21 questions, part deux!

Almost a year ago, I wrote a post called, ” 21 questions: THE questions to ask when you are playing this ridiculous game.” Well, readers, it is with great excitement and pleasure that I introduce an extension of the first posting so that you may extend your conversation time. Disclaimer: I like to add my own little interpretations. Most are supposed to be funny so as a reader, don’t take my remarks too seriously in these things. Here we go!

1. Scotch tape, duct tape, or electrical tape? (Scotch tape- Afraid of commitment, maybe? Or they might be messy, needing lots of redoes. Duct tape- Into permanence; lacks the ability to properly repair broken items, i.e., cars, cabinets, furniture…You get the picture. “If you can’t duct it, _____ it.” Electrical tape- This person is probably pretty handy but might have experience wiring bombs. Hehe!)

Vs. 

^^^ Is that guy repairing an airplane wing with duct tape?

2. When communicating from a distance, do you prefer the telephone or instant messenger? (This is an easy one: If they answer, “Phone,” this person is a talker.)

^^^ “I’d rather be on AIM!”

3. Milk chocolate or dark chocolate? (Always a good inticator! I find that milk chocolate people tend to be more playful and dark chocolate people seem more introverted and serious. I like different kinds of chocolate depending on my mood.)

4. How do you set your wrist watch? (Exactly on time- Punctual. Five minutes fast- Very punctual and sometimes early. Ten minutes fast- Always late. Doesn’t have a watch- This person probably enjoys freedom and doesn’t have much of a schedule.)

^^^ That’s just ridiculous. You could tag and track a Great White Shark with this thing.

5. Button jeans or zipper jeans? (Buttons- Umm…Maybe they want you to work for it…? Zippers- Practical and timely!)

Vs.

^^^ Hmmm.

6. Would you rather break your pointer finger of your dominant hand or one of your toes? (Finger- this person is most likely an athlete or doesn’t like sitting still. I think I would opt for having a broken finger because sitting on my tush for too long would drive me insane. Plus, I like the idea of being able to run away from the Predator…just in case. Toe- maybe this person has a job involving a lot of manual tasks like typing or writing. They may not necessarily need their toe any time soon. Either that, or the Predator doesn’t live in their neighborhood.)

^^^ If Arnold can do it, I can too!!!

7. If you could only listen to one CD (not a burned mix) for the rest of your life, which one would you choose? (Obviously there are thousands of variables here. For me, it would be the “Pride and Predjudice” soundtrack composed by Jean-Yves Thibaudet. It was a tough call between that and my “Mondo India” CD.)

Vs.

^^^ UGH! An impossible choice.

8. Summer rain or winter snow? (This is a tough one. Rain- Doesn’t mind the humidity and heat. Possibly an aural person who likes the sound of rain. Snow- Likes cooler temperatures and the indoors. Probably hates insects the size of their hand. Appreciates solitude and quiet days in with tea and coffee.)

Vs.

^^^ Personally, I love the hot sticky feeling of summer rain. That picture reminds me of summer rain in my hometown with all the mountains. Against the greenery, you can always see a storm coming.

9. Bottled water, tap water, or filtered water? (Bottled- Ok, this is just my biased environmentalist opinion, but this person has no regard for the environment. Although, on occasion, I will purchase bottled water when I have to. Usually I use my “Klean Kanteen” and refill it. Tap- Laid back. Filtered- health conscious.)

^^^ Just fill it from the tap and go!

10. Eiffel Tower or Leaning Tower of Pisa? (Eiffel- Enjoys cheese, wine, and Monet. Pisa- Marinara sauce, Michelangelo, the Classics, and gondola rides.)

Vs.

^^^ That’s tough. Can I have both?

11. Hot dog or hamburger? (Hot dogs- All American! This person is possibly a fun-loving, baseball game-going personality…and is not concerned about the content of hot dogs! Hamburger- This is a meat-loving person who enjoys a nice chunk of food and immediate satisfaction.)

Vs.  

^^^ Hopefully you would get a whole hamburger, not just half of one.

12. What is your favorite Disney movie? (The Fox and the Hound- Sentimental. Cinderella- Believes in everlasting love and Prince Charming. Pocohontas- Adventurous! Beauty and Beast- Loves to read! You get the picture…)

^^^ I won’t lie. Even after my relationship let-downs, I still believe that everlasting love exists in somewhere out there.

13. If someone asked you for directions, would you draw a map, write them down in sequence, or explain it verbally? (Draws a map- This person is visual. Writes it down- Usually not very good at listening or hearing things so they write it down. I am this way. If you tell me something, I will never remember it, but if I read it or see it, I’m good to go. Verbally- This person is aural. They can hear something and retain it. At the beginning of this semester, my Biochemistry professor had all of us do the VARK test which stands for “Visual Aural Reading/Writing and Kinesthetic. Look it up online and take the test. It tells you how you learn!)

14. What is the meaning of life? (Again, the variables are endless. But this may strike an interesting conversation!)

^^^ Quite possibly one of my most favorite books, one of the characters says that the meaning of Life is in his old, tattered rug that he has owned for countless years. Think about it. What would you do with an old, tattered rug?

15. How many speeding tickets have you had? (Zero- They are either really boring or really lucky. Between one and three- About moderate. Four or more? Never ride in a car with this person.)

^^^ Haha!

16. What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?

^^^ It just occured to me that this image is twinkling…

17. Period, question mark, or exclamation point? (A period- Straight to the point and even-keeled. Question mark- Introspective and obviously asks a lot of questions. Exclamation point- Probably very energetic. May have extreme moods with bouts of absolute happiness, saddness, or whatever.)

18. If you could visit one planet, which one would it be? (Mercury- “Some Like it Hot.” Venus- Some like it a little less hot. Mars- This is the planet that most likely had or may one day have the ability to sustain life…So a person who chooses Mars is likely a realist in that they would pick the planet that would apply to humans the most. Jupiter- Umm, size matters? Either that, or they are a meteorologist of sorts that want to study the storm spot! Saturn- Trekkie. Neptune- Likes the color blue! Uranus- This would be the kid on the back of the bus who made really immature jokes throughout his childhood…and adulthood. Pluto- The optimist who is still has faith that it’s a real planet.)

^^^ SWEET!

19. Speaking of outer space, do you believe in extra-terrestrial life forms? (This could get interesting…)

^^^ “Greetings!”

20. Lemon or lime? (Lemons make me think of very flirty, playful people. Lime makes me think of a smooth operator…)

Vs.

^^^ My mother would pick the lime, no doubt; that’s what goes best with Corona. Haha! Or you could just have a Sprite and get over it.

21. Overhead lights or lamps? (Overhead lights- Quite possibly a very diligent, hard-working person who doesn’t put much stock in taking time to turn on five different lamps as oppose to just flipping one switch. Or they are blind. Lamps- This person may be a little more laid back, enjoying soft lighting.)

Vs.

^^^ I am partial to the soothing light emitted from a lamp.

And there you have…Again! I hope these were as good as the last. I was digging deep! It’s difficult coming up with these things! Until next time, readers. I have a Biochemistry exam coming up this week so you may not hear from me for a whiiiiiiiile.

Love…Not really; and the 7 month itch.

This entry is going to be a difficult one to write, dear readers. Back in December I wrote a post called, “Love…Actually?” As I have mentioned before, my installments on the topic of Love tend to be some of my most popular. I regret to inform you all that I am not writing with good news this time. About 11 days ago, Mogli and I ended our relationship. Let me give a quick disclaimer that I am not trying reveal the pitfalls of my relationships with you readers because I want revenge on my ex or because I want sympathy; I am writing about this in some detail because A) it is therapeutic, B) I feel that it may serve as a record events in my life, and C) you readers may gain something from my sharing of weaknesses involved with the human experience…or just dating. In my writings I try to be as real and honest as possible and when something big like this occurs, I feel that it is a story worth telling.

^^^ My blog is kinda like my public diary; you’ve been warned.

Moving onward, I would consider myself a young woman of considerable experience in the field of serious relationships so when I say that this has been the most befuddling breakup I have ever experienced, please note that I mean what I say. I’m not a short thing when it comes to members of the opposite gender. I am picky and when I decide to start an official relationship, I am ALWAYS in it for the long haul, so to speak. Perhaps I will come to realize that this is not always such a good thing.

^^^ Guilty.

For the past couple months, let’s say since the end of January, things for Mogli and I have been going a little South. We spent just about every waking moment together, sharing three classes, two labs, and our own independent research project on mayflies. In our classes and labs, we were always partners or sat beside each other. Every meal was spent together except for breakfast. Weekends were no exception; we spent every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday together. We studied together. We ate together. We played together. And then we started bickering. Ugh.

^^^ Haha! I mean, that’s horrible.

From the beginning, I had always felt that we did spend an oddly large amount of time with each other, but we loved it! We loved being with one another. However, I did warn him against this. “Mogli, shoudn’t you eat lunch with some of your friends every now and then?” He replied that, no, he would rather spend time with me. This was all very sweet and flattering and I wanted to be with him too, so I never really contradicted him. But I think all this time together, especially the working part, began to wear away at our ability to have fun. Soon, everything became about a schedule. Even on the weekends, it was very much the same thing, over and over again. Mogli became distant but was always insistent of his love for me. We argued a few times but never about anything too serious. It would be something stupid like how to boil water (I know, ridiculous). We began nit-picking in our labs. I would get frustrated when he wouldn’t trust my judgment in the lab, but who could blame him? We were working.

^^^ “You gonna put the lid on that?”

I was no saint. I became accustomed to his easy manner of listening and I constantly complained about one thing or another (not necessarily about him). He insisted that I wasn’t a nuisance but I still disagree. I should have kept quiet a little more and left him in peace. So as one can imagine, we were irritated with each other. The good times were still there but neither of us were rolling in it. Thursday night after I had gotten home from Baltimore, I drove to see Mogli in his hometown which is about thirty minutes from my home. My trip to Baltimore was enjoyable but I felt a strain there. Every night I talked to him on the phone, he asked the same questions: “What did you do today? How was that? Cool.” He even answered the same way: “Well, I ate breakfast. Worked. Took a shower…” I felt like he was a robot. It was still Spring Break. He cooked me dinner and we went to see a movie. When I arrived at his house, I didn’t feel right. He didn’t seem right. And I guess my hunch was correct. As I came in, he asked if I was OK and I told him that, no, I had been feeling off for a few days. He inquired no more; that answer was enough. Of course this upset me. So at the end of our night as I was leaving, I asked him how he felt about me and our relationship. I wanted to know that he still wanted this as much as I did. He confirmed all my fears in one sentence: “I am not in love with you anymore.”

^^^ Well crap.

It felt like someone had knocked the wind out of me. Really? Just like that? You don’t love me anymore? I could hardly believe my ears. The young man who craved my presence at every moment, who kissed me in public, who saved me from the giant spider in July? He said that he still loved me and cared about me but he doesn’t see me the same way he used to. “Are we breaking up?” I asked. His reply was simple. “Yes.”

^^^ Only this was to my face. I think phone breakups are easier, personally.

It’s funny how your emotions affect your physical being. I couldn’t sit still. I left the car and we walked in silence briefly. Upon returning to the car, I informed him of my sentiments one last time, “I think breaking up so suddenly is the wrong decision.” I told him that I was still in love with him and that if he changed his mind, he knew where to find me. I could tell he was sorry and I know it was not in his plan to hurt me. As women, we automatically think, “What a pig! Move on girl!” But Mogli was no pig. He was wonderful to me. He opened all doors, cooked for me, let me choose the movie, cleaned, hugged me, made me laugh, and was always willing to listen and wait. He was a great boy-friend. We had everything in common! We loved all the same things. So why was this happening?

^^^ But pigs are so cute!

But I suppose this wansn’t enough. One of our most difficult issues was communication (in my opinion). I talk…a lot. And I when we argued, I urged him to tell me how he felt. This was not an easy task. I have heard from my parents, my friends and relatives, and Oprah, for crying out loud, that communication is just as important as love in a relationship. I guess they were all right. The love was there, no question. But perhaps love isn’t always enough.

^^^ I needed better communication.

So as one can imagine, the past week or so in classes has been a little rough. Every time he walks into the room, my stomach drops; I have this incredible feeling of loss. In my mind, I feel like he quit. However, I also acknowledge that maybe he has been feeling this way longer than I have known and he was trying to ride it out but we never improved so he had no choice but to finally end it. I respect him for that. But I never felt that we had SERIOUS problems. Sure, communication wasn’t great. But we could work on that, right? We could get better!

^^^ “Well, there he goes…again…”

Aside from the tough breakup, Mogli and I agreed to maintain a friendship. In a way, we don’t really have a choice; our research continues into this summer and our senior year of college. At first, I thought that maybe one day he would wake up and want to start over but after talking to him a couple times in the midst of exchanging items, I see that he is gone. I have yet to find closure and he has not been able to produce a solid answer as to why he no longer loves me, besides the bickering. He claims that he still enjoys spending time with me and that I never got on his nerves. To me, this is a contradiction. But love and people are complicated. I may never understand what happened to us. In fact, he may never understand either.

^^^ Now THAT’S complicated.

In a more positive light, I have had an outpouring of support from my friends and family. Everyone in my life thought the world of Mogli. As a matter of fact, they all still do. I think my Dad was quite disappointed, actually. Apparently my Mom saw it coming. She was the only one who picked up on the differences of our personalities and pinned it as a weakness. However, she admitted that she had high hopes. My friends, I think, were the most shocked. And poor Dr. Beetlguese had a look of horror on his face when he referenced us a couple one day and I had to correct him. Cher and Lafonda have both expressed their utter surprise and confusion. But on the sunny side of things, I have had a lot more time to spend with them! We’ve been making dinners together and talking more. We’re even in the process of making a roommate vision board to hang in our kitchen!

^^^ This is an example of a Vision Board. We split one giant cork board into three sections. You are supposed to put things up that you have always envisioned for yourself. It helps you to focus your life and compartmentalize things that you are seeking, taking them OFF your brain and putting them on the BOARD.

Ms. Daisy had taken a trip over Spring Break with another close friend of mine whom I shall dub Dr. Watson (named for one of the scientists who discovered the double-helix structure of DNA). The two of them traveled up the East coast and stopped at the famous lighthouse in Maine. At one point, Ms. Daisy had called me to plan a day out upon her return. I informed her of the news. So the night she got back, we met in the library to study and she presented me with a colorful rock she picked up at the foot of the lighthouse. A few days later, Dr. Watson gave me a pretty seashell. These little trikets were to cheer me up and remind me of their support. They sit on my desk in my apartment and remind me of the importance of friendship. Few gifts have I recieved in my entire life that have meant more to me than this rock and seashell.

^^^ I think this was it.

For my final point in this installment, I will address a new theory of mine. In the 1952 play “The Seven Year Itch” by George Axelrod, the issue of discomfort in relationships was addressed. The play stared Marilyn Monroe and Tom Ewell. Wikipedia defines the Seven Year Itch as:

“The titular phrase, which refers to declining interest in a monogamous relationship after seven years of marriage and has been used by psychologists.”

^^^ Oh Marilyn…

I took this taboo and applied it to months. I have actually thought about this in the past because its true: I have always had a hard time in my relationships around the half-year mark. I think its the point when you realize that your new Boo is not perfect. At this realization, you either decide you love the person despite their weaknesses…or you don’t. It seems that once you get out of that slump as a couple, things level out. Sure, the butterflies go away a little bit, but you’ve reached a level of comfort with your significant other.

^^^ Ignore the titles of the graph. This is just my theory of what a graph of relationship happiness would portray, the giant dip being around the half-year point.

At first, I hadn’t even considered this being a factor in my breakup situation until an older male friend of mine (I will name him Mr. Little) that I work with on campus mentioned it to me. He asked how long our relationship lasted and I replied, “Seven months.” He started nodding his head vigorously. “Yep! That’s what ALWAYS happens. Catrina and I hated each other at the seven month mark.” He laughed. Mr. Little and Catrina have been together for a couple years, I think. They have to be one of the cutest couples I know. But he had a point! And it offered some explanation to me since I wasn’t getting one from Mogli.

So that’s my theory! I’ll give Mr. Little 70% of the credit and we’ll publish it, make millions in the field of psychology, and I can retire with ten cats and no husband. YAY! On a more serious note, things are looking up and have gotten a little easier. I feel that I am coming to terms with my singlehood again. Everything will be as it should be in the best of all possible worlds…But I can’t say Voltaire would agree. Ha! Maybe one day Mogli and I will have another chance; maybe we won’t. I am leaving it to chance. For now, I plan on keeping an open mind.

^^^ “Candide” has to be one of my all-time favorite books!

In summary, things I have learned:

1. I am going to attempt to take all my pre-conceived notions of love, relationships, and marriage, and throw them out of the window. I want to start from scratch and quit focusing so much on the future. The more I try to control things, the more the situation bites me in the butt. It’s time to let things happen on their own.

2. In my future relationships (whenever THAT will happen), I will make sure to play a more active role in PRESERVING the relationship. Had we done more of that, things might have turned out differently.

3. I WILL NOT DO TOO MUCH WORK WITH LOVED ONES!

The end. Hopefully you readers will gain something from this story. It’s a good story, I think, with an important lesson that sometimes love will not always sustain a couple. I feel like an adult when I say that. Maybe because I am becoming one. Or maybe I am just getting started. Who knows! Looks like I am going to find out! To the future. Cheers.

^^^ Sooner or later, I will be dancing around as usual.

“These are a few of my favorite things!”

Readers, I am now back at school from a relaxing Spring Break, taking on the world again, one day at a time. Over break, I “discovered” a few consumer products that have revolutionized my life!!! Well maybe not THAT much, but I figured that if Opera could list off her favorite Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter things, I could too!

^^^ If she can do it, I can too!!!

First and foremost: Dansko clogs. These things have the most incredible arch support. I have been wanting a pair for about two years now and I finally got a store clerk to offer them to me for $25 less than the original price. YES!

^^^ The most comfortable shoe ever! Apparently there was a woman who was sick of wearing uncomfortable shoes in her barn all the time (riding boots are completely flat, if I remember the feeling correctly). So she invented these for all the footwork that goes with keeping horses! FINALLY!

Greek yogurt: This stuff usually contains live cultures and less sugar. However, its creamier than regular yogurt, almost custard-like. It is DELICIOUS and they have a “Honey” flavor. YUMMY!

^^^ This is a popular brand of Greek yogurt.

Biker capris: I didn’t know a technical name for this item but I found a pair on sale at Target and wore them hiking…it was wonderful! They were the most comfortable hiking pants I have ever worn! No wedgies! No moisture accumulation! Just FREEDOM!

^^^ Forget you, Goldbond Powder!

Last but not least, curry chicken salad: I know it sounds wierd but I went to dinner at this little cafe with my parents over break and ordered this stuff. In the past, I have always loved curry and I have heard of curry chicken salad but was always afraid that I would find it to be a horrible mixture. On the contrary, it was the best chicken salad (besides my moms) that I have ever had!

^^^ This is almost the exact dish I had. Oh, rumbling tummy…

Well there you have it folks! A few of my favorite things! And now I have to get back to studying for a test.

These things do happen…

So readers, you know how every now and then I write a ridiculous blog about the random things that seem to happen to me? I really feel like I am one of “those people” who is constantly like, “Well you won’t believe this, but guess what happened to me…,” and most of the time, people really DON’T believe these scenarios because they seem too outrageous, right? Well again, I warn you that I am THAT person. And these things DO happen. Here it goes.

“For the past three years, these things DO happen, mais, NON!” -one of my favorite quotes by La Carlotta in the Phantom of the Opera.

This past Saturday, I got robbed. Don’t get caught up! I wasn’t physically mugged or anything. The story goes like this: Mogli and I were taking advantage of some warm weather and getting out for a nice hike. As we prepared to leave the parking lot and hit the trails, we forgot to lock the car up. I know it sounds incredibly ignorant but this is a common mistake for hikers and outdoorsmen/women. You think, “Gee, I am out in the middle of nowhere! I’m not vulnerable!” When you go hiking/camping all the time, it’s easy to become comfortable and forget about these little details.

^^^Haha!

So after finishing a nice hike and poking around some caves and waterfalls, we headed back towards the car, had a snack, and proceeded to dapart the lot. As we got into the car, I realized that my purse was missing from the front seat. We did everything short of ripping the seats out of the car to look for it. But I KNEW I had left it in the front seat. Luckily, I had packed my cell phone and other micellanious item in my pack, so whoever stole my purse didn’t get EVERYTHING. Anyway, we decided to drive down the road slowly to see if my purse was around and sure enough, it was laying on the side of the road, completely cleaned out. My wallet, flash drive, and even my LIP GLOSS was taken. “C’mon,” I thought, “My lipgloss?!” All my work from this entire year was contained on that flash drive. That was the saddest part for me.

^^^ “You stole my FLASH DRIVE?! Now it’s personal…”

After canceling my credit card and replacing a few items, I knew I would have to go into the DMV on Monday morning for a new ID but I was supposed to be leaving that morning for Baltimore with my Mom; we were going to visit some old friends and hit a few museums. So I got up at 6:30a.m. to get ready as fast as I could and rush to the DMV only to find that my photo-copied birth certificate AND my original social security card would not suffice for identification in getting a new license. REALLY?! They said, “Well, we will have to ask a series of questions. This may or may not work and might even work against you, depending on how you answer them. Otherwise, you have to come back another day.” Dammit. But in my rush to leave town, I would take anything I could get. They asked me all sorts of specific questions like, “What month did you last renew your license?” and “What county were you in when you received your second speeding ticket?” (that’s right, I’ve had two). Luckily, I answered all the questions correctly and was able to get a new license.

^^^ The only that was missing was a rickety wooden chair and a lamp hanging over my head.

Now we’ll fast-forward. We got into Baltimore at about 9:00p.m. and went to bed soon after that; Mom and I were pretty tired! So there I am, sleeping on my foldout bed, snooring, and dreaming of the Aquarium when all of a sudden WHAM! There was an impact. I woke up. It was about 5:0o a.m. but as I awoke, I was a little delirious and didn’t really know why I woke up. I rolled over and went back to sleep. A few hours later, I got up, opened the shades preparing myself for a new day in Baltimore. But something was funny. As I looked down on the streets, I saw a news lady standing in front of our building talking into a camera. There were lots of people standing around talking and pointing at the structure right below our window. “What’s going on?” I thought.

^^^ “Ohhh…that looks bad.”

As I looked directly below me, I see that there is a BUS going INTO our hotel. A city bus had crashed into the building five floors below my window that morning at 5:00 a.m.- that was the impact that woke me up. About ten minutes later, we get a knock on our door telling us we need to evacuate because they were about to pull the bus out. Great. My first thought was, “This is going to be such a good blog.”

^^^ This is kinda like our bus impact only I think our bus went into the building a tad more.

Mom and I went downstairs and watched all this take place. There was a big hole in the lobby where the bus had come through the walls. Apparently we were really lucky because the hotel we stayed at (I will go ahead and give the name), The Brookshire Suites, used to be a giant parking garage and the frame was pure cement. Therefore, the building didn’t cave in! YAY!  So there is my story. I got robbed and a bus crashed into my hotel all in one weekend. As a side note, only two people were sent to hospital and no one was severely injured. Yay for good luck!

But alas, now that I am back from a mini-vacation, I must get back to work. I have procrastinated long enough and Spring Break is supposed to serve as catchup time…a little. Until next time!