Life Happens.

People annoy me.
Yes, that probably means you.
And you, and you, and you.

This year was not supposed to be stressful. I was supposed to coast through my classes, have a real social life, finish all my college applications early, record an album, find the cure to cancer, write a best-selling novel, and learn how to underwater basket-weave.

FAT CHANCE

SO, I'm at the same place I was last year, minus physics and before-school classes, plus a license and emotional issues.
And why do you care?
Ehhh, you probably don't, really.

And so, continuing my several week tradition of list-making (OBSESSION), here's a list of things that have made my life bearable over the past several weeks which also do not include the people who annoy me (yes, YOU!).

1) Knit a scarf. Stylish (at least...sometimes), cheap, and very relaxing. Yes, I do knit from time to time. I'm pretty much a grandmother in a gorgeous young girl's body ;)

2) The Cat Empire. This Australian band of wonder has never failed to make me feel ecstatic. I recommend instantly youtubing them. Like, NOW. Actually, I'll force you to hear them...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtFxo4mpiKg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Vonv8oO6ak&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfl9Zc2Dtok&feature=related

3) Facebook chat. Yeah, it's supposed to be counterproductive, but for a writing mind like mine, having a typed conversation gets the creative juices flowing. There is a drawback, though. Ten minutes on the computer can turn into several hours, depending on how interesting the conversation [cough...person] on the other end happens to be. This can also be dicey, because by talking to one person, you are subject to being attacked by the other 100+ friends who are online, of which there are only maybe 3 that you actually want to talk to...

4) Baby brother. Get one, asap. Always good for a free hug, hair-pulling, and, if you're lucky, a half-eaten cupcake.

5)Piano. Busting out with Beethoven's Concerto in C Major is extraordinarily soothing, y'all.

6) Movies with cheesy romantic plots. Try Notting Hill or Sleepless in Seattle. If you're really adventurous, try a black and white movie: Casablanca, It Happened One Night, Marx Brothers. You need popcorn and/or hot chocolate for this as well, and some sort of blanket or cushioney pillow/person.

7) Public Library. Browse through the CD's and DVD's. Pick out something you've never heard of before. Catch the eye of the guy rooting through the Desperate Housewives collection. Then head to the books, and pick out a decidedly non-classic. Not only will you feel better about your writing skills, but the sordid sex and graphic violence will intoxicate you into forgetting your own awful failure of a life.

8) Bubble tea, frozen yogurt, or peanut butter. Bubble tea, in case you don't know, is a wonderful Thai creation which consists of a tea smoothie (I recommend a chai blend or green tea) with huge tapioca pearls at the bottom which you suck up with an oversized straw. In other words, heaven. For frozen yogurt, drive down the street and you'll find one eventually. Peanut butter with chocolate, or Nutella. Spread on Nilla wafers. A big glass of two percent milk...dip them in, and, a soggy masterpiece.

9)Photography. Go take pictures of yourself. (but not THAT kind of picture...) Take pictures of nature, animals, small children, sidewalks, pencil shavings, grocery stores, headphones, tree bark, screwdrivers, iron clubs, shoes, other photos, roadkill, you get the point.

10) and the most soothing option? DRAW PICTURES. Apocalypses are the best. You can include all of your least favorite teachers getting blown up or hit by monster trucks, or your ex-boyfriend getting mauled by sharks or bears, or your high school getting attacked by North Korean nuclear bombs, or everyone getting sucked into a whirlpool except you and Johnny Depp. Ahh, I have revealed the secret of how I survive calculus class...

Or, you know, you could be productive and finish that essay, or math problem, or powerpoint.
But where's the fun in that?