Jenna's House of Idiosyncrasies Version 10.0 [Focus.]

My legs have a good dull ache from dancing and I have that lovely stale cigarette smoke smell in my hair. Rock shows are cleansing, in a way.

A couple of things:

I have finally accepted that people actually like me.

Suddenly, my life is very much in perspective for me.

You don't realize how strong you are until somebody you love really needs you.

We are in this together. We'll get through these days. One at a time.

Your Heart Number is 5
Makes you a bit of a free spirit. You enjoy your independence and may be a little resistant to letting yourself get tied down. You crave variety and are liable to enjoy anything that's new and different.

Your Personality Number is 7
Can make you seem somewhat reserved or aloof at times, and you might not really have all that great a need for others. You're probably quite a deep-thinker, and may be a bit of a loner.

Your Image Number is 3
Which gives you a very charming and likable character. Friendly and sociable, you're liable to be a great communicator and people will really enjoy your company. You should do well in the social whirl.

Scary. Too close to the truth (Muwahaha). Get yours here.

(See? I'm bored already.)

And here we are.

Without school, and without work, (having recently completed my latest project), I have no idea what to do with myself during this time off I have.

Somebody hire me!!

(Of course, fall break will probably be over before I know it. But it's nice to think I could actually get bored.)

Duct tape fixes all.

I should use it to tie up my Marine Envirment teacher and force him to give me an "A".

But I won't.

The week in brief:

I made a 91 on my History of Rock test.

Tinkers Punishment has been in my CD player all week, because damn, they're awesome. Also, the timbre seems to fit well with the weather lately.

I have one lengthy science assignment and two classes standing between me and fall break, and the two Veblen shows in Athens this week.

The super-special Miss Maggie made me these badass wings to wear for Halloween, which she then helped me to glitter-fy, as well as a cute wreath of flowers to wear on my head. (The picture does not do these wings justice. They really are so badass.)

...zzzZZZzzz...

but this time
i hope you're right
and i'm right here by your side
and in spite of every time
we'll be alright
we'll be just fine
§

So who remembers my brief doll site addiction?

Well I've found something new.

It's lego jenna!!! And you can create yours here.

Sure, it's not as sexy as doll jenna, nor does it have the personality of south park jenna, but it's new and in 3-D!!!

You can't beat freshness and excesses of two dimensions.

Go play. But turn up your speakers first. The music is crazy. Madcap, I tell you.

Also, this is cool, amazingly well done, and a little more sophisticated, if that's what you need.

Tonight, Jump @ Clemson.

Tomorrow, dinner at Last Resort with the cool Winder Homecoming Crüe, including at least two (2!) famous rock stars.

And on Sunday, the lovely Miss Maggie will grace UGA (and myself) with her presence.

Do weekends not rock your ass off too?

I got a haircut today.

I have to point that out, I know, because when you see me the fact that I took off 4½ inches of hair off today really won't be apparent to most of you.

But I feel like a new person, like I molted off all the unheathy, tangled up and dried out parts of me.

"Today feels like a Monday to me." said the woman who was cutting my hair for me.

"Everyday feels like a Monday to me." I replied.

Another woman who worked at the shop chimed in, "Now honey, you've got it all backwards. You have to say that everyday is Friday. That way you just have a series of Fridays.

"Today's not Monday, its Tuesday-Friday."

I spent much of the remainder of my day running my hands through my new hair. It made me feel surprisingly grounded.

Well, mostly grounded, anyway.

"Marine Enviroment is making me want to tear my face off, just so I have an excuse to get out of it."

"No offense, but I don't think you'd be as attractive without a face." chided Tessa.

This week I have to read an article from a scientific journal on hydrothermal vent communities, summarize it, and then summarize everything I have learned thus far about hydrothermal vent communities and cold-seep communities. (Both should be typed, single-spaced, 11 point, 1 page.) I also have a test in History of Rock 'n' Roll on Friday.

If I keep acting like I've really got a handle on the science stuff, maybe it will eventually be true.

Can't wait for the weekend... send me good vibes, or smart vibes if you are a science major.

Who are you?

What Was Your PastLife?

What type of artist are you?
brought to you by Quizilla
You're the rennaisance artist. True genuis of your time. You really are ahead of your generation... A solid rock of a writer and artist all around. Very eloquent in all that you do...

What's Your Magic Power?
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What box do you get put in?
brought to you by Quizilla

Which ArchAngel are you most like?
brought to you by Quizilla
Gabriel. You're most like the ArchAngel of Communication, in charge of things like telephones, libraries, internet, and the 411 phone menu. You're organised and are not shy about inflicting that organisation on others.

Jigga what.

Today seemed short, mostly because I slept a pretty good portion of it away.

I barely willed myself out of bed this morning, feeling worse than usual physically—a weird dizzy headache stomach ache thing happening. But I managed to get up and go to Rock 'n' Roll History and learn about Cool and the Gang and George Clinton. Heh.

We ran over so I missed the first East-West, and ended up being 25-30 minutes late for Marine Enviroment. At this point, class is more then halfway over, so I checked to make sure Jesse wasn't there (which he wasn't, even though he claimed yesterday to have some new resolve about coming to class) and left. Went to lunch, then went to get my mail, and introduced myself to John, who was also getting his mail and lives on the second floor of my building.

"I see you everywhere! You always remind me of someone I know." (says me)

He seemed to really listen when I was talking, even when I started babbling about having a headache and just having to sleep migraines off. He even asked me if I had medicine, and seemed really concerned. He then invited me to come find him in his room or his girlfriend's room on the other side of the building.

I'd always felt good vibes coming off this guy. It's so nice to know when you are right about these things.

Went home, and napped, and when I woke up, all was well, healthwise. I went to dinner with my roommate and her friends and charmed the hell out of everybody, as usual. (I think they liked me alright.)

Jenna's being social!

Look at me, I'm...growing.

I think I did okay on my history test.

I answered a lot of real e-mail I've recieved.

I took a nap and slept away the rainy afternoon.

I went to see Ani Difranco (which really, was amazing), and then to Blue Sky.

Where yesterday was just icky, today made up for it.

I just wish I hadn't come home and tried to do some work only to find out my CDROM is broken. It's hard to read audio when your computer doesn't even know it's there. Blah.

I just have to get through the rest of this week, and then... It'll be the start of another week, but a brand new week, see. Untainted by any negativity, at least thus far.

Maggs, call me! We must talk, plus, I want wings. *grin*

Love, sunshine, and above all, stay awesome, all of you.

My sleeping and waking life is a Catch-22 of sorts.

If I don't get enough sleep one night, it is all I can do to pull myself out of bed and get to class. The whole day I can't concentrate and it's pretty much a waste. Sometimes, after a day like this, I fall right into bed, sometimes, insomnia still results.

Conversely, if I get plenty of sleep, I have a really productive, good, happy day, and then cannot get to sleep that night.

The only time I didn't have trouble falling asleep recently was when I was coding over the summer and would just have 18 hour days followed by 10 hours of sleep and another 18 hour day.

Obviously, there is not enough room for this schedule in one day.

10 + 18 = 28

28 > 24

{For anyone who has trouble with the math.}

So I would just turn my schedule over and over again until days were at night and nights were in day and then back again. It was ideal.

What is a woman to do when no internal schedule is inherent to her, when sun and moon have no effect and she has to bend herself to the schedule of the world?

(if one more person tells me it's a matter of habit I'll have to repeat this whole diatribe for you next time we meet and you don't want that, because it will be much more passionate in person)

Sleepy rambling. Hopefully, I can go to sleep now.

Okay, Halloween is coming up, (and it's even over my fall break, natch) and I need input for a costume. It must be:

• attractive
• cheap
• easy to obtain and put together
• allow me to wear blue jeans
• subdued
• simple
• nothing involving blood or gore
• maybe incorporating glitter

I need detailed ideas on what to buy, colors, etc. Donated materials will be gladly accepted.

And for anyone who thinks that Halloween is just for trick-or-treating little kids, I challenge you to spend your Halloween in downtown Athens.

And anyone who thinks I could get away with just wearing lots of glitter, let me know. Cause that sure would be easy.

PHP is tiring.

Welcome to the next edition of getting to know your friends. What you're supposed to do is copy (not forward) this entire e-mail and paste it onto a new e-mail that you'll send. Change all of the answers so they apply to you. Then, send this to a whole bunch of people you know *INCLUDING* the person who sent it to you. The theory is that you'll learn a lot of little known facts about your friends. It's fun and easy. You might be surprised with it & some of the things you learn about people you think you know....

1. IF YOU COULD BUILD A HOUSE WHERE WOULD IT BE?
Candler Park, ATL

2. WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE ARTICLE OF CLOTHING?
my black React T-shirt, aged and falling apart now, but it fits perfect and is soft but not too soft and is the just right faded black.

3. FAVORITE PHYSICAL FEATURE OF THE OPPOSITE SEX?
smile! dimpled smiles... *melt*.

4. WHAT'S THE LAST CD THAT YOU BOUGHT?
Janis Joplin's Greatest Hits and Injected's Burn It Black

5. WHERE'S YOUR FAVORITE PLACE TO BE?
Little Five Points... it's like going home.

6. WHERE'S YOUR LEAST FAVORITE PLACE TO BE?
Marine Enviroment or History 2112.

7. WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE PLACE TO BE MASSAGED?
shoulders, neck, back, legs arms everywhere

8. WHAT'S MOST IMPORTANT, STRONG IN MIND or STRONG IN BODY?
mind, I hope

9. WHAT TIME DO YOU WAKE IN THE MORNING?
9 M+W, 7:30 or 8 T+Th+F, weekends depend on a lot of things

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE KITCHEN APPLIANCE?
microwave.

11. WHAT MAKES YOU REALLY ANGRY?
lets not get started on that...

12. IF YOU COULD PLAY ANY INSTRUMENT, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
Piano. I still kinda want to learn. I was going to take lessons as a freshman(HS) and grow up and be like Ben Folds but it fell through somehow.

13. FAVORITE COLOR?
black. blue. Black and blue.

14. U PREFER, SPORTS CAR OR SUV?
Volvo baby. They have character.

15. DO YOU BELIEVE IN AFTERLIFE?
Reincarnation, indefinitely. Earth is a nice place. I don't really want to leave.

16. FAVORITE CHILDREN'S BOOK?
anything Dr. Suess (I don't really remember...)

17. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SEASON?
fall for sure. It's like spring, except it's getting cooler instead of hotter and noooo hayfever!

18. WHAT'S YOUR LEAST FAVORITE HOUSEHOLD CHORE?
Washing dishes. I hate washing dishes.

19. IF YOU COULD HAVE ONE SUPER POWER, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
I would love to be able to fly.

20. DO YOU HAVE A TATTOO, WHAT IS IT?
nopers. Fear of needles.

21. CAN YOU JUGGLE?
no, but I can code PHP. That's probably more then you can do.

22. WHO IS THE ONE PERSON YOU WISH YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME AND TALK TO?
let's not get started on that either.

23. WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE DAY?
Friday... you still have the whole weekend ahead of you.

24. WHAT'S IN TRUNK OF YOUR CAR?
My hostage. I'm going to pay for my education with that money.

25. WHICH DO YOU PREFER, SUSHI OR HAMBURGER?
Neither is good unless it's well prepared. Then they are even.

26. FROM THE PEOPLE YOU EMAILED THIS TO, WHO'S MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND?
Oh lord I don't even care.

27. WHO'S LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND?
Sam and Jess. Why? They both already sent me one.

I've been doing the backwards math for longer than I can remember. All my life, it seems.

"If I fall asleep now, I'll get 5 good hours."

I've been awake for two hours now, lying in bed, curled up and warm under my covers, and everytime I start to relax, my mind starts racing.

I think about how the club has been open for almost exactly a year now and all it has done is virtually put my family in the poor house. I think about how you can work very hard with all your heart and still get nothing in the end. I think about being able to pay for my education, being able to get a job years from now. I think about what will happen to me if I don't get into the art school here.

Sometimes I think in terms of PHP, and my brain fires off a series of "echo"s and "$"s and semicolons. I think about querying databases and writing to text files and trying (though usually not succeeding) at getting my head around the big picture. Trying to remember how it all fits together. Read More »

Insomnia

Many people have occasional bouts of insomnia, often related to a temporarily stressful situation. For some people, however, poor-quality sleep is a recurring and even a lifelong problem. Up to 12% of people have insomnia on a regular basis.

[...]

Chronic insomnia

Psychiatric conditions, such as depression or anxiety
An underlying medical condition
Stimulants
Acute or chronic stress
Chronic pain
Some medicines
A different sleep disorder
Poor sleep habits

[...] sleep issues are important, as insomnia can lead to depression, automobile accidents, increased alcohol consumption, and daytime drowsiness.

Sleep disorders are divided into several types: difficulty falling asleep and/or staying asleep (insomnia), excessive daytime sleepiness (hypersomnia), abnormal timing of sleep-wake cycles (circadian rhythm disorder), and abnormal stages of sleep (parasomnia). [...] Anxiety and depression account for as much as half of the chronic insomnia cases.Treatment of the underlying problem usually leads to improvement in the patient's sleep. About one-fifth of chronic insomnia cases are so-called primary insomnia. This disorder is usually caused by a combination of stress, poor sleeping habits, and a form of conditioned anxiety in which simply getting into their own beds makes sufferers anxious. These people actually sleep better in laboratories than in their homes!

I've conquered it before, dammit. I can do it again.

So today we are discussing Bob Dylan's Rainy Day Women #12 & 35 (from Blonde on Blonde), which, in case you don't know, goes something like "Well, they'll stone ya when you're trying to be so good, / They'll stone ya just a-like they said they would. / They'll stone ya when you're tryin' to go home. / Then they'll stone ya when you're there all alone. / But I would not feel so all alone, / Everybody must get stoned."

Someone asks what the 12 and 35 mean, and our prof says something like Dylan has always been very ambiguous about the title and no one really knows. Then one of the TA's chimes in, "Well you know what 12 multiplied by 35 is don't you?

"420."

Some chuckles from the crowd, but then the prof goes, "What does that mean?"

"Nevermind we'll talk about it later."

"It's sexual isn't it. I'm just missing it."

Students answer in unison "No." and begin laughing. He walks over to the TA and leans down so he can whisper it.

He takes the mic off, but we still can all hear perfectly when he exclaims,

"What? But I smoke pot all the time."

HAHAHAHAHHaHaHaHahahahahahahahaha

"There are no hours in which to smoke pot. Is that like tea time?"

***

Later, I go to the library to do my listening assignment, and I'm approaching the counter, and the guy says, "Can I help you?"

"Yeah, I need to third CD for—"

"—History of Rock & Roll."

"Yeah...how did you know?"

"You just look like a Rock & Roller." he replied matter-of-factly.

Now, the real reason he guessed could be that I was probably the 10th kid to come in that day asking for that CD. But the sincerity and authority with which he made that statement actually made me think that maybe I do look like a Rock & Roller.

Rock.

I go to turn the CD back in, and he asks me, "Did you finish rocking out?"

"Yeah."

"Did you rock all the way out and come back?"

I smile. "Yeah, I think so."

"Excellent."

I wish everyone could be so positive.

I know I'm working on it.