brief respite

Sorry I've been absent lately, dear blog of mine. Not too much has been happening - school work has kept me quite busy (speaking of which, I should actually be working on a research paper that's due tomorrow). Went to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part One on opening day! I absolutely loved it and cannot wait for July! But, ugh, when Dobby died (spoiler alert?) I got so teary, it was pathetic. And you know the scene where Ron is about to destroy the locket-horcrux and there are the weird Hermione and Harry apparition things? My sister leaned once it ended and whispered, "Catherine... they're naked." I nearly choked on my popcorn! Speaking of popcorn, HOW RIDICULOUSLY EXPENSIVE IS MOVIE THEATRE POPCORN NOWADAYS?! COMPLETELY INSANE. We paid eight dollars for a large bag to share between the two of us. EIGHT FUCKING DOLLARS.

Anyways, my Thanksgiving break begins tomorrow! I'm mildly excited, only because as soon as I get back, it's time to review for finals week (kill me now, please). For Thanksgiving itself, I'll be driving to Detroit to visit my family. The drive, I am not looking forward to. The family, tons of Arabic food, and fun times, I definitely am.

Have a lovely Thanksgiving and don't listen to what everyone says about eating less - gorge yourselves! There's no time to do so like Thanksgiving! :)

Autumn pickings

I went apple and pumpkin picking with my family two weeks ago. There were tons of pumpkins, but unfortunately this summer made the apples ripen too quickly and almost none were left, :(

Dorky "Twilight" book cover parody a la moi.

The Roller Coaster Experience

A little late, I know, but I can now say that I have rode a roller coaster! :D I went to Busch Gardens Williamsburg this past weekend with two really good friends of mine from high school - so much fun! And they helped me overcome my fear of roller coasters. Not only that, they managed to get me on the tallest and fastest dive machine in the world. Ah, so persuasive! I ended up riding every coaster in the park, and I'm totally proud of myself for doing so. This was a huge fear of mine - as a kid, I would cry and cry whenever anyone tried to get me on a roller coaster. But now, I can ride practically anything in the park!

We went to Busch Gardens the day before Halloween, so the whole park was converted to be extra creepy once it got dark at 6. It was so awesome, park employees dressed like monsters and killers were around every corner (there were some pretty convincing blood-covered butchers with chain saws running around), smoke machines, eerie decorations and music and tons of other cool stuff were abundant. Not to mention a bunch of haunted houses! My friend and I ended up going through about three haunted houses and one haunted trail (the lines were ridiculously long). Overall, a very enjoyable Halloween weekend this year, :)

But the fun stopped there, unfortunately. Monday when I went to school, reality hit. One midterm tomorrow, two papers next week, regular homework, registration for next semester and two research papers. On top of that, I've managed to get sick. Is it too early to say "Bah Humbug"?

all grown up,

My little sister, Christine, had her sophomore high school homecoming dance today! She was such a cutie, as were her friends! Ah, she's all grown up and it's so strange to think that a couple years ago, I was going to my sophomore homecoming, as well!

The three of them (Christine, in purple; Abby, in black; Alyssa, in soft pink/beige) all got ready at Abby's house, and they called me up when they were ready so I could go photo/video document! Afterwards, I drove them to the school (where the dance is being held). Ugh, I feel so old.

I love you, Christine. You'll always be my dear little hermanita, ♥

such a pretty house and such a pretty garden

Regina Spektor - No Surprises (Radiohead cover)
Have I mentioned how in love I am with Regina Spektor's voice and musical ability?

midterms

Last night, while studying for Macro: my pathetic "I-hate-studying" face because, well, I do.
Midterms are here and I'm not enjoying it one bit! Took a macroeconomics test today and felt the urge to shoot myself in the face afterwards (I'm only joking, of course). Eh, if I fail out of college I can always become an ice-cream lady! Because, after all, who dislikes ice cream? Also, I ended up getting a B+ on that horrible Cultural Studies paper (which I stayed up till 4 am for). Not too shabby! Gerontology exam this Thursday, presentation/class direction on Monday for Political Science, and Cultural Studies exam on Tuesday. After that I'm home free! :D Until finals, that is. (wow, Catherine, way to be a bummer).

today, thinking about becoming an ice-cream lady

not much time,

Just a quick post before the weekend. It was pouring down rain like it was the monsoon season, today. My little sister's school even got cancelled! Hung out with a fairly new friend, which was really fun. Finally found someone who appreciates anime/manga as much as I do, :D And we're into a lot of the same ones! Off to an engagement party tomorrow. Lots of Arabs in a hall, loud and dancing and eating = chaos/fun/I can't be a social hermit tomorrow. Saturday, Little Sister and I are going to go see "Let Me In" (!!!!) which we're really excited for. Plus, it's her first R-rated movie she'll see in theatres, so it's semi-special. Midterms coming up this week, ugh.

This has been a brief update, filled with improperly formulated sentences, courtesy of yours truly!