Did I lose all of my bloggers? What’s going on here, guys? I know that several of you were gone for Spring Break, but come on. I know Morgan was home yesterday for politics, I know Cody was home today for sports, I know Craig was here both Saturdays for Creepy with Craig, and I’m mostly sure that Dorenka was here Thursday. But I’m not positive about that last one so yeah.
Author: Bri
I’ve burned every bridge I’ve ever built
So I’m sick today. It is Wednesday. I do a music blog on Wednesdays. And I just found something that is awesome, music related, and has no mention of Jason Mraz. Do you see where I’m going? Continue reading “I’ve burned every bridge I’ve ever built”
Mirrors and Hotels
Mirrors are very useful contraptions. When you walk by one, it’s hard not to check your hair or that grossly disproportionate thing on your face that is your nose. (Maybe that’s just me) But mirrors can be awkward too. So here, now, are the three most awkward placements of mirrors. Continue reading “Mirrors and Hotels”
Ok, before this gets out of hand…
I would first like to thank Dorenka for bringing up my alleged narcissism. You really opened a can of worms with THAT.
Moving on, let’s delve into this. I started this website the second semester of my 8th grade year. It was the extension of my first website that was basically a page off of my dad’s website, which I called Bri’s Place. You know why I called it that? Because it was the very first place I could talk about whatever the heck I wanted, and I could be as strange or as serious or as funny as I wanted to. BrisPlace.com was already taken, so I named my website after a song I’d penned, entitled “My Own World”. Note: Middle School was the most depressing three years of my life. I hated it. It was terrible. My self esteem had hit rock bottom. You have no idea.
So I started the website as a regular blog, somewhere to post short stories, poems, little essays I wrote, and lyrics. It was my world, after all. Then I started feeling empowered by the internet’s anonymity. So I thought, why not enjoy myself a little? I then proceeded to create an alter ego, Vannah. She was outgoing, strong minded, and slightly narcissistic. For a while, I actually convinced people that she was her own, separate entity. But that’s not really important. What’s important was that I finally had an outlet for myself; for the first time, I didn’t have to worry about what other people thought, and I didn’t have to worry about everyone else’s problems. I figured, after all the crap I’d gone through in middle school, I deserved to be a little narcissistic.
After a while, Vannah morphed into Bri and I became much more confident. Obviously, most of the ‘narcissism’ is sarcasm, because it’s fun to act like a total self centered jerk sometimes and not mean it at all. If helped me gain confidence, and enabled me to begin making more and better friends. It was a stepping stone.
But like I said, it was all a joke. I still have self esteem issues. I still doubt myself and my abilities to function in real life. So I think that I’m entitled to be sarcastically self centered on my own website, thanks very much.
Oh, and for the record, Twitter was just a whim that I really enjoy. It’s like posting mini blogs instead of gunking up the actual website. And I can update from anywhere. I’m obsessed, and not because I want everyone to know what I’m doing EVERY SECOND OF THE DAY because I’m a narcissist. No, I just like it a lot.
And honestly, anyone who takes my narcissism on this website seriously and personally, grow the heck up and learn how to detect sarcasm. It’s a neat little device.
This is the story of a girl
Who didn’t eat for 30 hours.
Although my Twitter updates may seem contrary, the 30 hour fast wasn’t actually that bad. I mean, I ate a regular size dinner (that is to say, large), and my body was like “Meh. Thanks for feeding me.” And then we were good. I woke up this morning, packed my [vegetarian] lunch, ate breakfast, and left for school. Easy peasy.
Except for lunch. That was terrible. I avoided the cafeteria by staying in my debate coach’s room, where Bart and Tessa and Mia were. Mia was also on the fast, but Tessa and Bart were not. Bart’s soggy peanut butter and jelly sandwich never smelt better, and Tessa’s popcorn filled the room with a salty, buttery scent for an hour. It. Was. Torture.
But once I stopped thinking about food, I was good. If I ignored any mention of food, I was just fine. I could have gone another thirty hours.
Survivor, here I come!
It’s been a while
For NHS (National Honors Society), I’m participating in a charity called the “30 hour famine”. That means that I can’t eat for thirty hours, starting at noon on Sunday and ending at six on Monday. I’m two hours in, and I can smell my dad’s lunch. This does not bode well.
I have other announcements:
1. Bart and I, despite our dysfunctions, made it to State in debate!! The season continues! I’m very proud of this. Two of the people we debated (on separate teams, no less) told me that I’m a really great speaker and it seems like I do all the work. Well, yes, I do all the work. So thanks!
2. I can touch my tongue to my nose. Bart and I were waiting outside a room for our debate to start, and he told me to try it. I don’t remember why exactly. So I tried… and I could! Definitely the highlight of my day.
3. I have a date! I think. His name is Dylan and it took the combined powers of his debate team and my debate team (he goes to school across the valley) to get him to ask me on a date. I gave him my number, and since I can’t eat today he’s supposed to call me with what time his choice of movie is playing so I know when he’s picking me up. It’s almost two o’clock, and he has not called. Hm. Updates on that later. If there is a later.
4. I’m hungry.
5. 1984 is an awesome book and anyone who doesn’t like it is silly.
6. I am out of interesting things to say.
Traits of an Excellent Writer
So I was gonna do a YouTube video instead of a blog today, but now I can’t, because I’m sobbing my eyes out and sniffling.
Steve Kluger really got me this time. His book, My Most Excellent Year, was, to put it simply, excellent. Even the tenth time reading it I laugh. For my birthday, I got an Amazon gift card, so I bought Larry and the Meaning of Life by Janet Tashjian, and The Last Days of Summer by Steve Kluger. I finished Larry and loved it, and then I finished Kluger’s book today.
Set in post-Depression WW2 era, the book is written in a series of news articles, telegraphs, and letters. I’m terrible at book reviews, but I’ll give you a list of things you’ll find in this story: young love, baseball, war, friendship, absent fathers, Jewish culture, and witty, clever writing. I’m going to go out on a limb and suggest this book to everyone. I think anyone can enjoy this book, because it’s so well written.
When I went to tell my mom I finished the book, since we swap books a lot, she was surprised to find me crying. I’d been reading it around the house for the past two days and laughing almost the entire time. Steve Kluger is truly an author I’m glad to have found.
Nine O’Clock Niblets
I was going for a clever alliteration, but it just sounds creepy. Darn. So as I frantically print out information for our debate scrimmage with the high school across the valley tomorrow (yeah man that’s what I do with MY Valentines Day. Woo. Can I get a N-E-R-D???) since I left our box at school (we left it. WE. Stupid Bart), I’m thinking a lot. Job outsourcing can only hold so much of my rapidly declining attention span.
What have I been thinking about? Well, in between daydreaming about Jason Mraz and Chris Hardwick, I’ve been thinking about happiness. I’ve not always been the happiest person. In 7th grade I wrote my color poem about the color black, and I believe there was a quote in it that said my heart was black and the world is black and whatnot. Thankfully, I have moved past that phase and now I’m just depressed on the inside. (I may look happy kids but I’m CRYING ON THE INSIDE) Not really. But these past few months have not been the best few in my life, but at the same time, they’ve been the most enlightening.
To keep my mind off my emotional difficulties, I channel all of my emotional energy into Jason Mraz. I read his blogs over and over. I listen to his music no matter what I’m doing. I cyber-stalk him. (My spellcheck does not like the word “cyber”. However, it seems to think that “cyberpunk” is a viable, sensible choice to replace it with) Whatever. It keeps my imagination busy, so my non-emotional portion of the brain (a very small portion) can focus on things like school and debate and such. I’ve become emotionally numb to everything else. Bart doesn’t want to hang out at lunch and I have to go eat my bread and cheese in my Forensics classroom? Meh. I’ve got Jason Mraz on my iPod. The guy I like has a girlfriend? I find a new Jason Mraz interview on YouTube. See what I mean? It’s all about prioritizing. It’s probably not the healthiest way to deal with my problems, but at least I’m dealing with them. At this phase of my life, I don’t think I really want to complicate things with a relationship unless I am 100% committed, and I don’t know if I trust anyone enough to do that. And in realizing that, guess what? I’m happy! It snowed today, and I’d left my jacket in my locker, so I had to walk to some of my classes outside, but I didn’t care! I spun in circles and caught snowflakes on my tongue. I don’t remember when the last time I did that genuinely was. Also, it’s Friday the 13th, and I haven’t ruined anyone’s life! (I hope that doesn’t inx me, I’ve still got a couple hours) Friday the 13th has not been good to people I know. Sorry.
And then I reached a new level of spiritual enlightenment in Forensics yesterday when I was in an exceptionally homicidal mood. Stupid sophomores wouldn’t shut up. Anyways. To calm down, I wrote down my happy place in my journal. This happy place is my escape from reality (and no, it doesn’t involve Jason Mraz. At least not the PG happy place) (I’m totally kidding) (kind of). I would suggest writing down a happy place to anyone. I look at it now when I’m angry or annoyed and it calms me. I’ve decided to share this tidbit of my insanity with all of you, and I invite you to post your own happy places in the comments!
I’m in a coffee shop in Italy. It’s warm inside, but outside it’s a bit chilly. I’m sitting at a small table in the window wearing comfy jeans and a warm, auburn sweater, looking out at a cobblestone sidewalk and the reds, oranges, and golds of fallen leaves. It’s sunny, and I’ve yet to see someone walk by without a smile. Inside, I’m sipping a late, rich and warm. It slides down my throat smoothly, without burning me, and it travels down my chest, leaving me feeling light and tingly. There is a small notebook in front of me, open to a blank page, and a dark orange pen is uncapped on top of it. There is an empty, dark red chair opposite of me, the same kind that I’m sitting in, but it doesn’t bother me. I bask in the absolute silence.
So this blog is mostly rambling. Sorry. I’m in a weird mood.
I know, I know, I’m obsessed
First off, how do you all like the new logo? I like it, but I think I need a different color for the background, instead of orange. Thoughts?
So I just though I’d share this little tid bit of Jason Mraz with everyone. I found his blog last night and got really excited. But shhh. It’s (mostly) healthy.
“My mom sings in the Choir [in her church] and I volunteered my time to sit in at a later service and do the same. If I believe in any God at all, my God exists in music. I know this because music makes me happy and that’s the point of having a God. God isn’t responsible for Wal-Mart or for the War on terror; therefore, I don’t blame God. I believe those things happen by people who forget to look up and see what God is. They kind of ruin it for the rest of us. But then again, maybe their God gives them riches and power and that makes them happy, so who am I to judge?”
-Jason Mraz, 2007
Grammy THIS, Coldplay
For those of you who don’t know me, I’m still smarting over the Grammys. Jason Mraz was nominated for three awards and walked away with 0. “I’m Yours” should have gotten song of the year, NOT “Viva La Vida”. It’s an ok song, yeah, but it’s not anywhere near Jason’s musical masterpiece. This development in his fantastic career is troubling. Stupid Coldplay. I’m slightly less upset about John Mayer beating him out for “Best Male Pop Vocals” with “Say”, but still. Jason’s voice was better, although I’m glad that if anyone won, it was John. (I love how I refer to them by their first names, like we’re buds) (On the other hand, Jason and I are going to get married some day, so it’s ok)
Highlights:
Record of the Year: Robert Plant and Alison Kraus: Please Read the Letter
Best New Artist: Adele
Best Rock Album: Coldplay, Viva La Vida, or Death and All His Friends
Song of the Year: Coldplay, Viva La Vida (Hate is pouring from my soul)
Best Pop Vocal Performance (Female): Adele, Chasing Pavements
Best Pop Vocal Performance (Male): John Mayer, Say
Best Rock/Pop Performance by Duo/Group with Vocals: Coldplay, Viva La Vida
Best Pop Collaboration: Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, Rich Woman
Album of the Year: Robert Plant & Alison Krauss: Raising Sand
And now, for the amazingness of Jason… for whom I screamed every time the camera showed him. I thought he was still on tour and he wasn’t going to make it. Although he didn’t perform, he was there! My mom thought I was crazy…
EDIT: John Mayer is a good guy.