Current Reads/Winter Break Update

Well so far so good during this break. Not too much going on really. I'm done with the first season of "Doctor Who" now and on to the next, so I guess that means I enjoy it. I also caught up a bit on my DVR. I know you may think that I watch too much TV, but at this time there really isn't much else to do. I am not stupid enough to go shopping the last few days before Christmas because that is when the especially crazy people come out. There is also the fact that people are going mad and thought the world was going to end on the 21st and decided they didn't want to buy presents.

As for the reading, I am moving along with Seeing Julia by Katherine Owen. It is progressing along nicely and I enjoy the story line so far. I like that You are getting to know more and more about the other people in Julia's life as she talks to the therapist. I am also curious if we are going to be reading more about the character Jacob Winston, who was a savior from the beginning. I don't want to give away too much in case you choose to read it yourself. Also I am reading The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets Nest by Stieg Larrson and me and my cousin decided to make a little book club out of it. I am excited for this considering I've never been a part of a book club. I like the idea of being able to discuss the reading with someone. Maybe that way I won't have weird dreams that have to do with the book and its characters that I am reading at the time.

There are also apps, apps, and more apps that are being downloaded on my phone. I think they are a great way to waste time, time that I seem to have so much of. My only problem is that I am not able to stick to one of them. Some I think are pointless and get uninstalled after an hour or so. There are others that I download and it is all going well, and then you have to pay for something or it just gets really complicated. I don't mind the complicated games as much as the games that lead you on. You're fine and then all of a sudden you have to start paying for things left and right. Anyway, there are so many options out there that are available.

Well, that is how my winter break has been so far. Not too exciting of course. Oh! But there was some snow! As a winter baby I do love the snow. It is one of the most beautiful things to me to see it on the ground sparkling like diamonds. I don't care what anyone says, I love the snow and I like it cold.

Winter Break

Well, now that the semester is over and all the finals and essays are done, I can relax. Being the completely unproductive person that I am, I plan on doing unproductive things over break. I am pretty sure no one actually cares what I am going to do, but the point of this blog is for you to get into my head, and so I am granting you access.

My best friend over break will be Netflix. I will definitely be watching movies, not exactly sure which ones just yet, but there will be plenty. Also I will be watching many shows. I just started Doctor Who. I don't know how far into it I will get because I'm not too into SciFi that has to do with aliens, but it is pretty decent so far. There are also the other shows that I have been watching, such as Supernatural, Psych, and How I Met Your Mother. I have plenty on my DVR recorded as well that will also have to be watched. Yeah, I am a bit of a TV junkie, judge all you like.

Now, so that my brain doesn't completely turn to mush before the next semester starts in January, I will be reading. Hopefully I will finish reading one of the three books listed in my last post. Also I will be working on crochet and knitting, because I really am an old lady at heart. May also be starting a job, but not too sure about that one. I am going to be doing anything that will be keeping me fairly busy really.

Most importantly I will probably be blogging a bit more now. I have a few posts that I have started and never really finished. Anyway, now reading over this I guess it won't be the most unproductive month of my life. So, if you have any suggestions for movies or shows or books or anything you like, feel free to suggest some. I'd really appreciate it!

Current Read(s)

I don't know what it is wrong with me at the moment, I can't seem to stick to reading one specific book. I think it has to do with college or it is just the fact that I am just not into the books I am reading. Anyway, I won't sit and try to figure out what it is and I'll let you know what the books are.

1. The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets Nest - Stieg Larsson

I have read the first 2 books and really enjoyed them. Unfortunately, in my opinion, it takes too long for me to get into these books. The first half of the books drag for me and I sit and wonder when the hook is going to snatch me up. After that hook, however I tend to not be able to put the book down. 

2. Seeing Julia - Katherine Owens
I found this author after she followed me on twitter and I saw that a couple of her books were for free on Amazon for a little while. I took the opportunity to get them on Kindle. I have the Kindle app on my phone and so I never have to worry about carrying the book around. So far it is really good. It started off with a bit a tragedy and I like that because you know the character can only go up from here. Also there is a love interest there already starting, and well, I'm a hopeless romantic and I love it. I'm excited to see what the rest of the book has to hold for me.



3. Never Let Me Go - Kazuo Ishiguro
Now, a cousin of mine lent me this book and so far I don't know what to think of it. It is a bit confusing for me. I am sure that it will begin to make more sense as I read on. It was made into a movie, so it must be really good. I want to see the movie because I think it would make more sense, but I'm a stickler for reading a novel and then seeing the movie. I think this has to do with my critiquing the film industry and their continuous failures to make a movie remotely like the novel that inspired it. Also there would be no point to read a book after a watching the movie because it ruins the plot and therefore just destroys the purpose of reading.

It's a Dog Eat Dog World Out There

Alright, it is finals for the next two weeks and as most other college students who feel the classes they are taking are impossible, I have broken down already once and the week has just gotten started. My post may sound a little scatter brained, I'm giving you fair warning because that is the kind of brain I have at the moment. It really is awful, finals I mean. All you see are students who frantically panic and don't know what to do with themselves because there is so much material to cover. There are also no open study rooms and hardly anywhere to sit in the library.

Now, when I say that I don't like school people tend to think of it as if I am joking. In all honesty, I hate it and I don't understand why I want to be a teacher, but I do. Even my body rejects school. I always get sick the first week or two of the semester and throughout the rest I get headaches. The amount of stress that comes from midterms and finals also leaves me ill. It is just not fun for me.

Any way, I realize that these past 2 paragraphs probably have nothing to do with the title, but bear with me I am getting there. Remember I said scatter brain. Ok, so teachers expect you to remember all of this information that they have thrown at you the entire semester and then some. You see things on the finals or on the review sheets that you have never covered before. Also if you are helping someone out, they expect you to do all the work for them. They knew what they were getting themselves into and they should have been better prepared. It is all about the people you surround yourself with as well. Don't tell me that you just need to look out for yourself at the end of the semester because that is complete crap.

I have a problem with letting people down and I don't like to get pressured by others. Especially with school. I have enough issues with that as it is and I don't need anymore. If I don't want to get better than a C in the class and that is ok with me, then don't let it be your job to try to get me to do more. I know that I can't get better than that because the numbers don't add up. You are just going to make me feel horrible about that grade and make me feel like I didn't reach your expectations.

I have learned long ago that life isn't handed to you on a silver platter. My expectations for reality are low so that when something good happens I am really happy with it and I appreciate it that much more. Also I only look out for myself and no one else, it is a dog eat dog world out there and there is no other way to be. I can be helpful but only to an extent. You know that when you meet me, don't sit and try and hope for more than that out of me.

Definitely changing the title of this post from People and Their Expectations to Its a Dog Eat Dog world out there because that makes more sense to me.

Music, Undiscovered

I am big on listening to music, specifically undiscovered artists. They are a lot easier to find now thanks to youtube and twitter. Here are just a few of the artists that I love to listen to, feel free to let me know of some others!

1. John Macpherson
He is young and from Canada. He happened to follow me on twitter and I went and looked him up on youtube. When I followed him he had less than 3,000 followers on twitter and now has a bit under 8,000. His music is incredible and he has some really great covers, but what I love about him is, is he puts more of his originals up than covers. My favorite song of his is called 'Breath Easy' and my favorite cover is a tie between Ed Sheeran's 'Lego House' and Train's 'Marry Me'. John is one of my top played on iTunes and I can never get enough of his voice! Look for his new song 'The Faster I Fall'
Twitter: @johnmacmusic
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/johnmacmusic?feature=g-user-u

2. Rebel N' Rose
Michelle and Josh are Rebel N' Rose. Josh was in Every Avenue, but as they are calling it quits (http://littlemisslovelytimes.blogspot.com/2012/10/heartbreak-in-music-world.html) he started to collaborate with Michelle. They are based in Nashville where great music is born. They are just getting started and they have put out a cover of Taylor Swift's 'Everything Has Changed'. They did a great job with it and if you watch their vlog on their youtube page you can hear a snippet of something original! Their voices go together so well and I haven't heard of a duo like them in a while. I can't wait to hear more from these two!
Twitter: @RebelNRose
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCm3FVXVV3yucbUFnrUbSaOA

3. Jimmie Deeghan
He was a part of Every Avenue as well and now he is working on a solo project. This isn't his first time going at it alone and it probably won't be his last. He already has a large fanbase, but it is just not enough. His song 'Crazy Stupid Love' is a great song. I don't exactly know how to classify the genre of music, but I know it has a bit of country influence. That may have to do with the fact that he is based in Nashville as well. It is good music nonetheless and I can't wait to hear the rest of his EP once it comes out!
Twitter: @ EAJimmie
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/Jimmiedeeghan?feature=watch

4. Like Crazy
I stumbled upon this trio after Dennis Wilson from, take a wild guess Every Avenue, joined and shared them with the rest of the world. I am already obsessed with their music. You can download their EP Forget the World for free, yes FREE! one of my favorite ways to download music, on their bandcamp page that I will link below. I love the sound of the group and the way that Greg Pearse and Sara Ternyila sound together. Their vocals are unbelievable. Also, they will be opening up for Every Avenue on their Last Call tour!
Twitter: @WeAreLikeCrazy
Bandcamp: http://likecrazy.bandcamp.com/album/forget-the-world <-- FREE Download!

5. Search The City
If you have already heard of them then you know that they broke up a few years back. Very happy to say that they are back together! Well, sort of anyway. There are a few new members to replace the ones who are no longer in the band, and that includes a new lead singer. Travis is young and has an amazing voice. The band kept their initial sound as their album A Fire So Big The Heavens Can See It, which remains one of my favorite albums of all time, but it also has some new sound. From the little that I have heard already it is safe to say that one should be very excited about the upcoming album they are working on. I think what attracted me to this band in the first place was that they are from Michigan like me. I was heartbroken to find out they had broken up before I got to see them because I found out about them too late and I was too young to go to any of their shows. Now that they are back, they are ready to take over my playlist again.
Twitter: @SearchTheCity
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/searchthecity?fref=ts <-- You can give a listen to their new demos here!

I can go on and on, but I think I will stop here and maybe have another post with some more. I've been working on getting this list just right so that anyone who gives these a listen will find someone they are interested in.

Obama for 4 more years?!

So as promised via twitter (follow me at @freexpresionXO) here is my post about the 2012 election. Please note that the things said in this blog post are strictly opinion.

I want to start off by saying that I did not vote yesterday. Shocking I know, but I have my reasons. I feel that if you do not know what you are getting yourself into, if you aren't truly aware of who you are voting for, then you shouldn't. I didn't watch the debates so I didn't know what they were "promising" and promoting. I do know, however, that they have creepy smiles, or they were "dissing" on each other and what ever else I picked up off my twitter. The fact that people were more interested in those kind of things made me laugh because from what I understand not much was answered during the debates. So where did people get their information on who was the best choice?

On the little information that I did gather I didn't think either candidate was the right fit to run our nation. Now before people get angry about the fact that I don't think Obama is the right fit to run our country, the way I see it is I haven't seen him do much that has benefited me when in his four years. I know that Bush did a run on this country, but Obama hasn't done much yet to improve the damage. The unemployment rate has never been so high in over a hundred years. If that doesn't trouble people I don't know what will. Imagine another 4 years of that going down?

One other thing about elections and democracies that I just don't understand. There are other candidates that are running as well. Why don't they get to go to the debates and let their voices be heard. You never know, the future of our country, a candidate that could very well lead our country on the right path could very possibly be one of those candidates. I don't even know their names. If you ask all the children who learned about the election and had a mock election in their class they probably will only know about the Republican and Democratic party and won't know about the other candidates. What kind of message is this sending to ones who are supposed to run the country while we are in our old age?

Now before I leave you, I must say that in our society subliminal messages are everywhere and I want you to beware. My mom had full intention to vote for Obama, and when she went into the polls she voted Romney. She crossed out the vote and then instead of choosing Obama chose Romney again. The guy at the polling place just voided her vote, but the fact that she wanted to vote Obama and had his name in her mind but still voted Romney...please tell me you see something fishy about that? Subliminal messages are everywhere so I warn you to be careful!!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I somehow failed to mention my theory up there and this is a little added bit. I don't want to be attacked for saying what I am about to say, but I think it needs to be said.

I feel that Obama agreed to promote same sex marriage and legalize marijuana strictly for the votes. I commend Romney in speaking his opinion about women (even though I don't agree with it and think he has a foolish opinion), immigrants, whether they are legal or not, and other things, despite the republican delegates telling him not to. There were no smoke screens to say things that please people to get their votes. Honesty is something we need to help our future get better.

Time

People lately have been saying how time is going so slow and that they want it to go by faster. Wait till we change our clocks this weekend, imagine how they will complain then! I don't understand why people want their lives to just pass by them, especially when they are going to sit and complain that they aren't living their lives to the fullest. I spend my time blogging and watching shows so I'm not necessarily the best example, but its what I enjoy doing with my time. I'm not sitting here and saying that time needs to go super fast so we can have the next day to complain about time again. They also complain if the day goes by fast. There truly is no middle ground for them!

I wish everyone would live their lives and just relax. Everyone is always so stressed about things. Stress can cause a lot of problems, not just for the mental health of a person, but for their physical health as well. I'm not a doctor so I won't get much into that.

Anyway, people need to take things one day at a time and take the days as they come no matter how long or slow they come. Appreciate the fact that you get to have another day. There are people who don't know if they will be waking up the next day and you don't see them complaining about the day going by so slow. Feel as blessed as you are.

~ A

College Will Be The Death of Me

College will really be the death of me. I mean I am sitting in my MTH 148 class right now and my professor seems as if she is trying to teach herself as she goes. She always seems so lost while giving a lecture. I didn't sign up for this! The professor I wanted left after a week because she had to take care of her kid. I understand and it is very noble of her to take the semester off, but the school could have picked a better teacher than this lady.

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Alright now that I am out of the math class, I left early because I can't stand her nasally voice. Math is not my only issue, history class is no walk in the park either and that is an online class so it makes it worse. My professor is a very rude guy and all the people I have met that have taken his class all said they had to repeat the class. So far I'm not doing too bad and I have a high C in the class. Aside from that I am doing pretty well in all my classes. Next semester however will really be the death of me. I have to take 18 credits and I will be there 4 days a week, possibly 5 as opposed to the 2 days a week this semester. Also they won't be the easiest of classes. It is going to get a bit overwhelming I guess.

Now I know I sound like I'm complaining a lot in this post and I am, but if you know me you know that I hate school. If it were up to me I probably wouldn't even be in college right now. Just to put a little spin in this story, I am going to school for a degree in Elementary Education. I hate school and I want to become a teacher. It doesn't make sense to me either.

~ A 

Heartbreak in the Music World

This is truly a dark night, Every Avenue is calling it quits for a while. They have not broken up and they are on good terms with each other, but it will be a while before they're back again. They are appropriately calling their last tour The Last Call Tour. It will feature Conditions, Set It Off, Car Party and Wilson. I have never been to one of their shows and considering they're from Michigan and so am I that this is awful. They will be here on 2 dates and maybe I will get my chance. You can find tour info here: everyavenue.net

Its a shame to see a band like this go. Their music is awesome and speaks to people on so many levels. Their last album, Bad Habits, was a favorite of mine. The songs were all great and I even bought the hard copy of it. It was basically the sound track for my summer while I was driving around with the windows down. A song that was only available if you got the album off itunes was called "If I Knew" and there was so much raw emotion in that song that even now I get a tear or two listening to it.

I can go on and on listing some of my favorite tracks, or you can just go listen to them for yourselves and allow your ears to go on the best ride of their musical lives. To the people who don't know who this band is/was, I feel sorry for you because you definitely missed out on something great. It was good while it lasted and I wish the guys well on all of their journeys and future projects and I will anticipate your return.

This is see you later, I'm not into goodbyes....








~ A

What I've been up to lately

Alright so I have been sick with the flu for the past three days and before that I had midterms. No much went on during the week because of the studying and prepping I was doing for these tests that would determine a lot for me. I mean if I had failed my midterm for history, there would have been no way to come back and I would have just dropped the class because its better than having an F on my transcript. Life of a college student it not too fun. Anyway, after all the studying and what not, I got the flu. I'm pretty sure it was because I used a computer on campus. I think I'm going to start carrying lysol wipes with me everywhere I go now.

While I was wallowing in self-pity and being my over dramatic self thinking I was going to die, I stayed in bed and decided to watch a few movies. I watched My Big Fat Greek Wedding and How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. Both a couple of chick flicks that are perfect for comforting someone who is sick. I had never watched MBGW and was really happy with it. I love how it was actually relateable to me and my Arabic culture. Greeks and Arabs must come from the same family tree with all those traditions that would probably seem pretty backwards to the American society. But, aside from that because I don't feel like having the discussion right now, I really enjoyed it and if you haven't seen it because you are a bit late like I am I recommend you watch it. I had already seen HtLaGi10D and I liked it just as much. What can I say, I'm a sucker for romantic comedies. I suggest both movies to everyone!

I am going to wrap up what is probably going to be one of my most pointless posts and go watch some more Supernatural. I'm late to that party too. Great show so far. Would have been deeper into it than just the 6th episode, but I got freaked out when I watched the first one at 2 am. I'm not too into watching scary things but I took a chance and it was obviously the wrong timing.

~ A

A Bit of Explaining

So it appears that I am not the worlds best blogger. I mean I was making blogs as opposed to creating new posts. I had a blog for my introduction and another one about what was my current read. I referenced the intro in the current read post. I clearly need a little more practice at this, but I'm working on it. So that explains the three, and now four posts in one day. Tomorrow I will probably post again about some movies I've been watching. So until then my lovely readers!

~ A

I Stand Corrected

So I think I need to apologize to Nicholas Sparks. My last post was about his novel "The Best of Me" and I basically said that it was nothing special. Now that I've finished it, I realized that I was so wrong. Towards the end it just got really intense and the scenes that he described were absolutely amazing.

There is a specific scene that spoke to me and gave me chills, the one about a car accident. I won't give too much information in case you choose to read it, but I connected to this part of the book because of my recent accident. I was close to tears reading it because I know that it could have been so much worse, especially considering that I got hit by a semi-truck.

Anyway enough about me and more about the book. Like I said, towards the end it got really interesting and I just wasn't able to put it down. It had a much different ending than I had expected. You get the gist of it towards the end and you know whats going to happen, but nonetheless it hits you just the way that Sparks most likely wanted it to. He is a great author and I hope everyone reads this book as they wait for his next novel and movie which are both in the process of being made.

~ A

Current Read

So I may have told you that I love to read, I've been called a nerd for it in the past, but who doesn't enjoy a good book? I said that Nicholas Sparks is one of my favorite authors and I am currently reading one of his novels. "The Best Of Me" which I believe is his newest novel.



This book isn't like his others. By that I mean that it does have all the romantic aspects that you would expect from Sparks, but it isn't all about that. There are so many characters that he is speaking through in this novel. Little parts that seem unimportant, and when this book inevitably turns into a movie, probably won't make the cut. I have been able to read his books in a matter of days in the past, but this one seems to drag on and on. He has had books that deviate from just being romantic, such as "A Bend In The Road" which was a bit of a mystery, but this one is just a book. I feel like he had to write something and he did.

I'm sure all these little things will add up in the end and something epic will happen, it's just not happening yet. I'm a little disappointed with this considering I am more than three quarters into the book. I don't think I will be recommending this book any time soon.

~ A

A little introduction

So this is my first time blogging with words. I am on tumblr and I have gone on a couple of rants there and people liked them so I figured why not give this a shot. This blog will probably be things I find interesting like shows, movies, books, and interests. Or I may even go on some rants more often than I prefer.

Well I should probably say something about my self then? I am a nineteen year old in my sophomore year of college. I enjoy watching movies and different shows. I am majoring in elementary education. I hope to teach at the 2nd/3rd grade level. I love to read and no surprise Nicholas Sparks is one of my favorite writers. I aspire to write a novel one day even if it doesn't get published I would just like to know that I can write one.

Anyway I hope you like my blog, or don't. I'll be back soon to chat some more :)

~ A