Teeth Dream

Last night I went to bed at 2:30. Don't know how this happened. I was reading for class, when SUDDENLY! the clock jumped out and shouted, "Ooga Booga! It's 2 AM," and I scampered into bed. I couldn't fall asleep, so sat up patiently. The next morning can be effectively described by this flow chart:

Sleepyness > Sleeping In > Weird Dreams (These are the ones you want to write down for later.)

There was a kid in my high school who was in my honors classes, but he was a total stereotype: football player, popular, attractive, never did his own homework, never was witnessed to be laughing unless someone else was at the butt of the joke. I wasn't impressed. But he never spoke, which was weird, and his voice was really soft anyway. Somehow, this kid has the most dialogue when I dream about the people in high school.

So last night, when I was in the middle of a mild stress dream about Academic Challenge math, he politely invited me to eat lunch with the other students in town. I politely refused. Then I went into the kitchen and realized my teeth were coming loose. Often in dreams, they rot or wiggle out. This morning, they were implants. I had some regular teeth that were still in place, but there was a retainer that held fake teeth down. But the plastic was detaching, so the implanted teeth were coming out, and there was bleeding, and I was in the kitchen with this stupid popular kid.

Thank goodness I woke up just in time to be 5 minutes late for class. Who knows what sort of painfully embarrassing dental shenanigans I could have found myself in?

Poor Excuse

Every once in a while I feel a little bit lacking in the feminine department (not the feminine... zone, just in femininity, in general). Don't get me wrong- I can moon over boys, dress well enough, eat chocolate (and my feelings, if necessary), and I'm terrible at most sports. If that's not a stereotype, then what is?

Tonight I had a Laura Night, which involved sitting on a beanbag and watching a French romantic comedy, Spongebob, and the Public Broadcasting Service (I can be a classy chick, eh?). Other diversions included eating a pile of stir-fry, playing dress up, and fooling around with makeup. Here's where it got tricky.I'm not good with makeup, that staple of the female wardrobe. Besides underwires, makeup is what really separates women from the menfolk, and I only know what I've assumed for theatre: the more, the merrier, if you want anyone to see you. Other than that, any eyeshadow that begins over my eye quickly drips down onto my cheek; mascara was invented to flake directly into my eyes; God knows if I wore blush, it'd explode or something.

I was reminded of all this during Laura Night, when I attempted to paste my face (practicing for more formal occasions), and ended up with smudges of black all around my eyes, hands, and ankles. Times like these make me feel like a poor excuse for a girl, so I guess I'll go bulk up by reciting The Vagina Monologues. (Yeah, I think I have a part! Go celebrate V-Day, everyone!)

New Semester's Resolution

I have such a wonky schedule this spring, compared to my typical two classes every day, equally spread out. This year, I have all of MWF afternoons completely free, which is a little baffling. This is where you respond, "Suck it, Laura. I have a weird schedule every year." But I don't, and that it the point.

"Well then, you pansy," you may continue, "what are you going to do for 5 hours between lunch and dinner?" Thank you for asking! I am quite determined to do the crap I always say I will do, but never really intend to: write better news articles, send out resumés, enter writing contests, do taxes, finish homework, and so forth. There shall be productivity in my life, of this I am determined.

So how is this anyone's business but my own? By sending these ideas out into the public sphere, I risk other people getting involved and asking, "So how's that list going? Are you accomplishing anything worthwhile?" to which I will probably reply, "Mind your beeswax; I'm watching The West Wing." But after that episode is over, I will be much more inclined to write part of a cover letter (or at least clean my room for an hour).

So yeah. Here I go.

It Begins

7:11 pm: The elephants upstairs move in.

CONUNDRUM: History in the Making vs. Education

President-Elect Barack Obama is going to be sworn in January 20, 2009. Desperately Desperately do I want to attend. But there is a flurry of reasons why I should not and, ultimately, will not. All are equally disheartening. I would miss the first class of three different courses. Travel would be nearly impossible because several million others will also be attacking the city. I don't have a ticket to the inauguration itself, so would either have to camp on the freezing Mall lawn or make due with just the parade. Plus, travel would still be impossible, and restrooms scarce. (Dad was kind enough to recommend flying into the city, but I've no wings to do so and don't want to be mistaken for an aerial assault on the capital.)

The reason behind such a desire lies partly in the fact that Mum and I went to Washington for the 1997 celebration when I was young. I only remember that I saw a crescent of Bill Clinton's face though a window, and it was captivating. The traffic, the crowded Metro, nothing remains in my mind from that day except for the throngs of other onlookers and the President. People and the government. I voted for the first time in this election, and am thankful that we have someone who I believe in. Not to be too sentimental, but I really do have a lot of hope for the future.This is America, and this is history. I'd just like to be there for it.

I Have Never Read:

- a eulogy out loud
- Hamlet
- under the covers with a flashlight to avoid getting caught (it's redundant and uncomfortable)
- between the lines very well
- the poems of Jim Morrison
- Ella Enchanted without wishing I could be as brave when facing giants, stepsisters, and adversity in general
- the diary of another person (living)
- the dairy of another person (living or otherwise)
- tea leaves
- the stars
- the future, in general
- at night without feeling guilt over wasting electricity
- all of the legal paperwork for any transaction
- a wedding or funeral announcement without wondering to whom the information was interesting or relevant
- more than an article or two from any public newspaper
- white and blue
- "happily ever after" without wondering what could go wrong
- the Bible, Constitution, or Declaration of Independence (but maybe I'll skip to the last page to see how it ends)