...I'm pretty sure I swallowed more than one of my stitches. In any case, there's only one in my trash, and they've all vanished.

SO THAT'S OVER WITH.

So, Rugged Wearhouse did not pan out. Everything was irregular sizes and all the pants managed to be disgustingly low cut. So I raided a dying Goody's and scrounged up some jeans for twelve dollars a pop. SUCCESS. (Although it was just depressing inside the Goody's- all the items had been moved to the left side of the store, and they were trying to sell the racks. I assume that's normal for a closing store, but ouch.)

Afterwards, we headed further into Newnan. Ashley Park (where the good movie theater is) was apparently having a festival, so we avoided it. We went into historic downtown Newnan, and looked around. We found this fantastic costume shop, just squirreled away between a sports shop and a bridal shop, and it is fantastic!

They have loads of stuff, and full costumes available for rental. They had a little Batman display, including Harley Quinn, Batgirl (or a dominatrix- there was lacing and zippers on the leather skirt), and of course, a Joker mask paired with a nurse outfit.

Anyways, I was perusing it, and I have an idea for a costume this year- EVE from WALL-E. Obviously, human!EVE, so a short but cute white wig, a white jumpsuit of sorts, and a little sci-fi gun. Human!EVE has been done in art- binsybaby did it here. Her WALL-E is spot on, and her EVE is very cute, but I dunno- EVE's dress is a little retro for me. The Costume Shop has the wig (a "this is totally not Andy Warhol" wig), but I haven't a clue where to find anything resembling a white jumpsuit.

I'm very glad I have a plan for my secondary education, including a bit where I can go "hmm, do I really want to be an entertainment lawyer? I THINK I'LL BE A FABULOUS CHEF" and not hurt myself. Unfortunately, it's right after I need to have taken the LSAT. Oops?

I managed to score lip balm that'll keep me good for another year or so- something like four dollars for seven lip balms that are not chapstick and are all designery. Came in a little plastic pouch and everything. The banana smells just like Juicy Fruit. I LOVE IT.

And tomorrow, I'm going to check out Rugged Warehouse, off the word of a girl I volunteered with today who was also in my second grade class. I hope it pans out- there is no greater shopping joy than buying stuff for dirt cheap. I managed to score a Wine one of these for ten bucks at Ross once. I remember seeing it on the website for 42 dollars or so- from a company who sells tee shirts for twenty (or more) dollars a pop.

Isn't the post after a serious one always awkward?

As you may have noticed, I have deleted all entries prior to August of 2005- bar fanfiction, of course, and milestones (like my first RenFest!). I have nerd street cred to uphold, people.

This is because I was still having my "insane" period in eighth grade- that patch where I still thought I was heterosexual and couldn't empathy with anyone or anything. I also made this journal that year.

Good Lord, I feel established or something.

But when I turn eighteen, I'm going to start journaling every evening (in actual journals and everything!), but I'd still like a little reminder of me in my high school years. I would not like a reminder of me prior to that.

Moving on, I saw Mamma Mia! today.

 It was a big, silly and glittery movie musical and I loved every minute of it.

AND IN A STUNNING VICTORY FOR MALE-ATTRACTED FOLK EVERYWHERE

BRANGELINA HAD A BOY (AND A GIRL)!

My father has not, in twenty-seven years of marriage, completed the process of making my mother an American citizen.

Yes, it must have been much harder before the Internet, but there's been plenty of time since the advent of it.

In an hour (give or take), I have gathered and skimmed all the materials necessary for my mother to become naturalized. If she filled it out now and sent it in, she would just have to do some simple procedures, take an interview, pay the fee, and wait. In six months or so, before I turn eighteen and gain the right to vote, my mother would take the oath and become an American citizen.

I'm just aghast at my father right now. Ever since I was small, I always imagined the process to be so painstaking and difficult that they hadn't done it yet. I knew the story of the first time they tried in the analog era. The paperwork was lost. I don't know if they tried again.

My mother has lived here longer than she ever lived in France. She won't vote in the French elections because she feels she shouldn't, since she doesn't live in that government system anymore.

All my mother wants is a lovely house on the sea, like where she grew up. I promise her at least every week that when I am rich, or at least have the money to do so, I will buy her one.

Today she told me she always thought she'd get married on the sea. My parents never even had a ceremony.

My mother isn't flawless. To love properly is to love someone with all their faults. She may not believe I'm asexual, she may irritate me on occasion, but she is my mother, and I love her dearly.

I love my father, too.

But I'm in utter shock that I, an underage high school student, am going to do what a grown man- a college educated, retired Air Force, working pilot man has not. I cannot be that powerful, can I? I'm just a child. I'm just a girl. I'm just me.

The only way things are going to change is if you do it yourself.

I am such a carnivore. I haven't had meat in two days and now I'm antsy about it. I want my chicken, dammit!

My pain meds knock me out like whoa. I know that's what they're supposed to do, but for someone who takes forever to fall asleep, it's a little disturbing.

I've finished my English summer reading, and tried to work on my drama reading before falling asleep. I'm a week ahead of my own schedule, which is good.

I have no more wisdom teeth! And I'm surprisingly lucid.

I was really freaked out about it, because I've never gone under for surgery of any kind. I wanted to be absolutely sure that I was completely out.

It wasn't laughing gas, but they gave me something over my nose to relax me for the sedative. The former made me tingle, which was fun- everything was half numb, and I tried to adjust the mask a few times, and that felt cool.

And then in went the needle for the sedative IV, and I tensed up immediately. I hate feeling needles inside my arms, it always freaks me out. I hate getting blood drawn.

And then, thankfully, I went out like a light. I woke up to the nurse helping me get in a wheelchair to get me to my mom's car. I don't remember the ride home. I remember collapsing on the couch, and when I finally came around, Debbie was sitting on the antique sofa next to our big sofa. She was looking after me until my mother came back with my delicious pain meds. We watched an episode of "Foyle's War", the British mystery miniseries. It was introduced by Alan Cumming. The German priest was the murderer.

Then Debbie left, and I ate soup, yogurt, and ice cream. Then we popped in Fame, and I feel asleep for five hours. Yesterday, I couldn't feel my bottom lip or my chin, but that's better now. It's only the stitches that hurt.

I also have two soccer socks filled with frozen corn tied around my head.

I managed to screw up making frosting!

:D ACCOMPLISHMENT!

I am making cupcakes for the Fourth- they're quite good, they just need frosting. Granulated sugar is not what you put in the frosting. :B

Dragon*Con sent me a little progress sheet, and as promised, they pulled in some Heroes actors- James Kyson Lee (Ando), Hayden Panettiere (Claire), and GEORGE TAKEI HOLY CRAP GUYS I MIGHT BE IN A ROOM WITH GEORGE TAKEI. :D :D :D

They've also got Gareth David-Lloyd, who plays Ianto Jones in Torchwood (...crap, now I have to finish watching the second season. I stopped right before the "GWEN IS ALIEN PREGGERS" episode, because that preview freaked me out with how angry her boyfriend was about it. WAY TO BE UNDERSTANDING OF ALIEN PREGNANCY, GWEN'S BOYFRIEND.) and the lovely Matthew Lewis who plays Neville in the Harry Potter films.

I am wicked excited, guys- hopefully, I'll be able to do what I want on the Saturday... if not, I might just bum at my future sister-in-law's place overnight.

And now I need to find a better hair clip and neck scarf for the Tetra costume.

FUN FACT: I took a cooking class the other week, and this short blonde girl was taking the class. We fell to talking, and it was revealed she often cosplays as Sephiroth. A massively tall, silver-haired man in leather. Manly chest exposing leather. Cosplaying to type is a good thing, kids! If I could cosplay as Ganondorf, I would, but I am a white girl of average height.

BUT I DIGRESS.

I LOVED WALL-E.

I have decided to teach my mother the ways of the Mac.

It's not that hard, it's just that my parents share a Mac, and my dad is even messy on the computer. So it's hard for my mom, whose computer needs are bilingual word processing, e-mail, and eBay, to maneuver in his mess. My dad did take the first step and put up two different accounts on the Mac- one for him, one for her- but failed to tell us the password to hers. NICE ONE.

So I'm just going to give her a very streamlined set-up, see if she would like to transfer to Gmail so it can autosort her mail, and maybe find a nice eBay app for her to use. Oh, and probably set up one of those programs that remembers your passwords- I don't use one on mine because anyone can use my computer, but she should be good.

:Dlif

I never have to take them again! Whew.
I got a perfect score on my critical reading, holy crap. I usually read too far into the question and end up missing a couple. My math score didn't suck, thank God. And my essay score went down... that really hurt, considering I worked on it for two weeks and my first essay was entirely unprepared. Oh, and it was also entirely whining. But most schools take your best scores if you've taken it three times or less. I'm covered.

These are the 106 books most often marked as "unread" by LibraryThing's users.

Bold the ones you've read, underline the ones you read for school, italicize the ones you started but didn't finish. Add (*) beside the ones you liked and would (or did) read again or recommend. Even if you read them for school in the first place.

Where my neck meets my head has been aching in two spots and occasionally hurting like a bitch since Monday morning. I've had this aching before, just not this persistently. I have spine and neck problems (and collapsed arches in my feet, but I'm not counting my physical defects or anything). I spent a year of middle school attending a chiropractor thrice a week? Or twice a week. More than once. Didn't help a damn, because I'm too flexible.

I'm probably going to see a chiropractor soon, because the neck exercises that usually make it go away have failed. D:

I'm going to take a Tylenol PM and go to bed.

Ew, pain.

:D

Seven bucks a CD, even with shipping. Cheaper than iTunes.

Oh, used product sellers on Amazon, never leave me.

Oh, yeah, I'm back.

KNOLL. STOP DYING. 

(Pokemon and Fire Emblem- best travel games ever.)

THE LAKEHOUSE IS AWESOME. All these beds and televisions. We hooked up the Wii and I'm going to go play Mario Kart right now. And everyone's here, including my awesome Not Quite Great Aunt Kathy.

:D

I am leaving tomorrow and will return on the 20th.

I will be in the wilds of Maryland, schooling my younger cousins in the ways of Nintendo.

At our last family reunion, in actual cabins, we hooked up the TV and were playing Super Smash Bros. within a day. Last time we were all in DC, the adults were playing Wii Sports with a vengeance.

That's right, Nintendo RUNS IN MY BLOOD.