Finished The Giver

So, I finished reading The Giver today. There was a lot I'd forgotten, so I'm glad I decided to re-read it for Young Adult Literature (henceforth abbreviated as YAL), rather than just winging it and reading the assigned novels I've never read before. I think, at least I hope, that this class is going to be a very enjoyable one.

I started Philip Pullman's The Golden Compass today, so we'll see how that goes. I like it so far!

More Soon,

♥ Chelsea ♥

I'm Starting Young Adult Lit. for Next Semester

And I have to read:

Walk Two Moons by Creech

Out of the Dust by Hesse

Zel by Napoli

Monster by Myers

Catcher in the Rye by Salinger

Romiette + Julio by Draper

The Golden Compass: His Dark Materials, Book 1 by Pullman

The Giver by Lowry *

Feed by Anderson

Weetzie Bat by Block

Speak by Anderson

Hatchet by Paulsen *

The Outsiders by Hinton *

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days by Kinney

Joy? Any thoughts, opinions, and/or suggestions?

*Indicates a book that I've read previously, but that I still need to re-read for the class.

I have a confession to make...

Ever since I ended things with my long-time on-again, off-again boyfriend for good, I haven't been able to handle anything normal in the relationship department. Since January I've been a heartless droid. Guys getting too close to me creeps me out, now. I guess what I'm saying is that I fail at relationships. I don't want a relationship. I want a guy who'll entertain me when I want to be entertained, and who'll bugger off and leave me alone when I want him to. I need a jukebox boyfriend who'll play when I drop in a few coins, and who'll shut up and sit inconspicuously in the corner otherwise. I hate being this jaded, but I don't know how else to be. I'm so screwed up right now. What if it's permanent? I have such ridiculously high standards in my head of what I want the next guy I date to be like. I don't think anyone can live up to them. I think I'm crazy, and broken, and I don't know what the hell to do.

I dated my ex from October 25, 2003 until this January. It was on-again, off-again, but I didn't really date other people. I spent about six years giving my all into a one-way relationship. Don't get me wrong. I'm not trying to publicly derogate my ex. If anyone messed things up, it was me. I got too serious when I was way too young, and it got me nothing less than the biggest heartache I've ever had in my life. Why? Because I was stupid. I put so much of myself into trying to keep him happy that I ended up making myself bitter, jaded, and hard-hearted. If you've ever seen He's Just Not That Into You, you'll know what I mean when I say I was a total Gigi.

Now? Now I'm a mess.

An Uplifting Experience

As I was coming out of the bank around lunchtime yesterday, I found an elderly woman standing next to my car, looking upset. When I unlocked the car she looked at me and frowned. "I can't find my friend's car." I opened my car door to sit my purse down and she started to hobble off, looking even more downcast than when I found her. I think she thought I wasn't going to help her. It was cold and she looked so rattled that I couldn't have left her there without helping, even if I wanted to. She reminded me so much of my grandfather, who died this September, that it broke my heart all over again. So, I locked my car and set off down the sidewalk after her.

"Does your friend have a cell phone you could call her on?" I pulled out my phone as I asked, but she shook her head.

"No, I don't believe she has one of those." She looked so forlorn that it made me want to cry, standing right there on the sidewalk.

I sighed, feeling really bad for her by now. She was so tiny, and she was shivering. "Can you tell me what your friend's car looks like?"

The woman shook her head slowly. "Not very well. You see, I'm legally blind. I can make out shapes, but that's about all." My gut twisted for her, and I determined right then that I was going to take her home if we couldn't find the car within the next five minutes. We walked all the way to the end of the sidewalk with me peering in cars for her, but none of them seemed to be the right one, so we moved back up the street toward my car. When we got a couple of spaces away from where I was parked, I saw a station wagon we hadn't noticed before, and another elderly woman was sitting behind the wheel of the car, reading. So, I told the blind, elderly woman this, and she knocked on the window. Her friend looked up and called to the elderly woman through the closed car door.

"What's wrong, Vivian? Get in." Vivian turned and smiled at me, waving.

"Thank you for your help! Goodbye."

I waved and whispered, "'Bye, Ms. Vivian."

After that, I got back in my car and cried. She reminded me so much of Pawpaw that my heart positively ached. I'm glad I stayed, and I'm glad I helped her. I would have wanted someone to do the same for my grandfather if he was still alive. I will never forget the day I spared a few minutes of my time and helped Ms. Vivian. I'm grateful to have met her.

Finally Able to Relax

I'm so excited that the past semester finally ended! Now, I have time to market my book! Also, I now have time to work on organizing and streamlining my life. This is a much-needed change. Chaos has been eating my life and stressing me out for years now. My dad recently bought me a copy of Time Management for Dummies, so I'm reading it and applying the elements for organizing the office to my room, my car, and my dorm. Hopefully, I'll have everything ironed out before the new semester starts.

I'm also excited because this break will allow me to get work done on Poisoned Apples and Retraction. They are my foremost writing endeavors at this point. If you would like to know more about either one, click here.

I'm also excited about having time to RP (role-play) since I'm on break. Yay! I think that RPing is a great way to keep in the creative habit. I'm also doing a new thing on my official blog. I'm forcing my writing muse into gear by responding to various creative writing prompts that I find online, as well as through e-mail subscriptions, and in books that I own.

I hope everyone is doing well, and that you all have a happy holiday!

Thanks for Reading,

Chelsea

Winding it Up

Oh, boy. This semester is FINALLY coming to a close. Yay! I'm SO ready to be done with it. I have SO much crap to do today. I have a Microcomputers in Education Quiz to do. I have a brochure to make, workshop pieces to review, and a multi-genre research paper to write. Fun, fun, fun. More later!

Epic!Fail

((On a good note, before I get started here, go read this: Exciting News!))

Well, where does one start? -facepalm- I am completely exhausted. I feel like this whole semester has been an exercise in learning what NOT to do. I don't feel like I've accomplished anything. I keep dropping the ball and misplacing things, and I have NO sense of time whatsoever, much less of how to manage it well.

Will continue from my laptop.

Yay, Halloween!

So, I'm super-excited about this Halloween party Christi (one of my best friends in the world) invited me to. It's tomorrow night, and I'm going to be Catwoman. The costume is improvised, but I think it's passable. I can't wait to go. I think it'll be good for me to get out of my room and ignore homework for a night. =] I'm certainly looking forward to having something SOCIAL to do!

Thanks, Christi!

Love,

Chels

Rethinking Again

I'm so incredibly conflicted right now. Part of me feels called to the teaching profession, but I absolutely hate these education classes. Is it worth it to stick them out and have access to the classroom, or should I turn my attentions and efforts elsewhere? I have no idea. Ideas? Suggestions? Anyone?

A Few Observations

I have finally hit that fork in the road where I feel I absolutely need to make a choice. I can either continue with Troy's English/Language Arts Education program, or I can choose something different. I'm considering several options right now.

I'm leaning heavily toward an English Major with an emphasis on Professional Writing, and a double minor of Print Journalism, and English with an emphasis on Creative Writing.

OH HELL NO

Turnitin is giving me a heart attack. I suppose that this all comes back to the procrastination thing, really. The server where my class's portfolio is located is trying to EPIC-fail, and I have to have this turned in by 9:59 a.m. So, yeah. This is NOT good. I should be SLEEPING. But what am I doing? Having a panic attack because I can't get this stupid website to work like it should. I think the powers that be are trying to send me a message that I need to get my ass in gear and finish my next protocol before the last minute.

Procrastination...A Powerful Addiction

I am a TERRIBLE procrastinator. I've been putting things off my whole life, I swear. I was ten days late for being born, for Pete's sake! x_x Yes, I'm serious. I was supposed to be born on February 14, but I was born on February 24, instead.

I have to wonder if this was some kind of thematic omen right from the beginning...?

Anyway, I'm supposed to write a two-page paper on Sir Francis Bacon tonight. That's going to be fun...NOT! I also need to print some things for Writing Across the Curriculum, but my black ink cartridge hates me right now. Go figure. I'm no activist or anything, but I can not BELIEVE how much stuff we have to print out for that class. -facedesk-

Anyway, I need to get my glasses out of the car and start my reading.

What's the point of this post, you ask?

I'm simply posting this as a reminder to myself that I need to stop putting things off until the last minute because the stress is taking a serious toll on my health. More later!

-Chelsea

Really Annoying

I hate how time just flies by, and I don't notice it passing at all. It drives me crazy. Also, I hate that no one ever has time to show me where the UPS store in Troy is.

-sigh-

Ugh. I don't know what to think right now. I'll refrain from any major life choices in light of the fact that it has been a really, REALLY hard semester.

Personal Blog

Since I have an official blog, as an author, I decided to make a personal one as well, so I can run commentary on things that don't necessarily have anything to do with my book(s) or my life as an author. This is more about me as a person and as a student. It's very difficult to be an author and a student at the same time, at least for me. I don't really budget my time well, so things get crazy really easily. Anyway, I hope to have another post up soon!

Thanks for reading.

Check Out My Official Blog!