Lifestyles of the Poor and the Unknown

So... I think I'm going to try to become a dinosaur.  Starting now.

I mean... how cool would that be?  Not only would I be a dinosaur, but I would also be the only dinosaur on the entire planet!

Another thing I've been thinking about recently is my amazing capacity to remember celebrity deaths.  I think if I were the kind of retarded that Rain Man is, I would recall every celebrity death from my lifetime.  It's kind of weird and not useful at all.

I wanted to write a review of the way I remember my 2006 to be.  You may think it arrives a bit late in the New Year, but that all depends on what calendar you consult.  I like to think I'm ahead of the game.  The Chinese agree with me.  So, here it is, 44 days before we begin the Year of the Pig, my review:

+ I overcame my fear of death.  While I do not desire it, it no longer holds me captive.  I've learned that we need to rob death and experience moments of breathlessness in life. [paraphrased quote]

+ I passed all my classes.  

- I continued to be somewhat terrible at correspondence with friends who are far away.

+ The social front (on the whole) was somewhat improved from 2005.  New friendships formed, I grew closer to certain friends, and was out there a bit more.

+/- I recognized certain faults within myself.

- I didn't have any time to read books for pleasure during fall semester.

- I didn't expand my awareness of musical artists.

- I failed to appreciate certain little wonders in my life as fully as was possible.  (A kitten in my lap, the way my dog looks at me when he wants to go for a walk, shoelaces, et cetera.)

+ I gained so many enlightening and beneficial experiences by my volunteer work.

[The positive/negative format was stolen from Claire and friends, because I like it that way.]

All in all, I would say that 2006 proved to be a pretty positive experience for me.  This sets the bar kinda high for 2007.  I have no New Year's Resolutions, per se, but I would like to make improvements to my life.  Some goals include academic excellence.  My goal is a 4.0 GPA for this semester.  I want to take it easy with the amount of excessive volunteering and working I piled upon myself at times last year.  I want this semester to be really chill and relaxed, but most of all FUN!

I want to be accepted to *cough* that other school *cough* also known as the University of Michigan.

I wish to continue friendships and become a better friend specifically to Aaron B. and Bethany.  New friends are also welcome.

I'd like to become better with finances.  No more thoughts of, "a credit card is free money!"

I would like to travel... even if it is not to a very far off place.

I want everything I do to be done with love.

1. Having antlers would be so inconvenient initially, but I think eventually, you would get used to them.
2. "Santa Baby" is not a song that should exist.
3. Homemade ornaments are so much more fascinating than store bought ones.  I want my tree to be filled with such things.  There are some artsy people who handcraft cool ornaments.  The other night, I met a palm reader.  She was wearing a tye-dye T-shirt.  I bet she has cool ornaments on her tree.
4. There is a movie about a nun and a Christmas tree.  It is one of only a handful of movies that has ever made me cry.  My sister makes fun of me for it, but I mooned her a couple days ago, so I guess we're even.
5. 'Remember Christ the Savior was born on Christmas day.'
6. I would rather not receive any presents at all than to have people who don't know me at all feel obligated to purchase gifts for me.  I'm sure most people feel this way.  It's interesting how it still keeps happening regardless.  (Heh heh... "regardless.")
7. Jessica got me a nut-bush for Christmas.  Those are the types of presents I like to receive.
8. I remember caroling with my sister and brother once.  That was nice.
9. Sometimes I think about that World War II story about how the fighting halted on Christmas day and the Christmas carol rang through the night in both English and German lyrics.  It makes me all misty.
10. My goal this year, when we visit grandma for Christmas, is to try to get her to start talking about Vikings.
11. This is kind of related to #3, but... I remember making that popcorn and cranberry garland stuff when I was little.  I'm glad that happened.
12. There was a boy who went to my elementary school named Mark, and I remember him telling us about a family tradition that would take place at his house on Christmas.  They would eat cake, because it is Jesus's birthday.