tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25095806075121509762024-03-04T22:18:22.874-06:00The Daily PonderLearning something every day through literature, writing and the daily ponder.Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07684068972679148122noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2509580607512150976.post-33348057083295274422010-07-12T18:53:00.001-05:002010-07-12T18:54:24.043-05:00Pondering is for the uncertainI am moving on and getting an account with a different website domain that better suits my blogging needs. If you would like the address, please contact me:<br />ponderwithjmill@hotmail.com<br /><br />Cheers,<br />JennaJennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07684068972679148122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2509580607512150976.post-6614304765526790382010-06-26T14:43:00.003-05:002010-06-26T16:11:18.436-05:00I'll be there for you...if you're from EuropeI was standing in line at the cafe in Barnes & Noble this afternoon. A older man from Europe - though I couldn't tell you where exactly - was waiting for his food and drinks he had ordered himself and two women he was with. His change consisted of two dollars and some odd cents. As his drinks were being prepared, he began scoping out the chocolate bars, deciding that he wanted the mint flavor. He asked the woman if his remaining money was enough to purchase said chocolate bar. The bar was $2.95 plus tax, meaning he did not have the correct amount. Being European and a mere visitor to the states, he had to be told twice that he didn't have enough money to make the purchase. The man put the bar back with ease, though I could feel his disappointment.<br /><br />Being as how I hold compassion for European people, I had to step in. I pulled a dollar out from my wallet and handed it to him, stating that the chocolate bar was far too delicious for him not to purchase it. He thanked me kindly and accepted the money. It was a simple gesture, but I can only hope that he remembers that moment.<br /><br />Americans are looked at in a negative light by Europeans, and many times I don't blame them for their opinions seeing as how I agree with them. But now the man can go back to his homeland with a positive memory of a fellow citizens generosity. I didn't give him the money so I could brag about it. I did it because he was from Europe, looked sweet, and would be using the money to buy chocolate. Tell me, who wouldn't give him the dollar if they had it?<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Have you ever finished paying off a person's tab or helped them buy something they wouldn't have been able to buy otherwise?</span>Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07684068972679148122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2509580607512150976.post-20207724411902305462010-06-25T00:44:00.014-05:002010-06-25T01:18:05.464-05:00Jane Austen Travel EssayHello, readers! I am back...hopefully for good now. England was beautiful and amazing and every positive thing that could be said about a place I can say about England. I'll write more later, but for now I'm going to post a travel essay that I wrote for ENGL 388 on Jane Austen. If you hate Jane Austen, that's just too bad.<br /><br />Cheers,<br />Jenna<br /><br /><br /><br />My Journey with Jane Austen<br /><br />When people think of England, most would begin discussing London, fish and chips, lovely accents, or Harry Potter. Although all of those things are great, I decided to go in another direction entirely – Jane Austen. Whether you’re an Austen enthusiast or are simply looking to learn more about England, Bath and Chawton are two places that come to mind for accomplishing both. While on a recent trip to the British Isles for a literary tour with my school, I decided to see what I could find out about the famous female writer who has been on people’s minds for roughly two-hundred years.<br /><br />After touring the many sites of London for a few days, my group moved on to Chawton for a couple of hours to visit Jane Austen’s home and the village she lived in during most of the last eight years of her life. The first thing that struck me about this place was how peaceful it was. There were few people about and most of them were tourists from the looks of it. The serene feeling made me think of how it must have been during Jane’s time spent there. Being as how she wrote and/or completed much of her work there, I’d like to think that she found comfort in Chawton, a sense of peace that she didn’t have elsewhere.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9G_pYT02CV-tbZ9vf6K4vK_tWFIZNeW-q0kE9BUPpFuMtpv0RR4zqGjzbIJgKYlw-diRAx9U6WlL3wysr1Q5VDUk8s-G9uKJ-dFIm6xCszzhEJxw_lVKBfJ4ws-g9TAxFjfyHE9sZKQ/s1600/100_2371.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9G_pYT02CV-tbZ9vf6K4vK_tWFIZNeW-q0kE9BUPpFuMtpv0RR4zqGjzbIJgKYlw-diRAx9U6WlL3wysr1Q5VDUk8s-G9uKJ-dFIm6xCszzhEJxw_lVKBfJ4ws-g9TAxFjfyHE9sZKQ/s320/100_2371.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486584958782179986" /></a><br /><br />Another thing I noticed once getting off of the coach was how high some of the trees were. The height spoke for itself, and it made me realize that some of those same trees were present during Jane’s residency. It’s surreal to enter the life of such a well-known person who has been gone from this world for almost two-hundred years. Making my way towards the house she lived in, it was evident that people have not forgotten her.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZwEzkG4BneAmizSxlyZkeaHfT7wfiQctSVSRWus3BPK5qWl0KmVl9l6SgCCVU597TSNmAHgU4nN7mh1FrUpPO1y3qZnarLSj8buV20D1vxx-PLh3beZVYO59_jvw93i2Xnbp4JR60nw/s1600/100_2446.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZwEzkG4BneAmizSxlyZkeaHfT7wfiQctSVSRWus3BPK5qWl0KmVl9l6SgCCVU597TSNmAHgU4nN7mh1FrUpPO1y3qZnarLSj8buV20D1vxx-PLh3beZVYO59_jvw93i2Xnbp4JR60nw/s320/100_2446.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486585468177552498" /></a><br /><br />While the house was not a palace by any means, it was suitable for the people living in it during Jane’s time. The people who take care of the residency do it in a manner that retains much of the originality that existed when the Austen women resided there. I was most interested in the small table that was sitting by the window on the main level. Although it was the size of what one might see as a side table in a sitting room for a lamp to rest on, to Jane it was a writing desk. It’s fascinating how a table that would hardly hold a laptop on it today was once the place where Jane did some of her greatest writing. It was said that she wrote every morning after breakfast and often throughout the day to keep from forgetting something she wanted to write about or include in a novel, and it was at that table where she would write. I feel that every writer has little tidbits that make them unique, as well as a place where they can go to write. Jane was unique for being a successful female author in a world dominated by men, and her writing desk was her place for conducting literary symphonies. Today, I find myself carrying around a little notebook just in case something comes to mind that I don’t want to forget. It may not be as unique as finding a writing desk to call home or rebelling against what was normal for women, but I find comfort in the little writing pad in a way I’d imagine Jane found comfort in her little writing desk.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdRVtAvKuFD6VNzoSSHfYVJszXgsJHbmg4rxSCQo1sCIR9CEDOcvg3W8-M2TRYNNdGzQ1DyuPbYKF0OWjiuUjjHjwD6iK-Ak_1nJXoZjpgKvAkuVO53PsR9nBRV4q3vpC2xDVoKHW8tQ/s1600/100_2421.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdRVtAvKuFD6VNzoSSHfYVJszXgsJHbmg4rxSCQo1sCIR9CEDOcvg3W8-M2TRYNNdGzQ1DyuPbYKF0OWjiuUjjHjwD6iK-Ak_1nJXoZjpgKvAkuVO53PsR9nBRV4q3vpC2xDVoKHW8tQ/s320/100_2421.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486585921995677282" /></a><br /><br />Another part of the house that interested me was a sitting area where Jane and Cassandra would sit and hold conversations. This captured me because people today are always in such a rush that they hardly ever sit around for hours with a loved one to converse, let alone on a regular basis. I’m not going to pretend that times were easier or freer in Jane’s time, but people in that day certainly knew how to relax and live for the simple things. I was able to picture Jane and Cassandra sitting there discussing family members, writing and the troubled times of women. Even though I was there for a short time, I could picture many moments of laughter and tears shared between those two sisters. I have an older sister myself, and although we do not live together any longer or get along constantly, we are no strangers to laughter and tears. Picturing Jane’s life at Chawton helped me to find comfort in the relationship I have with my own sister.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFsr0Qh9ssyqGWroDwcfmOzQbjXThv5MDgKyr1e0XiITdCm-qbdRk0cUMBCQZkgA6zrMzWlgECx6n17qS4KqyNSBe4FfSNcy0EWroGj8TL67qqGz4IIbUAU_5RuaE44RI8H64LmEqoFQ/s1600/100_2427.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFsr0Qh9ssyqGWroDwcfmOzQbjXThv5MDgKyr1e0XiITdCm-qbdRk0cUMBCQZkgA6zrMzWlgECx6n17qS4KqyNSBe4FfSNcy0EWroGj8TL67qqGz4IIbUAU_5RuaE44RI8H64LmEqoFQ/s320/100_2427.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486586224709949138" /></a><br /><br />The inspiration I felt inside Jane’s house was a stepping stone in what was to come when walking outside to the garden. It was such a treat for me to see a real English garden after living in America for the past twenty-two years without understanding the appeal of gardening. A picture may be worth a thousand words, but a thousand words are not worth the picture that I saw in the garden. Although much has been renovated or changed since Austen’s time, the general idea of the serene garden remains intact. Flowers from pansies to lilacs fill the garden along the walking path. Separating the Austen home from the neighbors is a hedge close to a dozen feet tall. But even the hedge didn’t stop the cat from appearing.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikHjFiDzoOTHZ-2UdVN_an64UHaqokPXyOfnnBSf_Wlk2NHKreg218dElaHLb2GCK_zpvOkiD3QVikBMrwHKu4IOeTQ_qVnZRHlYAk_gUlVP5gJylYm_oVIw0qJvb9lEylvqft2N-IRw/s1600/100_2403.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikHjFiDzoOTHZ-2UdVN_an64UHaqokPXyOfnnBSf_Wlk2NHKreg218dElaHLb2GCK_zpvOkiD3QVikBMrwHKu4IOeTQ_qVnZRHlYAk_gUlVP5gJylYm_oVIw0qJvb9lEylvqft2N-IRw/s320/100_2403.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486587770803760722" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-VnSlAYykC2rFEhvolodiDB3ckdWfmyCrj6omA0p31bvnUCY-6bc5CFZetW40kFuq1IeHyjh5s1_ysntHCHmUfHlaAGFGibK_9vpRwUejgF6Vei_HfmEvEResWVvXlPpv7nfmQaqE5w/s1600/100_2395.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-VnSlAYykC2rFEhvolodiDB3ckdWfmyCrj6omA0p31bvnUCY-6bc5CFZetW40kFuq1IeHyjh5s1_ysntHCHmUfHlaAGFGibK_9vpRwUejgF6Vei_HfmEvEResWVvXlPpv7nfmQaqE5w/s320/100_2395.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486587757975748482" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgArfX7ziLsCGjFmWeJFKKsLXr8q-ePnF8jzCJAykGOPXL64ftFCA7Z3VB-_wC_4IofuZgvYTN_EONeASw5RiI1iK5LWJ2UerW1mxuTxDoN500XMVC8XK3EUN73CvUuX4OU6OvxarcP1Q/s1600/100_2394.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgArfX7ziLsCGjFmWeJFKKsLXr8q-ePnF8jzCJAykGOPXL64ftFCA7Z3VB-_wC_4IofuZgvYTN_EONeASw5RiI1iK5LWJ2UerW1mxuTxDoN500XMVC8XK3EUN73CvUuX4OU6OvxarcP1Q/s320/100_2394.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486587745531810882" /></a><br /><br />While on my Austenesque stroll through the garden, a black cat leapt out of the hedge and into the path mere feet ahead of me. Having two black cats at home, I refused to believe it as a form of superstition but rather a reminder that I would in fact be going home in just over a week’s time. I spent a span of five minutes playing with the cat and taking photos of it rolling around on the ground, and I concluded that the cat had a nice life in Chawton. He or she – I took it as a male – had the reward of walking into Jane’s world every day if it pleased him, and there was nobody around telling him that he couldn’t be there. If I were a cat in England, there is a good chance that I would do the exact same thing.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG-QXBVcpjxMosgO0H4pKMTou4GCzxAxUsNaQF_RQOZ9sCk6dLk0mZ3J2JPkqFF8e8olEeZmf_w27UbgPlGx8Q_cG-6NzeswW3D5l6JnclLDjp8EqEQeXYGbR26V3ZFlm1jIr-L5nopg/s1600/100_2408.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG-QXBVcpjxMosgO0H4pKMTou4GCzxAxUsNaQF_RQOZ9sCk6dLk0mZ3J2JPkqFF8e8olEeZmf_w27UbgPlGx8Q_cG-6NzeswW3D5l6JnclLDjp8EqEQeXYGbR26V3ZFlm1jIr-L5nopg/s320/100_2408.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486589651176782258" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgweTCO6ZN9dffPcNcaCLyjA3R9emeowp3Gs0G7wROevZ1b0NGQbPp5mWQljeSAV3R5HFhnwYHmtuhQsccf20XqVoBPXIHsxe00VCIdeKp6871q3paWFPwEGn0lrfjRieFwm_Mh6528gw/s1600/100_2410.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgweTCO6ZN9dffPcNcaCLyjA3R9emeowp3Gs0G7wROevZ1b0NGQbPp5mWQljeSAV3R5HFhnwYHmtuhQsccf20XqVoBPXIHsxe00VCIdeKp6871q3paWFPwEGn0lrfjRieFwm_Mh6528gw/s320/100_2410.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486589636329860482" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo9Zm65kz_4osfe_DjaeM8CNkEeHexRa1j6bamDcOIVX8do-hs58ZbPTOkpaXymQ67SV8JdLWyZ1HARZLeH1AYscTyRH2FNpLpIrcZvxIOwsw-XY83OD_uLH96RDdjBh7fdT7Ix8-Svg/s1600/100_2411.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo9Zm65kz_4osfe_DjaeM8CNkEeHexRa1j6bamDcOIVX8do-hs58ZbPTOkpaXymQ67SV8JdLWyZ1HARZLeH1AYscTyRH2FNpLpIrcZvxIOwsw-XY83OD_uLH96RDdjBh7fdT7Ix8-Svg/s320/100_2411.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486589627634227858" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9VC77SJTfanJ04mOf1rkj2F0AGKEN9xzJRc2NLVQ8K9Qt-hhtjqobv8Gah0O96VI-tF9QtPbf61MRFP41Y7NwPQuC-xxx-B7a52J3lvSq83DDvn2wy08fmzVlIDlqvJFdTG60vyt3ew/s1600/100_2407.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9VC77SJTfanJ04mOf1rkj2F0AGKEN9xzJRc2NLVQ8K9Qt-hhtjqobv8Gah0O96VI-tF9QtPbf61MRFP41Y7NwPQuC-xxx-B7a52J3lvSq83DDvn2wy08fmzVlIDlqvJFdTG60vyt3ew/s320/100_2407.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486589613854416130" /></a><br /><br />With memories filling my head and time running out, I returned to the group to head on. After visiting Stonehenge, as well as having our coach break down along the way, we journeyed on to the historic city of Bath. Although many recognize Bath for its Roman history and grandeur architecture like the Royal Crescent, I was intrigued in continuing on my Austen mission. But first I had to climb a hill.<br /><br />I have been on long walks before, but being overweight and living in the flatlands of North Dakota I had no prior experience with walking up a hill. I was eager to see the city of Bath due to the many wonderful things I had heard about it from a friend who had been there a couple of years prior. But as we had arrived in the evening, there was nothing to do besides go to dinner. After dining at a delicious Italian restaurant with half of the group, it was time to walk back up Bathwick hill towards our youth hostel. The walk down had tired me due to the hot sun beating down on us, but I had not considered the walk up until we began our journey back. We were about one-third of a mile up the hill when I began losing breath and gaining wobble in my step. I spotted a bench up ahead and decided that was the place to break. I told a friend that I could no longer do this walk and shuffled to the bench to sit down. This alarmed the group and caused everyone to stop, something I had not thought about. Due to my exhaustion and embarrassment, I broke down in tears in front of the group and began to hyperventilate. Nothing was calming me down, and there was a moment where I just couldn’t breathe. As this was not normal for me, I didn’t know what to do. I sipped some of one girl’s water and tried to laugh at jokes people were telling, but the usual quick fixes were not working. I moved into another state of consciousness when I thought about what Jane would do in this situation, and I realized that Jane would write about it. She would get over whatever was harming her, laugh it off, and write about it. It’s obvious that I moved on from that point and made it up the hill eventually, but I learned a lot about myself that night on the hill. For one, I realized how serious my weight issues were and that something needed to be done about them. And for two, I realized that I had the power to get over any hurdle that I was dealing with. Maybe Jane only came to mind that evening because I had seen her house that day and was going to visit another Austen location in the morning, but I’d like to think that I thought of her for a significant reason. Jane would write about such a thing, so here I am writing about it.<br /><br />After getting back to the hostel and calming down, I fell into a deep sleep and didn’t stir until morning. There were no specific plans outside of our group walking back down the hill towards Bath’s city centre to visit the Roman Baths. The walk down the hill was much more exciting than the previous day because we decided to take a shorter route down a field that gave us a view of the city, versus the street walk where we could only see the path of homes in front of us. Although Bathwick hill wasn’t much until after her death, I think Jane would have enjoyed getting away from society and walking in that field. After enjoying a history lesson and the visuals of the Roman Baths and also Bath Abbey, I decided it was time to continue on my journey with Jane.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4aB6HOiq41cetlgqZxKVSbSxlAC9vRWfPGnoBRavIz2umtd016YZrPhK-Wb6O7XHjfPbGypwbrBKwX8bRDkYP2tS7nEskNb9kNjK6KLUW-SumClTIxGqO90YFPwPCty_LilZt6rxBcw/s1600/100_2481.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4aB6HOiq41cetlgqZxKVSbSxlAC9vRWfPGnoBRavIz2umtd016YZrPhK-Wb6O7XHjfPbGypwbrBKwX8bRDkYP2tS7nEskNb9kNjK6KLUW-SumClTIxGqO90YFPwPCty_LilZt6rxBcw/s320/100_2481.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486590359573893554" /></a><br /><br />Although she lived at 25 Gay Street during her time in Bath, among other residencies, the Jane Austen Centre is located at 40 Gay Street. I was warned against this museum spot as being a bit tacky. My suspicion of the fact was confirmed when I approached the building and saw a Jane Austen statue standing out front. After paying and entering the museum, you are to wait until a specific time for the next tour to begin. The room was hot and it was evident that a few men in the room were not looking forward to the journey into Jane’s life and history. I expressed my sympathies with a light smile and entered the first exhibit spot a short while later. A humorous woman presented some of the key facts in regards to Jane’s life in Bath as well as some family background. I learned about the Austen children who had until then been mere names to me. I learned about their positions in life and what became of them, which was fascinating since I had known little of her family until the trip. It gave me a better sense of who Jane was outside of her writing when learning about her family. The way a person grew up and who they grew up with can say a lot about them, after all.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqCEMcmrt2ONaebSxPLMce-zCHzjdevPKmPuAuR5qKgryyUmNHJSEPd2nyiSncU3crpmnBLOPwK2x6YsktXxTfAFMPizGn7T21dnq71eu7Y2ObuTurkcDWI8ICyNWiiExQIt7KMcLIlg/s1600/100_2554.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqCEMcmrt2ONaebSxPLMce-zCHzjdevPKmPuAuR5qKgryyUmNHJSEPd2nyiSncU3crpmnBLOPwK2x6YsktXxTfAFMPizGn7T21dnq71eu7Y2ObuTurkcDWI8ICyNWiiExQIt7KMcLIlg/s320/100_2554.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486590874383671922" /></a><br /><br />I also learned that Jane did not particularly enjoy her time in Bath and that her work suffered there due to the business and society life there. It surprised me to hear this because Bath was my favorite city on our two-week tour of the British Isles. Although it is smaller than my hometown of Fargo, North Dakota, I can understand why Jane would have felt out of place there. She was raised a country girl and enjoyed the simplest of pleasures that life had to offer. She didn’t expect much from the world. All she seemed to want were the nurtures of family life and the comforts of ink and paper. Bath was a classy city during Jane’s day with many rich and important people residing there, so it was no wonder that she didn’t enjoy it. In fact, many of the more unflattering characters in her novels were based on Bath society. With this in mind, I felt that it was a destiny of sorts for me to enjoy a place that she disliked so much. If Jane was living today, I think she would appreciate the city more than during her time.<br /><br />I find it only fair to admit that I was not an Austen enthusiast going into this journey. I had read Pride and Prejudice and knew little about her otherwise. I felt as though I would never truly appreciate the woman who so many admired, but something along the way connected me with her. It wasn’t the visuals in Chawton or Bath, or even the fact that I looked to her during my moment of weakness on Bathwick Hill, but rather one simple piece of information about the very end of Jane’s life. The most interesting fact I learned about her was that she died on July 18th, the day I was born. Although 170 years separate her death date and my birth date, I’d like to think that there is some significance to that day. Unlike Jane, I am not a published writer, nor have I experienced everything she did by twenty-two. But I strongly believe that I was meant to go on my journey with her for a reason. Maybe I am destined to pick up where she left off, I don’t know. But I am destined for something, just as Jane Austen was.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCnplHCCbWAHPyXuuf7VbkpycZP-Ne4lmdCLgDjp0KzJR9h35rCM0dyQ6oyZI6vdZidRbU098-Eix4aMFwCQMyY9Lj39Ko-UTxcLaAyU-xGZZRJsWCnfPjkNUIVcmnAIEeAATl1QK6mg/s1600/100_2557.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCnplHCCbWAHPyXuuf7VbkpycZP-Ne4lmdCLgDjp0KzJR9h35rCM0dyQ6oyZI6vdZidRbU098-Eix4aMFwCQMyY9Lj39Ko-UTxcLaAyU-xGZZRJsWCnfPjkNUIVcmnAIEeAATl1QK6mg/s320/100_2557.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486591303436369826" /></a>Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07684068972679148122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2509580607512150976.post-19909016036062972702010-04-30T23:21:00.002-05:002010-04-30T23:31:44.385-05:00Seventeen days...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_6jEj6Zel30BI2cMzg5xrhQhQmUk2OTCoL46ZCBYwmcE9e93l7LXfTAM_nCRDctsHEpyBA9nZgVgBSrQUTscF4O8UE7g2Ov00_XOHkvFVJ-ykBYKdhgz0MvuoTHrG4sQN4iiG0lvvTQ/s1600/peterpan.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 314px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_6jEj6Zel30BI2cMzg5xrhQhQmUk2OTCoL46ZCBYwmcE9e93l7LXfTAM_nCRDctsHEpyBA9nZgVgBSrQUTscF4O8UE7g2Ov00_XOHkvFVJ-ykBYKdhgz0MvuoTHrG4sQN4iiG0lvvTQ/s320/peterpan.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466153301262128898" /></a><br /><br />I can't wait to see Peter Pan in London.<br /><br />There is a lot going on with work and school, but I unfortunately do not have much time at present to report on it all. I will try to get something up soon.<br /><br /><3Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07684068972679148122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2509580607512150976.post-36376035651413021242010-03-29T14:57:00.004-05:002010-03-29T15:15:25.107-05:00It's a Food Revolution!I have been inspired by a British man! Who could have guessed such a ridiculous thing!? But I am being completely honest here. Jamie Oliver is quickly proving to be an inspiring voice in the fight against an unhealthy America. He is an advocate for eating right and living well. You can NOT fault a person for wanting them to see a healthier world.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2W3ounusnU9e2yzoKUUMfA7Hme2BjbTY8zgPEJqn63TYg0eWCfQ7n8HBjkJ-NRlaaiztBVjNJPGmSlAICchvphTD3ReHWpPAYynQ-_yJlzfXtvhLksop-CdOWIaVeImwb39li3Tm3zA/s1600/jamieo.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 229px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2W3ounusnU9e2yzoKUUMfA7Hme2BjbTY8zgPEJqn63TYg0eWCfQ7n8HBjkJ-NRlaaiztBVjNJPGmSlAICchvphTD3ReHWpPAYynQ-_yJlzfXtvhLksop-CdOWIaVeImwb39li3Tm3zA/s320/jamieo.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454151701819150162" /></a><br /><br />I have watched the first two episodes on the web, and I have to tell you that I am so excited to do my part for the good of not only myself but others as well. The first step, of course, will be my own weight loss. I spent a short time at the grocery store this afternoon and purchased some goodies. I purchased nothing from the inside aisles, which of course are the places to avoid when shopping. My cart consisted of fruits, vegetables, and an abundance of organic products.<br /><br />I have done well this year with avoiding soda, so that is no longer an issue. My next liquid to tackle is the coffee-based products. There is nothing wrong with coffee, mind you, but added flavors, sugars and cremes are dangerous to your health. I will do my best (because I don't make many promises in life) to cut my "foo foo" coffee adventures to once a week, and then once a month. I am a huge fan of these drinks, so I think once a month will end up being a reasonable goal. Who knows? Perhaps I will one day hate them all, but knowing myself I highly doubt that.<br /><br />Exercise will be another adventure entirely. North Dakota is warming up, and with that comes the excitement of the morning walk. I am not a big fan of running in public (or running at all), so I hope I can find a way to work with that. I will try to include some yoga into the mix, but nothing too extreme that will make me hate myself the next morning. The exercise bit will be hard for me to get into, but with the help of a healthy diet, I should be able to get into the "swing of things" as they say.<br /><br />Sleep is the final piece to this puzzle, at least I think so. I am in dire need of a good night's sleep...every night. I wake up tired, drag through the day, stay up much too late, and go to bed tired. Five hours is my average for sleep. This is not okay!!! Six to eight hours is what a person should be getting each night, though many sources say six isn't even enough. I need to work on this.<br /><br />I am not blaming anyone but myself here. Yes, I had an unfortunate upbringing where an after school snack was a candy bar instead of an apple, and dinner was McDonalds instead of something with real food ingredients. And yes, exercise and activity was never enforced in my home. These are sad facts of life, but they are past, not present. I need to learn to live a healthy life. I will not even try to have a child until my weight and health is under control and in a healthy area. I am not saying I am thinking of having children now, because I'm not, but if I don't fix this now then I will never be ready for a family of my own.<br /><br />I need to do this. I am going to do this. Don't ask me to do otherwise.<br /><br />Cheers!<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Have you been watching Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution on ABC? If so, what do you think of it so far?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">What is your biggest challenge in staying healthy?</span>Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07684068972679148122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2509580607512150976.post-48479022671212872042010-03-27T08:35:00.002-05:002010-03-27T08:37:24.817-05:00I am not ignoring you!!!I promise.<br /><br />I will write very soon.<br /><br />But I am curious...what are they looking at?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiDBMUpAmq_qH9NUvYdmBkPspcqiCS2ikaPcyEho-wg-wLtwKCWtnvX0-rrTFU5E8PKfJf6ss-Biw0WClA9maQg7PivbrhoisEjyIk0mQclcBux7WagvMC0h8f1MzkHPApOlQxINooJA/s1600/edardbella.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 260px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiDBMUpAmq_qH9NUvYdmBkPspcqiCS2ikaPcyEho-wg-wLtwKCWtnvX0-rrTFU5E8PKfJf6ss-Biw0WClA9maQg7PivbrhoisEjyIk0mQclcBux7WagvMC0h8f1MzkHPApOlQxINooJA/s320/edardbella.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453307160193582034" /></a>Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07684068972679148122noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2509580607512150976.post-4070199056981447472010-03-20T19:56:00.005-05:002010-03-20T20:15:32.087-05:00Too much sweetness to be angry!I had planned on making my next post a giant rant about drinking, because I've been extremely upset about it as of late. It's not going to be as big as planned, because I have other things to talk about. All I am going to say about it is that it's extremely upsetting when people do it too much. I have an alcoholic aunt and (forgive me) two siblings who have drinking problems. I don't like when people do it too much for now reason. I drink from time to time, yes, but I don't get drunk and I drink either wine at dinner with the folks or else one or two drinks with people for an event, such as a birthday party. I don't know when normality turned into multiple nights out in a week. I don't know when throwing up was the thing to do. I don't like hearing about it. It's scary and it's foolish when people go too far with it. That's all I am going to say about that. Now, to another topic entirely.<br /><br />First things first, I had an amazing dinner this evening, complete with sweetness. I went over to my dad and Mary's house to cook them sweet potato fries and beans, as suggested on <a href="http://iowagirleats.com/2010/03/19/sweet-potato-punishment/">Iowa Girl Eats</a>. I added garlic salt, pepper, ginger, cinnamon, and extra virgin olive oil to my drizzle, but everything else was done the same. Cut up sweet potatoes, top with the drizzle, bake 15 minutes, turn and bake 5-10 more minutes (depending on the size of your fries), and you're good to go! I served it with honey beans and (at the request of my dad) I also made a microwave roast that my step-mom had planned on using tonight before I called. I think it was successful.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXfleAFMLmk0U-2z4LucD774t-KILGx6vLsIehOSOpysANeh-Obu6bUNswgQt98JFM167y51MKGPLq-ZojNGBOBF75q-n8-gOz3f3eY6BfH9FN9SD3GzkspiJiBxQE2mEgNnLLEal_Cw/s1600-h/sweetpotatodinner.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXfleAFMLmk0U-2z4LucD774t-KILGx6vLsIehOSOpysANeh-Obu6bUNswgQt98JFM167y51MKGPLq-ZojNGBOBF75q-n8-gOz3f3eY6BfH9FN9SD3GzkspiJiBxQE2mEgNnLLEal_Cw/s320/sweetpotatodinner.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450888556733942306" /></a><br /><br />The funny part about the dinner is that I have greatly disliked sweet potatoes for ages. The texture of mushed sweetness wasn't on my list of favorites. If you don't like sweet potatoes, I would still recommend that you try these. They are yum yum.<br /><br />I don't know what else I was going to talk about, now that I think on it. I really did enjoy dinner. I know there was something else. Perhaps I will think of it for next time.<br /><br />Cheers!<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Have you tried any new meals lately that you surprisingly enjoyed?</span>Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07684068972679148122noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2509580607512150976.post-49499368455279358852010-03-18T22:54:00.000-05:002010-03-18T22:59:47.933-05:00Waste<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF57-teXPk2cu2LQKPO7JunhVitH9YGKY0xQGYc5UJv4BduO4Gvh1TSGTKY5pPel9L1Sp-oXWU0hdumZaU6QN0y6jqGIAyaNWumQVMfsVvon3n-C4BB9eO-h0GHQD7tWkNEOk3i3krag/s1600-h/drunk.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 252px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF57-teXPk2cu2LQKPO7JunhVitH9YGKY0xQGYc5UJv4BduO4Gvh1TSGTKY5pPel9L1Sp-oXWU0hdumZaU6QN0y6jqGIAyaNWumQVMfsVvon3n-C4BB9eO-h0GHQD7tWkNEOk3i3krag/s320/drunk.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450189611698597538" /></a><br /><br /><br />Discussion to come soon.Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07684068972679148122noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2509580607512150976.post-80962800956266692082010-03-16T20:45:00.017-05:002010-03-16T22:12:38.688-05:00Gandhi once said that whatever you do in life will be insignificant, but it is very important that you do it.I have been away from here for a time. My sincerest apologies. My world has been a little back and forth (and sometimes upside down), and I haven't known what to make of it all. Instead of coming on here, I kept busy. I felt it was a good thing to do, and I still think that it was. Nothing terrible happened, per say, just the facts of life. So here are the facts of the past couple weeks. I will start with the good stuff, as that's generally best for me.<br /><br />1. I finished my fifth and final short story for Creative Writing. I am not excited about poetry, but I will endure it and perhaps even surprise myself. I've been doing that a lot lately in my writing.<br /><br />2. I reconnected with TJ. I hadn't spoken to him in almost a year, so it was nice. I'm supposed to see him this week while he is visiting, but I'm not going to excite myself too much considering the friendship died so suddenly before.<br /><br />3. I wrote my Chaucer paper for British Literature. The topic was why the Wife of Bath is favored to the Pardoner. I think it turned out well. I will see when break concludes, providing the professor sticks to her plan. I won't hold her to it. Samantha and I pulled an all-nighter with the paper. We hung out at Barnes from 8-11 and Fargo Coffee Co. from 11-6 something (last Tuesday). That was quite the time. Too much coffee, but a lot of fun. I like making new friends from school.<br /><br />4. I have spent a lot of time with Brian and a bit with Piller. It's harder with Piller because of work schedules, and the fact that Brian doesn't have a job right now helps his case. I'm having a good time with both, as per usual.<br /><br />5. I saw Amanda and Meredith from book club a couple times since my last post. We attended the midnight premier of Alice in Wonderland last Thursday/Friday (review below). I also went to Three Lyons with them because Mer's sister was in town and she wanted her to meet the friends. I am having a lot of fun with them, to be short. We attend various events and they are always a good time. :)<br /><br />6. Every good segment should end with pie. Kristin from <a href="http://www.iowagirleats.com">Iowa Girl Eats</a> made the pie for the get-together she and her husband do at her mother's house every Sunday. I decided that I wanted to make it for Wednesday, because it's a holiday pie, but first I had to make a test pie. So I did!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh3-pLqmf7Z7KgcKsMBjteh-jAOJxsFv_ZzozVpTXulmf7gVixrIsLtWjjvHMLRQwPS0OUmvuqpMFY4CkI3rR2w_W0kR3PfFAnGDH3b_pimCbwNtT_SfPn5oFoF5skyF4Ha134eUcm-Q/s1600-h/pie1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh3-pLqmf7Z7KgcKsMBjteh-jAOJxsFv_ZzozVpTXulmf7gVixrIsLtWjjvHMLRQwPS0OUmvuqpMFY4CkI3rR2w_W0kR3PfFAnGDH3b_pimCbwNtT_SfPn5oFoF5skyF4Ha134eUcm-Q/s320/pie1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449422204365279602" /></a><br /><br />Good news...I saved you a bite.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYPM-lUibJNwqCcIIMNXRJLVfiTjdDphQcXCfUcKIA5CMW_56uei0gzQG0vjHHD9-eO08z2Tol3_CyP4-aqjFyxJCm20cfB7kdxrEYbIQzT0kTdd9Lu2PPlPp_WASuCynWYehT_RM7UA/s1600-h/pie2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYPM-lUibJNwqCcIIMNXRJLVfiTjdDphQcXCfUcKIA5CMW_56uei0gzQG0vjHHD9-eO08z2Tol3_CyP4-aqjFyxJCm20cfB7kdxrEYbIQzT0kTdd9Lu2PPlPp_WASuCynWYehT_RM7UA/s320/pie2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449422439635786370" /></a><br /><br />Bad news...I ate it.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhyGP5AE6no6yolb8OI8IB8BHRFQBQHi0_-qD9MfabE8H2NkDoHPucCaHDA5GiDhuNPYf4WZnqOr2RH1GdVkuWoNBv8m_UovAxmspPb8DVmJ7wG17t3AY_5h2pj2ucerkFQv4m_UhbTw/s1600-h/pie3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhyGP5AE6no6yolb8OI8IB8BHRFQBQHi0_-qD9MfabE8H2NkDoHPucCaHDA5GiDhuNPYf4WZnqOr2RH1GdVkuWoNBv8m_UovAxmspPb8DVmJ7wG17t3AY_5h2pj2ucerkFQv4m_UhbTw/s320/pie3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449422571025078002" /></a><br /><br /><br />And now that pie has been discussed...I will proceed to two unfortunate events since my last post.<br /><br />1. My beloved Sirius Black (cat) has left this world. My mother put him to sleep last week after he got "the cat illness" as I call it. Basically, he was getting violent and starting urinating everywhere. His sister has been limping for weeks from him attacking her. It wasn't good. And I couldn't take him because he hates new environments and he is also used to being outside...was used to being outside. I couldn't have him at my apartment. I keep trying to think on what I could have done, but it's too late for such considerations. I don't want to write about it anymore. Here is the first picture I have of him as a baby. Adieu, mon chat.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFzFrSq685Zb8YewL7sY9y2OY9cVerTg1VUywqrLefvwevwLBdJ9dZtOx0mcBnzUJCjBMQEzH0JYm9Dsvrvy5Vhjay4utknQDHFXiSbeVrhaD0Rj5qpGgSlpWSchhB5si9r0qVpadH3g/s1600-h/babysirius.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFzFrSq685Zb8YewL7sY9y2OY9cVerTg1VUywqrLefvwevwLBdJ9dZtOx0mcBnzUJCjBMQEzH0JYm9Dsvrvy5Vhjay4utknQDHFXiSbeVrhaD0Rj5qpGgSlpWSchhB5si9r0qVpadH3g/s320/babysirius.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449423570342871010" /></a><br /><br />2. The flood is here. This is the second year in a row for us, and it's getting a little ridiculous. People complain a lot about how the news talks about it too much, but why wouldn't they? I understand that some of you like in the center of town and aren't affected by it, but my parent's are affected by it. It pisses me off when people act like it doesn't matter and that they just want to get out of school or work for a day or two, even if they don't end up doing anything. I'm going to my parent's house tomorrow to help defend the cal de sac. My apartment doesn't matter because it is in the center of town, but I'm not going to sit back while my family defends their house alone. People can make jokes about it and play drinking games in its honor, but I actually give a damn.<br /><br />Here are a couple shots that my step-mom took of the cal de sac today...<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHaK4xakucctV-swl1aU2k-JX8P-Wh58pHFizII80Er1cw_Q8Z-Kp2ky2op8sLK1WA2D67uX8_02LyALJN8sYJZskpJLQLI0SVt3ThuaDACRfe19HyIn4egvE6l1qxyteBqmmQdn2dbQ/s1600-h/flood1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHaK4xakucctV-swl1aU2k-JX8P-Wh58pHFizII80Er1cw_Q8Z-Kp2ky2op8sLK1WA2D67uX8_02LyALJN8sYJZskpJLQLI0SVt3ThuaDACRfe19HyIn4egvE6l1qxyteBqmmQdn2dbQ/s320/flood1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449424732829927186" /></a><br /><br />Getting ready for bagging tomorrow<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj_2_VGlDiLabuKyO4RHphc8SblOG95EWMi0UWDChd5boSxrjjU7Is607r9WRHPbvA6LaQNFzgeTE_ZZAUVV6NfkxQovS52mwP7bMa1IeP5w1TSPUAVAGOWV7yPgGsl7ATVCHbpHQOyg/s1600-h/flood2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj_2_VGlDiLabuKyO4RHphc8SblOG95EWMi0UWDChd5boSxrjjU7Is607r9WRHPbvA6LaQNFzgeTE_ZZAUVV6NfkxQovS52mwP7bMa1IeP5w1TSPUAVAGOWV7yPgGsl7ATVCHbpHQOyg/s320/flood2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449424903612974258" /></a><br /><br />Little Schice guarding the fort<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCE18gKBfOPO6LwmWYpEsS75GVgpXBv60JDjqlQqTqQk9KKOXFBHqsta2mhjJ9-R04WJvpWOezfH3L0E7ZmPu6Z7n_m4U-Y_g3uJVO9xjVs8LqUBNbIj40VZIpgejwU9_ud0G1c9INdA/s1600-h/schiceflood.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCE18gKBfOPO6LwmWYpEsS75GVgpXBv60JDjqlQqTqQk9KKOXFBHqsta2mhjJ9-R04WJvpWOezfH3L0E7ZmPu6Z7n_m4U-Y_g3uJVO9xjVs8LqUBNbIj40VZIpgejwU9_ud0G1c9INdA/s320/schiceflood.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449425105175275986" /></a><br /><br /><br />I don't want to burden the readers with any further ranting or bitterness, so I'm going to get onto what I really wanted to talk about...<br /><br />MOVIE REVIEWS!!!<br /><br />1. Alice in Wonderland (no spoiler alert here)<br />When: Thursday/Friday midnight premier (March 4/5)<br />Where: Century 10 Theatre<br />Who: Me, Amanda and Meredith<br />Stars: 4<br /><br />I really enjoyed this movie. I give it four out of five stars simply because it's a remake from the books and other film adaptations, and I wasn't big on the 3D experience. The costumes, musical score, actors, digital features, etc. were all top notch in my opinion. I wanted to hug Johnny Depp for playing such a goofy Mad Hatter. He never lets me down. Anne Hathaway surprised me in her role, because she isn't normally in such films. Helena Bonheme Carter was lovely, as usual. Crispin Glover made me laugh because I kept thinking of his role as the "creepy thin man" in Charlie's Angels, and I wanted him to pull someones hair. He didn't. I won't give anything away here because people should know the story by now. Just know that I enjoyed it.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirUYe38ThazABKX-DWcKC9I-x-NuDql-WOD6bdoQf2nw3opphfXi73WDYFtPc7M5sKhx01qDQxfnN61xPiqFC5bM3fBFx3SKE-Vi6m_XFIJOPcBsbFQTAJ251KH_saNvoAqsx2neR9ag/s1600-h/alice2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 179px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirUYe38ThazABKX-DWcKC9I-x-NuDql-WOD6bdoQf2nw3opphfXi73WDYFtPc7M5sKhx01qDQxfnN61xPiqFC5bM3fBFx3SKE-Vi6m_XFIJOPcBsbFQTAJ251KH_saNvoAqsx2neR9ag/s320/alice2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449427481677683090" /></a><br /><br />2. Up In The Air (spoiler alert)<br />When: Sunday Sunday Sunday! (March 14)...or maybe it was Saturday?<br />Where: My apartment<br />Who: Brian watched a bit...but it was mostly just by myself<br />Stars: 4<br /><br />Another good film! I am not used to seeing George Clooney in a movie of that nature, and I'm not used to seeing Anna Kendrick in anything outside of Twilight movies (poor girl). The film gets four stars for being another book-to-movie adaptation, and such movies will never get five stars. I'm sorry, but they won't.<br /><br />All I really want to say here is that I was SHOCKED When Alex (Vera Farmiga) ended up being married with children at the end of the movie. Ryan (Clooney) did not see it coming, and neither did I. That scene made me yell "You bitch!" at the screen. I apologize for being obscene, television, but I was upset by that moment. I didn't really want them to be together, but I grew a soft spot for Ryan towards the end, and I just wanted him to be happy. How non-Jenna of me, I know.<br /><br />Also, I loved when Ryan took pictures with the cut out version of his sister and her fiance. Despite his unwillingness to do it at first, he really pulled through and did his part. Way to go!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEime_aDR1SJES7QSPvxjHBtQjf9kR4aj28rs1uaI0vq9Sh2zPwr4LVNNsYD9Y3y6DgYwewKeJbS6VeNwqYCL9CAmr1nC07orm4VsQRRrgeQku_YKmlm71WDf9c4PDBTNkP5qp_PQ9hOEw/s1600-h/upintheair.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEime_aDR1SJES7QSPvxjHBtQjf9kR4aj28rs1uaI0vq9Sh2zPwr4LVNNsYD9Y3y6DgYwewKeJbS6VeNwqYCL9CAmr1nC07orm4VsQRRrgeQku_YKmlm71WDf9c4PDBTNkP5qp_PQ9hOEw/s320/upintheair.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449429420863993618" /></a><br /><br />2. Remember Me (spoiler alert)<br />When: Monday (March 15)<br />Where: Century 10 Theatre<br />Who: Myself and Goooolia (my sister)<br />Stars: 4.5<br /><br />This film is taking the cake out of my three reviews, partially because of Robert Pattinson and partially because I was surprised at how amazing it was. Emilie de Ravin, who is apparently in LOST, did a great job as Ally. My lovely Robbie Pat finally came through for me. I am not a Twilight person and I'm not usually on any "heart throb" band wagon, but I have quite an attraction towards him. I was happy that his acting skills showed up. Better late than never, I think.<br /><br />The September 11 (2001) part was a crafty twist in the movie. I know some people are sick of it, but that plot really tied in really well. The death of Ally's mother and the realization that Tyler's (Pattinson) brother had committed suicide added depth to the film, bonding the two characters together. I think the romance was unique, even though it was based on the whole "you were a bet" storyline, which is traditionally overdone. Pierce Brosman was a terrible father, but slightly redeemed himself in the end. Chris Cooper did not redeem himself. He's an amazing actor, but his characters always suck.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTResW4Vb4nNbBl5SohSihSlz3wEMbHW3hetKk_736QI8fFEX_2ZtANED_EtyqwTWEf_Sgo5MZ62LpxstKUoTWxphCL7PVZktROKCBV1OlVWTYehUqaSv_9EgJcZB8nDVyMZRFcyMsCQ/s1600-h/robeemilie.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTResW4Vb4nNbBl5SohSihSlz3wEMbHW3hetKk_736QI8fFEX_2ZtANED_EtyqwTWEf_Sgo5MZ62LpxstKUoTWxphCL7PVZktROKCBV1OlVWTYehUqaSv_9EgJcZB8nDVyMZRFcyMsCQ/s320/robeemilie.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449434462631474402" /></a><br /><br /><br />I think that's a good catch-up for now. I should really try to clean something before bed. Tomorrow I have to take my car in because something is off with it, and then it's off to the cal de sac for bagging.<br /><br />Cheers!Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07684068972679148122noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2509580607512150976.post-55027680942705725982010-03-13T23:10:00.004-06:002010-03-14T00:25:31.491-06:00You're a parenthesis.I will get a post up soon. I don't like promises, but I will just make sure to do it.<br /><br />The past couple of week have been rather trying for me. Spring break will be okay, but still a good chunk of homework to get done, and the natural forty job hours.<br /><br />I've wanted to post. It just takes a bit out of me, and I've had enough taken out of me these past ten days or so.<br /><br />Soggy Noodles,<br />JennaJennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07684068972679148122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2509580607512150976.post-55412343068751914972010-03-03T14:00:00.006-06:002010-03-03T16:57:40.763-06:00You better have a really good excuse this timeMy excuse this time, you ask? I don't have one. I was simply not writing because I once again got caught up in the life that is Jenna, and I didn't write. I apologize to the less than handful of readers who I made itch in anticipation.<br /><br />"Not itch you idiot! Twitch! Twitch!"<br /><br />Sorry about that, I was having a Holiday in the Sun moment. I have those from time to time. I'm talking about Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen movies, for those of you who are reading this and are not named Piller.<br /><br />While we're on the topic of Holiday in the Sun, I would like to point out that it was the Olsen twins who discovered Megan Fox. It's a little unfortunate considering I am not a Megan Fox fan, but people need to understand that the Olsen's had a gift of finding now big time actors when they weren't so big time.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEwNg_xpr2VCfYf3IeX-h069UH93ESE1EFi70XqgrEw3_5l9xYyx29cr-er0Oyzy8XMM5bwoW6uzl-62r1XQFZAXU1dg9Ff7aK1AK8ekbuvNnB7Q3gkwM51N7pnXBCvbuK_Mpdb8wyZA/s1600-h/megan-fox-4.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 234px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEwNg_xpr2VCfYf3IeX-h069UH93ESE1EFi70XqgrEw3_5l9xYyx29cr-er0Oyzy8XMM5bwoW6uzl-62r1XQFZAXU1dg9Ff7aK1AK8ekbuvNnB7Q3gkwM51N7pnXBCvbuK_Mpdb8wyZA/s320/megan-fox-4.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444503047257053538" /></a><br /><br />Another example is Jesse Spencer from House, MD. Is he Australian? Is he British? He came from the movie Winning London with Olsens, so does it really matter?<br /><br />"Need a tour guide?" he asks. YES!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguJ_SkfRMVUZzERGNVbl2uwu9IVnQkAsYqMBhPsnxzqaJyu10dK9UyeNdE-H4qEEfyZGAycN3dYBAP8NaB-v1yOUGvamRh8Sl234pHTSOnr1L2syXQnvfaoXIsXMnIooIk0emufFRwbg/s1600-h/jessespencer.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 217px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguJ_SkfRMVUZzERGNVbl2uwu9IVnQkAsYqMBhPsnxzqaJyu10dK9UyeNdE-H4qEEfyZGAycN3dYBAP8NaB-v1yOUGvamRh8Sl234pHTSOnr1L2syXQnvfaoXIsXMnIooIk0emufFRwbg/s320/jessespencer.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444503426984328962" /></a><br /><br />Anyways...back to...essentially nothing. I am on the final day of my fourth short story for Creative Writing. I made a bit of a parody out of some poor students who were forced into rafts after their vacation ship went down. As you can imagine, I pulled in some all too brilliant Titanic quotes for the venture. Despite the fact that it is Titanic related in a sense, I fear it is the weakest of my stories thus far. I have loved (or have grown to love) the other three, but I'm not sure that will happen with this one. I hope I can spin it off in a lovely way by deadline that will make me more proud of it. Here I am, doubting my abilities...yet again. Stop that.<br /><br />I don't have a whole lot else for right now. I need to get moving on my homework, so for now I will say adieu.<br /><br />So...adieu.<br /><br />Cheers!<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">What is your favorite Olsen twin movie? OR What is your favorite movie? And why?</span>Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07684068972679148122noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2509580607512150976.post-58658407170666363862010-02-21T22:31:00.006-06:002010-02-21T22:51:11.355-06:00"Looking in the mirror staring back at me isn't so much a face as the expression of a predicament."I've decided not to give away anything about the film adaptation of A Single Man, but I will say that I rather enjoyed it. It matched the novel dead on, in my opinion, and I wouldn't have changed anything about it. Kenny Potter was creepy, just as he was in the novel. Charlie (played by Julianne Moore), was just as much of a dramatic diva as the novel. And Colin Firth, well he cannot be surpassed. He never can be, though, not in my world at least. I think my favorite part was how beautifully the friendship between George (Firth) and Charlie was portayed. I could go for a weekend in the sixties era after watching this movie. Well done, Tom Ford.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLxbhoLF4lno3JPZA1fNv1plbUzHWb4VeR00wghYj8WYGmYEHyd8e4_eYF3U2iN2zWox5ffm709y5xYRpT1ziXgKAL8bxYR2-kt8MH-Itcu0oEXC1bLKdXDgZOV1s3v0bQU3Xchl7Mjw/s1600-h/georgecharlie.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 174px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLxbhoLF4lno3JPZA1fNv1plbUzHWb4VeR00wghYj8WYGmYEHyd8e4_eYF3U2iN2zWox5ffm709y5xYRpT1ziXgKAL8bxYR2-kt8MH-Itcu0oEXC1bLKdXDgZOV1s3v0bQU3Xchl7Mjw/s320/georgecharlie.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440923785455388530" /></a><br /><br />In other news, I am almost finished editing my third short story for Creative Writing. As time goes on, I am becoming more comfortable with what I have written. I wasn't sure I would like this "ghost story" idea, but it's growing on me. It's all a part of learning, I suppose, doing things that you wouldn't originally care for.<br /><br />There was also a rather large shock this morning when I went outside to start my car. Lately there has been a lot of snow, but not this morning. My car was rather pleased with freckle of cover, if you could even call it that.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix9NbcrYRbtCN9owFkgrt5ecX_spDLBYku1tPA9IkQz7TSlq6FjjWdE0_7adWyfYv6kEY3Qd5V9xGrz2aWnUsGHZJsa_p4AS1RvTfhxmUu8i3EZBUow3jYe1iIXsPoqygl2BdpBAp3jQ/s1600-h/carsnow.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix9NbcrYRbtCN9owFkgrt5ecX_spDLBYku1tPA9IkQz7TSlq6FjjWdE0_7adWyfYv6kEY3Qd5V9xGrz2aWnUsGHZJsa_p4AS1RvTfhxmUu8i3EZBUow3jYe1iIXsPoqygl2BdpBAp3jQ/s320/carsnow.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440925452080348290" /></a><br /><br />I don't have a whole lot else to report tonight. I'm about to make a Snicker's Salad, so that should be a nice treat tomorrow after class. I hope everyone has a lovely evening and day tomorrow.<br /><br />Cheers!Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07684068972679148122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2509580607512150976.post-37941869722025164252010-02-18T22:33:00.004-06:002010-02-18T22:54:17.640-06:00A writer is someone who can ramble effectivelyIt's the sixties, at least in my apartment tonight. Or shall I say my flat? One may never know if I have the right to attempt at being British. Colin Firth, on the other hand, is truly a British man of gold. He is just lovely. The reason I bring this up is because after waiting (impatiently) for months, A Single Man is coming to the Fargo Theatre tomorrow. I will provide more details on it after I go tomorrow with Brian, but it's an understatement to say I am rather excited. Christopher Isherwood's novel version (which came before, naturally) is in the running for one of my favorite novels. Cheers to Christopher! Cheers to Colin!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAGPCN4e1XdWqNOLGVJnWcT0KwB-l0SiJT87lPD7aRiW5SkuA4s6jITR_PjQrWbTV2Qo0rPvSeCgH62QO8P-_Dh9tvCl7hpA7WuzxQC2JYYjlBLy3wSMdZ5A1MWVBQxUg6aPxgmVHY-w/s1600-h/colinfirthsingleman.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 224px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAGPCN4e1XdWqNOLGVJnWcT0KwB-l0SiJT87lPD7aRiW5SkuA4s6jITR_PjQrWbTV2Qo0rPvSeCgH62QO8P-_Dh9tvCl7hpA7WuzxQC2JYYjlBLy3wSMdZ5A1MWVBQxUg6aPxgmVHY-w/s320/colinfirthsingleman.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439810078079430066" /></a><br /><br />In other news, I am not a very good blogger. I missed a whole week, and for no good reason! The past week has treated me well. I finished writing a second short story for Creative Writing, and am in the process of my third. The assignment is to write a short story (fiction this time) in the form of a ghost story. I have never written a story of such nature before, and I wasn't very excited about it at first. Time has taught me otherwise. I am rather pleased with the writing I have done on it so far, and I think it will be a passable for a story by the time it's completed.<br /><br />British Literature is also going well. We are now into Chaucer. We finished up The Miller's Tale and are now onto The Wife of Bath's Tale. Quite a collection! I am interested in seeing where all of the stories go. I find Chaucer to be a rather humorous fellow, and he certainly had a gift with words.<br /><br />Introduction to Publications is also working out for me. We have mostly been having guest speakers and writing response papers, but I have also finished another annotated bibliography as of late on a collection of short stories. The two professors from my England trip have been in already, and my Creative Writing professor is set up to come in a couple weeks. All in all, I'm having some good times at school.<br /><br />I don't have much else to say for the evening. There are two songs left to play on the soundtrack to A Single Man, and then I am off to bed. Tomorrow I have work, homework, dinner with out of town family, and the movie. Sleep is essential.<br /><br />Cheers!<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">What is your favorite movie that was based off of a book?</span><br />Mine would have to be either The Reader by Bernhard Schlink or Atonement by Ian McEwan. It's a bit of a tossup, to be honest. They are both on my list for favorite books, and the movie versions were brilliant. I hope you find time to check out the books at some point in your life.Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07684068972679148122noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2509580607512150976.post-15903174550870420332010-02-15T16:19:00.003-06:002010-02-15T16:24:45.242-06:00I'm not a very good blogger...I apologize for my disappearance from the blog, though most of you who read this talk to me daily as it is...but that's neither here nor there.<br /><br />I went on a surprise vacation with my boyfriend, Rupert Grint. I also dyed my hair. I don't want to spoil the memories we made, but I'll let you in on a little photo to kill the rumors of our recent togetherness.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKb0nBNj0Jp-4FN7O4z3_uJ_Pk_mju9LCWREBody9ekTwA_fBykiQgoWwFLk_b4q8JOTZsI1B247eXmOFKN38-esrdN3nStVrVrzk4Ovtd_78QyK2KxIMrJ8WhVybd7zPIiL-mhCw-pw/s1600-h/merupert.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 310px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKb0nBNj0Jp-4FN7O4z3_uJ_Pk_mju9LCWREBody9ekTwA_fBykiQgoWwFLk_b4q8JOTZsI1B247eXmOFKN38-esrdN3nStVrVrzk4Ovtd_78QyK2KxIMrJ8WhVybd7zPIiL-mhCw-pw/s320/merupert.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438599709785896738" /></a><br /><br />I'll make a real post tonight...or soon.<br /><br />Cheers!Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07684068972679148122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2509580607512150976.post-8425740240848297512010-02-10T22:09:00.011-06:002010-02-10T23:07:27.421-06:00Almond milk belongs on the gay trainToday began with a delicious breakfast. I prepared scrambled eggs with tofu and mushrooms, along with a piece of toast with blackberry jam (sugar free). It was an interesting combination in regards to the eggs, but I enjoyed it.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6WzBoKyP-V9o07bbFaqKIx4ymfnlEj_R40-WWbcVXRIxbFylmA_pYiwM6IkSuvF64Gufgr_ggMkPqKD-tw74btum5hCTkUmdIrBq08nGSoqp5CVHSsH1X4M2h2XnA3r3vNh0VzagevA/s1600-h/tofueggs.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6WzBoKyP-V9o07bbFaqKIx4ymfnlEj_R40-WWbcVXRIxbFylmA_pYiwM6IkSuvF64Gufgr_ggMkPqKD-tw74btum5hCTkUmdIrBq08nGSoqp5CVHSsH1X4M2h2XnA3r3vNh0VzagevA/s320/tofueggs.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436839221714122386" /></a><br /><br />After breakfast, I recalled my roommate telling me that I had mail from yesterday in the mailbox still, so naturally I went to check it out. I opened my mail from the college and saw that I made the Dean's List from last semester. I was surprised and excited. I never thought about it before, making the list, but I was in love. I have never done well enough (due to lack of trying) to receive grades that would put me in such a place. It was quite the motivation for a good day.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkN_PTCIiMN1kkhr0s2gErBrIJcA9uLb91UIHsGCeRvHB9s63xnjLO7Pb3gEfhQY045bO5XEfNntsLFYxcmLEnF_ZUuxhz9BaYL68cV5wnnYjWvC_iGM60KtUfQJ9dIbhfRlbPUnYMoA/s1600-h/deanslist.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkN_PTCIiMN1kkhr0s2gErBrIJcA9uLb91UIHsGCeRvHB9s63xnjLO7Pb3gEfhQY045bO5XEfNntsLFYxcmLEnF_ZUuxhz9BaYL68cV5wnnYjWvC_iGM60KtUfQJ9dIbhfRlbPUnYMoA/s320/deanslist.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436839977620322018" /></a><br /><br />I then departed for school, where we began discussing Chaucer's <em>Canterbury Tales</em>. The language is hard to get used to at first, but I think I will enjoy the tales more than my two previous stories, <em>Beowulf</em> and <em>Sir Gawain and the Green Knight</em>.<br /><br />I enjoyed a lovely lunch with friend Sam at the Drunken Noodle after class. I had yakisoba with chicken, red and green peppers, carrots, egg, and onions. If you live in town and have not yet been to the Drunken Noodle, I high recommend it. If you don't live in town, I'm sorry to hear that.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha7Gtt_k-165Qv-y7d8b3ocCSckX8enz9GacGr4yoVHPiF836OjzIHQBtSjtzm9dYKcewQAqtOZ0nUwUdyxhQ4eF9b2hQzmFvH0q1FiZSvs3Qhq59ky301axsy9FkUrgSWRdaEqYZdcQ/s1600-h/drunkennoodledish.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha7Gtt_k-165Qv-y7d8b3ocCSckX8enz9GacGr4yoVHPiF836OjzIHQBtSjtzm9dYKcewQAqtOZ0nUwUdyxhQ4eF9b2hQzmFvH0q1FiZSvs3Qhq59ky301axsy9FkUrgSWRdaEqYZdcQ/s320/drunkennoodledish.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436840945653740994" /></a><br /><br />I made two trips to Barnes & Noble after class, once with Brian and once with Amanda. I read from the book <em>Three Genres</em> for my Creative Writing class. One of the chapters mentioned <em>Catcher in the Rye</em> briefly, and being the Salinger fan that I am, I appreciated it. I had a nice laugh thinking about the overuse of the word "phonies" in that book.<br /><br /><br />(Story time!) I had an awkward situation with a man tonight, also while at Barnes & Noble. Amanda and I were discussing a story idea I have for Creative Writing class that will involve a train. The man, who is a stranger to me, decided to jump in on the conversation. I love random conversation, so I began talking with him. I explained that I came up with an idea for a creative writing class that I wanted to work with involving being on a train. He said it was a good idea, paused, and then carried it up with saying I should write about a gay train. Naturally I was confused, so then he carried on to say something about a caboose. Putting the information together, I decided it was a good idea to not continue the conversation. I thanked him for his idea and said that wasn't really where I wanted to go with the story. Amanda and I departed a couple minutes later.<br /><br /><br />(Story time...again) In other news...my sister is completely ridiculous. A couple weeks ago, she tried almond milk at my apartment and loved it. Great. A week later, she called to ask me how to locate it in the grocery store. The conversation went something like this:<br /><br />Julia: "I don't know where to find it."<br />Me: "It should be in the health section in the refrigerator."<br />Julia: (after looking) "I'm there, but I don't see any."<br />Me: "They might not carry it at that store."<br />Julia: "Well there was some on the shelf in the health section, but not in the fridge."<br />Me: "I'm sure that will work just fine."<br />Julia: "But it's not cold."<br />Me: "I understand that, but if it says almond milk, I'm sure it's almond milk."<br /><br />This carried on for a while before she just decided not to risk it. Great. Today comes around and she calls me again about it. She wanted me to drive to the grocery store and show her where the drink was, and of course I said no because I had Barnes & Noble plans and I wasn't going to drive thirty blocks to point something out when she could ask somebody. We get off the phone and I think all is well, but I need to realize who I'm dealing with here. So here we go on the second call of the day:<br />Julia: "Okay, so I'm at the store again. What does the almond milk look like?"<br />Me: sigh. "It says Almond Breeze, and it should be in a carton."<br />Julia: "Like a square?"<br />Me: pause. "Yes, Julia...like a square."<br />Julia: "I think I found it, but they have it on the shelf."<br />Me: "It will be okay, just put it in the fridge."<br />She says okay and hangs up.<br /><br />So I'm at my mom's house, telling her about the story. My mom thinks it's just so hilarious, which in a way it was. About two minutes after I leave, my sister calls me again to ask where the almond milk was. My mom had called her to give her hell, of course, and she wanted to have a final laugh about it. She informed me that she found the Almond Breeze and managed to get it in the fridge.<br />Conclusion: I'm not going to introduce her to delicious food/drink ever again.<br /><br /><br />I think I can end this blog for the evening, now that the stories are out of the way. Speaking of, I finished my second short story for Creative Writing before posting this blog, so hopefully that goes over well. I just hope I don't have a dream about eating raspberries on a gay train tonight.<br /><br />Cheers!<br /><br /><br /><strong>Have you ever had an awkward encounter with a stranger?</strong>Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07684068972679148122noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2509580607512150976.post-79094314179481746162010-02-07T21:58:00.003-06:002010-02-07T22:02:35.258-06:00There's a lack of ponder hereIt's been snowing a lot these past couple days, and it's supposed to carry into Monday or possibly even Tuesday. I am tired from the long day of work, football, and making a video for my little sister's French class. I will write tomorrow. Have a good night!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg762qmF2_s8r_7QXRyEi3D3LBza3_FE9Xhc2V1lelAc4VjuWgeo8hX9t_250q7AkWBC9AHNk8yrDasopCBoF7-7BATY0-Oh_MDtQ0JNqa90EzV1uhkWy6U1KGAv4dgYhvV_yVeYbysYw/s1600-h/wintertime.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg762qmF2_s8r_7QXRyEi3D3LBza3_FE9Xhc2V1lelAc4VjuWgeo8hX9t_250q7AkWBC9AHNk8yrDasopCBoF7-7BATY0-Oh_MDtQ0JNqa90EzV1uhkWy6U1KGAv4dgYhvV_yVeYbysYw/s320/wintertime.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435717301247081922" /></a><br /><br />Cheers!Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07684068972679148122noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2509580607512150976.post-35582046863935098102010-02-06T20:06:00.011-06:002010-02-06T21:06:37.588-06:00Too many books, not enough coffeeToday was a two cups of coffee kind of day, especially since ninety percent of the first coffee didn't exactly make it beyond my cubicle at work. The lid decided to come off as I was setting my things down. Coffee spilt on the desk, down my filing cabinet (and even some into it), on the floor, on my jeans, and on my coat. I think there was even a little in the garbage, but that was the area I didn't concern myself with. It took a good fifteen minutes to clean it all up, and then I was finally able to clock in.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJSa8_s93Mtq1tZJA3e0OyfmArqgpS6YR5D4yJui9wYcL1woAD8g44sOe0E56llKuUbVBYY9b_dfwu7PjkdA2OFgzBgAFTZbYf-FrRSQ8MW8YsAQ1h-jn2VfIlq7NPgmVQgg50llttzg/s1600-h/starbucks_cup.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 264px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJSa8_s93Mtq1tZJA3e0OyfmArqgpS6YR5D4yJui9wYcL1woAD8g44sOe0E56llKuUbVBYY9b_dfwu7PjkdA2OFgzBgAFTZbYf-FrRSQ8MW8YsAQ1h-jn2VfIlq7NPgmVQgg50llttzg/s320/starbucks_cup.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435327498264664258" /></a><br /><br />I had my first meeting for the England trip today, of which I can only express great excitement. The group looks like a fun bunch and I'm looking forward to getting to know them all better. Today marks 100 days until we depart for London.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuY1nLgAXqO7TMicsMQq3b0bQ2ysmTkR7GCMDoeWhtP06FybuqCVT5ztDfgD-bY8DkP1nT12V2dWOTdEILbGNxUEDnTJSg3Kjr-b8AUH6rgukGfVR2GSdc9d6zzlkgHhxDy5CC4NL7Yw/s1600-h/2334039881_725e6bf364.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuY1nLgAXqO7TMicsMQq3b0bQ2ysmTkR7GCMDoeWhtP06FybuqCVT5ztDfgD-bY8DkP1nT12V2dWOTdEILbGNxUEDnTJSg3Kjr-b8AUH6rgukGfVR2GSdc9d6zzlkgHhxDy5CC4NL7Yw/s320/2334039881_725e6bf364.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435328744553536754" /></a><br /><br />At the meeting, the professors mentioned author Bill Bryson's books and how they should be checked out. It so happened that five of his books were on a "But 2 Get The 3rd Free" shelf at Barnes and Noble this evening, so I naturally now have three in my possession. <em>Notes From a Small Island</em> was the recommended read before the trip.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQExjJJqAzdLLE6UZsFcvJYS5f_tTD_BUIqLWUQzBLUuiTgmPnxsgD0GKyj7_LtLvDvhpKyIImm2cVFCf95v7FzHjnKrWRf2kRPg311Fl0NQnylQE_8u3d01qyV_nRCnyZwF-6ECrIAg/s1600-h/notes-from-a-small-island.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 212px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQExjJJqAzdLLE6UZsFcvJYS5f_tTD_BUIqLWUQzBLUuiTgmPnxsgD0GKyj7_LtLvDvhpKyIImm2cVFCf95v7FzHjnKrWRf2kRPg311Fl0NQnylQE_8u3d01qyV_nRCnyZwF-6ECrIAg/s320/notes-from-a-small-island.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435330282649147410" /></a><br /><br />Speaking of books and possession, I was looking at my shelf today and realized that I have purchased roughly twenty books since the beginning of the year. Can we say obsessed? Sometimes I think a banning from Barnes & Noble is only appropriate, but I have little ambition to search for other forms of oxygen. I know I have a bit an issue with it, but I feel it's a much better issue than the other demons that haunt people. I prefer to let the books keep piling up.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6F8gKuBvZ5Zj70ocObgKYo349Olv3Qq_iZxq6j5bwbK1bZEJtK0Fcxj3AMF562SOO4TiQBNhfTVMJuaBaQ-578DiVNcL5kfKk_HOYpcIBTkOGnS0U-5p7bqtEAyJG99nj2ojZZPawkQ/s1600-h/z205940603.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6F8gKuBvZ5Zj70ocObgKYo349Olv3Qq_iZxq6j5bwbK1bZEJtK0Fcxj3AMF562SOO4TiQBNhfTVMJuaBaQ-578DiVNcL5kfKk_HOYpcIBTkOGnS0U-5p7bqtEAyJG99nj2ojZZPawkQ/s320/z205940603.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435331569990347890" /></a><br /><br />(Leap Year spoiler alert) In other news, Matthew Goode has proven to me that he can play the same character in two movies. If you have been to see Leap Year and have also seen Chasing Liberty, you would know what I'm talking about. The story of a European man helping an American woman (named Anna in both movies, mind you) get to a final destination. Along the way, the duo is taken in by strangers for the night and pretend to be married. At some point they are told that they need to kiss. Eventually Anna ends up returning to the states, but shows up in Europe in the end to admit her love towards Matthew Goode. These events took place in both films, mind you, and I couldn't help but find it comical. It's good to know that Mr. Goode didn't need to prepare too much for Leap Year, considering he had pretty much made the same movie some years prior. Despite these facts, he will always steal my heart.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqGMOasLExLoknqkNbZlVkQ8o6YaDKJIRDI5CbsIm3mcZl_meDSfYAebMSZsOv2icufAeYfsQHYtvN_BEnKfBUfI3G4-TKLKzPsmNmNvLOeQAQ1RTg3DLI5R7M0e-CEZvrdhPCsaWpiQ/s1600-h/mg1_362x388.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 299px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqGMOasLExLoknqkNbZlVkQ8o6YaDKJIRDI5CbsIm3mcZl_meDSfYAebMSZsOv2icufAeYfsQHYtvN_BEnKfBUfI3G4-TKLKzPsmNmNvLOeQAQ1RTg3DLI5R7M0e-CEZvrdhPCsaWpiQ/s320/mg1_362x388.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435326715600677650" /></a><br /><br />I think I will depart for the evening. I have an essay to work on that needs my attention. There is word of a snow storm coming tonight that will go until Monday. I will be one sad individual if classes get canceled again. I never thought I would say such a thing, but I'm saying it now. There's too much excitement on a Monday to allow snow days in the mix.<br /><br />Cheers!<br /><br /><br /><strong>What is your shopping weakness?</strong>Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07684068972679148122noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2509580607512150976.post-12066954211009522092010-02-05T21:55:00.002-06:002010-02-05T22:09:00.010-06:00New York, I Love You...NotFor those of you who saw Paris, Je T'aime and are interested in seeing New York, I Love You, I do not recommend it. The two movies are nothing but opposite in both beauty and creativity. Perhaps I am just not made for New York, but I was not loving it. If you do happen to the see the movie, let me know what you think. My vote is going to Paris, though considering my love for the city that comes as no surprise.<br /><br />I did nothing to pride myself on in terms of dinner, so there will be no photos tonight. I went to my dad's house and had pizza. It wasn't the best of ideas considering the unhealthy aspect, but after a long week I was beginning to care less of making an effort to cook. I have a free evening tomorrow though, so look for a colorful plate then.<br /><br />I have my first England trip meeting tomorrow, and I will admit that I'm rather excited. The negative to this is that I'll need to take a few hours out of work for the meeting, so I will likely be going in quite early tomorrow and might even stay late. I am hoping to be up at 5:30, though something tells me that will not happen. Because of this fact, and the fact that it's presently just after ten p.m., I should leave the blog be for tonight and get some sleep.<br /><br />I hope my (few) readers have a great evening and wonderful weekend.<br /><br />Cheers!<br /><br /><br /><strong>Are you a bigger fan of New York or Paris?</strong>Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07684068972679148122noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2509580607512150976.post-54663054483480246592010-02-04T18:34:00.006-06:002010-02-04T19:13:42.936-06:00Someone should put some orange cones up...Today was full of worldly adventure...at the office. My boots and I were at an impass throughout the day and they naturally felt so inclined as to show me that they were the boss of Thursdays. I managed to trip not once, but twice. It wasn't a trip where you actually fall flat on your face, but more of a "hey, watch it!" kind of trip where you jump forward and people give you that look as if to say, "Damn, I thought she was going to fall flat on her face." I hung my frustration on the coat rack and took off after putting in the traditional full day.<br /><br />I made an effort to go to the grocery store after work to invest in some tofu. I have always been skeptical of tofu, but time has taught me to deal with it and love it, whic I'm beginning to do. The texture doesn't wig me out the way it used to, so I think I will find it in my fridge more often.<br /><br />Speaking of food, I made a pasta of sorts this evening. I pretty much compiled ingredients on this one. Go ahead and call it Tofu Pasta if you like, but I'm not claiming faim to a fridge-raided dinner. And I warn you, I rarely measure when I'm just pulling things together.<br /><br />I am a fan of the Hodgson Mill Organic Penne pasta, so I used that for my "base" food, if you will.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS0HePQ1tFQWZkY9iM3iS3sr3GQFreRl2GemltbUV5MGqtvBLs5QFazoywqxu0ZVJKRPBF4SmhbeTLxiPy18-bgRcG_vgyjOJkZRT73FCfJZd4dVEK5isrVX4V0YGoKapdR99RHMDGoA/s1600-h/penne.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS0HePQ1tFQWZkY9iM3iS3sr3GQFreRl2GemltbUV5MGqtvBLs5QFazoywqxu0ZVJKRPBF4SmhbeTLxiPy18-bgRcG_vgyjOJkZRT73FCfJZd4dVEK5isrVX4V0YGoKapdR99RHMDGoA/s320/penne.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434556746318143698" /></a><br /><br />In a skillet, I combined chopped tofu, celery, carrots, asparagus, spinach, and mushrooms along with a splash of olive oil, teriyaki sauce, and a dash of basil leaves, garlic powder and onion powder. I didn't feel like fetching the real deal on those last ingredients; sometimes the shaker version will do just fine.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqtO_VXfk6R0-uF3IlwDrMkfyShh0Id63IcmZrSEXjI2g9irNt9PQf9LgfFD_oHRw3lqulfY0TYIWDjre9oplt_9KRKrkIi3rk0UP9xXZPfN9v2eo4xfPX32Cp7qjeI27GhAPvFmEBBA/s1600-h/skillettofu.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqtO_VXfk6R0-uF3IlwDrMkfyShh0Id63IcmZrSEXjI2g9irNt9PQf9LgfFD_oHRw3lqulfY0TYIWDjre9oplt_9KRKrkIi3rk0UP9xXZPfN9v2eo4xfPX32Cp7qjeI27GhAPvFmEBBA/s320/skillettofu.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434557428939763458" /></a><br /><br />After everything was cooked and tossed together, I have my finished meal.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigRqYvL2ooMpdMacIXBZRv6-81IIcmOcdOHokWOhJsl5vhSPH4UN5wwizwVqXWHOOAW4wb6K1lUsSfZuoOcNpBm8ggBg6fKe0ia32jrUFv_VjBvi7grKRNsL2zyE9BAd-3goliXmAVfA/s1600-h/pastatofu.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigRqYvL2ooMpdMacIXBZRv6-81IIcmOcdOHokWOhJsl5vhSPH4UN5wwizwVqXWHOOAW4wb6K1lUsSfZuoOcNpBm8ggBg6fKe0ia32jrUFv_VjBvi7grKRNsL2zyE9BAd-3goliXmAVfA/s320/pastatofu.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434557678399044066" /></a><br /><br />I enjoyed a glass of milk with my delicious meal. For dessert, I sampled something known as Tofutti. It's a frozen dessert of sorts that I found when searching for tofu at the grocery store. I didn't eat more than a few bites because I was full from dinner, but it was a delicious sample of chocolate!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikrfL3E8c53S3S2tVA3_ExVtIx_6rJLj161MW13gfTGnK2iX6O6qmMhfwCwCzN1dfzgJN61hN8Ph66-bzLBBuGq_yj7gYNEhZUKegM2JthJs_Td3FtRNH35aCvdPBQF9xmkFaqx2XPfA/s1600-h/tofutti.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikrfL3E8c53S3S2tVA3_ExVtIx_6rJLj161MW13gfTGnK2iX6O6qmMhfwCwCzN1dfzgJN61hN8Ph66-bzLBBuGq_yj7gYNEhZUKegM2JthJs_Td3FtRNH35aCvdPBQF9xmkFaqx2XPfA/s320/tofutti.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434558152157006738" /></a><br /><br /><br />After I finish writing this post I will (finally) start my non-fiction short story for Creative Writing. This assignment is to be about setting. I am going to write about the time I was in Annecy, France a few years back. I found a sense of peace there that I haven't found anywhere else thus far in my life. Perhaps it was the fact that I got to feed raspberries to birds, but there was something truly beautiful about that location.<br /><br />I should also hop on the bike for a half our or so, but the writing needs to be my priority for the evening, or at least it's a good excuse for me not to bike. In time you will learn that Jenna + a routine exercise = epic fail. I'm better than I used to be, but I'm far from where I'd like to be. All in good time, young grasshopper, all in good time.<br /><br />Cheers!<br /><br /><br /><strong>What is your favorite place in the world, and why?</strong><br /><strong>What are your thoughts on tofu?</strong>Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07684068972679148122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2509580607512150976.post-47073085711636670052010-02-03T19:30:00.006-06:002010-02-03T22:06:13.852-06:00Larabars & LiteratureToday began with a great start. I had my British Literature course at the college and we discussed "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight." I wasn't so sure about this course because of it being such old literature, but I'm growing to enjoy it. I also have a fabulous professor, so that only adds to the enjoyment.<br /><br />After class ended I went to lunch with a friend downtown. We tried a local deli shop that neither of us had been to. It was quite a successful trip; I daresay I will go there again. I had a turkey sandwhich on wheat bread and some form of dessert that consisted of chocolate pudding, cream cheese, pie crust, and other ingredients that I can't recall at present. I'm trying to eat better, but sometimes a treat like that can't be turned down.<br /><br />Also while downtown, my friend and I stopped in a local health food store to buy <a href="http://www.larabar.com/home">Larabars</a>. If you are ever in search of a snack bar but don't want all of the unfortunate additives, buy Larabar. They are unprocessed, raw, non-GMO, gluten free, dairy free, soy free, vegan, kosher, and contain no added sugar. The flavors I bought today are Peanut Butter Cookie, Coconut Cream Pie, Cherry Pie, and Chocolate. They are THE BEST snack bars that I've ever eaten, hands down. They also contain a daily serving of fruit, so you can't go wrong there! I can't congratulate them enough. I would visit the Larabar website and check them out, and then run to your local health food or grocery store to pick some up!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioxjt3GsuKeRTuabHOk46iVOKU6dEDihtJA1-MVOHBuT23gsVNlzQHiyRui2k37XOp9wLZdE89SXLVBenqP6_9Df_vJTpUc3_l3Nsas9gWhhBz1EHUu9S2SSgpQStVcGEV2wJ4j81l3g/s1600-h/pbcookielarabar.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 127px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioxjt3GsuKeRTuabHOk46iVOKU6dEDihtJA1-MVOHBuT23gsVNlzQHiyRui2k37XOp9wLZdE89SXLVBenqP6_9Df_vJTpUc3_l3Nsas9gWhhBz1EHUu9S2SSgpQStVcGEV2wJ4j81l3g/s320/pbcookielarabar.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434230529812834178" /></a><br /><br />I also finished reading Pride & Prejudice, a task that I have been on since mid-December. I had been reading other books in the process, but P&P was a challenge for me. I used to fall asleep to the movie version every night (for nearly two years), so getting through the book version was difficult. But I managed to get through the story unharmed and with a greater appreciate for Jane Austen. I am trying to read works of British author's whose worlds I will be visiting come May. The next challenge: King Lear. We are going to the <a href="http://www.rsc.org.uk/home/default.aspx">Royal Shakespeare Company</a> production of King Lear while in Stratford Upon Avon, so I thought it only appropriate to become more familiar with the play.<br /><br />I ate a simple yet delicious dinner this evening. I had a salad consisting of spinach, carrots, grape tomatoes, mushrooms, and balsamic/vinegar dressing. I also had a smoothie consisting of fat-free strawberry yogurt, raspberries, blueberries, oats, and Almond Breeze milk. Both were delightful and I highly recommend such a meal, or even the smoothie on its own for a snack.<br /><br />I suppose that is all for today. I have to work on a short story for Creative Writing and get some sleep. Working in morning.<br /><br />Cheers!<br /><br /><br /><strong>What is your favorite healthy snack?</strong>Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07684068972679148122noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2509580607512150976.post-21597350014835058202010-02-02T20:56:00.000-06:002010-02-02T20:57:16.453-06:00Let's get it started!I suppose it's high time I actually start writing on this dear blog of mine. I have been considering the idea of a blog for a few years, and I think now is the time.<br /><br />I want to begin by saying that there is no specific rhyme or reason to this blog other than my various ponderings. It is likely that the subjects of literature and writing will come up quite often, as those are two things I am most passionate about. Harry Potter may end up being a frequent topic in regards to the literature aspect, but I'll do my best to discuss what I'm presently reading rather than something I happen to be obsessed with.<br /><br />You will also find food and nutritional talk on this blog. I have recently started getting into the swing of living a healthy lifestyle, and the swing will be in full force once I can commit myself fully to the kitchen and away from the evils of sit-down restaurants. I have won the fight against vending machines these past few months, but the next (and more vicious) battle is with restaurant eating. I will post various recipes I have made from cookbooks and people's blogs (<a href="http://iowagirleats.com/">Iowa Girl Eats</a> is a personal favorite), as well as some recipes I come up with in due course.<br /><br />There is also going to be some British talk on this blog. I am going on a two-week trip to England in May and am getting rather excited for it to put it lightly. I will likely be posting some information on that as well as photos once I return home. I would love to say that I'll post as I'm traveling, but I have no intention of sitting online when the time there is precious. I told a coworker that I would try to bring Prince William home for her, so I can't possibly achieve that mission if I'm online!<br /><br /><br />I think it only appropriate to provide a bit of information about myself before I close out for the evening...<br /><br />My name is Jenna and I am a twenty-two year-old living in North Dakota. I am a student across the river in Minnesota, pursuing an English major with an emphasis in writing. After college it is my hope/goal to get my foot in the door of a publishing company, but until that day comes I am a full-time employee at a health-related company. I think it only appropriate that I don't go into too many details with my job, but I will share that I love it and it has inspired the healthy lifestyle I am presently pursuing. It's quite a gift when you can have a job and learn a lot in the process!<br /><br />As I said before, I am a lover of literature. For a full list of what I've read, visit my <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1758328">Goodreads website</a>. My top five authors are J.D. Salinger, J.K. Rowling, Ian McEwan, Philippa Gregory, and Bernhard Schlink. I am also big on writing and helping other people with their writing. I'm no professional by any means, but I'm always willing to help when asked. I'll get into literature and writing more another day.<br /><br />Another passion of mine is traveling, though being a poor college student I don't do it as much as I'd like. As I mentioned before, I will be having a two-week flirtation with England come May, which is quite literally a dream come true for me. I visited France in 2006 as well as many U.S. cities/states and Canada over the years. France and England were the two main places I wanted to see before I die, so getting those in before twenty-five feels like a gift of sorts. I will post various photos from my trips as time carries on.<br /><br />There is a lot more that I could say, but I think I have the basics down for tonight. I finished the most delicious grilled salmon earlier for dinner, complete with various vegetables (asparagus, carrots, celery, and mushrooms). Afterwards, I settled at Barnes and Noble for a short time to read my current project, <em>Pride & Prejudice</em>, before returning home to write my first blog. I daresay that my evening was rather satisfactory.<br /><br />I hope you enjoyed the first read and I look forward to writing more tomorrow.<br /><br />Cheers!Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07684068972679148122noreply@blogger.com0