The Moment I Knew

Guys I have come to a realization over the last few months. Which is:

I am not Taylor Swift.


I know the hair and my inablity not to look like a five year playing dress up when I try dramatic lip colors should have been a give away.

 And the money.

And my lack of dating drama.


But really "The Moment I Knew" I wasn't Taylor Swift was when I realized I was hearing her lyrics wrong. Well, probably hearing them correctly but translating them to my own life.

Like in her song "22" there is a line where she says "It feels like a perfect night to make fun of our exes."

I realized I was singing "It feels like a perfect night to make fun of our accents."

I have a thick American accent. My friends here in Ireland have a wide range of accents. And we all tent to make fun of each others. And the people from Cork. We all make fun of the Cork accent. My "22" friends and I are more likely to make fun of our own and others accents than we are to make fun of our exes. So, I tend to just assume that is what Taylor is singing.

Then in her song "All Too Well" she says something about stairs. " Down the stairs I was there, I remember it all too well." I hear "County Clare, I was there, I remember it all too well." I guess I have stronger memories of the lovely County Clare than I do any given stair case.












I don't have the energy to come up with a concluding paragraph. Here are two pictures.

Zombies

Okay I really don't understand the fascination/phobia that culture has with zombies. I mean I guess the idea of undead is scary, but I mean no one is talking about preparing for the vampire apocalypse. I mean there are lots of scary mythical creatures. And yes, they are mythical creatures much like vampires. Not an invention of twentieth or twenty first century.  The living dead come up in historical Welsh legends I'm pretty sure. I can't be bothered to actually look it up now though.

Anyway. Today I was talking to my mom-- this does connect with the ramble above. I promise.

My mom started telling me she had to go and do school work with my little brother. He is home schooled. In a frantic attempt to keep me online, talking to mom and thus delaying the inevitable of his getting back to work, he started asking me questions. This is a common practice of his. But as a verteran of homeschooling I understand the ingrained need to struggle against math assignments out of principle so I usually help the kid out.

Eli (frantically) : "Madi! I have a question!"

Me: "Go for it."

Eli: "This is an important question. And I believe your answer reveals a great deal about your personality. How would you respond to the zombie apocalypse?"

Me: "Seriously zombies? Why does everyone go on about zombies--"

Mom (in desperate attempt to avoid a rant similar to my opening paragraph): "You want to know what I would do?"

Eli: "No. Shhh. Don't help her."

Me: "NO!! Guys I know what I would do!! I would round up all the annoying people into one place. Then I would inject them with a virus. Then I would leave them for the zombies. The zombies would eat them but also be poisoned. Thus solving our problem of annoying people and zombies. We could get rid of zombies and annoying people! It is another step in evolution!"

Mom (slowly):"Eli's right. That answer does say a lot about your personality."

Being a Grown Up

Somethings about being a grown up really aren't fun.

This shouldn't be news to anyone.

But I'm trying to look on the bright side. Here is a list of things I like about being a grown up.

1. I can eat chocolate before dinner.

2. I can eat chocolate whenever I want.

3. I can stay up incredibly late watching TV/movies that I have memorized.

4. I can check out library books I already have memorized. Yes this is a big perk. When I was in my pre-teens I distinctly remember my mom sending me back to get a Boxcar Children book I hadn't read because I had read the first one "too many times". This coming from the woman who basically continuously reads Persuasion.

5. I don't have to take gym class.

6. When I do work out I can do what I want. Like yoga as opposed to basket ball.

7. I don't have to take math.

8. I don't get told to play outside more.

9. I shop for myself.

10. I can smirk at people younger than myself.

11. I have learned not to get bangs/fringe.

12. Sometimes quitters win.

13. It is great to still have relationships with your siblings without having to share with them.

Okay I thought of thirteen reasons. Which might be ominous somehow. I'm sure there are more reasons. But now I have to go watch more TV... or maybe just sleep. 

New Years Resolutions but not

I have this thing about following traditions. I don't like to. At all. Which might be considered ironic when one considers that I have fairly traditional values. But then maybe it is because of that. Anyway.

I have several reasons for not making New Years Resolutions this year.

1. There is much too much chocolate in this house to consider abstaining from it.

2. I made several goals for my year in Ireland which began and will end in June. I'm still focusing on those.

3. I don't want to make goals at this traditional time. Simply because, yes, I like to flaunt tradition. Even good ones. I do think that the yearly practice of evaluating yourself and trying to improve yourself is a good one.

But while my mom and I were discussing this we came up with a brilliant idea. Even by our standards.

Anti-New Years Resolutions

Examples

1. Eat all the chocolate in the house.

2. Watch too much tv

3. Read all the novels you want

4. Sleep in

 I don't know. They seem like more fun than giving up chocolate. Even if that is what I should probably do.

2012 in review

One of said manuscripts was a NANOWRIMO, which means I wrote 50'000 words plus in 30 days 

Lived in: 
Orlando-- I was still there for a couple days at the beginning of 2012
Idaho-- Lived there until April.
Colorado-- Lived there April/May.
Pennsylvania-- Lived here about a week before moving to drum-roll please.
Galway Ireland.-- Lived here since June 2nd.

Visited:
Ireland (Republic of)
Galway-- Well, I live here but it is great and a major tourist attraction so there.
Cliffs of Moher
Poulnabrone Dolmen-- older than the pyramids.
Connemara 
 Kylemore Abbey 
Cork --practically lived here, traveling every week for a class.
Limerick-- There was a castle
Dublin-- I've been before but it's only a few hours by bus and a great city.
Northern Ireland
Belfast-- how could I be so ignorant of current events????
Also a YSA conference I didn't hate, lots of new friends and Latin dancing. Latin dancing isn't what I think of when I think of Northern Ireland (Well, it wasn't until this activity) but it was really fun.
Scotland
Edinburgh-- One of my favorite cities I have ever been too. The whole time I felt like I was in Hogsmede because it is such a historic city. I had breakfast twice at the Elephant House, a.k.a. the birthplace of Harry Potter.


Pretty sure I've left stuff out. But oh well.

Done 
Completed Disney College Program Internship 

Tech. Phedra out of the goodness of my heart with two nights to learn my part.

Graduated College with Degree in English and minor in theatre

Had play accepted into BYU-I Research and Creative Works Conference

Said play won best dramatic work in advanced creative writing class. I won a Gothic candle stick as a prize. Only slightly marred by the fact that I was the only student to attempt to write a script.

Got a job  abroad

Moved abroad 

Took a film acting class

Wrote 2 novel manuscripts


Discovered I like photography

Own a briefcase

Called as Youth Sunday School Teacher

Started wearing small, stud earrings because it is more difficult for children to yank them out of your ear lobes

Started reading for fun again

My brother got married. I wasn't there and it isn't by any means my accomplishment, but it would be wrong not to mention it.

Started sketching again
 
Now I have for sure left stuff out here.