I should be studying...

Just so you guys know, this post was written over the course of around five hours... so it skips around a lot. Bear with me.

I got maple syrup in my hair today. I also had a microbiology exam at 8:30 in the morning that I had no idea about. I cried after my Brain and Behavior class because the subject was way too close to home. I actually just got back from that class. So I apologize if the beginning of this post has been a little "down in the dumps". I promise you it will not be a repeat of "The journey that ends at the beginning" I'm not quite that far gone. Just a little mopey.


So I just got back from watching the tennis match with Julie! It was nice to just sit back for a bit and pretend that I wasn't super stressed/upset. I climbed a tree. It made me feel better :) If you ever feel sad, climb a tree. It's a guaranteed pick-me-up.  So while I was up in the tree, I shouted at Julie "Take a picture! I'm a spider-monkey!" and this is the result:

Spider Monkey (kinda)

I would probably not say that this is an accurate portrayal of a spider monkey. I actually don't even know what a spider monkey is... 

I just googled spider monkey, and I was wrong. This does kind of look like me.

Spider Monkey (for serious)

So after I so boldly climbed the tree (which was awesome, I should have taken a picture of just the tree, it was kind of Lion Kingesque, you know, the one that Rafiki hangs out in and is like "Simba" when he paints the picture and then is like "HE'S ALIVE!"... yeah, that's kind of what this tree looked like. I'll probably go back tomorrow and take a picture of it so don't you guys worry. You'll be able to see where the Lion King was filmed.)

Anyway, after I climbed the tree and was safely back on the ground, Julie and I started talking about our tail bones. She said she broke her's in the fifth grade. I hurt mine sometime ago.... while I was climbing a tree! I think that that was actually the last time I climbed a tree...How very brave of me to get back into the saddle! It was a pretty traumatic event. I was acting like a champ, climbing this tree with my friends near this pond that we used to go to around the corner from my house. Suddenly, the branch that I was swinging on snapped and I plummeted to the ground.

I'm pretty sure that I was probably 4 feet from the ground. My ass hurt so bad I was sure I broke it. I was lying there, howling in pain while my friend laughed. I don't think she understood just how much pain I was in at first. But after a while she helped me up and walked me back to my house. 

I had completely forgotten about this event when I climbed the tree today. I'm extremely relieved that the experience hadn't left me traumatized and afraid of trees because then I wouldn't be nearly as cheerful as I am right now. Because climbing trees and pretending to be a spider monkey is awesome. 

After I told Julie about my tail bone incident she told me about hers. Hers is funnier, but only because of the side story she told after it. And because she's Julie. 

She was telling me that the injury was the result of a bad softball incident. I can't be sure of the details because I was not paying attention at first (sorry Julie!) But when I started listening again, she was talking about getting onto some base (not sure which one) and being pushed off it by a mammoth of a girl on the other team. The mammoth girl caused Julie to fall to the ground and break her tail bone. 

 Julie then continued on with her second story. She told me that, the next year, her father coached the softball team and she was surprised and dismayed to learn that Mammoth Girl would now be playing on her team. But don't worry, our heroine got her chance at retaliation. 

During one game, the referee made all of the players take their jewelery off and place it in one container on the bench. Our malicious protagonist then saw her opportunity. 

Listening to Julie describe the next part of the story was priceless. I wish you all could have been there. Her face turned guilty but also sweet and innocent as she said: "Well.... I'd always wanted a clatter ring, and that girl had one... It was so perfect because I was the only one on the bench. So I knocked all of the jewelery off the bench and onto the ground. And was like 'OH NO!' As I was picking it all up, I picked the clatter ring up and just pretended to put it back on the bench. Then I told my dad that I was going to get gum in the car and put the ring under my hat on the back seat and went back to join the game. At the end when everyone noticed that the ring was gone I even helped search for it on the ground after I explained that I had knocked the jewelery over." 

It was at this point that I looked at Julie, with an expression that I can only assume was incredulity, horror, and pride mixed into one. When she saw my face she panicked and said "She broke my tail bone so I took her ring!!" As if that makes everything justifiable... which in my book it does. 

Here's a random transition that I have no idea how to do smoothly........... so I'll put this here.

So I'm listening to my "insomnia" soundtrack. The one with my feel good songs that I mentioned in my very first post. I told my mom that I would burn her a CD with these songs on it. She was telling me today how much she loves when I make her listen to one of those AMAZING melody songs. What I'm talking about might make more sense if you read the insomnia post. I wrote the poem and took that picture by the way.... Here's the poem in case you can't read it: 

Standing still

Under frost clad trees.

The only sound around

Is the creaking

Of branches, tilting

In the soft and

Bitter wind.

They reach, longing

For a warmer breeze.

Shades of dull blue

Dominate this grove;

White blankets of snow,

Grey trunks and boughs,

Silver-blue sky.

The silent, humble beauty 

Of winter.