utterly silent. the more quiet, the better. too loud, on the other hand? there are plenty of things that are too loud. the screaming, shouting, grunting boys that play football outside my window, for example. or the drummer who lives on the other side of my wall and likes to host band practice at my expense. apartment complexes in general--too loud. don't get me wrong, i love where i live. but i also love silence.

i am not affianced

9. how long was it from 'the first date' until the proposal of marriage? how long until the wedding?

this questionnaire seems to be under the impression that i am engaged. i hate to break it to you, survey, but the diamonds and white gold on my left hand is a purity ring, not an engagement ring. and though i've been dating the same guy for four and a half years, he remains to be merely my boyfriend and not my fiance. i could see why you might be confused, though, and so i'll let it slide. but i expect you to remember from now on that i am not affianced.

ready or not

it's that time again. winter break is over as classes begin at 8:30 tomorrow morning. one thing i've found is that the start of spring semester never has the same romantic air to it as that of the fall semester. it very well may be because we've already just spent four months with our noses in books, and the thought of doing it some more so soon seems daunting rather than rousing. three weeks away from school, papers, and tests is not enough time to come to miss it. over summer, when those weeks become months, we begin to forget the headaches and stresses of school, and find ourselves ready and excited to fill our brains with new curricula by the end of it. there's also something about september that just makes a person feel scholarly. whether it be the changing air and leaves that we associate with freshly sharpened pencils and new notebooks, the back-to-school sales that help ease us in the the academic mind set, or what have you. january doesn't just doesn't help build the same anticipation. it leaves us missing the holiday season more than the classroom. at least, that's how i feel. with all that said, i may not feel ready to go back to class, or wake up at 7am, or write papers and take tests. but i am ready to learn more, grow more, and take in all this semester has to offer. ready or not, spring semester, here i come.

rock, paper, scissors

8. rock, paper, or scissors?

rock. ...definitely rock. most people pick scissors. maybe it's because it's the word you say while you decide which weapon you're going with, who knows. but that seems to be the case. so, the majority of the time i've found that paper loses, scissors ties, and rock wins. rock always (okay, usually) wins. also, do you realize how silly it is to believe paper could destroy rock? it's completely unrealistic. it's no wonder that the name of the game starts with rock. rock is just the best. i choose rock.

captain hook

7. what do you think captain hook's name was before he had a hook for a hand?

my theory, and you might disagree, is that his name was captain hook all along, even before the tragic loss of his hand. see, i think that he replaced his hand with a hook because of his name, to provide a visual representation of who he was. rather than being named for the hook, the hook was created for him. i mean, that's what makes the most sense. why else would someone want a hook for a hand? there are so many more advantageous items that could've been used instead. if his name was captain back scratcher, he would never again have an itch he couldn't scratch. captain bubble gum machine? he would've been much more well-liked by children. a pen would've been my first choice--how handy would it be to have one at all times rather than digging around in a desk drawer or purse? a hammer, screw driver, or ruler all might have come in more handy than a hook. and, needless to say, it would've been a lot easier for everyone had his name been captain hand. i know it may be a long shot, but that's my theory and i'm sticking with it.

messy or clean?

6. are you messy or clean?

my friends have told me that i look like a clean person. upon first meeting me, people seem to assume i'm a neat freak. take one look at my hand writing, and you might feel the same (it's often been compared to computer typing). there are some other things about me that are very put together. however, take one look at my car or my room, and you will instantly feel much, much differently. in short, i am messy. very, very messy. cleaning just doesn't come naturally to me. i never grew up in a home where having a tidy room was a necessity nor a priority. i also don't mind messes. it doesn't bother me to have clothes all over the floor or my bed unmade for weeks on end. and while i'm content with being a messy person, i also realize that it's something i should work on. if you saw my new years resolutions, then you saw that this is an area of my life that i know needs some change. so, ask me this question again in a year and i hope to give you a much, much different answer.

movie snack

5. what is your concession stand must-have at the movies?

truth be told, i am not a candy-lover, soda-lover, nor a popcorn-lover. the good thing about this is that i'm rarely tempted to spend the $84 it costs to get any of these items at the movie theater. however, there are times when my shy little sweet tooth pipes up and i give in. when i do, it's either dibs (the chocolate-covered ice cream balls) or bunch-a-crunch (little pieces of a nestle's crunch bar). all in all, though, there are no "must-haves" when it comes to me, the movies, and concession stands.

vacation

4. it's your first day of vacation, what are you doing?

first of all, i would be at kukio. it's a private resort on the shore of kona, hawaii. i haven't been there in six years and so often wish i could go back. it's owned by nathan's uncle who is a friend of my dad. and so, funny story. my family had vacationed there twice, spending time with his uncle's family in hawaii, before i had even met nathan. and then we ended up dating. sometimes this world feels so small. but moving on from the tangent and back to the question. i wouldn't want to pack in too much fun in the first day, but then again...yes, i would. so, i'm laying out on the private beaches, drinking smoothies, reading a book, swimming in the pool, going spear fishing and canoe riding, napping in the hammock, eating hawaiian banana bread, playing with sea turtles, getting a massage, manicure, pedicure, and facial, and ending the day eating a five-star meal. sounds heavenly, right? i'm jealous of the fifteen-year-old me that spent her spring break at kukio doing all of these things.

a childhood memory

3. what is your favorite childhood memory?

childhood is far too much fun to only have a single favorite memory. i have dozens. but i'll share just one of them with you: my fifth birthday. it was the biggest and best birthday party i've had to this day. my parents invited everyone in kindergarten to join in the festivities, and we spent the afternoon in the park, playing games, eating cake, and opening presents. i can still feel the summer sun on my freshly-turned-five-year-old cheeks as we sat in a circle and i unwrapped my very favorite present of all. it was a small jewelry box with a ballerina that, when opened, would pop up and twirl to a soft tinkling tune that i can't seem to recall; i only remember that i loved it.

burgers

2. what are your choice of toppings on a hamburger?
and do you prefer gas or charcoal grilling?

i'm gonna be honest and say that i'm not a hamburger connoisseur. so i will go ahead and disregard the latter question as i have no idea what the answer is. as far as toppings go, my choice would be cheese, grilled onions, lettuce, and a little bit of ketchup. sometimes, though, if i feel like clogging my arteries a little bit more than usual, i love a burger with onion rings, barbecue sauce, and bacon. oh, and cheese. cheese is always good on everything. it's a fact.

...is it just me, or does a hamburger sound really good all of the sudden?

costume party

1. if you were to attend a costume party

tonight, what or whom would you go as?

an important part of costume parties is their theme. no one just throws a "costume party." they throw a things-starting-with-the-letter-s party, or a super star party. both of which i've been to and went as a sailor and baby spice, in case your were wondering. the point is that i don't appreciate the lack of specificity of this question. but with all that aside, i suppose that if i could attend any costume party, it would be a masquerade ball. i got a beautiful mask while in venice a few summers back, and have yet to find an excuse to wear it. along with that mask i'd wear a fantastic gown that twirls and flows like any dreamy dress aught to. and while it may be bending the rules, i would not go as anything or anyone specific. just a girl in a mask from a magical city in italy.

the pursuit of better blogging

or just more blogging, at least. let's be honest, through the duration of fall semester i was less than awesome at blogging. as i mentioned previously, one of my new year's resolutions is to blog more often, and to guarantee that i get off to a good start i'm going to steal an idea that i've seen going around tumblr. it's a very myspace-esque survey-thing, circa two-thousand-and-five, but it'll do the job just fine. i'm going to post a post every day for the next thirty days, and to make sure i do it, i've got a list of thirty questions to answer. one for each day of january. i full heartedly encourage you to join in. steal my questions, find new ones, or make your own. if you don't have a blog, post your own answers as comments to mine. may this interrogative heart-to-hardt get me back on track, help you learn a little bit about me, and visa-versa. here are the questions:

1. If you were to attend a costume party tonight, what or whom would you go as? 2. What are your choice of toppings on a hamburger? And do you prefer gas or charcoal grilling? 3. What is your favorite childhood memory? 4. It's your first day of vacation, what are you doing? 5. What is your concession stand must-have at the movies? 6. Are you messy or clean? 7. What do you think Captain Hook's name was before he had a hook for a hand? 8. Rock, paper, or scissors? 9. How long was it from 'the first date' until the proposal of marriage? How long until the wedding? 10. Which is worse, being in a place that is too loud, or too quiet? 11. What is one quality that you really appreciate in a person? 12. At the good old general store, what particular kind of candy would you expect to be in the big jar at the counter? 13. What is the most distinguishing landmark in your city? 14. Everyone hears discussions that they consider boring. What topic can put you to sleep quicker than any other? 15. How many times did it take you to pass your drivers test? 16. If you had to have the same topping on your vanilla ice cream for the rest of your life, what topping would you choose? 17. What food item would need to be removed from the market altogether in order for you to live a healthier, longer life? 18. You are offered an envelope that you know contains $50. You are then told that you may either keep it or exchange it for another envelope that may contain $500 or may be empty. Do you keep the first envelope, or do you take your chances with the second? 19. If you had to choose, which would you give up: cable t.v. or internet? 20. What is your highest level of education? 21. What are you looking forward to right now? 22. What kind of lunch box did you have as a kid? 23. What would you rather have, a nanny, a housekeeper, a cook, or a chauffeur? 24. Would you rather be trapped in an elevator, or stuck in traffic? 25. Lets say a brick fell on your foot, and your kid is standing right next to you, what is your 'cleaned up' swear word? 26. How many children would you like to have and what will you name them? 27. Have you ever gotten a traffic ticket? 28. When was the last time you cried? 29. Tattoos & piercings? 30. If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you be?

new year, new resolutions

be a better blogger
i nearly went a whole month without blogging this past october. unacceptable. and the few posts that i have posted in the past months have been sub-par at best. a song here, a quote there. not okay. time to get back to being a better blogger.




find a church
since high school, i have not regularly attended a church. being an ex-pastor's daughter, i am all too familiar with church politics and drama, and the last experience with a church left my family somewhat scarred. however, that is no excuse for not having committed to one in san diego yet. i have been to a church called the flood quite a bit, and i do like it, but want to try a few others before deciding and committing to it.

learn to cook
i'm 21 years old. it's time to broaden my culinary horizons past macaroni & cheese, tuna helper, and other sundry meals that come in a box. for christmas i got a slow cooker and intend to use it once a week for the next 56 weeks. and by the end of the year, i want to make my own recipe.



run a marathon
not anything crazy. a 5k, 8k, or maybe a 10k. one of the k's, depending on how things go. i just got new running shoes and intend to break them in ASAP. right now i can't run a mile in under eight minutes or touch my toes. so, along with this resolution comes getting in shape. so cliche, i know. feel free to roll your eyes.

become organized, tidy, & clean
i'm usually pretty good at this for the first few weeks of the semester. but as time goes on, various papers get shoved in various text books and by the time finals roll around, my notes are nearly impossible to find and sort through. this year, though, i am determined to use folders and stay organized. this resolution doesn't only apply to school, though. if you've been in my room or car, you know that any and all organization, tidiness, and cleanliness is much lacking there as well. i solemnly swear to clean both once a week.