"What right have you to be merry? You're poor enough." "What right have you to be dismal? You're rich enough!"

let's see....interesting news:

I have a cold. I'm going to blame it on Anthony, because I saw him at church yesterday and this morning he said he's sick and then this afternoon I started sneezing and sniffling. I'm guessing he gave me whatever he has. it kind of sucks.

I've finally got my classes figured out for next quarter. it's changed about a billion times this week alone, but it's worked out to Choir at 9:00, Kickboxing two days a week at 10:00, Psychology at 11:00, and History of Art online. I'm hoping I can handle all that and figure out a way to either teach more or get a part time job on top of it. I'm once again working out the master plan for this Europe trip thing, and wondering where in the world all this money is going to come from......

my mom bought stops for her old flute so that I can play it (stops are basically just a way that makes it easier to play a flute...good for beginners like me!). I've been playing a bit each day and am getting a lot better at those high notes, although breathing is still tricky. it's getting better though.

I've played piano for an hour almost every day this week, and I'm noticing improvement in all my songs. this is encouraging. my teacher is going to be happy. :P

I have the house to myself tonight and am seriously thinking about finishing Richard III, finishing Great Expectations, and finishing the DVD of the Taming of the Shrew that I started two weeks ago. and possible a big hot mug of tea.

on Halloween we watched a bunch of movies and stayed up extremely late. Anna came over for a few hours and we made death-by-chocolate-caramel-and-other-stuff caramel apples. we dipped them in caramel, chocolate, and then again in caramel, and added coconut and chocolate and sprinkles and fun things like that. and the first time my parents tried melting the chocolate it "seized." which basically means it's no good anymore and you can't use it for dipping.

mom: what do you mean it can't be fixed? that's just not right.

dad: can be caused by melting on too high of heat....

mom: there wasn't any heat! it was just sitting here!

dad: ....or by adding liquid such as water.....

mom: oh.

dad: ....or by adding cool liquid such as water or milk.

mom: oh. ooops.

so we then poured the seized chocolate into a bowl, added peanut butter, poured more chocolate over it, and topped with the leftover caramel. it tastes like a big Snickers bar smashed together with a Reece's bar.

so we watched Ocean's 12, with Anna rushing out the door at the last second of the last scene so she wouldn't miss her curfew.

and then we watched The Happening. t.e.r.r.i.f.y.i.n.g. that's really the only way to describe it. it was so scary. of course it was dark (that's really the only way to watch a scary movie), and the whole movie is about this stuff in the air - supposedly released by the angry plants that feel threatened by human existence - that starts in Central Park and turns off the self-preservation thing in peoples' brains, basically making them kill themselves in many various and creative ways. it spreads all around northeast U.S., and of course there's the couple with the little girl trying desperately to stay alive the whole time.

yes, it was terrifying. so when it was over I decided we needed to watch a happy movie. because I absolutely hate going to bed right after watching a scary movie in the dark. it's almost as bad as parking garages.

so we watched Lost in Austen, which has been sitting on our shelf, borrowed from my aunt, for several weeks now. I didn't think it would be very good, but to my surprise I really liked it. despite is incredible lenth (I think it's like 3 hours long or something), it's really cute and I enjoyed it. it's about this young woman who lives in modern-day London, and is absolutely obsessed with Pride and Prejudice. and then she finds a portal to Regency England, into the Bennet family's house (well, ok, Elizabeth is actually the one who finds it). she and Elizabeth accidentally trade places for awhile, and she makes a royal mess of the whole story (marries Jane off to Mr. Collins, and Mr. Bingley falls in love with the wrong person, etc.) and then has to try and fix it. while falling in love with Mr. Darcy, of course. and meanwhile Elizabeth is learning how to survive in modern-day London......

:P anyway. it was cute.

and I am now going to make that cup of tea I promised myself, find a really big, warm blanket, and read my books.

because I can.