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