The Raven Boys

     Once again, Maggie Stiefvater tortures me with the release date of a new book. From the small bits and pieces I've heard about it, I know it's going to be amazing. I mean, anyone who writes amazing novels like Lament, Shiver, and The Scorpio Races must be able to do it again. Aggh can't wait!

Green Thumb

     So it's been a while. I haven't had much to say until now, especially since January was mostly finishing classes and writing exams. Those went alright, considering I only had two of them and one was biology. (the other was English, which was terrible in the sense that exams are terrible, but I think I did okay.) In old news, my beginning-of-the-year horribleness, a.k.a chipmunk face, went away with the kind help of the medication after about two or three days, which was great. I still think it's some kind of jinx on 2012 for me.
     The main reason that I wanted to post was to brag about my awesome plant-growing skills. I took mine, K's, and another member's plants home for the exam period and the days off after, a total of 11 days. They were the only ones that were alive and showed promise, and I did not want them to die. So I took them and initiated what I have called Operation Plant Overhaul, to bring theirs back from near-death, and help mine grow more. The results are stunning.

     This is the plants the first day I took them home. I cleaned out all of the dead things, picked out the moldy earth, and started hoping.

Here is my plant, today, all leafy green and looking like a jungle. I was able to save the leaves, since they had been damaged a bit when my teacher left the lights on over them for an entire weekend.

K's plant, which had so much dead stuff in it when I first brought it home that I didn't think I would be able to save much. But I was successful in saving two of them, which have at least doubled in height. The one on the right was original bent completely over, and neither of them had much in terms of leaves.

The last plant is probably the one I spent most of my time worrying about. The stems were really tiny and flimsy, so I ended up burying them a bit to a point where they could stand-ish on their own. The leaves on this plant have really flourished, and even the little alien part (far right side) has grown.

     Now I have to take them back to school though, which will probably result in all of my hard work being ruined, since annoying kids like to poke them when they are in class. I wish I could keep them with me, but I can't.

     Anyway, I hope (as usual) to write more often, especially since a new semester is beginning and there shouldn't be much work for a while (I hope). Don't forget to be awesome!

This is a comparison of my plant from Christmas time. It's weird to think that it used to be that tiny. I am an amazing plant grower person, if I do say so myself.

Not with a Whimper, but with a Bang

     With a new year comes a new outlook. A fresh way of looking at the world. Being in Canada, a fresh coat of snow falls upon the ground within the first week, normally more than once. I write my exams and begin a new semester. There is usually a tendency to plaster on a positive, easy-going, this-year-is-going-to-be-the-best-year-ever feeling. In past years, I have gone along with this feeling. It's easy to get swept up in. Well, not this year. 2012 has begun with a sort of negative air to it, and it has nothing to do with any 'impending apocalypse'.

     My year started out in pain. Over a few days, this pain worsened, until yesterday it found me in the emergency room of the local hospital, where we waited rather patiently for over two and half hours. After waiting this extreme amount of time, I was told that the pain and swelling on the side of my face that I was experiencing was not the ear infection that I had expected it to be, but an infection in my salivary gland. You know, that thing that makes spit.

     Today I woke up looking like half a chipmunk. Eating has become one of the most painful experiences ever. I would rate it an 7.5/10 on my pain scale, with 10 being a spinal tap (nothing really get passed 8 anymore). Sleeping is rather annoying, as there is apparently no sleeping position in which my body is comfortable and my face doesn't want to fall off. I have been basically attached to my hot water bottle these past 2 days, as it is the only thing that brings me comfort. Dear god, how am I ever going to live through school tomorrow.

     I feel almost like this is some punishment for my complete and total disbelief in any sort of 2012 disaster. Life wants me to feel some sort of pain, since I refuse to feel at all panic-y and whatnot over the date.

     I have to bring my plant back to school tomorrow, and I kind of don't want to. It's grown so much more here than it ever did under the light in the classroom. When I brought it home, I seriously thought that I was going to end up killing it, since plants don't normally tend to last in my house. It had barely been green for more than a few days, while everyone elses were gaining height. Now though, I have super tall growths and new shoots. I am very proud of myself.

Above: The earliest picture of my plant babies when I brought them home.
Below: A picture I have just taken, to show juuust how good I am.

     So hopefully this year gets better, because if the highlight of my year is that I was able to successfully keep a plant alive for two weeks, then I don't know if I want to continue. I am feeling a tad bit better though. Don't forget to be awesome!