1.31.2009

So what's the deal with...

... teen angst?

Grace insisted we listen to her music on the drive home from the AWESOME 7th/8th grade musical. They did 'Guys and Dolls' and yes, it was adorable.
Anyway, Grace is in that evanescence phase. 
I had that phase. I had that moment when "Everybody's Fool" seemed the perfect metaphor for my oh so dramatic life. But at least that song doesn't imply killing oneself is a good idea.
I guess the newer album is... like that.
I don't know.
Here's the thing. I've found that phase tends to occur, if it does occur, between 6th and 8th grade.
Which is when the girls are meanest and I know I looked and felt awkward. 
But it's also when your stress levels are relatively low.
So what's the deal with this "omg my life is so hard" teen angst?

Love always,
Clara

25 things

So this is a facebook note, technically.
But I've taken a liking to doing facebook notes on the blog. So here we go.

Rules: Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you
(Except forget all that tagging business. This is a blog)

1. I am addicted to gum. It's a serious problem.
2. I wear axe deodorant, basically because I like the smell better than the girly flowery stuff.
3. Until about seventh grade, I slept with a doll named charlotte. Or rather, in seventh grade I stopped bringing her to sleepovers.
4. I still have my three CTY lanyards braided together on my bookshelf. And my 2007 Dickinson mealcard is in my wallet
5. My dad ran for governor when I was in preschool. I always kind of wonder how my life would have been different if he had won.
6. Today I ate french fries. This is very much not allowed (for health reasons) but oh, they were good.
7. Most of the books on my bookshelf are from long ago. I wish I had more time to read nowadays.
8. I hate judgmental people. Which makes me a hypocrite.
9. In 4th grade, my teacher was so stupid/inept that I wanted to drop out of school.
10. I'm more artistic than people would think.
11. I really like mellow music.
12. I have this fantasy that college will be like camp, but with more people and more classes and more freedom. This may be slightly realistic, considering I go to nerd camp.
13. My dad has nine fingers. I always find that cool.
14. I'm really good at the game "2 truths and a lie".
15. I love puzzles and mysteries. Lonelygirl15 was a good outlet for the conspiracy theorist in me, but its run its course and now I'm in the market for another.
16. I'm kind of concerned that I've grown out of infatuation. Which is something I really enjoy. So this is a shame.
17. I love going to CVS. I don't know why.
18. I've found the universe arranges itself so that I will be happy. Don't try to talk me out of this. I have very little evidence but a chain of strange coincidences. But that's my theory and I'm sticking to it.
19. I'm not religious. But I think there's something. (see above)
20. I don't tend to throw things out. I may become like my great uncle. He like, collects newspaper and string.
21. I'm a huge introvert, but I also love attention.
22. I'm convinced that my eventual fame is inevitable.
23. Prime numbers are awesome.
24. I started a twitter-esque notebook (in which I would write down short notes/thoughts) at the beginning of this summer to keep my head on straight. The internet has been a godsend.
25. This survey has been great, because I really like to talk about myself.... I should be denying it, but whatever. It's the truth.

Love always,
Clara

Mom and Feminism...

Mom mentioned me on her show
They were talking about the PETA ad and she horribly misquoted me... She's the blonde one.
Of course my mom is the blonde one on the feminist show.

Anyways, she showed me the link and we got to talking about feminism.
I didn't think the PETA ad was sexist. I thought it was scandalous, but not sexist. If you watch the clip all the women are saying how PETA thinks they're only talking to men, and women are being objectified.
I felt like it was saying "Hey, you too can be a sexy powerful vegetarian!" to women. Which other companies have been doing for years (replace 'vegetarian' with 'purse-owner' and see what I mean).

Mom: Well remember when [redacted] was saying you were promiscuous?
Me: Oh, she wasn't really. She was just saying I was, among [small group of nice girls], most likely to be.
Mom: I was so mad!
Me: Eh. I liked it. It means I'm pretty.
Mom: *shakes head in feminist disbelief*

Love always,
Clara

1.30.2009

This was today

Musical practice.
Will said a bad word. Dominique was offended. Mr. B cleverly used synonyms to prove his point. It was a typical day in the neighborhood... or rather, island... or rather, black box theater. 



Love always,
Clara

This was yesterday


How inappropriate.

And yes, I do go to CVS to relax. It's more the walking there by myself that clears my head. It's something I usually reserve for weekends, but every once in a while I make a weeknight trip. If I really need it.

Love always,
Clara

Silly silly silly

I should do something productive but I don't really want to. 

I'm going to read something about netflix or something.

Love always,
Clara

1.29.2009

Chemistry+Latin=Sex

Wait, what?
Wow, I'm sexual today.
(on that note, this was said to me today: "Wow, no WONDER you're the goddess of virginity!")

Anyway... things happened in chem today.

Ann: I loved Ms. Drake
Jess: Me too! Summer after 7th grade, she did me!
Ann: ... Wait, what?

That's Ann. That kind of says it all about Ann, and our chem class in general.

At the end of class...
*The bell rings*
Mr. H: Oh lord help me.

Love always,
Clara

More on vegetarians

Hey, at least this guy can know he's having better sex than that jerk boss.

On a completely unrelated note, you know what's frustrating?
When one of your more peculiar quirks is due to something that is actually a secret, and you are a person who likes to explain your quirks to people (usually for their benefit).
So you're explaining and have to... trail off...
I mean, I trail off a whole bunch anyways, long attention span isn't one of those quirks, but it's annoying.
I hate having secrets.
I would like to tell everyone everything about my life.
Why? I don't know. But I mean, I keep a blog. You'd probably figured that out already.
Anyway, it's probably a good thing that I have the restraint to keep some things to myself. Still though. Ugh.

Love always,
Clara

Events of the past five minutes

At school.
First time since monday.

Sam has no soul. He doesn't like the song "Love Story" which is seriously among the most amazing awe-inspiring songs... ever. Up there with like, Felix Mendelssohn and "Where is the love".

Quote without context:
Reilley: I just sit there and like, wear lavender sweaters

Shoutout to Amelia.

Sam says: Amelia, say something retarded without context!

Eunichs. Nantucket. I am tired. And maybe I do look like a green apple but this jacket makes me happy. So WHATEVER.

Paul just tried to stab Sam with a green highlighter.

Love always,
Clara

1.28.2009

Reason #1

... why I fail at life

So we were supposed to have a latin test on tuesday. Snow happened. Then it would have been today. Snow happened again.
So I suppose it will be tomorrow.
A crazy person would have spent the whole time studying. I trust there are no real people who do that (at least that I know)
A good person would have said "wow, I have an extra day (or two) to study for this test. I'll devote a couple hours to it, and then enjoy my snow day"
A Clara person would say "HEY COOL SNOW! I'M GOING TO BE LAZY AND READ MAGAZINES AND TAKE PICTURES AND ALSO READ SOME SARTRE!" until about 10 PM, at which case she would say "Oh, I suppose that latin test will be tomorrow... Crap. I shall study for as long as my attention span allows, which is about fifteen minutes... and then study on the bus! If I'm not sleeping... or listening to music... Crap"

I need to stop being such a Clara person, and start being a good person. Not a crazy person, but a good person.

Although, I value my Clara-person-ness. Not necessarily in this particular situation, but usually my Clara-person-ness works out for the best.
Bah. I have no idea what I'm talking about, and I should be studying for that latin test, but instead I'm complaining about how I'm not studying. I am so backwards.

Love always,
Clara

Proven Fact.

So this is the most inappropriate thing I've ever seen.
But hey, one more reason to go veggie!


Theory: If they won't play it during the super bowl, it's bad.
Warning: It really is that bad. But watch it anyway, because it's hilarious.

Love always,
Clara

Dreams between the hours of 6 and 9

I had this dream that a person pretended to be stuck to me so that he could turn invisible.
Wait, what?
And then someone said I had a hot date, and I thought they meant the invisible person stuck to me, but they really meant my art teacher (who was an invention of the dream) who was at that moment cross dressing. And pregnant.
Then--I suppose this was another dream--I was at our summer place (super small maryland town).
And there were actually waves at the thing we call the "beach".
Then I played with Aunt Kathy's camera. And she had binoculars too, which I basically stole to spy on our neighbors playing dodgeball. Some of them were in like, white puffy things, and others were in really nice clothes.
And then I realized I recognized a bunch of people from school, and I hadn't realized that they were friends with my neighbors.
Then one person who was from school but I don't remember who (probably another invention of my mind, but I remember wondering "how does that person from school know my neighbors?") walked over and stuck something on my back. And the thing was a newspaper clipping of cool things about Williams. It was a nice gesture.
Then the person and my sister and I went for a walk, and we wanted to all lie down in the grass at this L-shaped park, but some other people decided they wanted to play lacrosse.
Except that the shoes they were wearing were too big, and the lacrosse balls they were using were too small, and everything was dangerous for someone lying down in the middle of their field.
Except that it was OUR field.
I explained to the school person that I got my independence here. He said he got his in atlanta, which doesn't make much sense.

I know when this dream happened because it was after I woke up to my alarm clock and discovered we didn't have school today, but before I woke up once and for all (ten minutes ago).

Before 6 o clock, I was having a dream about something with chorus, and Summer was trying to organize a chorus dinner. I had to pick up the phone to get details on this dinner, but as soon as I was about to pick up the phone, my alarm went off. It was quite disappointing.

Love always,
Clara

1.27.2009

And they also sell those swedish meatballs...

Ikea just won the Clara award for "most brilliant marketing scheme EVER"


Love always,
Clara

"Don't Forget About Us" - the music game

Usually I reserve this kind of thing for facebook notes... But I feel compelled. Don't judge me.

1. Put Your iTunes on Shuffle.
2. For each question, press the 'next' button to get your answer.
3. You must write down the name of the song no matter how silly it sounds!
4. Put any comments in brackets after the song name.

What do your friends think of you?
Gigolo- Nick Cannon
Um... Cool

If someone says, “Is this okay?” You say?
Poses - Rufus Wainwright
So I pose? Kind of accurate.... oh, I'm getting deep and personal already!

How would you describe yourself?
White Christmas- Stacie Orrico
So I'm pale and ... christian? Not quite, iTunes. 1 for 2.

What do you like in a guy/girl?
Ain't No Other Man - Christina Aguilera
Monogamy is indeed a value of mine... lol

How do you feel today?
Coming Clean - Hilary Duff
Well, I did do yoga today.
(We interrupt this broadcast for a Real Conversation
Isabella and I: *singing that song*
Me: Let it wash away my sanity
Isabella (simultaneously): Let it wash away my celity
Isabella: Oh I was meaning to ask you, what's a 'celity'?
Me: ...sanity?
Isabella: Oh...... Oh god....
It shouldn't surprise me that she's unfamiliar with this 'sanity' thing. I love that girl)

What is your life’s purpose?
3 A.M. - Matchbox Twenty
Be an insomniac?

What is your motto?
This Love - Maroon 5
Entirely possible. I'm kind of a generally (even platonic) love-oriented person

What do you think about very often?
Living in Your Letters - Dashboard Confessional
The past? I do have a nostalgic disposition

What is 2 + 2?
They're trying to get ready - Eddie from Ohio
I guess I need some preparation before I do any serious math

What do you think of your best friend?
Fall for You - Secondhand Serenade
And... I'm going to fall in love with my best friend? What best friend is this?

What do you think of the person you like?
Beautiful Girls Reply - Jojo
OH PRICELESS. First line is "I'm way too cool for you boy, that's why it'll never work"

What is your life story?
The Dance of the Cucumber - Veggie Tales
EVEN BETTER.

What do you want to be when you grow up?
No Such Thing - John Mayer
That actually makes sense. "Growing up" is overrated.

What do you think of when you see the person you like?
Catchers, Drummers, Anchormen - Eddie from Ohio
I think this means I would consider such a person reliable. Sure.

What will you dance to at your wedding?
City Lights - Jojo
Sure. And wow, my 6th grade music tastes are really coming out in this thing.

What will they play at your funeral?
Get Out Of My Head - Jag Star
People will not be able to stop thinking about me. Cool. Although they'll want to. Not cool.

What is your hobby/interest?
Check Yes Juliet - We the Kings
Running away with secret lovers? Yes please.

What is your biggest fear?
Tubthumping - Chumbawamba
Don't ask me...

What is your biggest secret?
Bullets - Tunng
Well that sounds creepy/ominous. What does iTunes know that I don't?

What do you think of your friends?
Twenty Thousand Hearts - Eddie from Ohio
Yay I love my friends dearly!

What will you post this as?
Don't Forget about Us - Mariah Carey

Done.
That was slightly embarassing.
Courtesy of Aubrey Sabala

Love always,
Clara

Recession marketing

Two great things about this economic crisis:
1) The random cheap ads on tv (which are hilarious) are becoming more common. Example:
I just saw an advertisement for car insurance.
Image of a house at night, with two lights in the windows
Female voice: Honey, it's after midnight! What are you doing?
Male voice: I'm buying car insurance!
Female voice: Really?
... later...
Male voice: And I'm done!
Female voice: Great! Can you bring me some cheese puffs?

Like... what?

2) Bought some magazines today (went out, walked in the snow, got some tea, dropped off film, the standard cvs run). And the magazines felt... thin.
The advertisements are... less so. Same amount of content, fewer ads. Which I prefer.
Just because it's a side effect of a recession, doesn't mean it isn't awesome.

Love always,
Clara

I lied!

Pessimist that I am (yeah right), I had assumed there wouldn't be any snow today. When I woke up it was just... wet and dreary and dark, so I figured snow was not a likely thing.
WRONG!


Although I had decided to go back to sleep... Chili had other plans...



Curiously, he decided he wanted to play with me at just about the very moment I decided to go back to bed.
Not appreciated.
But when a puppy's licking your face, it's really really hard to complain...

Love always,
Clara

Snow day!



Not that it's... you know... snowing... or anything...
I bet it is out in randomville. It tends to snow more in randomville than it does here. And kids at my school live out there.

(P.S. In the bottom left corner of that picture, that girl in the cat mask? That's me in the closing scene of By Jeeves. We were doing Andrew Lloyd Webber references. I'm standing behind the Phantom of the Opera)

Can I just say how frustrating this is though? I'm not complaining (far from it) but I had woken up at 6 to go to breakfast club (which, as always, I was looking forward to). And I was already dressed, hair done, etc, about to get my backpack together when I hear my dad's phone ring. And I'm thinking "who calls my dad at 6:15 in the morning?" and then he calls upstairs and says...
"Clara? No school. Go back to sleep"
So I'm like...
"Really? Sweet! But oh god. Can you just come up and witness how completely ready I was?"
I mean, I was wearing snow boots just in case and everything.
I still am, actually. I won't waste this intense readiness on sleep. If I'm going to be this ready for... school/life/whatever, I'm going to be awake and appreciate it.

Although I don't think the rest of the fam appreciates myself clicking away up here at 6:35 AM...

Love always,
Clara

1.26.2009

The EPIC story of Daphne and Apollo

I have a latin test tomorrow.
Here, let me summarize the poem of Daphne and Apollo:

Apollo had defeated a serpent and had some kind of rush of testosterone or whatever. So he saw cupid with his love-arrows and talked some shit, which was not appreciated by cupid, whose power was underestimated. And Cupid said "oh snap you just wait, I will mess you up" and fluttered away to the top of a mountain.
From that mountaintop, he shot two arrows. The golden love arrow was for Apollo, and the lead anti-love arrow was for Daphne, nymph daughter of Peneus, river nymph.
(Daphne is almost always referred to by her father's name, which probably pisses her off, because she's one of those uber-feminists).
So Daphne decides she wants to be like Diana (ironically Apollo's twin sister) and go live in the woods and hunt animals WITHOUT MEN around. She wants to be an unmarried virgin forever, so she pleads with her father (and in my sick mind she kind of seduces him, which is so backwards, but the description implies a kind of father-daughter relationship that I am unfamiliar with) and he finally promises her she can be a virgin forever, even though he wants little tiny Peneuses running around.
The thing about that is that according to Ovid, she is too pretty to be a virgin (In the words of Will, she must get married, or someone will rape her). Ovid was kind of weird. He changes his position on feminism like, every few lines. Or maybe he was just particularly in touch with the weird roman culture. Romans were weird.
Then Apollo chases her. And while he's chasing her, he's trying to reason with her, seeing as he is a very rational god. And she runs away, because she really would prefer not to be married/raped. Apollo, sick bastard, admires her limbs as she's running, and imagines how pretty her hair would look if she maybe added some styling product like he must, because his curly locks are always gorgeous.
At some point, when Apollo's getting close, Daphne asks her father to save her. So he turns her into a tree. A laurel tree.
Apollo won't quit though. He decides he loves the tree, and gives it all these honors. Like I said, sick.

I blame Apollo too much though. It's really all Cupid's fault.
Although Apollo brought that on himself. You don't mess with love.

Love always,
Clara

1.25.2009

Oh, Steve

I just watched Steve Jobs's introduction of the 1984 macintosh. 
Am I a dork if I found it hilarious?
Am I a dork if I'm genuinely sad he's sick and therefore didn't speak at Macworld this year?
And am I a dork if the 1984 superbowl mac ad totally cracks me up, with that woman with the hair and whatnot?


Here's the more important question:
Is the answer to any question beginning with the words "Am I a dork if..." always going to be a resounding "YES"?

Um... Yes.

Love always,
Clara

Videos from yesterday

Part one: hanging out with Isabella. Always priceless


Part two: Actually at the dance. I think my brain was addled by the strobe lights and jumping

(Featuring Kayla, Nick M., Mo, Robert, Zander, various others)

Part three: Myself walking to the car


Love always,
Clara