That was draining

I just watched "Wristcutters"

An interesting movie about life and death and love.

I guess they're all about life and death and love. But this one was about the certain purgatory that suicidal folks go to after they die. Which is like life but worse.

And anyways it's a really depressing movie and no one smiles until the last three minutes but it's also really cute.

If that makes sense.

Anyways, I had to read textsfromlastnight to cheer myself up afterward.

Physics was fun today.

Shivani: Look, I made a paper plane!
Chanel: I used to make paper airplanes with my mom and now we hate each other
...
Sam: Can you throw it to me so I can pretend to be king kong?

Mr C: Is the image real, virtual, upright, or inverted?
Hanna: Everything is real in the eyes of god!
Cath: Is that even true? I don't know the bible.
Eleni: Who here knows god??

I seriously love that class. We are so... ADD? Is that the term?

Generally dysfunctional in a wonderful way.

We could be a sitcom. Like The Office. Which I missed tonight.

Love always,
Clara

In English Class

Amelia: Clara, do you blog about Bam like, twice a day?

Me: Bam? Not quite...

Bam: It's my dream.

We were talking about the sad state of affairs that is our education system. My school is great and I love it, but the way high schools work these days is very weird.

A senior wrote an essay about a Faulkner speech and ended it saying that we, as students, are more focused on getting the grade (because grades lead to college, college leads to a job, jobs lead to money, and money leads to happiness) than actually appreciating what is being learned.

I'm thinking everyone involved with this needs to perceive everyone else as human. We ought to be here for enlightenment as human beings, like they were in Rome and the like, not just for the sake of the next step.

That would be cool.

... but it's never going to happen.

Love always,
Clara

Twitter is incredible.

So is collegehumor.com

Oh my god.

Love always,
Clara

Damn you, spoon!

So this was physics today. It's basically my favorite class.

Sam: Mr C, in the next ten minutes, I will either infuriate you or make you a very happy person.
Mr C: Why?
Sam: Just letting you know.
Mr C: A warning?
Sam: Yeah.

Sam: So you can make mirrors out of anything?
Mr C: Any reflective surface
Sam: Isn't gold more flattering light?
... discussion...
Hanna: Sam, no light will make you look flattering
Mr C: Maybe if you go into a dark cave.

Mr C: Concave mirrors are the ones that turn you upside down, like in spoons.
Chanel: Why does it do that? I always get so angry when I look into my spoon I'm upside down.
Mr C: (imitating Chanel) "Damn you, spoon!"

Legit, yo.

We watched Monty Python and the Holy Grail (or the first part) in assembly today, and I had a thought.

"This movie is funnier than real life"

I've realized in the process of keeping this blog what a serious statement that is. Real life is really funny. Being funnier than real life takes skill.

Although there is a valid point in that if you've seen Monty Python one too many times, it loses its charm. I haven't reached that state yet, and I'm not looking forward to it. 

Love always,
Clara

Eyes and Cinnamon

So I went to the eye doctor today.

It was sweet.

I went and they shone a light in my eye and then put me in a room with a grad student (in school for Graphic Design- I have no idea what he was doing at the optometrist) who was kind of flirtatious until he asked what my major was and I had to reveal that I was in high school.

Darn that high school.

And he also checked my vision.

Then they dilated my pupils, which is really annoying because you have to wear sunglasses and you can't read anything. And then they tested my vision again.

So by the end I had confirmed that I have 20/20 vision, but I couldn't see. 

Now it's fine. But it was really frustrating because...

When I got home, I made cupcakes. From scratch. I'm not culinary. This doesn't happen. But oh my god they are incredible cinnamon cupcakes with cinnamony icing too and I'm bringing them to english class tomorrow. 

It's going to be incredible.

I felt like Kierkegaard for a moment there- the recipe for the frosting told me to "cream" the butter/sugar... I wasn't aware that "cream" was a verb in this sense, and definitely didn't think butter/sugar could be made into cream, but I kept stirring it. And I thought to myself, "I am Abraham, doing the absurd and making a leap of faith"

And then it worked and I thought,

"Behold! I have returned from the mountain and my cupcakes are creamed! There is a culinary god, and he is good!"

I was feeling expressive. I was also on a sugar high. My grandmother always said, "eat your mistakes."

Very flattering quote without context-

David: Your blog is like cocaine. I just need to snort your blog every day

Love always,
Clara

The... Elephant Woman

*A discussion of May Day festivities*

Suzanna: Why do we have little kids dancing around a phallic symbol?
Mr C: I think it's AWESOME!

*Catullus says he loved Lesbia as a father loves his sons*
Mr C: You would think if he's describing his love, he would at least use something with a gender difference, like, "as a lion loves a lioness," or "as an elephant loves the... elephant woman."

We were talking about how women are dirty liars and boys have cooties.

No one is safe.

I love that this is latin class.

Love always,
Clara

I'm freaking out today

Forgive me.

It must be "Put embarrassing things on the internet" day for me or something.

It's 8:20 and I'm not anywhere close to done with my homework. What the heck? I mean, I didn't get home 'til 7:30, having gone to get a smoothie, buy book group books, and eat mexican food.

Moment of truth (and another embarrassing thing on the internet): When I just wrote that, I wrote "book groop" and didn't realize it was wrong.

By the way, book groups need to die. Now. Please.

We, as students, need to unionize and fight the system. Because they said they heard our complaints, but they obviously didn't, because it's the same thing all over again. And half our grade can't find their books. And they're now due at 3:30 and not 8?

I might die.

Or like, go on a giggling spree. 

Because I'm backwards like that.

Wow, there I go again. Seriously, ignore me today.

Love always,
Clara

So this is awkward...

Quote without context-

Me: I have a very serious problem, but I can't tell you about it! *giggle*

So, here's my problem.

I have a hole. In my pants.

The pants are old and the seam's kind of been unthreading itself, and now it's unthreaded itself right on the inside of my thigh. This is good and bad. Not that noticeable, but if you notice it it's really really awkward.

I asked Megan what I should do about this. She said 'Staple it'.

So I decided despite the awkwardness that this was a good idea, because I couldn't just walk around with a hole in my pants.

So I step into the history office for a moment to borrow the stapler. I ask Historyman (I don't know his name) if I can borrow it. He says yes. So I walk off down the hallway to the bathroom, where I take off my pants in the larger stall and try to staple them back together.

It didn't even work, actually, because there were only like 2 staples left, and it was a lame stapler.

So then I come out of the bathroom (with vaguely stapled pants) holding a stapler. And Historyman walks by. 

Me: (smiling and feeling awkward) Hey...

Historyman: ... Nice

He just saw me walking out of a bathroom with a stapler. Why? He doesn't know! And I couldn't explain it really, seeing as it wasn't that good an idea and it would require showing him the hole in my pants.

So.

That was awkward.

Love always,
Clara

Reminiscing...

Earlier this week (friday+saturday) I was feeling... exuberant.

Now not so much.

My brain is exploding.....

I'm being confronted with crises of uncertainty in more ways than one.

Unfortunately, music's healing powers work best when I'm alone, which isn't happening much this week, what with the wonderful and illustrious Isabella living with me.

I love Isabella, I just also like aloneness* 

I also like being able to talk to myself in the car.

Which is weird when there's someone else present. I'm totally comfortable talking to myself as long as there's no one else I could/should be talking to. In that case it's pretty weird.

I want to go back to Italy. 

Or back to freshman year. Despite the ambiguity of everything (I was always uncertain about everything that year), I loved it. There was so much innocent fun, that wouldn't interest me anymore, but at the time it was so incredible.

Every year I pendulum between thinking "this will be remembered as a good year" and "this will be remembered as a terrible year". 

Freshman year, ironically, I remember thinking "wow, I will look back on this year and think 'that was terrible, thank god it's over.'"

But it's the total opposite.

I guess at the time I was unhappy or something? But then I changed my mind?

Oh god, I'm not making sense.

By the end of freshman year I was a little further out of my shell, anyways, so I was happy, and all's well that ends well.

Sophomore year I suppose you could make the same argument, that all's well that ends well, and thus it's worth revisiting, but I think the best thing that came out of sophomore year was the summer afterwards.

That's what I want right now. Summer. And certainty.

Apologies for my vagueness regarding the certainties. It's a thing.

(And apologies for apologizing with more vagueness)

Love always,

Clara

*See, luddites? Technology hasn't murdered my appetite for solitude!

Weirdness

Mrs M: Anything else about Nixon?

James: Punching hippies, good...

Mrs M: I didn't hear you, but that's okay. Drew did you have a comment?

Now it's Physics, and Sam is looking smittenly at people to freak them out. I must say, it's working.

I also like sunglasses.

Today in chorus, someone managed to make a sexual comment with a biblical reference. Which

1) was wholly inappropriate

2) was pretty funny once I got over myself

3) reminded me of the new "that's what she said"

Which is, of course, "in the biblical sense"

As in,

"With gamma rays, we can make nuclear reactions"

"... In the biblical sense!"

Hanna: There's a really big presence of Tim in this room.

Chanel: Like his aura?

Drew: This is getting really sketchy.

Mr C: When you can't see light, but you can feel it, that's heat.

Chanel: Like love!

Katie: Emily's not that bad a driver

Sam: You're no judge. You drive too fast

Me: Sam, you drive too slow!

Hanna: My grandma says I'm 'hot for the pedal'. I'm not allowed to drive her anymore.

Love always,
Clara

Math-related things.

Isabella: Is it long B block tomorrow?

Me: Yeah

Isabella: That literally sucks the soul out of me. Like in Harry Potter, when it's a little glowing ball in front of you? Yeah, Mr H plays badminton with it for a little bit and then he's like, 'Here Isabella, have your soul back'

Me: They were so funny about those tea protests; they were like, "let's teabag those senators!"

Mr H: I'm banning this topic from my classroom. I'd like to keep my job.

*There is discussion of breakfast-for-lunch's similarities to Ann Coulter*

Me: The fact of the matter is that i'm going to eat fruit no matter what.

Mr H: Vegan?

Me: Vegetarian, but I can't eat like, wheat products.

Sam: Bread is *french words*

Mr H: Bread is the reason for your head?

Sam doesn't actually speak french.

Love always,
Clara

Discoveries...

Super Cool Music Blog (whose authors I might happen to know)

I'm a fan.

You can order Chipotle online and then go pick it up. It's so cool.

Love always,
Clara

This is a list of things I like

• Gum
• Music
• Blogging
• Sunshine
• Not having homework
• Fighting the system
• Giggling
• Random acts of boldness
• Other people
• The way I think, even though it makes NO sense
• Singing
• Math. Don't judge
• Sunsets
• Chipotle
• Endorphins
• Diet Dr. Pepper
• Cupcakes
• Pretending my life is a movie
• Setting up dramatic irony in said movie
• Planning the soundtrack
• Writing
• Making things up
• Being adventurous
• High school, even though it sucks
• Good books
• Pink
• My puppy
• Anyone's puppy
• Small animals
• Camus
• Existentialism
• Absurdism
• Texting
• The air at nighttime when it's summer
• Rainstorms
• Adrenaline
• Emotion
• Patterns
• Psychology
• Shiny objects
• Nostalgia
• Dan and Serena on Gossip Girl (1st season)
• Ugly dolls
• CTY
• The passionfruit
• Breathing air
• Nice strangers
• Being a dork
• America, with all its faults
• Making lists

That's all I can think of, but there's definitely more.

I basically just defined myself. This is my manifesto.

Love always,
Clara

Hilarious Blog

texts from last night.

These are hilarious. People send in texts that they shouldn't have sent last night. Seems topical in respect to my recent post on the joys of texting.

I kind of want this to be the new fmylife.com. It's that funny.

Love always,
Clara

You know you might be narcissistic when...

... you fill out terrible surveys full of information no one will find interesting in hopes that they'll reveal something to yourself about your lifestyle or state of mind.

Maybe it's not narcissism after all, but rather deep introspection put on display.

Or I'm bored and it's lateish at night.

The last time you kissed someone, were your hands around their neck?
Quite possibly

What & when was the last compliment you received?
I think it was Tristan's mom after the concert.

Would you kiss the last person who texted you?
Actually, yes.

How was your day overall?
A piecewise function.

What is making you worry?
APs, SAT IIs, life and everything in it, far away places

Have you ever had the cops called on you?
Nope.

Are you good at giving directions?
If I know where I'm going. Which isn't exactly frequent.

Have you ever met a gay person?
Yes... Have people not?

Do you blow dry your hair?
On occasion.

What was the last movie you saw in theaters?
17 Again. It basically made me want Zac Efron. I'm not going to lie.

Have you shaved your legs in the past day?
Nope.

What food could you eat every day for two weeks and not get sick of?
Fruit. Because then I could still have variety. I'm cheating.

Are you stubborn?
Stubborn is legit my middle name. Almost.

Are you enemies with a former friend?
I would hope not. I don't do 'enemies'. Villains are for fiction.

Who was the last person you cried in front of?
My mom... I'm a loser.....

Anything special about today?
My parents were out of town and I'm sleeping in my house by myself and that's bad information to put on the internet but it's LIBERATING.

Has anybody told you they loved you today?
I think my dad said so in the note they left before they left.

Are you excited for anything today?
Today is basically over.

Do you know if anyone likes you?

Wouldn't that be something. 

Can you see your purse right now?
No it's in the other room.

Do you wear sweatpants a lot?
Basically as pajamas, but not right now, because it's really hot up here.

Have you ever gotten a real massage?
No but I quite want to. So does Daphna. We need to do this.

Are you one of those people who claim to live with no regrets?
Actually yes. And it's not claiming! I legitimately believe that while I've made mistakes, the decisions I've made have been inevitable considering the circumstances and my priorities at the times in question. So yes, I have no regrets.

Are you one of those people who never drink soda?
I'm one of those people who drinks Diet Coke even though it's going to give her cancer.

Do you like coffee?
Yes. Learned to drink it two summers ago and never stopped.

Do you live alone?
Tonight I do! But no, not usual.

When was the last time you cried from laughing so hard?
I'm not sure actually. Maybe last night, talking to Daphna about sex cows and cocaine.

Who did you last say goodnight to?
Isabella/AJ/John/Mike

Who was the last person to make you cry?
I'd like to blame my mom, but I'm not quite sure what the real issue was.

At this very moment, what exactly are you doing?
Typing and listening to music

What were your first thoughts this morning?
I woke up at like 7 and thought "wow, I got five hours of sleep". Then I slept another five hours.

Would you ever get a tattoo?
Yes. I'm getting a little crescent moon on my right shoulder blade. 

Have you rented or watched a movie this weekend?
Watched Hamlet 2. It was hilarious

What was the last thing you did before you went to bed last night?
Facebook chatted. Legit my eyes were closing as I was typing.

Done anything illegal in the past month?
I plead the fifth?

Would you consider adoption?
Sure, but I'd rather pass on these genes.

Do you like Redbull?
YES. TOO MUCH.

Is it easy to make you smile?
That is not a question. I don't need making to smile. I'm always smiling. This is not an exaggeration. 

Do you have a bad habit?
I procrastinate, I'm messy, I don't follow my stupid inflammation diet. Whatever.

Who is the last person you spent money on?
I paid for the sister's smoothie.

Who did you last text?
twitter... does that count?

Would you date someone taller than you?

Yes. I'd rather not date someone shorter actually, even though I know it's a stupid stereotype. I'd just like to be able to wear heels, thanks.

If you could choose between a million dollars or being able to fly, you would choose ?

Oh god. I have no idea. Probably flight.

Have you ever gone a whole day without eating?
Yep.

What's something you really want right now?
The desire to sleep. It's midnight. I should sleep. But I'm not.

Do you sometimes use your music player to help you fall asleep?
If I'm feeling insomnia coming on I'll do it. I have a strategy too- I have a "sleep" playlist and I put it on shuffle but it's usually too long so I skip through the first few songs. So then I get it on shuffle and by the time the playlist's done I'm asleep but not wasting the battery.

I felt proud of myself for figuring out how to do that.

Apologies if you read that.

I know it was boring.

And not introspective at all.

Love always,
Clara

A Decision.

I've been told all I have to do is decide.

So I've decided it's summer.

Because it's hot in my room on the top floor and I'm listening to mellow summer music and it's the kind of thing that makes me want to just ditch life and go to Nantucket.

The music in question- just downloaded the following

Good People - Jack Johnson

Sitting, Waiting, Wishing - Jack Johnson

Speak to me Gently - Future of Forestry

A Lack of Color - Death Cab for Cutie

Beating My Heart - Jon McLaughlin

Campus - Vampire Weekend

I'm Ready - Jack's Mannequin

Rescued - Jack's Mannequin

Black Balloon - The Goo Goo Dolls*

*This was introduced to me by the wonderfully talented Mixed Company. Rock on guys. Way to pick awesome songs (and sing them well).

I'm good at making decisions. 

Maybe that's a lie.

Oh, so my neighbors hate teenagers. They think we're unreliable and generally scandalous individuals. I think their kids were a little wild. Anyway, they feel comfortable telling me this. I'm not sure if they do it for the irony or because they had forgotten for quite a while that I myself am one of these monsters.

So today I was getting into the car with the sister to drive her to a friend's house. So, real conversation-

Wife: Oh, where are you guys going?

Husband: When will you be back? Who will you be with? Do we know their parents?

I like it when people are self-aware enough to make fun of themselves.

Love always,
Clara

txt me

Recently the adults of the world have decided that the ultimate demise of cultured society is here.

In the form of texting.

I disagree, actually.

I've been thinking about it a bunch today because of some text conversations and random flashes of deja vu i've been having recently. Here's the thing- it's like regular conversation but better.

• It's convenient
• It's concise
• It's low pressure
• It takes some thinking

By that I mean you have to consider what you're saying just because you have to tap the numbers. Word choice becomes important. Whereas when you're typing on a keyboard, for me it's second nature, so I can type any stupid thought that comes into my head.

Which is probably why this blog has so many posts.

And it's quiet, which makes it good for late night conversations or conversations under the table during dinner or... other times you need to be discrete. 

I can't figure out why, but I get the impression (based on my own limited experience) that people are more inclined to text when it's warm. Summertime dominates my texting.

Maybe we're all more laid back and restless and wanting plans.

I'm feeling laid back and restless and wanting plans right now.

But I think plans are being made. 

It is so warm out.

Real conversation that took place during Latin yesterday-

Me: You don't understand. 99% of girls hate 99% of guys 75% of the time
Will: What? You don't hate me 75% of the time, do you?
Me: ... eh, yeah, 75% of the time. Just on principle. You have a Y chromosome.
Will: *cries inside* Alexandra, you don't hate me seventy five percent of the time, do you?
Alexandra: No, you're not my prostate.

Love always,
Clara

The making of...

Margo's epic Sadie's scheme.

The song is "Friday I'm in Love" by The Cure.

I don't own it or anything so I think by saying that, I'm not breaking any laws.

I have no idea how the laws work, but don't want to learn, because plausible deniability is a great thing.

Love always,
Clara

At this moment...

... I would bet Sam is freaking out.

Details to follow. I've got tons of footage.

Love always,
Clara

Watching Parks & Recreation

And it is hilarious, and the woman played by Amy Poehler reminds me a little bit of my mother. 

I'm drinking tea.

Pepsi Max is the first diet cola for men.

That was the most painful commercial I have ever had to watch. All of these terrible things happening to men, and they're all like "Oh, I'm good!" 

I guess they wouldn't have that great a reaction when they... drank diet coke? I don't know.

Yikes.

I was so messed up today, particularly this morning. I didn't have coffee, as I tend to do most mornings, and I've been kind of sick, so I was kind of... off. Meaning Ovid wasn't making any sense. Which is a shame. I like Ovid.

Now The Office is on

Love always,
Clara

Fish and the Slow, Tragic Death of Print Journalism

Today, I cooked something.

This wonderful woman named Robin helped. She being the nutritionist/chef/teacher person. 

I cooked seared salmon with mustard sauce, and this shrimp+cod+tomatoes+other veggies dish. Which involved learning to chop. The right way.

You see, I'm a pescetarian. Fish=Good. Meat=Bad.

And I have health issues, which means inflammation=Bad. Which means Bread+Pasta+Potatoes=Starches=Bad.

So It's hard to figure out what to eat. 

Robin to the rescue!

I am very much excited by this. 

Chanel: You could get four by adding two to two, or you could get four by adding five to one...

-Chanel's perspective on the finer points of mathematical logic

I just spent like, 20 minutes reading fmylife.com and now I feel compelled to start every sentence with the word "Today." It's really quite frustrating.

Today (see?) the journalistic among us published The Current, the less satirical of the two school papers. I love both The Current and Common Sense, although I've always thought I'd be better suited to writing for Common Sense than The Current... Not sure why. Inclination toward sarcasm perhaps.

Anyways, they revived a feature that had been dead for a little while now, "Current Quotes", in which they publish funny/interesting quotes heard around the school. They're awesome and I love them.

The funny part about this batch in particular was that I recognized about half of them (last time they were published it was freshman year and most of the references went over my head). And I'd blogged a bunch of them.

Which is pretty cool. Rock on, internet.

Not that I consider myself much of a journalist. More like a compulsive documenter.

On an unrelated note, print media is dead.

Love always,
Clara

Yes, where ARE the monkeys?

If you must, just watch the first two minutes of this.

Oh dear.

I very much like evolution.

I very much dislike it when people who don't get science try to use it to support their theories that aren't based on science at all.

Poor woman. She is very confused.

Love always,
Clara

Oh what a world we live in.

Proof that you really can Wikipedia anything.

This is basically a slice of math class. My favorite part is the penguin at the end.

This, unfortunately, was cut off, but Paul had asked Chloe, "What is wrong with your sex?"

John repeated it to me. It sounds in the video like he's just saying "YOUR SEX, CLARA!"

Or perhaps rather, "YOU'RE SEX, CLARA!"

Depending on your interpretation. Let it be known that Paul meant gender and John was repeating it and this is the context.

Then Isabella and I went to get a snack after school and she almost hurt herself on a bottle cap. Let it be known that those really are spiky and do indeed hurt.

Love always,
Clara

Wasting my Time (and: thoughts on love)

Things I should do

• Read Hamlet
• Do my math homework (which involves looking it up online, which involves... going to the school's slow website)
• Be responsible and wonderful and do things right

Things I will do

• Read Hamlet
• Chew this gum even though it's kind of gross
• Post videos on this blog!
• Check facebook every twenty seven seconds, even though no one's online or doing anything interesting.
• Read FML which I think is a little bit like Hamlet
• Look up post-structuralism on wikipedia

We had a really interesting conversation about love in latin this morning. I'm not sure why, but Mr C ended up reading us segments of Plato's Symposium.

Awesome stuff, yo.

In regards to my opinion, I'm finding it hard to reconcile these two ideas:

1. Humans are basically smart animals largely governed by the chemicals in our brains.
   
2. I feel things, damn it!

Thoughts on this in the comments are welcome.

Although if people have been trying to define love since Plato's days, we're in for one hell of a conversation.

Quote without context:

Jessica: I'm definitely going to work for Playboy!

And another:

Me: Oh god, I'm going to have to write that on my hand. 'Note to self: Do not have a threesome'

Sounds like a very sexual day, but it really wasn't. Quite the opposite.

Love always,
Clara

(Oh god, what do I mean by that?)

Who can blame him?

David: I watched Pinnochio, and now I have a cricket consciousness.

Me: You want one?

David: No, I have one.

Me: Oh

David: Yeah, so if I want to make a decision I can just ask the cricket on my shoulder. And if I do something stupid I can say, "what can I do? I'm taking orders from a cricket!"

...

David: I hope you've been absorbing this, because it's a very bloggable moment

Me: I'll probably go to History and blog it right now.

Love always,
Clara

Things I like

1. Electrolytes
2. Historians who rap
3. Bitches on the food network
4. Blue people

That needed to be said, despite the fact that it didn't make any sense.

I have a headache or something. And I'm really itchy and I have no idea why. Any suggestions? There's nothing wrong with me, I'm just itchy.

I've done all the homework I'm going to do, which is a great feeling at 4:43 on a rainy monday afternoon

4:44! Make a wish!

Vivian says you can only make a wish at 11:11. I say to hell with that. We can wish whenever we want. We're always wishing. So who's to say one time or another is better or worse for wishing?

I think the more helpful thing about wishing is making yourself think about what you would wish for, given a wish.

So I want that opportunity to really consider my wishing more often than just once a day before lunch (seeing as I tend to be asleep before the nighttime 11:11, and that's technically 23:11 anyway)

Love always,
Clara

I am in a curious mood.

So basically I woke up this morning still in my clothes and curled up against Katie's couch.

Upon the passage of that initial discomfort, I remembered how much fun last night was.

Then I was basically smiley through breakfast and whatnot.

And driving home I almost got lost in DC and trying to renavigate myself, my best friend Garmin froze on me. Twice.

So I come home and take a shower and dress in pastels and try to make myself a veggie burger and skedaddle off to this church festival event, to sing with madrigals.

And by 'Madrigals', I mean the ten of us who didn't have anything better to do on a sunday afternoon.

I find it hard to believe the rest of us had better things to do though. Who does things on sunday afternoons? Except like, homework.

So we went and sang and we were not as wonderful as we could have been, due to our small number. And I drove home.

Mom and the sister and I went to go see '17 Again' which was cute.

I am very much attracted to Zac Efron. I am not ashamed.

And we had dinner at Ruby Tuesday's because it's right next to the movie theater and we fought about food because we are all weird and judgmental, Mom, the sister, and I.

I blame Mom for it because she was born first.

And then we went home and I've been up in my room trying to figure out what to do with myself.

Because I'm done with my homework.

And I have a headache. There may be a correlation between this and the fact that there is something like a centimeter of pollen covering my car. It's like, green.

And I have no desire to go to sleep yet, seeing as it's only 8:30, but I'm quite tired.

That's been my super day.

School tomorrow. Ugh.

Or rather, doctor's office tomorrow to get various blood tests, meaning MORE NEEDLES, then school.

I should stop complaining and... I don't know, learn to love the bomb or something.

Love always,
Clara

Crazy girl...

So yesterday between her Caps game and my surprising excursion, Vivian came over and we rambled for a bit on camera.
She talks about the Caps and martians and how she wants to meet Sam because they may or may not have spoken on the phone one time.



I would definitely call that a celebrity endorsement, seeing as Viv might as well be famous.

Love always,
Clara

Random video

So I was going through Italy footage and found this.

Every once in a while I need a solid reminder that I am a total dork. This is it.

Love always,
Clara

Feeling quite silly

Lily taught me that today, as a part of this 'day of silence' thing. Although I'm not sure how often that particular phrase might come in handy...

As you can probably tell, I am feeling silly tonight. High on life one might say, with the added possibility that the people at the gas station put crack in my Red Bull.

I mean, these things happen.

I made such an epic mix CD (and did put a Maroon 5 song on it, as I reminded myself to do) and listened to it in the car just now. It was great.

I am so tired but I can't sleep (standing on the edge of something much too deep -Sarah McLachlan moment, my apologies). But seriously. Caffeine really does have mad power.

Or something.

I'm not sure that any of this is making sense.

Love always,
Clara

Real Math-related Conversations

These have been accumulating in my math notebook and make me giggle.

Someone*: Is linear kind of curved?

Mr H: Linear is sort of straight.

Mr H: To find a tangent--

Yar: "To Find a Tangent." That's what I'm going to title my memoir

Mr H: That would be a good title!

Shivani: I'm going to give blood. Bye.

Someone*: What if they reject your blood?

Grier: They're vampires. Don't let them do it.

Yar: So if the discontinuity is a waterfall or a sink hole, and the water can fall through, that means there's nothing obstructing the river upstream...?

Mr H: I don't know what to do with that metaphor.

I just had to write those out.

*In these cases, I was a very very bad life-journalist and didn't write who said what. Sorry. I got caught up in the moment. It's hard to keep records and exist at the same time.

Love always,
Clara

Day of Silence

Yay silence and supporting the cause (GLBT). I would be silent too but I seriously have problems with not talking. I talk to myself all the time. So I'd fail.

Sam just typed this because he's being silent too:
"last night you didnt mention me and i wanted you to because i checked it obsessively ;("
He thinks he should be mentioned more often. Crazy kids with their internet lives and desire for celebrity. 
... Hypocrisy noted.

This day is like a big game of charades. But not.

Love always,
Clara

Glorious Day

I decided to wear bright colors today. Several people told me I reminded them of Barney. As I told Rebecca, "It's sunny today. To hell with it."

Actual legitimate real conversation with my mother this afternoon:

Mom: I'm so stressed out about [redacted], I could go out and have a drink!

Me: That's a great message to send the teenager.

I really should be studying for my history test, but I'm going to watch 30 Rock instead because maybe, just maybe, I have my priorities straight.

I will study though. Afterward.

Love always,
Clara

On the bright side, the t-shirts are totally badass

New and exciting experience of the day: Giving blood

I figure, I'm seventeen. I need to do the things seventeen year olds can do. That is, see R rated movies and give blood. 

One down, one to go.

First, a little awkward anecdote. Today I was standing there minding my own business, I think talking to David, and Nick M decides to bump into me to say hello in his strange way. So I'm standing near a cluster of backpacks and there's nowhere I can really put my foot to steady myself.

So I fall over.

At that point, Sam ran across the Crossroads to kick me in the head (softly?) which was not appreciated.

But the point is, someone asked whether I had given blood today (explaining the propensity to falling over), I had to explain that no, I hadn't, but I was going to. And if I was falling over with all my blood still in me, I had wonderful things ahead of me.

Anyways.

So I go after school and fill out the forms and whatnot, and it's just great, and this doctor who reminded me of 13 from House takes me into a little room to ask whether I'd been a prostitute after 1977 (would it be okay if I'd been a prostitute before 1977?) and then she does a finger prick test to see if I'm anemic. And I cover my eyes because I'm okay with pain, I'm just not so chill with seeing blood.

And then the other doctors made fun of me. Which was okay.

Then I chilled there for a bit and they put me in a reclining thing and tied up my arm and stuck the needle in me, which wasn't so bad. It was just cold, like dipping your hand in cool water. And I had this stress ball shaped like a pumpkin, which I hadn't realized I was supposed to be squeezing. So I didn't squeeze it, and that went well. Really well. I was sitting there for like, ten minutes before someone asked how the squeezing was going. Apparently it makes the process go faster (I don't really care to contemplate the details).

So once I started to squeeze it was just fine.

Then I was done and I sat up.

Not so great.

You know when you have a fever so you feel hot and cold at the same time? It was kind of like that, but with dizziness included. Not among my favorite sensations.

So the super cool doctors who had made fun of me before made fun of me again and told me I looked like a zombie and should lie down with ice on my neck and a bottle of apple juice.

So I did that.

Ms G, school nurse extraordinaire, was there too. She decided, upon seeing my zombie state, that I was in no condition to drive, so she offered to drive me to advisory dinner, from which my parents could pick me up.

In retrospect, it was a brilliant idea. I thought I was fine, but I evidently was/am not. Still feeling woozy, and at dinner I was basically winded from picking up my backpack and walking across the room.

Yikes.

So that's been the past five hours. It's just lovely.

Love always,
Clara

You want cute?

This is cute.

Love always,
Clara

True love.

Tori and Tim are, apparently, soulmates. I'm not sure what Tim thinks about this.

Sam: They're soulmates! Do you believe in soulmates, Mr C?

Mr C: I don't know

Drew: But do you believe in stalking?

Mr C: That's the real question. I don't believe in criminal activity.

On a related note, can you believe 'soulmates' doesn't go through spell check? I am shocked. Patrick (my computer), doesn't believe in love!

Here I thought I'd taught him well.

I believe in love.

Although high school is trying to bludgeon it out of me. Whatever.

Epic Battle!

Love always,
Clara

Sadie's, Math, and falling from trees.

Mr P: I have a plea for you. Please do not participate in this thing called sexting. Do it in person if you want, but don't do it digitally.

Yar: *is giggly*

Mr H: 't' is the time the apple's been separated from the tree... And I'm going to separate you from your tree.

Mr P: Way to pad your resume

Yar: You're mean. I'm going to deface your phone book.

Drew: *mumbles to self*

Hanna: Hey Drew... Who are you talking to?

Drew: Myself

Hanna: That's okay. We're accepting.

Yar: What if crazy people are the normal people and the normal people are crazy people?

Drew: We are! 

Mr P: Alex, who's going to ask you to Sadie's?

Alex: I don't know. Hopefully my mom.

Love always,
Clara

Oh my gosh!

Ms D: You all know how to text; I couldn't send a text message if my life depended on it. Ms J sent me a text message one morning and I was like "Oh my gosh! My phone plays words!"

Talking about solitude and Thoreau in English.

It's just lovely

Love always,
Clara

What a day.

I'll say this: it was messy.

Wake up, go to school, whatever whatever whatever. Math was funny.

Mr H: If the tangent is vertical, then the speed is undefined.

Yar: *does something with... tape?*

Mr H: Yar... That is an activity that is also undefined.

Mr H: Sam, stop muttering under your breath.

Sam: I'm not muttering, I'm singing!

Get that allergy-type feeling during chem and feel the need to put my head on the table and never pick it up. End up playing the penis game with Ann outside. We have a lot of fun with that one.

Ann: PENIS!

Me: PENIS!!

Am pressured by an 8th grade teacher to give my sister a ride home. I don't usually do this. She's a distraction. So I do, and it's an incredibly boring car ride, and I had needed to get my thoughts in a line seeing as they tend to get tangled up, and I can't do that in silence. But I can't talk to myself or harmonize when the sister is sitting silently in the passenger seat reading about racism or whatever it was.

We did have a lovely little rant about the obnoxiousness of memoirs. People who pity themselves and write about it annoy me. I ought to be more compassionate, and I am, but it makes me wonder whether they have real personalities, or whether they completely define themselves by the hardships of their childhoods.

Come home, get in epic fight with the sister over something incredibly stupid. She lunges at me and pulls my hair and whatnot; I have a bruise on my head now, thanks to the demon child.

I come downstairs a few minutes later while Mom is trying to reason with her. I'm going to go on a walk to chill out/order bagels. The sister gets a knife to cut some cake but Mom interprets it as a murder attempt. The fact that this was plausible should alarm you.

I go for said walk and order said bagels.

Then mom and I go shopping because we are escapists. Or rather, she's an escapist and I convince her I am too until we're far enough into the trip to turn back, at which point I make her confront her demons (i.e. the sister).

I buy some jeans.

We come home, I eat dinner, I watch House and do my physics quiz.

Feeling exhausted. Family drama sucks.

Love always,
Clara

I'm living weekend to weekend

It's lovely.

I saw a play with my dad last night about the musical development of Maureen McGovern.

It made me want to download music from the sixties/seventies. Very cool.

Alexandra: Does anyone have an eyepatch?

Me: No, but did you hear they killed the pirates and freed the captain?

Will: I kind of wanted the pirates to win.

Alexandra: What the hell is wrong with you?

Love always,
Clara

Adventures in Metroville

Vivian and Daphna and I tried to take the Metro into Rville.

That worked.

(Sarcasm.)

We walked like, 20 minutes to get to the metro because the stupid bus didn't show up (This was my frustration like, all this summer), and by the time we got there we would have had like, half an hour. So we got off the metro early and hung out in Chinatown.

We went to the Spy museum seeking Leninade. They didn't have any. We were dismayed.

So then we walked around a bit and got chilly and decided to get coffee.

We took the metro all the way into Chinatown to go to Starbucks.

The worst part of this is that Viv has been boycotting Starbucks for a while, so she didn't buy anything. She just stole sips of mine.

Viv: But you're all my babies! You came out of my gaping hole!

(Vivian has a lot of children)

Today I have easter madness but first I have to drop off the two lovely ladies at the Metro. If they can get moving. They should do that.

Love always,
Clara

Sunday morning rain is falling...

Okay, so it's actually saturday, but it's also a good morning to listen to Maroon 5.

(note to self: put a Maroon 5 song on the next mix CD)

I'm finding I no longer have that urge to stay up really late and sleep in late. I had that phase pretty early, staying up until 2 in the morning reading in like, fourth grade.

I was an angsty fourth grader. 

The reason I bring this up is that I've already gone out and had breakfast with Mackenzie and such, while the lovely Daphna and Vivian are upstairs sleeping.

Cuties.

Vivian stole my phone yesterday. That's always fun.

Today, when I went to breakfast, I parked next to a meter. And I remember thinking "Oh good, I have change in my wallet" but I never actually took that change and put it in said meter. So I realized this while walking back to the car and got a little bit nervous.  As I am walking to my car I see the parking monitor woman in her little pick up truck checking meters. She was like, four cars away from mine. I had to like, jog to my car to be sure I could escape before she caught me.

She definitely knew.

But I made it.

Love always,
Clara

Love always: Birthday edition

Yay! I'm seventeen! And I'm a person who likes excitement so I'm bubbling around today basically demanding attention....

Sam tried to give me seventeen headbutts. For my birthday?

Mr C: Caesar, they say, was every woman's man, and every man's woman. He was not discriminating. Have a pulse? You're fair game.

We just touched awkwardly.

I get a boner every time I read King Lear.

Daphna and Vivian are here and it's making my life complete

Love always,
Clara

Pre-birthday family dinner...

Grace (reading a card from Steph): STyphh... I can't tell what this says. Looks like 'nympho'

*She proceeds to dance and sing that section of 'Maneater' that mentions nymphos*

Mom: Oh that dance was cute! Do it again!

Yikes.

Love always,
Clara

I am boring.

I haven't said anything vaguely substantive in far too long. 

Sincerest apologies. I've been super busy, and anticipate I'll be staying super busy for the next few days. 

Tests+double family birthdays+easter=madness.

Right now (or rather, just a second ago) I was studying for my history test, the 2nd of 3 this week. Could be worse.

Apparently my great grandmother Clara-the-first was like, BFFs with all these people though.

Examples: 

-Clara 1 was good friends with Frances Perkins and convinced FDR to make her Secretary of Labor

-Felix Frankfurter gave Clara 1 the pitcher that now is in my dad's office. He was a "brain truster" and at some point a Supreme Court Justice.

Is that cool or is that cool? Also, Henry Morgenthau's granddaughter is a friend of my Mom's. And Harold Ickes, Secretary of the Interior under Roosevelt, has a son/grandson (not sure) also named Harold Ickes who is doing things now.

A lot of the New Deal things sound pretty familiar actually...

Anyway, I've got to study.

Love always,
Clara

(the second)

These are the highlights of today.

Mr C: If you can't get the take home quiz done because you have family things because of Easter, that's fine. If you just forget and say you couldn't because of Easter, you're going to hell.

Fire alarms: *going off*

Me: Was this a scheduled thing?

Teacher: Yeah, I think Mr Y's been planning to set that fire for a while.

Sam: Stop stealing my school supplies!

Band: This is a Kings of Leon cover, "Sex on Fire"

David: Oh I love this song. It's amazing.

Me: Really?

David: Yeah. Like, picture sex. On fire. That's how good it is... Just pour kerosene all over it and light a match.

Me: I wasn't expecting a music assembly.

David: Me neither. I figured there would be another speaker telling us to stop using electricity and start burning republicans instead.

Love always,
Clara

Mothers and flip flops

This reminds me vaguely of my own mother.

(Again talking about dress code)

Paul: You know why guys can't get away with flip flops? Because they can't get away with anything. Including rape.

John: But would you want to live in a world where guys could rape people... other guys... and get away with it.

Paul: No. It's better this way

Ms M: But Stalin said, 'heck no'

Yar: *giggle*

Ms M: Did you think 'heck no' was funny?

Yar: No, Stalin.

Love always,
Clara

Yikes, this is me.

And by the way, did I tell you about my dream in which I was swimming in a Roman villa and Thomas C was there, but he was a hippopotamus?

Love always,
Clara

Musical mystery!

This song is un-googlable but I'm in love with it.

Anyone know it?

Lyrics:

I don't know which way to go

Can you help me?

All I see is signs tonight

All around me, yeah

So what you waiting for now?

An ever after?

What you waiting for me to come back down?

Before we lay down to sleep tonight

I'd love to show how i feel inside

First base is always fun for the first taste

But I want more from you,

Worst case, I'll end up waiting for way too long

Realize darling that you are always on my mind

I'll end up coming on way too strong

That's the first verse and chorus. If anyone knows who sings it (a guy...) and where I can find more of him, that would be fantastic...

Funny story how it ended up on my computer. NaNoWriMo CD exchange. Someone sent me a huge CD so I didn't listen to all of them at once (and I had them all on shuffle while writing), and some were just called like, "Track 1, Unknown Album".

So just now I was burning a mix CD and going through my songs, and I see some unnamed ones so I decide I'm going to fix that. And I listen to this one and fall in love with it. And then I try to google the lyrics and get ZERO results.

So I'm asking for a huge coincidence right now. But I need to know who sings this.

Speaking of music, here's my most recent iTunes binge:

Come On Get Higher - Matt Nathanson

How Do You Sleep? - Jesse McCartney

Santa Clara - The National*

Take Me to the Riot - Stars

Anthems for a Seventeen-Year-Old Girl - Broken Social Scene**

An Eludarian Instance - Of Montreal

O Valencia! - The Decemberists

Phantom Limb - The Shins

Cath... - Death Cab for Cutie

The Hazards of Love 4 - The Decemberists

Title and Registration - Death Cab for Cutie

You Are the Moon - The Hush Sound

Concerning the UFO Sighting Near Highland, Illinois - Sufjan Stevens

Crazier - Taylor Swift

*I will admit I downloaded that song for its name. But it's really good. Really.

**I will also admit I downloaded this one because I am soon to be a 17-year-old girl, and thus need to be familiar with these anthems.

Love always,
Clara

Chanel's losing her eyesight

Chanel (looking at the whiteboard): What's going on with that red stuff up there?

Mr Cobb: Oh, just words... written in the english language...

Mr Cobb: So this teacher used to say that the real function of the dress code is that the dress code gives the students something stupid to rebel against.

Drew: The dress code is the opiate of the people

I agree with that, actually. People need to be more concerned with things that actually matter. Although it's a travesty that Ms. H is withholding the right to wear shorts from our guys. I am appalled. 

Mr Cobb: Nichrome is the metal they put in toasters.

Shivani: I love toast.

Mr Cobb: Everyone loves toast.

Apparently, tungsten is the metal they put in light bulbs. I find this interesting.

Shivani: I don't get the connection. It's like, "Jesus rose from the dead. Here's a bunny. Here's a bunny with eggs."

Mr Cobb: Now, shematic diagrams

Shivani: Oh, I hate diagrams.

Mr Cobb: I love diagrams. Almost as much as I love toast, I love diagrams. Give me a stack of diagrams and I am happy.

Love always,
Clara

Putting myself out there

I have an exhibitionist streak. 

So the fact that there are a slew of websites that invite me to share myself thrills me.

What I've joined today:

Sharethis- click that green thing at the bottom of my posts now to facebook/twitter/whatever you please

weheartthis- thank goodness I was facebook stalking Lily... She had a link to this fantastic visual bookmark thing

minekey- I haven't fallen in love with this site yet but it has awesome potential- post opinions, other people say whether they agree or disagree. Essentially the open forum, but bigger.

Love always,
Clara

wtf?

A combination of events has made me inclined to post this here.

Last night, I had a dream that I told someone not to leave the party. My logic for their non-departure was... particle physics.

And I think grammar was involved. The person I was speaking to understood particle physics, but hadn't realized that you could like, change the sentence structure and thus alter spacetime.

WHAT

THE

HELL?

Love always,
Clara

Bizarre.

So I was looking at a cereal box today. Just now, actually. For Frosted Mini Wheats (Grace's breakfast of choice. Mine is a tall sugar free vanilla soy latte from the Starbucks on Union street, if you were wondering), which is plentiful in fiber. Which, they say, makes kids more able to focus in school.

Anyway, you know how there are like, games and whatnot on the back of cereal boxes sometimes? This cereal box had this sort of game where you had to read the words and figure out what they were really saying. Not like, the 'literacy' game, but... I can't describe. Example: If the answer is 'example', it might say 'ex ham pull' because they're all words.

EXCEPT...

They had crazy subliminal messages! Like "Folk is son's cool"

... Get it? Focus on school!

There were other games, anagrams and whatnot, that I didn't bother to solve but probably said things like "do work" or "sit still" or "OBEY THE CEREAL BOX"

Of course, if fiber does help you focus, that doesn't mean kids are going to be any more engaged by our semiretarded education system.

And on that note, shouldn't our education system be teaching kids to resist this kind of manipulation?

I am worked up about this. Death to Frosted Mini Wheats!

Love always,
Clara

Feeling uninspired

So here's something that's supposed to be a facebook note.

100 Things You Might Not Know About Me...
Answer these questions [[and then tag other people to do the same]]

1. ONE OF YOUR SCARS, HOW DID YOU GET IT?
Tripped and skinned my knee at belle haven with my grandparents. my parents were out of town. I think I was four.

2. WHAT IS ON THE WALLS IN YOUR ROOM?
mirror, calendar, my passionfruit list and a star from the last CTY dance, an Obama poster

3. DO YOU SNORE, GRIND YOUR TEETH, OR TALK IN YOUR SLEEP?

I snore occasionally, if it's allergy season.

4. WHAT TYPE OF MUSIC DO YOU LISTEN TO?

A lot of really random stuff. If you're really curious, click the 'music' tag.

5. DO YOU KNOW WHAT TIME YOU WERE BORN?
midafternoon. Like, 3PM

6. WHAT DO YOU WANT MORE THAN ANYTHING RIGHT NOW?
not to have to go to school tomorrow

7. WHAT DO YOU MISS?
Certainty. (on that note, I think I just said I was in doubt. Oh god, you know what that means...)

8. WHAT IS YOUR MOST PRIZED POSSESSION(S)?
Patrick, my happy little laptop.

9. HOW TALL ARE YOU?
5'7"

10. DO YOU GET CLAUSTROPHOBIC?
Nope

11. DO YOU GET SCARED IN THE DARK?
Occasionally. If I'm already in a paranoid mood.

12. THE LAST PERSON TO MAKE YOU CRY?
The demon-child, also known as my sister

13. WHAT'S YOUR WORST FEAR?

I'm not sure. Ending up with a boring life.

14. WHAT KIND OF HAIR/EYE COLOR DO YOU LIKE ON THE OPPOSITE SEX?
I have found all hair colors incredibly attractive at one point or another.

15. WHERE CAN YOU SEE YOURSELF PROPOSING?
I probably would be being proposed to, unless the feminist movement picks a new cause.

16. COFFEE OR ENERGY DRINK?
Hm. Every day, coffee. When I really want to, energy drink.

17. FAVORITE PIZZA TOPPING?

Being a vegetarian, I'm kind of limited. This one time in italy though, there was this pizza with like, lettuce on top? Like pizza salad.

18. IF YOU COULD EAT ANYTHING RIGHT NOW, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
I just ate. But now I'm chewing gum.

19. FAVORITE COLOR OF ALL TIME?
The color the sky turns right before the sun comes up. It's like a dark bluish turquoise or something.

20. HAVE YOU EVER EATEN A GOLDFISH?
WHAT? NO. Who writes these questions?

21. WHAT WAS THE FIRST MEANINGFUL GIFT YOU'VE EVER RECEIVED?
Not sure. I have trouble assigning meaning to objects.

22. DO YOU HAVE A CRUSH?
Depends on your definition of crush and what day of the week you ask me.

23. ARE YOU DOUBLE JOINTED?
In my elbows :)

24. FAVORITE CLOTHING BRAND?

Not one in particular. I wear things I like.

25. WHO IS YOUR FAV FEMALE/MALE CELEBRITY?

Hm... Female, Julia Allison, although I'm not sure she's a celebrity really. Male, Demitri Martin. I will marry him.

26. DO YOU HAVE A PET RIGHT NOW?
Yes! My Chili dog.

27. WHAT KIND IS IT?
A dog. Miniature poodle, actually.

28. WOULD YOU FALL IN LOVE KNOWING THAT THE PERSON IS LEAVING?
Yes. 1) I only wish I could control these things. 2) Why not? I'd rather have a week in love with a person than nothing.

30. SAY A NUMBER FROM ONE TO A HUNDRED:
Twenty nine. Because it's not on this list.

31. BLONDES OR BRUNETTES?
Blondes rule the world.

32. FAVORITE QUOTE?
"You are not boring or vain or simple or mean. You're colorful, complex, and have a beauty that's all your own. And for the record, you are infinitely nicer than they give you credit for." 

33. FAVORITE PLACE?
Home.

34. HAVE YOU BEEN OUT OF THE USA?
Yesss.

35. YOUR WEAKNESSES?
Philosophical conversations and cotton-candy flavored ice cream

36. MET ANYONE FAMOUS?
Yep. 

37. FIRST JOB?

Interned for a while... does that count?

38. EVER DONE A PRANK CALL?
Hahaha yes

39. DO YOU THINK EVERYONE OUT THERE HAS A SOULMATE?
Sort of. I think people fall in love a number of times, but one person is going to be in the right place at the right time.

40. WHAT WERE YOU DOING BEFORE YOU FILLED THIS OUT?
Trying to learn "The Remedy" on the piano.

41. HAVE YOU EVER HAD SURGERY?
Yeah... On my gums, in 8th grade.

42. WHAT DO YOU GET COMPLIMENTED ABOUT MOST?
I don't know if boob comments count as "compliments"...

43. HAVE YOU EVER HAD BRACES?
Yep. 4th-8th grade. Thank god that's over.

44. WHAT DO YOU WANT FOR YOUR BIRTHDAY?
nothing really... But it's coming up!

45. HOW MANY KIDS DO YOU WANT AND THEIR NAMES?
3. See, I want to have an odd number so they can't pair off in fights, and only children (bless your hearts) are less likely to be well-adjusted. Plus, a psychic told me I'd have 2 boys and a girl. As for names, I'm not sure.

46. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
Yeah. My great grandmother.

47. WHAT IS THE BIGGEST TURN OFF OF THE OPPOSITE/SAME SEX?
Boringness.

48. WHAT IS ONE THING YOU LIKE(D) ABOUT HIGH SCHOOL?
The camaraderie.

49. WHAT KIND OF SHAMPOO DO YOU USE?
Herbal Essences. I'm not sure the particular name, but it's the swirly orange one.

50. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
Sure. Sometimes it pisses me off, but I can change it.

51. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?
Cheese. What? I don't know. I'm a vegetarian.

52. ANY BAD HABITS?
YES. Gum addiction, diet coke addiction, I wait too long to get my hair cut, I chip my nailpolish on purpose, etc.

53. ARE YOU A JEALOUS PERSON?
I try not to be. 

54. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
Yes! I think I'm great! (That sounded stupid.) Although if there were multiple of me, the world might explode.

55. DO YOU AGREE WITH FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS?
As long as the awkwardness can be averted, sure.

56. DO LOOKS MATTER?
I hate to say they do, but there are actually studies that say people are more inclined to like you if you're 'attractive'. And thus they're more likely to give you a job or something great like that, so yes.

57. HOW DO YOU RELEASE ANGER?

I write lists of everything I hate about whatever it is I'm hating on. Actually. And I ramble and giggle and whatnot and essentially lose my mind. It's kind of a high.

58.WOULD YOU RATHER GAIN 58 POUNDS OR LOSE 58 POUNDS.
lose 58. Although I'd be pretty gross either way.

59. WHAT'S YOUR MAIN GOAL IN LIFE?
To be happy, short term and long term.

60. WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE TOY AS A CHILD?
Probably the computer... I was obsessed with The Sims.

61. HOW MANY NUMBERS ARE IN YOUR CELL PHONE?
Enough. When my phone died I never did one of those facebook groups or anything to get numbers. I've just been adding them as I need them.

62.WERE YOU A FAN OF BARNEY AS A LITTLE KID?

I believe I was. In fact, there was a room in my old house referred to as "The Barney Room" because that's where the primary TV was.

63. Do you use sarcasm?
Use? Sure. What?

64. MASHED POTATOES OR MACARONI AND CHEESE?

I can't eat either of those things. Given the choice, without regard for my health, I'd go with mac and cheese.

65. WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR IN A GUY/GIRL?
Intelligence, kindness, chemistry.

66. WHAT ARE YOUR NICKNAMES?

I've never had a lot really. Over the years: Clarabellum, Boob, Kl-Air-Ah, Clara-beara, Noodle, P

67. FAVORITE SUPER POWER?
Ability to manipulate time. And teleport. I think they go hand in hand.

68. WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE TV SHOW?
House and The Office. And Gossip Girl

69.WHAT'S THE BEST WAY TO DEAL WITH YOUR ENEMIES?
Make friends. 

70. WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR?
Cotton Candy. I mentioned this.

71. DO YOU HAVE ALL YOUR FINGERS AND TOES?
Yep. My dad doesn't, interesting fact. He has nine fingers.

72. DO YOU HAVE A COMPUTER IN YOUR ROOM?
The trusty laptop tends to live in here.

73. PLANS FOR TONIGHT?

Go to spinning at five, have dinner, do math homework, listen to Dawson McAllister.

74. WHERE DO YOU WANT TO LIVE WHEN YOU ARE OLDER?
Probably the DC area, actually.

75. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS?
Yes, although I'd probably be bored reading their answers, as I'm sure they're bored reading mine. Hell, I'm bored reading mine. I'm bored writing mine. Why am I still doing this?

76. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO?
iPod. "Save Tonight." My alphabetical song quest has gotten to the Ss

77. LAST THING YOU DRANK?
Water...

78. LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
Isabella I think.

79. THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE IN THE OPPOSITE SEX?
Height. That sounds weird but it's true.

80. WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO IN YOUR SPARE TIME?
Blog, read about things on wikipedia, go into old town and wander.

81. FAVORITE THING TO HATE?
I'm not a hater. I like to hate on haters. For the hypocrisy's sake.

82. FAVORITE SEASON OF THE YEAR?

The beginning of any season gets me excited about it, and then by the end I'm bored.

83. WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE TYPE OF CANDY?
M&Ms. Or Fireballs.

84. HAVE YOU EVER REALLY AND TRULY HAD A BEST FRIEND?
Yep :)

85. WHAT IS YOUR HAIR COLOR?
Blonde.

86. EYE COLOR?
Green

87. SHOE SIZE?
9-10

88. FAVORITE FAST FOOD PLACE?
Taco bell. Sorry. It's true.

89. FAVORITE RESTAURANT?
Pier St. (Now known as "the masthead". But it's still Pier St.)

90. DO YOU LIKE SUSHI?
Yes. I would probably get thrown out of my school if I didn't like sushi.

91. WATCH TV TODAY?
It was on while I was eating lunch...

92. FAVORITE DAY OF THE YEAR?
April 10 (because I'm obsessed with myself. That's incorrect. But I feel silly saying my birthday)

93. PLAY ANY MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS?
I play many instruments, not very well.

94. REPUBLICAN OR DEMOCRAT?
Bleeding-heart liberal.

95. KISSES OR HUGS?
Yes please.

96. RELATIONSHIPS OR ONE NIGHT STANDS?
Relationships...

97. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU BOUGHT?
Redbull at 7/11

98. WOULD YOU EVER BE A HOUSEWIFE?
As long as I had a life too. Like, housewife who writes something.

99. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING?
Naked by David Sedaris

100. DESCRIBE YOUR LOVE LIFE:
Like everything else, nonsensical.

Wow. I apologize if you read that whole thing. It was thoroughly uninteresting. 

Love always,
Clara

caffeine is my favorite thing

(Red Bull*3)/Clara=Crack.

I feel kind of shaky...

Love always,
Clara

I am so hungry.

Mr C: I think I had an asbestos tie once

Drew: Really? So did it catch fire? And give you cancer?

Mr C: You know when you go to crappy hotels with cheap carpeting and you get shocked all the time? I don't know if you go to crappy hotels, but I do.

Me: Where's cath?

Mr C (excitedly): Maybe she was abducted!

Love always,
Clara

Dancing mania

This is why I love wikipedia:

Dancing Mania

There is nothing more to say.

Love always,
Clara

EDIT: Actually, there IS more to say! This is my 500th post!

Yay blogging!

Are we talking about bongs?

Mr C: They tend to use an analogy of water and pipes
sam: *giggles*
me: why is that funny?
sam: water... pipes... bong! *giggle*
Mr C: Okay... *explains analogy*
Shivani: Wait, are we talking about how bongs work?
Mr C: I'm not.

Love always,
Clara

Spinning spinning spinning.

Physics is great.

Sam spun me around in a swivel chair, which is good because I needed distraction from my recent discovery that I will, in my adulthood, become a nymphomaniac, the sort of prostitute that doesn't charge and walks the streets naked just begging for someone to do me.

So Sam spun me. It was hillarical.

(Ask Sam.)

And then I was dizzy, and in combination with the low barometric pressure today, my brain was/is a little off.

Katie: Wow, you're acting like you do when you're sleep deprived

Me: It's the barometric pressure, and the spinning

Katie: You're really off your rocker

Me: I know! There was a rocker, and I was on it, and I'm off of it now!

Chanel: Hey everyone guess what? Hanna's a white supremacist!

Love always,
Clara

Quotes of Latin Class

Mr C: The wine was so strong, they had to water it down, sometimes 10:1

Yar: So it's like Kool-aid!

Yar: High five, god!

Alexandra: Gimme some skin, Jesus!

Will: The holy spirit slapped me five!

Mr C: It's a VW, and that company came into being under Adolf Hitler. Hitler still inhabits my Jetta. I feel like I need an exorcist... Or like, Dwight Eisenhower.

Alexandra: The moral of that story is just not to get prostitutes. Just do it yourself! Just like I said about date ripe!

Love always,
Clara

A poem by Allen Ginsberg

So Facebook caused me to stumble upon this poem and I like it and I can't make sense of it. Here you are.

The Terms in Which I Think of Reality

Reality is a question
of realizing how real
the world is already.

Time is Eternity,
ultimate and immovable;
everyone's an angel.

It's Heaven's mystery
of changing perfection :
absolute Eternity

changes! Cars are always
going down the street,
lamps go off and on.

It's a great flat plain;
we can see everything
on top of a table.

Clams open on the table,
lambs are eaten by worms
on the plain. The motion

of change is beautiful,
as well as form called
in and out of being.


Next : to distinguish process
in its particularity with
an eye to the initiation

of gratifying new changes
desired in the real world.
Here we're overwhelmed

with such unpleasant detail
we dream again of Heaven.
For the world is a mountain

of shit : if it's going to
be moved at all, it's got
to be taken by handfuls.


Man lives like the unhappy
whore on River Street who
in her Eternity gets only

a couple of bucks and a lot
of snide remarks in return
for seeking physical love

the best way she knows how,
never really heard of a glad
job or joyous marriage or

a difference in the heart :
or thinks it isn't for her,
which is her worst misery.

Allen Ginsberg

Love always,
Clara

Funny things today

Ms M: It's hard to negotiate with an irrational person

James: That's the nicest adjective I've heard before Hitler's name

Ms M: ... thank you...?

Sign: NO LEFT TURN 4-6 PM MON-FRI

*It is five PM on a wednesday*

Mom: *turns left*

Maybe you had to be there.

Grace: Clara, I know an (evanescence) song you would like because it's happy.

Me: Is it happy? Like, if you took out the words and hummed it, would I know it was happy?

Grace: *hums*

Me: You sound like you've been shot.

Grace (singing): I see the world through the eyes of a child...

Me (with sarcasm): OH GOD, MY LIFE IS FLASHING BEFORE MY EYES

Me (under my breath): I want to snap my face in half.

Mr H: Oh no... let's not do that...

He now thinks I'm a psychopath. I had a headache.

Mr H: What? I have four calculators!

(Hating on Anneka)

Yar: Well your prince may do organic farming, but our Prince is a musician!

Drew: That's what it sounds like when the doves cry!

Everyone: Oooooh...

Sam: He brought the purple rain!

I feel at times as though I am living in a poorly written comic strip. Overly drawn out non-dramas punctuated by puns and hilarity.

Driving in DC during rush hour is like a series of short comas punctuated by outbursts of anger and terror.

Paul doesn't think dogs have feelings and he is wrong. Chili says so.

Love always,
Clara