Music Challenge Day 29: A Song from Your Childhood

"Beautiful Boy" by John Lennon is a song my dad would sing to my sister and I when we were little.  Good times.

Yay songs from childhood.

~Meaghan

Learning to Drive: The Backseat View

My sister is learning to drive.

Let me rephrase this.

My baby sister is learning to drive.  Her goal is to get her license when she turns 18 next month.  It's both exciting and scary on many levels.

So as she's learning to drive, I've been relegated to the backseat.  Not that bad of a thing - it gives me a chance to crank up my iPod and stare mindlessly out the window at the beautiful scenary.  A nice change of pace, one could say.

Except for the fact that she's learning.  She's getting better, don't get me wrong.  But it's a little scary at the same time.  Sharp turns, breaking, accelerating, the whole nine yards. 

Everything that I once had to learn how to do.

It makes me think of my own driving experience.

Learning to drive was scary for me as well.  I was clumsy, kutzy, and timid.  Going above 40 miles an hour was beyond my comprehension.  Some of the more memorable experiences included:

~ Learning to drive my dad's manual 1995 Ford Focus before it bit the dust

~ Killing said manual on our apartment speed bumps and getting told to "Get off the fucking road" by some random jerk

~ Learning how to night drive in the Jeep on the back roads

~ Nearly hitting a herd of elk on said back roads

~ Driving on Thanksgiving day through the snow and almost plowing over a "Ped X-ing" sign

~ My mom telling me to gun the engine and then break and turn at the same time in an empty parking lot on a hill

~ Me not turning fast enough or breaking hard enough and almost sending us rolling down the hill

~ Getting honked at countless times by random strangers

But even though my parents were both white knuckled and my sister was dying in the backseat, I made it through and got my license with flying colors.  I now drive happily and with confidence.

It's going to be the same with my sister.  As soon as she gets the hang of it, she'll do great on the road.  It just takes practice.  And when she gets there, it's going to be awesome.

One thing I know for sure though: When I'm married and have kids, my husband is going to be the one teaching them how to drive.

~Meaghan

Music Challenge Day 28: A Song That Makes You Feel Guilty

Oh, the amazing wonder of music association.

"Pocketful of Sunshine" by Natasha Bedingfield.

Here's why it makes me feel guilty:

This song came out when I was a stupid little teenager (17 and 18) and thought that I really liked this guy I had known for a few years.  I blew off my family and friends a couple of times for him only to have it turn out that it wasn't like that on his end.  Basically, I made a fool of myself and did a lot of really immature things during that time.

This song happened to be playing in his truck on one of those occasions.  I believe it was the night of a choir concert.

So, it's in the past.  I've grown up, moved on, and become friends with him again.  (No romantic feelings, though, which is probably a good thing.)  But I still squirm when I hear this song.

Which is kind of sad, because it is a good song.

Oh well.  Live and learn, right?

~Meaghan

Four Weeks Left.

As this Saturday passed, I realized one very crucial thing: I only have four weeks of school left for the semester.

This means a number of things.

1. Everything is due in the next three weeks so I need to massively get myself in gear.

2. I'm going to have to apply for a job in the next three weeks.

3. Holy Cow, Batman, where on earth did all the time go???

And...

4. How in the world am I supposed to focus when the weather has been so incredibly nice?

So this is now going to be a week for tactics. My life (and semester at this point) is too short to waste.  Time to come up with some plans.

Here's the run down:

1. I'm going to keep trudging through my homework even though I really don't feel like doing it.

2. Even though my first class is cancelled on Tuesday and even though nothing is due until Thursday, I'm going to go to school like any other day and do the homework like it's due on Tuesday.

3. I am going to stay focused as long as I can while making sure I go outside and enjoy the weather.

And...

4. I'm going to try to get a summer job at a place where it won't matter if it sucks because I don't go there that often. (Also, no more food places.)

So those are my plans.  I'm not too worried about them.  Even though I haven't been sleeping well at all. 

(I think I might be a little more stressed than I think I am, but that's just between us.)

Wish me luck.  Prayers are good, too.  I really just want everything to work out so that the semester will end on a pleasant note and so that I'm possibly not eating lunch by myself on the next three or four Tuesdays. 

I'll keep everyone posted on how this finishes out.

~Meaghan

Music Challenge Day 27: A Song You Wish You Could Play

I love the love theme for Inuyasha and Kagome.  It's so pretty.  I have the sheet music and I've tried doing it on the violin, but the truth is that it just sounds better on piano.

Such a beautiful song. =D

Ah, I can't figure out the hand syncopation.

Maybe one day I'll invest in lessons.

~Meaghan

Well, That's Not Good.

So, I've had a number of blood tests done in the past month.

A few were from my stint in the ER.  While I got away pretty much Scott-free there, it brought up some concerns with my regular doctor.  My liver enzymes were higher than they should have been.

I stopped taking a certain medicine and went in for more blood tests.

Today I got the results back.  I am pleased to say that I am a healthy, happy 20 and a half year old young woman.

With one exception.

The liver enzymes, which were supposed to go down, sky rocketed.

They aren't at levels that are massively concerning, but something is definitly going on.  So now I have to go get more blood work done this week.

My doctor thinks that it's possible that either the medicine did more harm than good and my body was just over compensating for it or that I have mono.  Mono would fit because I was so sick last semester and I have a constant sore throat right now; but where and how I would've caught it is a mystery to me.  I don't share food with people typically.  I'm very particular about my hygiene.

I've never kissed any one.

Anyway.

So if it turns out that it's not either of those options, then I get to go see a GI specialist.  Joy.

I'll keep everyone posted on this turn of events.

In good news, my public speaking instructor has a good sense of humor and gave me an A on my speech about zombies.  That's a relief.  I think it was seriously the most fun giving a speech that I've had since the semester started.

Sadly, the next speech isn't going to be like that.  It's a persuasive speech and I'm talking about a fairly serious topic.

But the group speech is going to be awesome.  We're doing an award show and are dressing up for it.  I get to be the presentor.  Very exciting. =D

I'll keep you guys posted on everything.

~Meaghan

Music Challenge Day 26: A Song You Can Play on an Instrument

I'm a classically trained violinist.

Granted, I don't play much anymore and I don't practice.

But I have performed this song many times.

Many, many times.

Vivaldi's Violin Concerto in A minor.

Love it.

~Meaghan