The Pushers, The Shakers.

Here some lyrics for Switchblade Symphony's "Into the Sky". I don't like the band much, but this is a great song. Download it if you can.

The pushers
The shakers
The feelers
The fakers
The loudness
The silence
The sweetness
The violence
My wings will pull me
Up into the sky

The feelings that I have
They haunt me till I'm mad
The heroes
The villains
The daring
Decisions
My wings will pull me
Up into the sky


Things I Want
-Barber pole
-Aviator goggles
-Megaphone
-Kimono


So, it's become completely impossible for me to do anything that vaguely resembles chewing. I have eight blue spacers between my teeth which are causing me more pain than I had expected. I've been having terrible cooking urges, but I've been resisting since whatever I make, I will probably be unable to eat. Currently, at nine o'clock pm, all I want in the world...is a donut. I need a donut.


I'm going.


To cry.


If I don't get a donut.

Don't bother with me, God.

Here's something that makes me think. The following quote taken from a random file I came across on the internet. Scrolled through it quickly and that line caught my eye :3

"She lifted her fist into the air. 'Don't bother me with God.'"
--Anonymous

At first I thought it said "Don't bother with me, God." Sounded to me like a voice of independence and strength and, somehow, at the same time...defeat. Now that I've read it again and realized what it actually says...I'm not sure which way is better. ^_^

I want to include, also, another thing that makes me think.



Afghan children in Kabul, the cover image from an article about Afghan druglords and NATO's increasing involvement in the country. Although I'm not sure of the childrens' relevence to the article, it's a fairly stirring image in my opinion...Look at the stress and exhaustion that girl is showing. The maturity. The hardships that she's seen already. The way she sits, protecting her brother, like a parent. Like someone ten times her age. It makes me sad. He has no shoes. And hers, with those colorfully hopeful little flowers on those filthy little feet.

Speaking of places far, far away...Many things have recently motivated me to learn more about my heritage. Months ago, I started reading up on Slavic mythology. It fell to the back of my mind, but has returned with my rental of "Everything is Illuminated" and the recent WGN feature on Whiting, Indiana's Pierogi Festival. I've never made pierogies from scratch, but now I plan to. I don't want to lose my history. It's too important to me.

Here's what seems to be a good recipe for pierogies. I'd like to get one from my Gramma Slota, but...she's not the type of woman who cooks from a recipe :3 I admire that.

Note to self #1: Check out this website for fun new recipes.

Spent the day downtown with Mom, Rachel, and Aunt Kathie. Arby's for lunch. Funny homeless guy telling us about birds dropping from the trees due to the heat :3 Had a psycho old foreign bitch give me a make-over at the Dior counter in Marshall Fields. XD She made me pretty, but she got mad when I wouldn't buy her fifty-dollar foundation :/ No, thank you, Crazy Dior Lady. No, thank you. Bought a cute shirt at Nordstrom and a scarf which I really didn't need in the heat of downtown Chicago XD Then headed to Ford's Oriental Theatre for Wicked :3 It was-...well -_- *sigh* wicked, i must say. It was phenomenal. The singing was fabulous. The outfits...fantastic. And the script was genuinely enjoyable :3 hilarious. I had a thoroughly good time.

I have to remember to go downtown more often >3 While I'm still around.

Note to self #2: Remember to post progress shots of how the garden is doing. <3

School, Sprouts, Russian, and Rubber Bands.

So, I'm getting braces. And I basically want to die. Let's not discuss the particulars. Just know that it's probably the worst time in my life I could possibly end up with those. I used to want them when I was a kid and everyone had them. Just like I wanted glasses. Ended up with those too, just last year. Way later than everyone else. Now it's senior year and I'll have metal for the whole year-prom, graduation, and then through my first year of college.

StillUpAt3AM (2:37:30 PM): maybe i'll just wait a year to go to college -_-
StillUpAt3AM (2:38:01 PM): i'll go travel the world where no one will recognize me and my braces.
StillUpAt3AM (2:38:02 PM): -_-
this is faux pa (2:39:18 PM): lol
this is faux pa (2:39:21 PM): that's so overdramatic.
StillUpAt3AM (2:39:25 PM): i know. :3
StillUpAt3AM (2:39:28 PM): *laughs* XD

Thankfully, Collins always knows how to cheer me up :3

StillUpAt3AM (2:49:53 PM): i had ihop for breakfast.
StillUpAt3AM (2:49:56 PM): fuck me, it was good.
this is faux pa (2:50:06 PM): hahaha i love ihop
StillUpAt3AM (2:50:12 PM): me toooo, man.
StillUpAt3AM (2:50:28 PM): i had an argument with my friend about wether it was SEErup or SIRup.
StillUpAt3AM (2:50:45 PM): and then we asked the waitress and she was like 'fuck if i know.'
this is faux pa (2:50:44 PM): sir up!
StillUpAt3AM (2:50:49 PM): sirup all the way.

Speaking of college, I went on a campus tour of Bradley with Kelly, her parents, and my mom the other day. It was-...all right. I wasn't impressed. It was out in Buttfuck, Nowhere. The campus was ugly. The only thing that held promise was their Academic Exploration Program, which allows you to enter as a freshman with an undeclared major and offers opportunities to take classes which specifically teach you about the uses of certain degrees you might be interested in pursuing. I'm going to apply there because not only is early application free...Scholarships abound at that point. Can we sayyy..."safety school"? >.>

Kelly slept over that night so she could go on the boat with us the next morning. We had so much fun. I love that piece of shit old boat. I love the feeling of flying. So many memories. Then Sunday Kel picked me up in her goddamn mustang convertible ;__; and we went over to Ari's for food and movies. Ari's condo is fabulous. It's trendy and beautiful. There were pebbles in her bathroom sink. I want to live in a place like that. We ended up back at my house to watch "Everything is Illuminated" :3 My latest cinematic obsession. Look it up on IMDB and RENT IT, for chrissake, if you've never seen it. It's set in the Ukraine :3 The land of my people! :O

I've decided to learn Russian. My grandmother speaks..seven or nine different languages, I can't remember. But she's originally from the Ukraine. XD I've picked up three words over time and a few letters. Are you ready..? 'Da', 'spacieba', and 'karova'. 'Yes', 'thank you', and 'cow'. XD I lied. I know one more. 'Kartoshka'. Potatoes :3

Potatoes! Speaking of potatoes and other things that grow! My plants are growing! :D


Mum bought me this the other day. It's a Hen and Chicks. I love them :3 They spread like mad, with cute little offshoots XD So neat.


My bean plants arrising from the soil :3 They started sprouting up only yesterday.


What's left of one of the beans I planted. Just the hull after the plant broke out ^_^


The alyssum have been up since the 21st. They're multiplying, though. Still no sign of the daisies there in the center.


And last but not least...My favorite. A Velvet Queen Sunflower. S'gunna be sooo pretty ^_^

Well. Closing out with a quote by Henry Miller, an American author whose bold writing helped pave the way for what Wikipedia calls "the Sexual Revolution" :3 Definitely a man to be honored.

"All growth is a leap in the dark, a spontaneous unpremeditated act without the benefit of experience."
--Henry Miller

You Grow, Girl.

-_- NO. That's not me being a cheeseball :/ It's the name of a gardening website. I hear it's a neat website, though I haven't visited it yet :3

Today-...I gratified my lusty gardening urges. And it was goood >3 *snickers* Went to Super Target (A.K.A. Employment HELL), Ace Hardware, Jewel, and Bartlett Fresh Market. Jewel was closed due to the power outage from the huge lightning storm last night. (Ever see "War of the Worlds"? That storm in the beginning? Yeah. It was outside my house last night :3) I bought groceries at the Market, including this positively adorable little head of lettuce called a 'Boston butter lettuce'. It's like...a personal serving size for a salad XD Toooo cute. I so want to grow some. Got seeds from Ace Hardware and pots from Super Target, but I only bought two packets of flower seeds >.0 I'm gunna go to Jewel when it's open again and get more stuff, I think :3

Now for a photographic narration :O

All the tools, the supplies, the empty pots, my cacti, and the ponytail palm that I replanted earlier ^_^


My beloved cacti collection after repotting into the old ponytail palm pot. Say that five times fast.


Everything all watered and planted in good soil and mushroom compost XD Note the mystery plants in the middle :/ I have no idea what they are. Mom made me repot them XD


And my lovely meal after I was all finished working and cleaning up. Frozen chicken nuggets with honey mustard and ranch dressing XD Coke with fresh lemon is a taste I aqcuired in Spain :3 Sooo yummy. Of course, you have to drink it with a bendy straw. I keep them around for special occassions. Such as..when I actually HAVE a fresh lemon >.>


The end :3 Or-...Is it the beginning? XD

Aeonium arboreum.

When you start taking out chunks of your own flesh with your fingernails...:/ You know it's time to cut them.

I've been getting these mad cooking urges lately, which have been topped off by an odd yearning to garden o.O I planted radishes along the edge of our flower beds earlier this spring and green beans in front of five small trellises. The funny thing is I know NOTHING...not the very first thing about gardening. I've managed to kill three of the numerous house plants I try to keep =x Two tiny rose plants and one cactus XD It was such a fucking cute cactus, too...with this weird orange-ish growth on top...;__; Gah. I came home from Spain and it was rotted to mush. I think they're called 'Moon Cacti', but I guess that's just a marketing strategy because they're really just two types of cactus grafted together XD The colorful part is grafted onto the regular cactus so that it can survive =x It's not green, so it has no chlorophyll. No chlorophyll=dead plant.

So, anyway. When I have my own house and my own garden and my own kitchen...I can't wait to use the best of the best stuff :3 Like...for example, super-wonderful extra virgin olive oil! (Read: super-expensive extra virgin olive oil! :D)

I already have some crap together for when I move out and have my own place o.o My mother calls it a "hope chest", but whatev'. It's not in a chest, sooo. Forget that.

Stuff in my "Hope Chest"
-Pepper mill (This thing is so cool ;__; Here's a picture.)
-Five sets of multicolored chop sticks (:3 For eating ramen when I can afford nothing else!)
-Metric WonderCup (Look it up, bitches -_-)
-V-shaped knife (for cutting fruit =x or some shit...)
-Measuring cups and spoons (:3 I am obsessed with these things. I'd collect them if i could >.<) -Salt dish (OMJ, these things are adorable =x They're really kinna dumb, but...It basically is a tiny bowl with a tiny spoon and it goes by the stove so you can...yaknow. Scoop tiny amounts of salt onto your food XD)

Stuff I Still Need
-Egg slicer
-Cheese grater w/measurements on the side
-Cheese slicer
-Peeler
-Mortar and pestle
-Can opener
-Jar opener
-Splatter screen
-Cutting mats
-Rolling pin
-Ice cream scoop
-Spatula
-Spoon
-Ladle
-Whisk
-Potato Masher
-Corkscrew
-Cheese slicer
-Sifter
-Strainer
-Pan scraper
-Fruit Wedger
-Juicer
-Pizza wheel
-Pocket mitts
-Colander
-Can crusher (:D I love these things.)
-Canisters
-Spice rack
-Scale
-Dish scrubber (:D Look how neat! Perfect for squeamish people like me who hate washing dishes :/)
-Mixing bowls
-Bread machine
-Corner mesh sink strainer
-Butter dish
-Measure conversion magnet
-Tongs
-Corn holders
-Corn butterer
-Egg/pancake rings
-Cookie cutters
-Gravy boat and ladle

So, moving on. It really is fascinating the kinds of oppression the school boards get away with these days. No cutting classes...No midriff-baring clothing...No GRILLZ. WHAT? Yeah, you heard me. Grillz. Check this shit out. Not that I give two shits about "grillz". Honestly, they're a horrendous trend and they should be put to death for the sake of sanity and-...fashion, even XD But guaging your ears? That is a personal and semi-permanent choice. A painful choice at that. It's self-expression. Body modification is an art form that goes back thousands and thousands of years. It's culture. It can tell stories, it can show social status, it can be a memorial. It has meaning. What kinds of stories can your "grill" tell me? Except, perhaps, that you had broccoli for dinner :/

Note to self:
In my garden or my house, I want "mother of thousands", "jade", "mini fan palm", "bamboo", and "hen and chicks". :3 Among others. I'll post a full list sometime.

Marshmallow Peeps.

XD This kills me. I thought I'd include it for future reference. If I'm ever working in an environment where I need a Web Fire Escape I'll know where to find one.

StillUpAt3AM (8:35:56 PM): i wish i had some marshmallow peeps to explode.

:D What an enjoyable thing, to have a new journal to spam all over. I can't wait to spew my opinions all over my new bit of webspace like a Marshmallow Peep's guts on the inside of my microwave :3

Video on Demand.

Sometimes, in life, it's necessary to clear the scoreboard. Start a new game.

In retrospect, LiveJournal and I had a good run, but it's time for a change. New chapter, new journal.

So here goes.

P.S. When I used OneLook to search a verb for "to start over" to put in the entry title...it came up with, among other things :/ "Video on Demand." I'm not sure how that's relevent and, come to think of it, that reverse dictionary has never accurately helped me with a single search XD Another option was "Tabula Rasa", which quite honestly would have made a good bit more sense :3