Boring Blog 3: The Day of the Eternal Reading

Yeah, that's, uh, pretty much all I did today.

I warned you I was boring.

Boring Blog 2: The Day of a Thousand Letters

You'll be glad to know I was slightly less boring today.  Mostly because I didn't do much homework.

Today was The Day of a Thousand Letters.

After effectively using up lots of pen ink, many of our envelopes, and the house's entire supply of stamps, I managed to finally get those letters in the mail.

Basically, I wanted all my friends and family to know where I'm going to be spending my summer, what I'm going to be doing, and how they can help.

I can't believe I'm actually going.

Boring Blog 1: The Day of the Technical Difficulties

Spent an hour taking an online midterm.
Submitted my answers.
Website decided that "Submit" actually meant "Erase All Of My Answers So I Have To Start Over."
Spent an hour taking an online midterm.  Again.
Experienced deja vu.

The Definition of Boring

So it's official: Spring Break Twenty Eleven has begun.

For those of you who don't know, I have a motto that I'm sort of known for:
"There's no such thing as boring places, only boring people."

My theory is basically that you can create fun anywhere you go, no matter how seemingly boring the place might be.  One of my many pet peeves is when someone says, "This place/situation is boring."  I always look them staright in the eye (well, mostly only if I know them personally...) and say, "No, it's not.  You're boring."

Puts things into perspective, right?

Anyway, I'm telling you all of this as a warning: This week, I am going to be a VERY boring person.

Spring break is not boring.
Homework is not boring.
Melissa is boring.

Yes, folks, it's true.  I have made the decision to be a boring person this week and spend all of my extra time catching up/getting ahead on homework and projects.

"What does this mean, Melissa?!" -Nonboring Blog Reader

Well, it means that my blog entries will probably also be boring this week.  Not even a bit reckless.  Bummer.

But, hark!  Don't despair!  I have some exciting plans that will come a little later this week!
Stay tuned for the return of Reckless Girl!

(Sounds kind of like the name of a cheesy superhero movie...)

Let's get some shoes.

Coffee House 3.0 is a go!

This month, the Fair Trade Cafe at my school sponsored an organization started by a high school girl from my home church: A Walk in My Shoes.  About three years ago, she realized that there was a need for shoes in Haiti, so she started collecting them.  In those three years, she has collected over 9,000 pairs of shoes and AWIMS became an official nonprofit organization.  Not many people can honestly say they've made that much of an impact on the world before they even got to college!

My school raised about 62 pairs of shoes to send her way.  Not bad.  :)

Reckless Tip of the Day: Give some of your excess to someone who needs it.

A dangerous place for my wallet...

Books and ice cream?  Yes, please.

I usually consider myself pretty frugal.  However, there are two things in this world I will splurge on:
books and ice cream.

Which is why it's a flippin' miracle I made it through today without spending a cent.
*bows* Yes, thank you.  Hold the applause.

Either way, it was super fun.  Hanging out in a bookstore with a friend I don't see very often--talking about books we've read or haven't read yet.  And then: Yogurt Mountain.  Okay, technically it's frozen yogurt, but hey, I'm not picky.

Long story short, I spent an ideal night out with a friend, and my wallet doesn't even hate me now!

Project Get Melissa Out Of Her Room And Have Some Fun was a complete success.

Reckless Tip of the Day: Eat ice cream.  You won't regret it.

It's so awkward, it flies!

These are the results of the Libby and Melissa date:

• ice cream
• gLee
• flying awkward turtles

Reckless Tip of the Day: Be awkward.  It's fun.

Memory Lane Monday

It's Memory Lane Monday!

Caution: Do not look at this picture too long.  You may die of cuteness overload.

Yes, yes, Ladies and Gents.  That is Little Me with my Memere.

For some reason, everything today kept reminding me of Memere.  Family kept posting pictures or comments or I would see or hear something very Memere-ish.  Whatever it was, I thought a lot about her today, so she earned the honor of being the subject of my blog post.

Memere is what I always called a "Storybook Grandma."  One of those grandmas that is so perfectly grandma-ish that they only exist in stories.  Except that Memere was for real.  She baked cookies and muffins and crepes and cake.  She made us Cream of Wheat in the mornings and had about a gazillion different flavors of jam or jelly to be mixed in.  She took us to the zoo.  She read us stories so vividly that sometimes I forgot they weren't real.  She taught us how to make fun crafts and how to plant in her garden.  She gave gifts from the heart no matter what day of the year it was.

She loved God and loved people.
And God and people loved her.

Hope you're having fun in Heaven, Memere.  I love you.

Reckless Tip of the Day: Take time off and spend time with your grandma/grandkids.  :)

TGFH

It's true.

I admit it.

I'm a gLeek.

Confessions aside, I have been very behind in gLee lately.  So tonight, I put aside the time to catch up: three-episode marathon!

TGFH, everyone!
(Thank God for Hulu!)

Reckless Tip f the Day: Embrace your inner geek.

I miss marching band.

I have to admit... there are a lot of things I hate about basketball.  I'm really much more of a football girl, myself.  But three things drew me to the game tonight:
1) I hadn't been to a game in forever.
2) My friend invited me, and I wanted some social interaction.
3) Procrastination, of course.

Either way, I enjoyed it.  We won.  It was a good night.

PS Those of you condemning me for procrastinated, I'll have you know that I had just finished a project due on Thursday.  So there.

M-O-C-S!
Go, Mocs, Go!

Just in Time

So I'm reading the third book in the Hunger Games Trilogy.

And I had just read a part that made me cry.

When a friend walked in and handed me a plate of cookies.

Can you say comfort food?

Reckless Tip of the Day: Cry.

I really do love kids. Honestly.

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^This is what I was repeating to reminding myself during our lovely field trip today.^

NEVER. AGAIN.

Well, I guess I can't always get paid for coloring...

"And that's how I knew he loved me and we would get married and have a house and a picket fence and a dog and two kids and live happily ever after."

A long time ago, when I wrote my List-Of-Things-To-Do-Before-I-Die List, I added on "Give a speech."  I wasn't sure when that would actually ever happen.  But, lo and behold, I gave two speeches today, and one of them won a contest.  *insert canned applause here*

1) I gave my first chapel lesson at work today!  We talked about Jesus walking on water and courage to "get out of the boat."  AKA It was basically a watered down kiddie version of my famous "be reckless" mantra.

I'm creating the reckless generation of tomorrow!

2) I entered a club Table Topics contest in Toastmasters.  Basically, three of us were given the same topic one at a time, and we had to speak for 1-2 minutes on it.

"Talk about a Valentine's gift that made you feel loved."

So, of course, I talked about my 4th grade love and how he gave me a card and Sweethearts.  None of the other girls got Sweethearts.  That's how I knew that we were meant for each other.  That he loved me.

Long story short, I won!  And now I'm going to an area contest.  My first speech contest.  Cool.

Reckless Tip of the Day: Speak in front of people.  Chances are you have something of worth to say, even if you don't know it.

"Common sense is not so common anymore." -Patrick

^This is called teaching without a textbook.^

There was a sub in field studies, so I basically taught all day long.  Cool.  The math lesson was on measuring inches with rulars.  They were supposed to use their rulars to measure the pictures in their workbooks...

Why measure a picture of a pencil when you can just measure a REAL pencil?  Hello!

Yeah.  Not gonna happen.  So while they were at PE, I gathered up a bunch of random stuff around the classroom and put it on a table.  They had to pick four small things and one big thing to measure.  It sounds like it'd be chaotic, but they actually did very well.  I have never been so proud of a class that wasn't mine.  :)

Reckless Tip of the Day: Break away from the norm!  Make something your own.

I Spy... a nerd.

So after a wonderfully wasted Saturday--one which I don't regret in the slightest--it was time to get some work done.  Fortunately for me, I love my major so much that projects are actually quite enjoyable.

That being said, I worked all day on a lesson on story elements for my field study class.  It was fun.

It's going to be mystery themed!  The kids are goign to use magnifying glasses to search for the story elements and pictures around the room and then we're going to read a story from their books.  I made a story chart with magnifying glasses for the pictures and shoeprints for the progression.  I'm very proud of it.  :)

Now all I have to do is change out the phrase "rising action" for "climax" (ka-duh, Melissa) and pre-cut clue books for them to make.  Hurray!  I needed a productive day after yesterday...

Anyway... I'm an ed major nerd.  Or a major ed nerd.  Whatevs.

Reckless Tip of the Day: Pursue something you're passionate about.  No matter what others say or think.  Don't hold back.  God gave us passions for a reason.

The Super Awesome Date of Epicness

per-fect date [pur-fikt deyt]
noun
1. walking around the lake
2. holding hands
3. climbing trees
4. naming ducks
5. piggy-back rides
6. picnics on the lake
7. feeding bread to ducks and swans
8. ice skating
9. laser tag
10. dinner at Applebees
11. dancing to jazz music
12. all of the above


Reckless Tip of the Day: Fall in love.

Double Date Night

Yes, you did read that correctly.  Jekyll & Hyde: The Musical.  People dancing around singing about murder.

Absolutely epic.

Even though I had to close my eyes during most of the violent parts...  I have a weak stomach, what can I say?

Anyway... it was a fun way to start my date weekend.  :)

Photographers in training

My little photo group.

One would think they would be calmer since we didn't go on the lake this week... yeah.  One would think...


Oh, how I love them.  :)

Dare ya!

This picture was originally taken by my good friend Phantom in black and white.  I LOVED it, but having much more of a colorful personality, I asked her to add the color back in for me.

So here it is:  An early Valentine's reminder to be reckless.  I dare ya!

Reckless Tip of the Day: Tell someone that you love them.

Micah 6:8

Tzedek: Hebrew for justice

So it's a work in progress, but this is what I worked on tonight.

AWIM Shoes is an organization started by a high schooler at my church.  They collect shoes and ship them to Haiti where many children don't have shoes.  This also ways means they can't go to school.

Reckless Tip of the Day: Do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God.

¡Me gusta you guys!

I need to work on my super awesome Valentine cards.  But instead I'm doing homework.  Boo.

Sorry I'm boring today.  :(

Reckless Tip of the Day: Don't be boring.

Super Bowl XLV: Woody v. Stinky Pete

Okay.  So don't get me wrong.  I'm a HUGE football fan.  But I just wasn't feeling the Super Bowl this year.  No friends to watch with.  Other stuff to do.  Not super interested in either team.  (Although because of a long-time grudge--long story--I was definitely going for the Steelers.  Dang it.)

Long story short, I spent my Super Bowl Sunday chilling out in my three-sizes-to-big Tampa Bay Bucs T-shirt, working on the homework I neglected Friday and Saturday, and, of course, watching a Toy Story marathon on ABC Family.

Not a bad trade, I'd say.  Especiailly since the dumb Packers won.

RTD: Support an NFL team on Super Bowl Sunday that's not even playing.  Haha.  JK

Disclaimer: Today's photo is a cop-out.  I tried to take a picture of the screen, but my memory card wasn't in, and I don't have my camera cord.  So once again, Google Images saves my life.  Epic fail.

One of those GDBABTANGNDTOS Weekends

This stack of books = the most productive thing I did all day.

It must just be one of those weekends.

You know, one of those Get-Distracted-Be-A-Bum-Take-A-Nap-Get-Nothing-Done-Talk-On-Skype kind of weekends.

Not complaining.  Besides, I'm excited about all my new kid's books to read.  :)

Looks can be deceiving ...

I would love to say that the focal point of this picture is the mounds of homework piled everywhere.  And how I was so productive and got a bunch of stuff done!  And how I spent the rest of the weekend relaxing!

But actually, they're are two important parts of today's picture and they don't have to do with productivity:
1) This is not my room.  This is my friend's room.  While fish-sitting Disco for her, I'm going to spend the weekend here.  Moral of the story: my own room for a whole weekend.  Bliss.

2) Computer = Skype.  'Nuff said.

RTD: Put off homework for people you love.  Every once and awhile.

Disclaimer: I have noticed that many of my Reckless Tips of the Day seem irresponsible.  That's the point. : D

The Queen

"Miss Melissa!  I made you a crown!  You have to wear it all day, and I'll tell everyone to call you Queen!"

This is why I work with kids.  They make you feel like royalty.

RTD: Look silly if it will make a child happy.

In the words of my best friend Max, "Oh, my God!"

I got the internship.


I. Got. The. Internship.

Internship.  Me. Got.

This morning I got the call I had been waiting to get for about six months.  I got the call from Northwest Haiti Christian Missions saying that I got accepted for a ten-week summer internship in Haiti.

Ten weeks.  Me.  Haiti.

Imma be straight up with y'all: I cried like a baby.

RTD: Apply for something you'd never think you'd get.  Hey, you never know.

But soft!

Today was the day!  I was finally going to check "Go to a drive-in movie theater" off my List.

I was ready: I had my cute hat on.
                   I had directions written down on my piggy notepad.
                   I had My Boy.

We were on our way!  Down Florida.  Down Main.  Down George Jenkins.  Should be coming up soon... Passing... George Jenkins?  Why do these streets look familiar?

Ugh.  Why is my sense of direction non-existant?  No worries.  We weren't lost.  Just couldn't find the theater.  *sigh*  Date ruined.

But soft!  What light through yonder window breaks?  It is the silver lining.  I don't even usually get to see My  Boy on an average Tuesday night.  Long story short, I eventually stopped being grumpy and enjoyed my night.

RTD: Not all plans work out.  Deal with it, fellow over-planners!