Goodbye 2009

Today is New Year's Eve. Lots of people take this day to think back about what has happened this year, and I guess I'm no exception.

In all honesty, 2009 has been a year full of despair with little tiny bits of hope poking through now and then. In January of this year, I made a very difficult decision which I don't really feel like elaborating on, but to this day, nearly 365 days later, I still wonder if I made the right choice. My birthday was in February, but it wasn't very happy other than getting to go to a nice restaurant. When you realize that adulthood is sneaking up on you, and that soon you're going to be making more difficult decisions than what I had to do in January, it's very difficult to feel any happy emotion. In March, I took the SAT, and scored well enough.

In April, I learned finally what was wrong with me medically. I had anticipated something like this, but it didn't make it any easier to accept. Finding out something like this... I felt like a failure, like it was my fault, even though I had nothing to do with it. It's like, you think that the only thing you'll be able to do in the future is work at Wal-Mart or McDonald's.

May and June seemed to go by very fast. I do not remember very much about them.

July I spent a very lonely Fourth of July. Oh, I had my friends around, but it was still depressing. We lit off fireworks, but the only thing I cared about was getting the whole thing over with, and I like fireworks.

I do not remember much about August. In September, I went back to school, preparing myself for another despair-filled school year, and so far, it has not disappointed. The one good thing about September? I went to the state fair and got to nom on a fried candy bar. Maybe I'll be able to tell my grandchildren about that, after the Health and Safety Brigade bans sweets. It was delicious, and I still have dreams about eating that stuff.

October was one of the happiest months of my life. I went to Disney World for the first time in my life, and I went to the seaside. I really enjoyed my time there, and it was one of the few bright spots in an otherwise bleak year, so it will probably have a special spot in my heart.

November was filled with college applications. Never mind that I'm not even sure if I really want to go to college, it's what's expected of me, so I filled them out, not sure if I was doing the right thing. Remember how I said the thing about decisions? This is another one that I'm not sure if I want to have to make. Besides, I'm not sure if I'll even be able to pursue my first-choice course of study because of my test scores. I don't know why I don't just give up and go to cosmetology school.

December, which ends today, was more of the same, with the exception of Christmas. Which I love. But other than that, the month was pretty boring.

Let's hope that 2010 is better than 2009. I don't think I can survive another year like this without losing my mind.

Snow alert!

Yesterday we got the most snow that the area has gotten since February 2003. We got at least two feet, at least at my house. When I was younger, I would have loved it. Snow is fun, I would have said. Not any more. Now it's just cold, wet, and nasty, unless it gets me out of school. Then it's the greatest thing ever.

As it stands now, we're all hoping there's no school tomorrow. And to be honest, the odds would be in our favor. After all, you've gotta either be stupid, a masochist, or in love with learning to want to go to school Christmas Week. Even the teachers/administrators don't want to go! And I have a feeling that if the superintendent tries to make us all go to school, there's going to be a sudden outbreak of "the flu" among students and teachers. I know of a few people who are using the "Oh, I'm going to the hospital about these symptoms cough cough hack" excuse tomorrow if they're calling for school.

The biggest problem about this snow is that it's making things very difficult for people to go out and Christmas shop. I WANT PRESENTS, damn it! I also need to BUY presents, damn it!

Hurr durr...

I work tech support. It's a very interesting, entertaining, fun job, and I get to learn all kinds of interesting things. I have a very good grasp of school politics (anyone who thinks that all the staff members get along famously- YOU'RE WRONG. They all hate each other!) and I get snacks when I finish a job, since teachers are so happy to have me fix their computer. Especially nice is when I fix the home ec teacher's computer- delicious homemade doughnuts anyone?

Anyway, today I had to help network a printer into some computers. It technically wasn't my class period for tech support, but if I'm needed I can help in whatever room I'm in. One problem: this computer had a null IP address. The scary thing was, it was printing from two computers, and the other tech support student was convinced the damn thing was possessed. And I had to agree- a computer with a null IP address should not be printing- it's not possible! Yikes. Either we had a ghost on our hands, the computer demon was bored again, or there was another problem.

After spending half an hour trying to figure out how the computers could magically print, we figured it out. They were hard-wired. DERP DERP DERP.

Just another day in Student Tech Support.

Atheists and the WAR ON CHRISTMAS!

Every year, if you scan through the radio channels, you're liable to come across some right-wing fundamentalist Christian screaming about atheists out to destroy Christmas. If you listen to them, you'd think that every single non-religious person is Scrooge on steroids. They hate Christmas. They hate Christmas presents. They hate Christmas trees. They hate Christmas snacks. They hate Christmas carols. They hate Christmas specials. Oh, and they hate puppies and kittens too.

I have one thing to say in response to that: LOLWUT? I love Christmas! I love presents- giving them and getting them. I love Christmas decorations- so pretty. I love Christmas snacks- probably a bit too much. I like the Christmas television specials (Mickey's Christmas Carol is my favorite). I love Christmas carols- in fact, one of my favorites is God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen. Yeah, a religious song.

Christmas is a special time for a lot of people, no matter what their religion/lack of religion. Many non-Christians celebrate the holiday (I can think of at least eight off the top of my head). The fact of the matter is that people love holidays. I'm not picky about my holiday-celebration. I go to my friend's annual Eid party. Her mom makes the most delicious kebabs. We exchange Eid presents. Another friend (who is currently attending university) usually has a Diwali party (not this year, due to her being at uni and all). I've attended a Passover seder. Another friend's mother is pagan, and always makes delicious snacks and thoughtful gifts for everyone at the Winter Solstice. And yes, I realize that I sound like a fatass by saying all of this, but hey, isn't that what holidays are all about?

Holidays are for spending time with friends. Holidays are for nomming on whatever comes your way. Holidays are for exchanging presents. Most importantly, holidays are for having fun. So let's all remove the forests we've got stuck up our derrieres and just enjoy the season, no matter what religion you are!

The Christmas Tree

Today my family decorated our Christmas tree. As usual, it was complete pandemonium. Our tree is several years old (five or six, I think), and it came pre-lit. When the tree was new, that was wonderful. Now that it's older and the lights no longer work perfectly? Not so much. So most of yesterday we spent running around the entire metro area looking for some new LED holiday lights. FINALLY we found some at K-mart, although I'm not really sure how good of quality they are. The K-mart near where I live has a bit of a reputation around here for selling defective goods, but at the moment, they seem to be working OK.

Once we finally managed to get the lights on the tree, it was ornament time. I like Christmas ornaments. I have since I was a little girl. Many of the ornaments I remember from my childhood were destroyed when the basement flooded, but since then we have gained new ornaments. Still, it's not the same. When I was very young, there was an enormous red ball that was studded with fake jewels. Looking back on it now, it was pretty tacky, but I loved that ornament and it had to go on the tree every year no matter what, and it had to go on an important, easily seen place. Unfortunately, that ornament was destroyed during the flood- the cold water shattered it.

Since we lost so many ornaments, my mother has been trying to make up for it by buying new and interesting ornaments every year. We always get White House Christmas ornaments, and if an online store has offers on them, then she buys them.

I've also done most of my shopping, and I will tell you this now: Shopping districts are completely insane this time of year. I think next year, I'm buying everyone's stuff on the Internet, so I don't have to worry about getting run over by angry stay-at-home mothers with their entire tribe in one of those enormous baby strollers that fit 2000000 kids. Also, I have to ask: if you're buying Christmas presents, then why bring the kids with you? Then they'll know what they're getting for Christmas, and half the fun is not knowing! But I digress- this post isn't meant to be a rant.

I just love the holidays- I find this to be one of the least depressing times of year for me. I love Christmas lights, I love Christmas decorations, I love Christmas presents, I love Christmas snacks, I love the Christmas holidays from school- I just love Christmas! I can't wait- two weeks from Friday! I hope I get the stuff I asked for. And I hope my family likes their presents, although I think they might know what they are.

Crazy Kilt-Hating Pastor

[url]http://www.faithfulwordbaptist.org/110809p.mp3[/url]

I found this last night during my travels across this fecund land we call the Internet. While it might drive some people to rage, I have to say that I found this completely hilarious, especially the bit about kilts being feminizing. This could prove interesting if he ever comes across a Scottish dude in a kilt. I have a feeling someone would be getting pwned, and I don't think it would be the Scottish man.

Also, his whole spiel about the Sistine Chapel being painted by perverts or whatever, I have one thing to say in response to that- ART, MOTHERFUCKER! DO YOU UNDERSTAND IT!? And if he thinks the tastefully rendered nude angels in the Sistine Chapel are perverted, then do I ever have a shock for him! Some of the art you can find on the Internet (especially the yaoi artwork) would probably send him into cardiac arrest. Hell, show him the doujinshi Unapai and he'd probably have a brain aneurysm. That, or the infamous corn gif. I can see things becoming QUITE entertaining then... ohohohoho.