Valentine's Day

Well, it's more than two weeks away and people are already excited for the Hallmark Holiday Valentine's Day.
Personally, I'm not too excited.  I don't know why all these people are.  I used to love it because it meant free candy and cards from all your friends.  But I'm in high school and I don't give nor receive candy and cards anymore and to me, it just doesn't matter that much.  I believe it's a good excuse for stores to sell cards and decorations.
I also remember a time back in fourth grade when I had a crush on a guy.  Valentine's Day was coming around the corner, so I decided to buy a candy gram (similar to Loveland High's rose and carnations thing they're doing this year) for him.  It was, I believe, a fundraiser where they sold candy during lunch to be sent to people.  I bought one for the guy with whom I was infatuated but sent it anonymously.  I, of course, was too shy and too scared to actually put my name down.
On Valentine's Day, my palms were covered in sweat and I felt sick.  I was nervous, though for what, I wasn't sure.  I knew it had something to do with the fact that the candy gram was to be delivered to him that day, but I had nothing to worry about.  It was anonymous and he would never know who sent it.  When he got it, however, he sort of just shrugged and put it on his desk.  I was stunned.  Is that it? I thought.  I wasn't sure what I expected, but it wasn't that.  Without thinking, I pulled out a pencil and a piece of paper.  I then wrote down what I felt for him.  I folded it up and handed it to him.  My heart was pounding as his eyes scanned the paper.  After what seemed like an eternity, he looked up at me and said, a bit loudly, "Yeah, I sort of noticed you had a crush on me because you kept on staring at me."
My cheeks suddenly felt hot.  I felt dizzy.  Some of my classmates were stifling giggles or full-out laughing.  I wanted to go home, have the Rapture happen, be abducted by aliens, anything.  But I had to endure the rest of the day.
I'm not exactly sure why I told him about my feelings for him.  I was only 9 and didn't need a boyfriend and I already knew that my infatuation was one-sided.  I just sort of felt like I had to.
This story isn't the reason why I hate Valentine's Day.  It gives me a good laugh.  But in my opinion, Valentine's Day is something silly.  I have no intention of celebrating it whatsoever. 

A New Perspective

I am a fan of the YouTuber Charlie McDonnell.  He's really funny and he likes Doctor Who - what's not to like?  Some of his friends have appeared in his videos and many of them do videos like him.  I decided to check out one of them.  His name is Alex Day, probably better known as nerimon.
The first video I found was a video called "Alex Reads Creation."  I decided to watch it.  He started out by saying that the difference between Twilight and the Bible is that Twilight was poorly written.  I had grinned.  I liked him already.
I already knew he was an atheist, so I wasn't sure how the video was going to turn out.  I was pretty sure that he would just go through it and joke about how ridiculous it was or something.  In the video, he said that he believes the Bible is a work of fiction but that it is a good read.
I was amused.  Never before had I heard that come from an atheist.
He opened the Bible.  "'In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth,'" he read.  He smiled as he said, "That's the most epic first sentence of all time."
I grinned.  I hadn't heard an atheist say that, either.  I can't really think of many people who aren't Christians who have had anything - anything - good to say about Christianity or the Bible.  Even if he didn't believe that the book was the truth, he still had something good to say about it.  It amazed me.  It was also a bit of a relief.  I thought I was just going to be watching a video that had him talking about how the very idea of creationism is idiotic or something.
But it gave me a new thing to think about.  He was absolutely right.  That is the most epic first sentence of all time.  As a girl who was born and raised in a Christian home, it's often difficult to remember how amazing the Word can be.  The fact that God created everything by just saying it is truly amazing.  It gave me something new to think about.  It let met think about how epic the Word is.
It's funny that I learned this from someone who doesn't even believe in a higher power.  

Resolutions

With a new year comes new resolutions.  I haven't been the best at keeping my resolutions, so this year, I've decided to have my family hold me accountable for my goals.

1. Read 25 books.  It doesn't seem like a difficult task to me, but I'm always busy with homework and other stuff.  I want to read more.  I enjoy it, so it's sad that I barely have time for it.
2. Stay in shape.  I'm not saying that I'm fat, but I want to be more healthy.  Usually, marching band helps out with this, but that starts in late May and ends in October.  What about the other 6 months?  So I'm working on an exercise plan to help me stay fit and a better diet plan - less soda and sweets, unfortunately.
3. Eat healthier.  That goes hand-in-hand with number 2, I guess.  But I need to cut down on some of the food I eat.  It's a wonder I'm not overweight; I can be such a pig sometimes.
4. Be less lazy.  I guess this is the one that I'm going to have the most trouble with.  Less procrastination and more work.  This is the resolution where my family is going to really have to hold me accountable because I procrastinate a lot.  And I just love those days that I just sit around home in some PJ's or sweats.  Which isn't bad.  But I can be more productive.

I had a lot more last year and I didn't get all of them done.  I don't even think I managed to get any of them.  But hopefully, I will follow through with these (since the list has gone down quite a bit and these are actually doable) and I know my fam will support me with what I do.

A Chat with Abraham Lincoln

There is a site that allows you to chat with Abraham Lincoln.  I tried it out.  This is how the first part of our conversation went (I edited the grammatical errors):

AL: Well, hello there.  My, what a fine day.  What would you like to know about?
Me: What do you think of Obama?  (I couldn't really think of anything else to say.)
AL: He is a fine young man.
Me: But he's a Democrat.
AL: I was a Republican.
Me: Exactly.
AL: Can you explain it to me better?
Me: You were a Republican and our current president is a Democrat.
AL: I was a Republican.

Metal

I am a weirdo when it comes to music.I admit it. A lot of my friends and family say so, too. My musical tastes have changed a lot over the years. I used to be a chick who was completely into pop and country. I find it kind of funny that I despise country and most pop singers now.
When I was younger, my parents introduced me to a band called Jump 5. I just loved them. I got various CD's and videos of them. I also listened to artists and bands that I saw or heard on a show or something from Disney Channel. Jump 5 sang the opening theme for Lilo and Stitch, which I thought was the coolest thing ever. I also liked listening to Jesse McCartney.
Later on, when I was probably 10 or 11, I started getting into country. I wasn't the biggest fan, but I really liked Carrie Underwood and Taylor Swift. Especially Taylor Swift. As a naive little 6th/7th grader, I believed that some of her songs applied to me and just were so true. I even used her song A Place in this World to try out for the school's talent show in 7th grade (this was, sadly, before I realized that I am a terrible singer).
I started getting more into metal when I was in 8th grade. I kind of liked the heavy sounds and I'll admit it - I liked feeling tough when I listened to it. I, however, didn't really know where to start. There are a lot of different metal subgenres and I only had pop CD's. I have my friend Marisol to thank for helping me out with this. In March 2010, the youth group went to a retreat. She introduced me to several bands. I believe the first was Demon Hunter, so they were my first metal band. Another one she introduced me to was Dead Poetic, now my favorite overall band.
I decided to find more bands. I searched all over the web and asked friends for recommendations. One day, while searching for Phoenix Wright fan videos, I found one with music by a band called Nightwish. I watched it. And again and again and again. The song was addicting. The vocalist had the most amazing voice. I could not stop listening to the song. This was how I found symphonic metal. (This same user also uploaded a video with music by Poets of the Fall, now my favorite secular band.)
One day, I found a song by Nightwish called Kuolema Tekee Taiteilijan (Death Makes an Artist). It was a sad but beautiful song. I looked up the translation for the song. I fell in love with it. I also fell in love with the language. It was beautiful, in my opinion.
I searched for more artists that sang in Finnish. I also learned how to pronounce Finnish words so that I could sing along and start learning the language. I found artists like Anna Puu, Chisu, Jenni Vartiainen, and Johanna Kurkela, all suomipop singers. I actually liked listening to them - suomipop is so different from American pop. But I decided that I wanted to listen to Finnish metal. I searched some more. What I learned is that some Finnish bands sing in English so that they can have more fans, so my search for bands that actually sing in Finnish was a bit difficult. (This actually led me to another band from Russia.) It was a bit difficult, but the first one that I found and liked was Villiel
I am a weirdo when it comes to music.I admit it. A lot of my friends and family say so, too. My musical tastes have changed a lot over the years. I used to be a chick who was completely into pop and country. I find it kind of funny that I despise country and most pop singers now.
When I was younger, my parents introduced me to a band called Jump 5. I just loved them. I got various CD's and videos of them. I also listened to artists and bands that I saw or heard on a show or something from Disney Channel. Jump 5 sang the opening theme for Lilo and Stitch, which I thought was the coolest thing ever. I also liked listening to Jesse McCartney.
Later on, when I was probably 10 or 11, I started getting into country. I wasn't the biggest fan, but I really liked Carrie Underwood and Taylor Swift. Especially Taylor Swift. As a naive little 6th/7th grader, I believed that some of her songs applied to me and just were so true. I even used her song A Place in this World to try out for the school's talent show in 7th grade (this was, sadly, before I realized that I am a terrible singer).
I started getting more into metal when I was in 8th grade. I kind of liked the heavy sounds and I'll admit it - I liked feeling tough when I listened to it. I, however, didn't really know where to start. There are a lot of different metal subgenres and I only had pop CD's. I have my friend Marisol to thank for helping me out with this. In March 2010, the youth group went to a retreat. She introduced me to several bands. I believe the first was Demon Hunter, so they were my first metal band. Another one she introduced me to was Dead Poetic, now my favorite overall band.
I decided to find more bands. I searched all over the web and asked friends for recommendations. One day, while searching for Phoenix Wright fan videos, I found one with music by a band called Nightwish. I watched it. And again and again and again. The song was addicting. The vocalist had the most amazing voice. I could not stop listening to the song. This was how I found symphonic metal. (This same user also uploaded a video with music by Poets of the Fall, now my favorite secular band.)
One day, I found a song by Nightwish called Kuolema Tekee Taiteilijan (Death Makes an Artist). It was a sad but beautiful song. I looked up the translation for the song. I fell in love with it. I also fell in love with the language. It was beautiful, in my opinion.
I searched for more artists that sang in Finnish. I also learned how to pronounce Finnish words so that I could sing along and start learning the language. I found artists like Anna Puu, Chisu, Jenni Vartiainen, and Johanna Kurkela, all suomipop singers. I actually liked listening to them - suomipop is so different from American pop. But I decided that I wanted to listen to Finnish metal. I searched some more. What I learned is that some Finnish bands sing in English so that they can have more fans, so my search for bands that actually sing in Finnish was a bit difficult. (This actually led me to another band from Russia.) It was a bit difficult, but the first one that I found and liked was Villiel
I am a weirdo when it comes to music.I admit it. A lot of my friends and family say so, too. My musical tastes have changed a lot over the years. I used to be a chick who was completely into pop and country. I find it kind of funny that I despise country and most pop singers now.
When I was younger, my parents introduced me to a band called Jump 5. I just loved them. I got various CD's and videos of them. I also listened to artists and bands that I saw or heard on a show or something from Disney Channel. Jump 5 sang the opening theme for Lilo and Stitch, which I thought was the coolest thing ever. I also liked listening to Jesse McCartney.
Later on, when I was probably 10 or 11, I started getting into country. I wasn't the biggest fan, but I really liked Carrie Underwood and Taylor Swift. Especially Taylor Swift. As a naive little 6th/7th grader, I believed that some of her songs applied to me and just were so true. I even used her song A Place in this World to try out for the school's talent show in 7th grade (this was, sadly, before I realized that I am a terrible singer).
I started getting more into metal when I was in 8th grade. I kind of liked the heavy sounds and I'll admit it - I liked feeling tough when I listened to it. I, however, didn't really know where to start. There are a lot of different metal subgenres and I only had pop CD's. I have my friend Marisol to thank for helping me out with this. In March 2010, the youth group went to a retreat. She introduced me to several bands. I believe the first was Demon Hunter, so they were my first metal band. Another one she introduced me to was Dead Poetic, now my favorite overall band.
I decided to find more bands. I searched all over the web and asked friends for recommendations. One day, while searching for Phoenix Wright fan videos, I found one with music by a band called Nightwish. I watched it. And again and again and again. The song was addicting. The vocalist had the most amazing voice. I could not stop listening to the song. This was how I found symphonic metal. (This same user also uploaded a video with music by Poets of the Fall, now my favorite secular band.)
One day, I found a song by Nightwish called Kuolema Tekee Taiteilijan (Death Makes an Artist). It was a sad but beautiful song. I looked up the translation for the song. I fell in love with it. I also fell in love with the language. It was beautiful, in my opinion.
I searched for more artists that sang in Finnish. I also learned how to pronounce Finnish words so that I could sing along and start learning the language. I found artists like Anna Puu, Chisu, Jenni Vartiainen, and Johanna Kurkela, all suomipop singers. I actually liked listening to them - suomipop is so different from American pop. But I decided that I wanted to listen to Finnish metal. I searched some more. What I learned is that some Finnish bands sing in English so that they can have more fans, so my search for bands that actually sing in Finnish was a bit difficult. (This actually led me to another band from Russia.) It was a bit difficult, but the first one that I found and liked was Villieläin.
Overall, I love metal and pretty much all types of metal.  I love discovering new bands, too, so I'm always searching for some new ones.

Christmas

I love Christmas.  It's such a joyous time for me.  I love the Christmas lights, the decorations, the smells (y'know, like gingerbread and peppermint and stuff) and everything else.  And it's a cliche, but I love being around my family and enjoying the true reason behind it.
This is also the one occasion where it's perfectly acceptable to wake up at an unholy hour and wake others up at that time, too.  I usually sleep until around 8, but yesterday, my sister woke me up at 6:30.  It was the only time that she could get away with it, of course.  I mean, it's Christmas.  I wanted to get up at around 2 because my parents told us no earlier than 6:30 and I wanted to make them mad, but I forgot to and I figured that sleep was better anyway.
Early on in the present-opening, I got a cross wall hanging from my sister.  I told her it was beautiful and thanked her.  She beamed and said, "You're welcome.  You can keep it."  Made us laugh.
We all got some pretty neat gifts.  My sister got a guinea pig, whom she has named Guinea.  He's adorable.  We've all been having fun since yesterday.
It's sad that Christmas is over, but oh well.  364 more days to go until it all comes back.

Cupcakes Are Now Dangerous

Apparently, the TSA took away a woman's cupcake before she could board a plane.  Because of the frosting.  According to them, the frosting was too gel-like and could therefore pose a threat to security.
Awesome.
I talked about this while my mom, aunt, sister and I were all eating breakfast burritos.  Dad was in the kitchen.  I was shocked to hear that my mom and aunt fully agreed with them.  Mostly because we usually agree on stuff.  The one Democrat we've ever had in our family that I know of was our great-grandfather, who passed away in January.  But anyway.  They said that the cupcake could have indeed had an explosive in it.
I respect their opinions.  But I still cannot fathom that the TSA took away a cupcake.  That's just how I feel about the whole situation.  It's a cupcake.
So I would just like to warn everyone.  Beware of cupcakes in airports.  Because, you know, the frosting could explode at any given moment.