Allergy Season

Can I just say I hate allergy season?  So, so much.  Either my nose is running as if it were training for a marathon, or my throat is so sore I can barely breathe without getting stabs of pain.  I love spring, I really do, but why oh WHY does it have to come with all this pain and irritation?
I think I need another cough drop.

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Sooore...

Really all I can think about at the moment is how sore my feet are.  Kinda sad, I know.  Still, when all you want to do is let your feet rest, and you're constantly having to get up and tell your dog to quit barking at the neighbor's visiting family, it kinda sticks.
Remind me to quit cleaning in old ballet flats.  It doesn't do much good.

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Homework

It's evil.  IT EATS YOUR SOUL!!  When you're in elementary school it's semi-fun, as long as you enjoy the subject.  When you're in Jr. High it's an interesting challenge, as long as it doesn't get in the way of what you want to do.  When you're in High School it's an annoying obligation that you get out of your way as fast as you can.
In college... IT'S YOUR LIFE!!!  You have to work, and go to school, and eat and sleep, and then you have to do MORE SCHOOLWORK on TOP of it all!
Finals... they're getting closer...

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Interested? Mayhaps...

Soooo, I've kinda been going to Subway every Wednesday with my friend Boonishly... and we may or may not be going just so I can talk to that cute friendly British kid...  And... well, I kinda think he might be interested!
I mean, I've made this mistake before.  Thinking a guy was interested when he really wasn't.  But, we were actually able to have a conversation, since I was the last person in line during a lull... and he seemed disappointed when I left...
Con: I have less than three weeks of school left, then I have all of summer, during which he may change shifts, jobs, even schools!
Pro: A lot can happen in three weeks. ;)
So I guess we'll see what happens!

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Once Upon a Rant

Yes, once again we have a post dedicated to ranting about Once Upon a Time!  If you don't want spoilers, don't read!
Still reading?  Then accept the consequences.
OOOHH MY BADNESS!!!  OOOHH MY!  AAAAUUUUUGUUUUSSSST!!  Why, ABC, WHYYYY?!?!  AUGUST WAS SUPPOSED TO END UP WITH EMMA!  NOW SHE'S STUCK WITH NEAL AGAIN?! BAAHAHA!
Please tell me she ends up with Robin Hood.  Neal's a dork.

Fare thee well, friends!
Mira

Donating Blood...

...didn't go so well.  At all.
It started out pretty normal.  I read the information, had a couple questions asked, stuff like that.  But because my blood type is the "universal donor," they wanted me to do a special kind of procedure that would process my blood while it was being drawn so it could get to the hospital quicker.  I said yeah, no problem, I don't mind.
But then they wanted to do it on my left arm.  I didn't think it was a problem until they couldn't find my vein.  No, they hadn't stuck me yet, just so you know.  But they couldn't find the vein.  So they moved to my right arm.  But I guess I was dehydrated, so they had me drink an entire bottle of water before they started.  And all this time I was getting more and more nervous because I HATE blood.
Well, they finally stuck me, and for maybe five minutes, everything was going well.  Then my blood stopped flowing through the needle.  They had to stop and try to get a better angle in my vein, and I started shivering (not sure if that was from shock, cold, or nerves), and they were moving that stupid needle around for FIVE FREAKING MINUTES!!!  And all the while my shivering was getting more and more wild.
Finally they just told me I was done and unhooked me.
I hate blood.

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

First Blood Drive

'Kay, have a bit of a confession to make:  I have never donated blood before.  I've been eligible for a few years now, but I've had a couple medical problems that kept me from donating.
Well, these problems are solved now, and today I'm going to my first ever blood drive!
I'm actually a little nervous.  I've never donated blood, but I have had blood drawn before, and it kind of freaks me out.  I'm not a huge fan of blood.  Creeps me out, makes me dizzy, that kind of thing.  So hopefully all goes well today.  I guess we'll see.

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Picture Books

Everyone loves picture books.  Why wouldn't they?  So many fond childhood memories of sitting on your parent's lap looking at all the beautiful illustrations, hearing all those wonderful stories.  Lovely.
Except, I can think of one particular group of people that might just hate picture books.  Not for their content, no no.  For their spot on the shelf.
Shelving picture books is a nightmare.
It's so irritating!  Every other grouping of books in the library can fit maybe thirty to forty on a cart.  Picture books can fit around seventy! (No, I have not actually counted, this is just my approximation).  And not only are there a million more picture books than other books, they have to be at eye-level for the kids who will be looking at them.  Which means the adults that are shelving them have to get down low to put them away.  My knees were aching all last night.  That is painful.
On the other hand, shelving in the children's section also means I get to listen to all the music performances they have there.  I suppose it makes up for it.  There are few things more enjoyable than a clarinet solo. :)

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

New Book

One thing that's really been on my nerves during college is that I have very little time to invest in pleasure-reading.  You know, reading just for fun.  I used to do it all the time, but with all my homework, I've had to keep myself from picking up any new books so I would actually get things done (as if I get things done anyway, but that's beside the point).  Well, the other day, I broke down.  I picked up a new book.
See, what happened was Mom and Mia got a new trilogy at the store the other day, and it looked REALLY good, but I had promised myself, "No more books until you finish the semester.  Come on, you're so close you can do it..."  So for a couple days I just let the books sit there, taunting me.
Well, then I made the mistake of sitting near their resting place when I was bored and lacked the energy to do any homework.  I glanced at the books, and my curiosity got the better of me.  I picked the first one up, expecting it to be a bit of a disappointment, like many of the books I'd been reading lately.
Oh.  My.  Badness.
I couldn't put it down!  It was so intense!  The first six chapters (approximately ;)) were all cliff-hangers!  I was sucked in like a bug (I don't know if that works, but whatever).  In fact, I may or may not have stayed up 'til one in the morning finishing it last night (good thing I don't think Mom reads this blog. ;)).  If anyone is interested, the trilogy is called Infernal Devices and the first book is Clockwork Angel.  Brilliant book!  I highly recommend it!

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Gem Fair!

So, for the past couple years my friends Kay and Sarnic have gone up to their hometown for a day in order to participate in the "gem fair."  I never really knew what this meant, but they always came back with really pretty stuff.  One of my favorite rings came from the gem fair.
Well, today, I had my first "gem fair experience." 
That's right, I finally went to the gem fair!  See, yesterday Sarnic sent me a text asking if I wanted to go, and I was all like, O.o  Really?  You wouldn't mind?
So today after school we headed up.  Basically it's a temporary mall for all things gem-related (of course, there were other things there, there usually are.).  You would not believe some of the amazing things we found there (many of which were ridiculously overpriced, but such is life, I suppose).  Best deal of the day?  I found this absolutely gorgeous moonstone necklace.  Unfortunately, it cost $100!  However, there was a 70% sale, and I got it for $30!  Yay for bargains!

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Majority Rights

If you would rather not read a rant post, this is your cue to leave.  This post may end up getting me some rather nasty nicknames, but hopefully that will just prove my point.
Still here?  Then prepare yourself.
I am sick of the majority being forced to bow to the whims of the minority.  I live in a country where white Christians are the majority, but growing up I thought it was actually against the law to mention God in public, and I was ashamed of being white.  Is this what is meant by equal treatment?  I find it very unequal that minority religions are allowed to discuss their religions, but as soon as Christianity is brought up, the room goes quiet, as if there was something to be ashamed of in being Christian.  Don't get me wrong, I am all for minority rights.  However, I am also for majority rights.  I believe people should be judged on their own merits, and not according to what ethnic/religious group they belong to.

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Library!

I finally had my first day volunteering at the library yesterday!  And I'm so excited!  I loved it sooo much!  I mostly did shelving, specifically in fiction so I don't have to deal with the Dewey Decimal System yet.  I think I'm really going to enjoy this.  Oh, and get this!  If I'm still volunteering in August (which I obviously will be), they're going to have professional story-tellers come and perform for the volunteers!  Score for me!

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

An Explanation

I feel like I owe my readers an explanation.  I guess I feel like I haven't said much about the suicide last week, and that it might feel like I had moved on too quickly.  I thought I would explain myself.
You see, one part of it is that I feel that when something of that magnitude happens, I should tell people just so they know what's going on, why I'm acting the way I am.  And I also think I need that kind of support.  At that point, I need people to know.  However, eventually I reach a point where I also just need to mourn on my own terms.  I don't really want to talk to people about it anymore, I just want to deal with it myself.
Another reason I haven't mentioned it much lately is that the best way for me to deal with grief is to leave it at the graveside.  I will never forget my friend, or the pain, or the questions, but I know that eventually, life needs to go on.  I let myself mourn as much as I need, but by the time the graveside service is held, I know it's time to move on and let my life continue.
I know this probably wasn't necessary, but I felt like it needed to be said.  Maybe I just needed a bit of closure.  Thanks for listening!

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Faceplant

Wow, sorry it's been so long, this has been one of my more hectic weeks.  I think school is a very selfish creature who wants all the students' time to himself.  In any case I apologize for the wait.
Another reason I didn't post last night at least, however, is that I was doorbell-ditching cookies!  See, Mia wanted to give cookies to a couple friends who were having a hard time, so yesterday we (meaning me, Mia, Kay, and Jake), all got into Kay's car, plugged the address into her GPS, and headed off to spread the joy of cookies! 
It was... interesting.  They live fairly far away, hence the GPS, and said GPS likes to take any route that will get her near the freeway.  Strange machine.  In any case, when we finally found the right house, we realized with some trepidation that there were no cars in their driveway, they were at the end of the street, and there was nothing to hide behind.  In addition, we knew that if they saw the car, they would recognize us and call us out, so we had to park rather far away.  However, we solved this by deciding to hide at the side of the house, then booking it for the car when they went back inside/started chasing us.  Mia and Kay being the fastest runners, they were volunteered to put the cookies on the porch and ring the bell.  Jake and I waited in hiding.
It was dark, and a little cold, where we waited.  Soon, we heard the footsteps in the grass that meant Kay and Mia were coming back.  We waited with baited breath, listening for the sound of the door opening... nothing.  Perturbed, Kay and Mia crept back to check it out.  A few seconds later, they crept back to us and gestured to run for the car.
Off we took across the grass, terrified of being caught.  I was in the back, looking for the first sight of Kay's car, when suddenly...
Faceplant.
Turns out ballet flats aren't great for running in.  You'd think I would have figured that out sooner.
My foot slipped on the cool grass, and I fell face-first.  I didn't actually hit my face, but it was close enough.  ;)

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

My Dreams...

... are getting really bizarre.  Last night I dreamed I was in my campus bookstore, looking at these absolutely adorable dresses they have there (Mikarose, I love their designs to pieces!), when I ran into Jethro (as played by Colin Morgan on the Doctor Who episode "Midnight").  We talked, and thirty seconds later, we were going to get married.  Not that it was because of any mutual attraction on our parts, it felt more like an arranged marriage than anything.  We were getting married that day, and for some reason we were having the reception before the wedding.  And then I ran into one of Morgan's other roles (not Merlin), and he and Jethro were having issues... something about fighting over me or something... and then my high school crush showed up at the reception, and I felt guilty (though I don't know why, the guy never had any feelings for me), and then half an hour before the actual wedding, the kid (who by now was completely different) and I decided that we didn't love each other, and this just wasn't going to work, so we called the wedding off...
And I woke up.
This is starting to get a little out of hand.

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Hyper

Apparently I'm scary when I'm hyper.  Or so I've been told by my family today. ;)  But it's not my fault if I am running on a lack of sleep, feeling productive, and enjoying one of the first warm days we've had in MONTHS! 
See, I got so much done at school today, and then I finally finished up most of the business for me to volunteer at the public library (which is gonna be SO MUCH FUN!), and then I got a lot done at work, and I haven't been sleeping well lately (alarm clock mix-ups and such), and it's finally sunny outside, and it just feels so good to be happy after that absolutely horrendous weekend...
It's just all adding up.  And when you throw a couple mint M&Ms into the mix, life just gets fun!
Who needs caffeine to get hyper?

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Thank You

Thank you all so much for your support.  I'm sorry I haven't written much these past few days, but it's hard to write when there's something so heavy on your mind.  I just wanted to say thanks for supporting me and my family and friends during this rough time.  Hopefully I'll be posting regularly again.

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

We Miss You

'Kay, I'll try to write this without crying.
Yesterday, I found out a friend of mine committed suicide.  I didn't see it coming, at all.  He was always so happy and goofy.  I can't understand why he would want to end a life that was so full of promise.  I just wish he'd come to us.  We all would have been there for him.  But that's why I missed posting yesterday.
The one good thing that came out of the day was that those of us who knew him grew closer together.  We were there for each other, and we all knew we cared.  I just wish he'd known that, if he had told us, we could have done the same for him.
I truly hope you're happy where you are, and that you're more at peace than you were in this life.  For those of you reading, please know that no matter how it seems, there is always someone who cares about you and will cry when you leave.  Don't let them feel the pain of knowing you chose to leave them early.  There will always be someone who cares, willing to help.  Let them.  It will save so many so much pain.
We miss you.

Fare thee well, my wonderful, wonderful friend.
Mira

...Unexpected

Well, I was expecting to say hello to a new niece today!  My poor sister-in-law has been ready for her daughter to come for  a while now, and today... Well, she didn't get a daughter!  Apparently, the little girl is actually a little boy who was shy during the ultrasound. ;)  Welcome, little boy! 

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Hello Again!

So... I may or may not have kinda gone to Subway for lunch again to see if I could run in to that British kid again... :D  Don't judge me!  I mean, if I actually did...
And if I did, he definitely didn't recognize me... not too hard to believe, seeing as my campus' Subway is the most popular in the country (kinda sad, right?).  However, we did joke a little bit again, because he accidentally mixed up my sauce (I asked for mustard and he used mayo), but I was fine with it, because I don't mind mayo... and yeah...
Yeah...

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Friendly Brit

Random question:  Is it offensive to call a British person a Brit, or is it like them calling Americans Yanks?  Just curious, because if not, I am titling this post "Friendly Brit." (If not I'll have to change it ;)).
Anywho, the other day I was just really down.  Life was trying to suck my soul into a dark abyss.  Yeah.  That kind of day.  But I ended up getting a sandwich at Subway, and while in line, I noticed that the guy taking orders was British!  I love Brits, so my day brightened just a little bit.  And then he took my order, and there was some confusion, and then my spirits sagged again. 
Then he asked me how my day was going.  I'm one of those people that tends to give an honest answer to that question, so I said it was "interesting."  So he made a couple jokes, in his awesome British accent, and suddenly, BAM, I was smiling again.  So here's to people who like to make others smile, and here's to British accents!

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Wow, Really? (Sarcastic)

So, I've always wondered how people could still possible think Mormons were a cult.  I mean, we do a lot of good in the world!  We're not creepy, we're not secretive, and yet people still insist on believing we're evil polygamists.  What in the world is all that about?
Well, I finally figured out what part of the problem is.  As part of my obsession with BBC's production of Sherlock, I decided to read the actual Sherlock Holmes stories, as told by Arthur Conan Doyle.  I knew the author hadn't really liked Mormons, but I was not expecting anything like this.
I was reading, and kept thinking, "Really?  Since when?"  He made us out to be a creepy, depressing bunch who married girls off to men as young as possible, viciously silenced anyone who disagreed with church policy, and killed anyone who tried to leave.  Um, hello?  Did you do any authentic research about the people, or were you only writing about what would cause a sensation?  No wonder the church's reputation is still in question, when people are reading that kind of misinformation!  I mean, they do realize this is just the author's opinion, right?  And authors are not infallible, no matter how popular they are, right?
Just another lesson on the power of words.  Make sure you use yours wisely.

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Merlin Marathon

I thought I had known obsession.  I thought I knew what it was like to love a TV show so much it could never be topped.
Until I started Merlin.  I don't know if it's that brilliant smile he's got that lights up his whole face, or the thrill of the legends (it's definitely not the plotting, sadly).  I just love it!  And it doesn't hurt that Colin Morgan and Bradley James are pretty darn attractive.  ;)  In any case, we've been watching a lot of Merlin lately. 
And I love it!!!

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

She Got Another One!

So... I kinda had another dream involving an attractive actor... :)  This time it was Colin Morgan.  We didn't kiss this time around, as I woke up too soon, but it might have happened... if the dream had continued...
Can someone explain why I keep dreaming of attractive actors?  It makes no sense to me.  First Christoper Eccleston, then Jamie Dornan, and now Colin Morgan?  Who's next, David Tenant? >:)

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Why Did You Send This?

Hey-hey, sorry I was gone so long, this has been a veeerrryyy looooong week.  A week involving test-driving my new car, watching a required Shakespeare film, and visiting teaching...  All of which ate up my time like a giant... goat?  Cockroach?  What animal eats a lot?  Anyway, this is the first I've had time to post in a while, and I apologize for that.
So, you know those super annoying things you get in the mail that congratulate you on getting something or another, and you're saying, "Uuhh... I don't remember getting that..."  For example, last week, I was checking the mail, and was surprised to see something rather official-looking for me.  When I looked at it, however, I was rather surprised.  It was a letter telling me that, since I was diabetic, I was entitled to this group's particular kind of benefits.
My eyebrow rose, and I thought, "Um, since when did I have diabetes?"  Really annoying, here I thought I was getting something that actually pertained to me.
And again, I was just checking my email, and I discovered, in my inbox, a bit of mail from Pandora congratulating me on joining.
... As much as I would love to, I haven't joined Pandora yet.
Ah, the joys of impersonal mail!

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira