The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

WOW. BEAUTIFUL. I just finished The Book Thief. It's now alongside Little Women as my favorite book. I want to talk about the book, but I can't, I don't want to give any of it away! Because you're all going to read it. The characters.... I hate to see them go.

Yes, I do get too emotionally attached to books, to their characters, and to their writers

While we are on the subject of great books, does anyone else agree that your emotions are much more dramatic when reading a book? More than a movie, an opera, a song, a sculpture.. In the latter instances, emotions are watered down and diluted, but with a book, they're pure, raw, human heart

Just an observation. Anyway, go read it

Good ol' Pythagorus, I will be faithful as you have been

I never thought I'd end up taking classes like physics, calculus, or chemistry. In high school, my favorite classes were English and history. I hated math. I wanted to be a high school English teacher for a long time. I also wanted to be a cowgirl singer, a movie star, or a cashier at taco bell so I could wear a purple shirt. I don't really know what other career options I considered. But it was a while before I decided I wanted to end up in the health care field.

That all being said, the purchase of my first calculator in the sixth grade didn't seem like such a monumental event. It was only needed to get me through the next few years of math, and then I'd be done with it. Well, I was wrong. Good ol' Pythagorus (for short: Gus) has become a dear friend. He's got 'MLA' written on his cover, like Woody's got 'Andy' scrawled on his boot.

Gus has been here for me since I was twelve. All the years of algebra. And then physics, trigonometry, calculus, biology, physiology, biomechanics, microbiology, statistics, nutrition, chemistry. What a great sport he was. I've taken many frightening classes, classes I've felt too dumb to be allowed to take, let alone succeed in. But having something familiar with me is very comforting. Oh, old buddy.. He fits into my hand just so, and I feel like I can conquer anything thrown at me. As long as I've got my friend, Gus, with me. I've even picked up other TI-30Xa calcs and known, without glancing at the blank cover, a desert of teal (beautiful color, by the way) sans the 'MLA' scrawl, that they were not my Gus.

I've even trusted him with my personal affairs: finances, random math questions, etc.

Have the smarty-smarts pulling out their Optimus Prime graphing calcs laughed** at me for keeping him? Yes, a few have. Do we care? No. We are a team. I don't need something younger or cooler. Pythagorus tells me everything I need to know. And we know how to work together; if you handed me your spiffy, uppity Optimus, I frankly wouldn't know what to do with half the buttons. He's such a superfluous waste of space. He's big, chunky, clunky, and ugly. Pythagorus is sexy--sleek, sophistocated simplicity. Vintage is the way to go.

**And I'm actually laughing right back at them because they paid ~$130 and I paid zero

So, here's to the TI-30Xas and all those guys that have stuck with us from the beginning. Pythagorus will never die on me and I will never trade him in! Compare his good looks to those lacking in Optimus:

mmmmm

Things that melt my heart?

compassionate people

children

Angel by Jack Johnson

3 of 25000 great youtube shows for you

So I know a few people who are always in the know with the youtube videos to be watched. So I will share a few with you.

And I just drop to my knee, see my lil knee.... i think I should faint. But I don't...






Creepy? Yes, I thought so too.

The Night Owl

So I'm a bit of a night owl. Anyone who knows me knows I don't think about retiring for the day until about 12:30. And at that point, I wrap up my homework, get ready for bed, etc, and get into bed an hour + later. My brother Dallin's even worse. Summers at home find the two of us watching a movie or up wandering around. I'll go to bed at 3:30 and he's still up and at it. Ty, brother number two, also has the ability to stay awake late if he wants. But he's a bit more responsible and will usually go to bed before us if he has things going on the next day.

Anyway..

Why? Why are there some of us who stay up later? Well, I'm sure there are biological reasons.

But I wanted to hit on why I, when given the choice, opt to stay awake rather than curl into my warm bed with my dreams.

I like to sit and enjoy the silence. To unwind the day with my thoughts. I enjoy those times where it's just me and my mind. Now, I don't think my mind is in any way exceptional. But it's mine. And I enjoy it, as I'm sure you enjoy your own. Plus, who are you most comfortable around? Who's been there to see you through everything? Yourself.

Sifting through thoughts, through feelings. I think those quiet hours of late night/early morning are the best for such a pastime. The world is calm and still and the air is clean and fresh.

And those nights it rains? (Can I make a plug for how fantastic this weather has been!!??) Whether it be drizzling, pouring, sprinkling, hailing, thunder-ing, lightening-ing, it's fantastic. Sit back, listen to the sheets of water sliding past one another, splashing and beading on leaves, pattering on the cement, clicking on metallic surfaces. Take a deep breath of bathed-clean air. What beats that moment?

For some reason, I love 50 East, the little street outside my bedroom window. I just look out the window-- at the sky, at the mountains, at that little quiet street. I smell the air, crisp and wet or soft and dry and can't help but smile. And when the sky starts to lighten--beautiful.

So I encourage you to take some time. Some time that is yours and solely yours that you can use to ponder. It does not need to be at 5am. In fact, I counsel against it; this was really dumb. But find a time of day that you love, and just enjoy it.