First Post of the Year

Well, I haven't written on here since October, and I can't really say that a lot has gone on since then. The only difference in the me in October and the me now is that I'm more dedicated to building my relationship with God and His Son than I was a few months ago. I've been reading a little of the Bible everyday, and I've been looking into scripture to help me on certain aspects of my life. I look to God more now whenever I'm hurting or when I just need a little bit of guidance. I wake up feeling happier than I've ever felt, and I'm over all more happy than I've ever been. I'm usually the one who's negative, pessimistic, and bitter all the time, but lately, I haven't had much to complain about. Aside from the daily annoyance from my family, I've been well. God has truly blessed me. 

I haven't been able to hang out with any of my friends really this break. I saw Darrion maybe a few times, and I just saw Consuelo for the first time the other day. We went to see Puss in Boots. It was an awfully cute movie. Oh, and I saw Shelby for the first time since her high school graduation. It's amazing how you lose touch and track of people when they go to different schools, huh? Cause Consuelo, Shelby, and I all went to middle school together. Hung out with them frequently. Then, they went to Hume Fogg and I went to Glencliff, and things just slipped through the cracks... But this year is a new year, and I hope to do a better job of communicating with the people I'd like to consider my friends. I've been doing a horrible job lately at keeping in touch with people, and I plan to put an end to that.

I begin my Spring semester Wednesday, so I'll be headed back to Knoxville Tuesday. I'd really like to get back earlier, like tomorrow, but I have an appointment with a gynecologist Tuesday at 3:15 CDT. That means I won't be getting into Knoxville until late and I won't have any time to just relax. I'll have to be in bed at a decent time in order to get ready for classes the next morning and what not. *Sigh* Oh, well... That's life. Next year, I hope my appointment isn't so close to when school starts. As far as this semester goes, I'm striving for better grades (always). I want to do the best that I am able to do and receive the highest grades that I am able to receive. Last semester, I made 3 A's, an A-, and a C. This semester, I'm hoping to make all A's and maybe a B (in Genetics, because I don't think I could pull off an A). The many A's will definitely give my GPA a significant boost, and I'll be on my way towards graduating with some type of honors.

I know I can do this if I have faith.

Inconsistency

I haven't been blogging as much as I used to, and I don't really have an explanation as to why... It seems as though a lot of people don't update their blogs as much as they used to. I guess that's just a part of life... There's nothing new going on in my life really. I'm trying to keep my grades up in my classes... I have two exams coming up this week in both Chemistry and Biology. I am in no way prepared for either of the exams... Definitely need to start studying.

Bye-bye, Braces.

I got my braces off this morning. :]

April 16th, 2009 - October 3rd, 2011

Happy birthday to me!

I'm finally 19!

Tax Free Weekend

So this weekend was Tax Free Weekend in TN, and I did a lot of shopping. :] On Friday, I bought a lot of things I still needed for my apartment and just for school in general. On Saturday, I bought two pairs of jeans from Rue 21 (at BOGO 1/2 off) and 5 for $20 shirts/tank from Wet Seal (with this $50 pre-paid Visa gift card I won). I also bought a new pair of black/white Chuck Taylors and some black no show socks from Journey's. Overall, this weekend was a great weekend. I was upset at first because I wasn't scheduled to work Saturday, but then I realized that I wouldn't have been able to get any shopping done! So yea... I'm probably gonna buy some shorts before I leave. I wanna make a trip to Goodwill, so hopefully I find something(s) that I like. I really, really, really need shorts. With this 100+ degree weather, I can't stand to wear jeans.

Anyway, I move into my apartment next Monday the 15th and officially start my 2nd year of college on the 17th. I can't believe it's actually a week away... This summer feels like it's been going by so fast. Where has all the time gone? Last summer, I feel like I spent way more time with my friends. This summer, my main focus was work, work, work... and I honestly think that's where the majority of my time has been. I've also been taking Elementary French 1 online this summer, and I take my final exam for it this Wednesday. I really hope I did well in this class, because I've made A's on all of my assignments so far. I just really need to buckle down and study, study, study these next two days so that I can come out passing with flying colors.

I'm excited to start a new year at UT, but I'm nervous at the same time. I'm not exactly ready to not be around my boyfriend all the time just yet, but I know I'm gonna have to get over it. I'm also a little nervous about what this year's gonna be like living off campus with my friends. I'm gonna have to get used to doing things differently. I'm also taking my car to school this year, so I'm gonna have to worry about a plethora of other things. I really hope that my boyfriend will be able to visit me on weekends like he did last year. With his new job though, it's unlikely that it will happen; however, it would still be nice if he could. I know I'm gonna try my best to come home at least once a month to see my family.

Oh, did I mention that I'm getting $4352.50 back this semester from financial aid? I'm definitely saving a lot by not living in a dorm and by not having an actual meal plan. All that money is going towards paying my rent installments ($449/month). I will also be trying to get a job on campus this year, so I can have some extra money for groceries, shopping, my car, traveling, etc. This year will be the experimental test to see how I can live on my own. If I do well this year, I'll consider moving up to Knoxville for good until I finish my Bachelor's. That means finding a steady job off campus though, and I hope that won't be too much of a problem. Until then though, I plan to keep my job at the movie theatre. Maybe they'll move me up in ranks.

I have plans...

... to make my summer as enjoyable as humanly possible. I understand that I cannot do any of this without God's help, but I also realize that I need to stand up and start making things happen on my own. I've already started by enrolling in summer school and getting a job. Now, it's time for me to start making changes. I know I'm always complaining about my weight and my image and talking about how I'm gonna lose weight and exercise and all that jazz... but I never finish. I just simply do not have the discipline to stick to a regular diet and exercise plan. I love to eat. I eat whatever is within reach, and since we can't keep enough food in our house (thanks to my brother), I'm left to buying fast food (which is not cool). And I'm also lazy beyond all comprehension. I don't like to move or do anything if my body does not agree with the weather. I really wish there was an easy way to lose weight and look great, but unfortunately there isn't. I guess I'm just gonna have to suck it up and deal with it.

Updates...

I haven't updated in a few weeks, and it's mainly because I haven't had any exciting news. Umm, I got a job at the Malco Theatres in Smyrna a few weeks ago. Started on May 20th, and I'm waiting on my first paycheck. One of my coworkers told me that we were supposed to receive e-mails from Malco today telling us how much we made... and then, if you're on direct deposit, it should be deposited sometime between Tuesday and Thursday. I haven't received the e-mail yet today, but I'm hoping I receive it by tonight. I've been working hard with the hours they have given me (which hasn't really been a lot), but I should be getting paid for more than 20 hours these first two weeks. If I don't get a lot of hours this weekend/coming up week, then my second check won't be all that great. Whatever though... Money is money, I guess. Unless I can get another job during the day or something, I'm gonna have to get used to working for a business that's based on well, business.

On another note, my online class starts today. I gain access to the classroom at 6:00 PM. I really hope I can get good wifi at that time. I'm taking Beginning French I which is the equivalent to Elementary French I at the University of Tennessee. I need it so that I can take Elementary French II in the fall and then finally be able to take my required foreign language courses for general ed. Between work and school, I won't really be getting into anything else this summer. Since I can watch movies for free, I'll be taking advantage of seeing as many movies as I can. Last night, Glen, Darrion, and I went to see Hangover II. It was pretty funny, lol. Tonight, Ashley, my baby sis, and I are going to see Jumping the Broom. I've already seen some parts of it while I was on break, but it doesn't matter to me. I still want to watch the whole film.

Cooking with Glennifer...

Babe and I cooked dinner together for the first time! :] Here's what we had...

 Spaghetti, of course! :D

 Baby's salad.

 My salad.

 My salad drizzled in pomegranate vinaigrette.

For our salads, we used a baby spinach and spring mix, grilled chicken breast filets, grapes, raisins, monterey jack cheese, honey roasted pecans, tomatoes (for me), carrots (for me), and hard boiled eggs. He used ranch as his dressing, and as you can see, I used pomegranate vinaigrette. Let me tell you... The salad was delicious! The spaghetti was too, of course. I had a little technical difficulties with the spaghetti pasta, because the water didn't wanna boil, but everything turned out pretty nicely. 

Tomorrow, we're gonna make tacos and fruit salad. :] I will probably post pictures of everything tomorrow... Maybe I'll even take pictures during the process of cooking and what not. I'm forcing myself on a strict diet plan, so I can no longer eat fast food. I am forced to cook my own meals now if I wanna eat healthy. That's why today, I bought lots of fruits. I'm really excited about this new plan. It will be much better for my health in the long run.

Summer 2011

I'm so excited/anxious for this summer... I start my summer class June 6th, and as far as I know, it's online. I'm trying to get a job, so I can save up enough money for my first two months of rent... hopefully. I'm also anxious to see what my final grades are looking like. The only grades I know of for sure are my A in Psychology and my B in Chemistry. I'm proud of those grades. Chemistry was my hardest class, so I'm really glad that I ended  up doing well in that class. I'm kinda worried about how I did in Math, Philosophy, and English, because there's just no way to keep up with progress. I guess I won't find out until April 18th when final grades are posted. I really hope I do well in those classes. I desperately need a better GPA.

Thunderstorms, Golf Ball Hail, and Tornadoes

Well, I'm currently in the basement of my dorm along with the rest of the residents here waiting for this crazy storm to pass. I don't know much except that one passed earlier today, and now, another one is passing with 70 mph winds. On Monday, a microburst hit campus and knocked down several trees and power lines. Nashville had flash flood warnings and tornado warnings as well. I wonder what happened in the world to make God so angry...

Freshman Year...

Well, the end of my freshman year of college is drawing near... Next Friday is Spring Recess (Good Friday), and we don't have class. After that, there's only one more week of classes and then, the next two weeks (the 3rd - 10th) is nothing but exams. I have exams only during the first week, so I'll be home on the 6th. I am so grateful and thankful that this year is going to be over within a few weeks. I feel like I have been doing nothing but work, stress, eat, and sleep. I haven't really gotten much of the college experience (party-wise), but I do have a great understanding of what hard work means. My first semester, I slacked off big time and didn't really care about my grades... but after receiving an e-mail saying that I was at risk of losing a scholarship, I had to step my game up. My GPA first semester was a 2.82, and I need it to be a 3.0. Because of that, I've been busting my ass off (sorta) doing all of my homework assignments and studying for my exams. So far, I'm making A's and B's... We'll see how it turns out at the end of the semester. I still have finals and major papers and stuff to do, so I'm really worried about the end result. All I know is I have to just pull through these next few weeks and not allow myself to slip between the cracks...

Journaling My Journey...

Hello all,

I have decided to keep record of my recommitted walk with God through writing. Over the years, I have found that writing is the best way in which I can express myself (other than through song). If you would like to follow me or help me with my journey, feel free to click here and follow.

Today is National Water Day.

Last night, I learned from TimothyDeLaGhetto that today is National Water Day. His video (click here to watch it) made me realize that I really do take having fresh water to drink for granted. I have access to free water, and I barely drink it. I choose soda, juice, and other things over water. I take for granted having clean water to bathe/shower in everyday. I take for granted having clean water to wash my face and brush my teeth with everyday. I take for granted the bottles of Deer Park water I buy.

Water... Did you know 75% of our world is composed of water? 75% is a large proportion, so it's hard for me to imagine places without it. It's hard for me to imagine what life would be like without running water. I've had hands on experience with this though. When I went to Vietnam, the places I stayed didn't have running water. We bathed, washed our faces, and brushed our teeth from water in a collected well type thing. We used the restroom over a hole in the ground that was enclosed in a small fixture, kinda like a Port-a-Potty. I hated every last minute of it. Knowing that, I could never see myself living in third world places without the technological advancements that I'm accustomed to. I could never see myself living in a place without simple resources to survive.

Like Tim said, sometimes I'm just too lazy to walk to the refrigerator to get myself a glass of water. These people in Haiti were having to travel long distances just to gather fresh water. It never dawned on me how blessed and fortunate I am to have water whenever I want it. I never have to go anywhere to get it. I don't have to work hard for it. It's just there... I think a lot of people have this problem; not realizing what they have. A lot of people, myself included, are also very ignorant to what's going on around the world. It's our duty to become aware of what's going on in our world. It's our duty as humans to preserve the human race by doing all that we can to save it. Preserving water should be one of the first steps.

So in light of today and the remainder of the week, I will not drink any soda or juice. I will only drink the Deer Park water that I bought for my dorm. I will try my best to drink at least three bottles of water a day (I know it should be more), and at the end of the week, I will take a picture of all of the bottles that I drank from.

Spring Break...

Because I decided to skip my 2:30 Intro to Chemistry class, my spring break started Friday, March 11th at 11:00 AM. I don't really have many plans this week, but I'm going to try to my best to enjoy it while it's here. I have a ton of school work to do, and I plan to balance that with my social life... It's not going so well right now, but hey, it's only the beginning of the week. I still have a while until some of my work is due.

Saturday, I went to the movies with one of my best friends, Darrion, whom I haven't seen in months. We kinda had a falling a couple of months ago and we're not as close as we used to be, but we're getting there. He's doing everything he can to repair our friendship. Today, I went to the dentist for a regular cleaning and my orthodontist. The orthodontist visit was rough only because my braces wanted to be all complicated, lol. But everything's good now though... I just have to remember to floss daily and to use Listerine. My gums are swelling up, but that shouldn't be too hard to fix, at least I hope not.

Sometime this week, I plan to go bowling with my friend Alyssa to meet her deaf older brother, Jeremy. She thought it'd be cool if we met and signed to each other and stuff. It would be great practice for me. Speaking of signing, I'm really developing a love and a passion for ASL. I'm registering for an actual class next semester, so I hope to learn a lot more. Right now, I know enough for basic introductory conversation, and I know a lot of nouns. I hope to be able to carry on a full conversation past the introductory stage.

Week 2 Weigh In...

170.0 lbs.

I didn't go to the gym today, but that's what it said when I got on the scale Tuesday. It's that time of the month again... and I don't wanna work out while that's going on, so I'll be back in the gym once I'm off.

I'M TIRED OF COMPLAINING ABOUT MY BODY!

Last night, my roomy and I decided to start a new work out/dieting plan for the remainder of the semester. We (especially me) were sick and tired of eating the junk we had been eating all year and laying around doing absolutely nothing. I have been complaining about my body and my appearance for as long as I can remember... Every time I start a work out plan, I fail at it. I either don't do it right or I don't even bother finishing it. This time around (I know I said that last time), I'm really going to stick with it. Since my roommate is working out with me, she'll really help keep me motivated! I never really had that much positive motivation from any of my other friends, so I'm really looking forward to this.

As far as my diet goes, I'm no longer allowing myself to eat all the fatty, processed CRAP I had been stuffing myself with. That means no more frozen dinners, no more Campbell's soup cans, no more Krispy Kreme donuts (after I finish the box I bought yesterday), no more high calorie/sugar soda, no more candy, NO MORE SWEETS! I've agreed to allow myself one sugary snack either once a day or once a week... I haven't decided yet. Regardless, I'm really planning to increase my health. That means more fiber, more fruits and veggies, and definitely LOTS AND LOTS OF WATER! I know it's gonna be challenging, because it's so much more convenient for me to buy fast food than it is for me to actually sit down and eat something healthy, but I'm gonna have to work at it.

Today, we went to the gym and worked out for about an hour and a half. We did 20 minutes on the elliptical thingies, 20 minutes on the bike thingies, and then, we started lifting weights. We did three sets of 15 on each of the thigh pusher machines; one worked on your inner thighs, the other worked on your outer. I used 50 and 60 lb weights. Then, we went to the other machine that works on the back of your legs and your butt, lol. We did three sets of 15 on each leg using 50 lb and 60 lb weights. After that, we went to the ab machines (one you lean forward, the other you lean backward) and did about 100 on each using 100 lb weights. After our abs, we worked on our arms. I did 50 reps using the row pulling thing (LOL at these descriptions) with 40 lb weights.

After the work out, I felt great! We stopped at Smoothie King, and I got a small Raspberry smoothie thing (I forgot what it was called) that was made out of raspberries, bananas, orange juice, and raspberry sorbet. It was delicious. For lunch, we each had a sandwich and a small salad. My sandwich was made with whole wheat bread, turkey meat, American cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, light mayonnaise, and a drizzle of ranch. My salad was made with lettuce, spinach, baby corn, shredded cheese, nuts, and a little ranch. I must say... It was very delicious! :] I also grabbed a banana to snack on later. My roommate stuffed a whole bunch of apples and oranges into her hat and walked out with them, lol. It was hilarious.

As a part of our work out plan, we decided to record our starting weights (170.0 for me) and monitor our progress each week for 12 weeks. We plan to go to the gym four days a week and do other exercises on the rest of the days. We also plan to do simple exercises during commercials while we are watching our favorite TV shows. We even plan to take the stairs to our room on the 5th floor rather than taking the elevator. I know the stairs part is gonna be a lot of work for me (I hate taking stairs!), but it will definitely be worth it. I'll get used to taking the stairs once I develop a habit, and my legs will definitely become more toned and less flabby.

All in all, I'd have to say that today was a great start to my new health plan. I look forward to seeing maximum results as the weeks go by, and I hope that I can continue this plan throughout the summer and all the way through next year. My ultimate goal is to drop at least 25-30 lbs, and I believe I can do that by the time school starts next fall. Wish me luck!

History...

This afternoon, my roommate and I rode the KAT (Knoxville Area Transit) Bus downtown to tour the Blount Mansion for our English assignment. When we arrived, the visitors' center was closed and the doors were locked. We thought that was odd, because the place was supposed to be open. We called the visitation phone number several times to set up an appointment to tour prior to leaving, but no one would ever answer. We were discouraged until an elderly man walked down the hill toward us and asked us the time. He said he was waiting on a tour guide to meet him at 2:00 PM to start his tour. We decided to wait with him, hoping that we would be able to tag along.

It's amazing the kinds of people you may run into while downtown... I say this because this old man was very interesting. My roommate and I carried on a conversation with him for about 20 minutes. In that time frame, we learned that he was originally from Washington, D.C. and that he loved history. He loved it so much that he was currently touring the country to visit all of its historical sites and landmarks. Prior to coming to Knoxville, he visited a place in Virginia... and his next stop was in Nashville to visit Andrew Jackson's home, The Hermitage. He had a 21-year-old cat that died last week (which made him very sad), but he finally had the time to travel without having to worry about its well-being.

When we told him we were both Pre-Med students, he told us that he was actually a retired Emergency Room doctor. He got his M.D. from a college in Nebraska and did his undergrad somewhere else. He said he was certified and licensed sometime during the 70's (I don't remember the exact year) and that he was one of the first people in the country to be certified as a practicing physician. He even told us that he used to live in Las Vegas and that he was planning on moving back there sometime after his tour.

Talking to this man was really nice... I've always heard that we (younger people) need to take some time out to talk to some elderly folk every once in a while. From my stand point, they can be pretty interesting. It's always nice to hear stories about their childhood, or what they've accomplished so far in their lives, or anything of that nature. Meeting him really kinda made my day (as lame as that may sound). Normally, I'd never talk to a stranger, but this gentleman was extremely friendly and even acknowledged my roommate and I as his friends.

I hope he has a safe trip across the country...

It's Been Great...

Last night while my boyfriend and I were playing Uno, he put down his cards and said to me, "Baby... I'm not ready for you to go." I looked at him and responded, "I am leaving soon, huh?" It didn't dawn on me that we have spent every single day of my Christmas break together. There hasn't been a single night where I didn't sleep in his arms on the couch in the living room. Every morning, I have woken up with his arms around me. Every morning, I have woken up to his smile and sweet kisses. On the days we decide to sleep in, he holds me until I'm ready to get up and then, he sleeps some more (if he's that tired). It's gonna be really hard to readjust back to the college lifestyle and not always having him there.

Although this break has been great, I'm still not completely satisfied... My best friend, Darrion, and I made all these plans to hang out and what not during the month that we were back home, but we only saw each other once. I'm the one to blame. I only stopped by his house once, and after leaving his house, I didn't want to see him for a while. All last week, he said he was at home and that I could stop by whenever I wanted. Did I? No. I didn't even make an attempt. I thought about it, sure... I kept asking my boyfriend to take me, yes... But I just kept getting caught up in other plans, going out to different places, all of these other things... and I didn't even get to see him before he left. I don't even know when he left; maybe it was yesterday. All I know is today is his birthday, and I don't get to see him. Fair enough... He didn't see me on my birthday either.

I know I'm not leaving to go back to Knoxville until early Tuesday, but I feel like my break is already over... Today is my cousin's last full day here, and I don't even think we have any plans. Tomorrow, I have to take her back to the airport and watch her as she flies all the way back to Houston. With these last two days, I want to see a movie, hang out with my friends, have game night, make funny videos, take silly pictures, look at the stars, go out to eat, I don't know... Do everything. I hate that this month has flown by so fast, but I know Spring break is only a couple of months away. Everyone might not have the same Spring break, but at least I'll be home again. College is fun, but in reality, there's no place like home.

Vanderbilt Women's Health Center.

Today was my first visit to an OB/GYN. I had never gone prior to today, because I was afraid of what the visit would be like. I also didn't go, because I would have had to taken my mother with me, and she obviously doesn't know about my sexual history or my sex life. Anyway, my appointment was at 10:45, and I showed up about four minutes late. I waited for a while and finally went back there. When I got on the scale, I had on heavy clothing. When it said that I weight 170.4 lbs, I was shocked. I KNOW I don't weigh 170 lbs. The scale was LYING! No bullshit. Seeing that really discouraged me though... It made me feel really, really bad. Enough about that though...

My gynecologist was very nice. She let my cousin and my boyfriend sit in there while she asked me a ton of personal questions. When the time came for the actual pelvic exam, she asked them to leave and left so that I could get undressed. The experience was kind of strange, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Since she is a first year Resident, she had another doctor in there as well as the nurse who took my urine sample. I don't really know how I felt about three different women staring into my vagina at the same time, but whatever. It didn't really hurt... Then, again, according to her, it wouldn't hurt since I'm sexually active.

I also made the decision to start birth control. I'm gonna be taking Loestrin, a low dose birth control that will help shorten and lighten my periods (I'm hella irregular). I haven't had my period since October, and I'm NOT pregnant (they did a pregnancy test). I also got a lot of blood work done to test my ovaries for something and my adrenal and pituitary glands and all this other shit... Yea. It was a lot, but I was glad when it was all over. I guess my main fear about birth control was the possibility of gaining weight, but my doctor reassured me that with proper diet and exercise, I will not have any weight gain. That makes me feel a lot better, because I am actually trying to lose it.

Tonight, we're going bowling. Thursdays, ladies are free from 9:30 PM - midnight, so I'm gonna take advantage of that and take my cousin. The only thing we have to pay for is our shoes, and that's just $3.00. Tomorrow, we're gonna bake a cake and then... I don't know what else, lol. She leaves on Monday, so we're just trying to get a lot done. I get to see my brother, Paige, today! :] I haven't seen him since he graduated back in May. I'm really excited. I hope we have fun, because I really suck at bowling. Hopefully, no one will laugh at me tonight, lol... and hopefully, there won't be any drunk people there staring like there were the last time.

--- Edit 01/07/10 @ 2:32 AM ---

Paige didn't go bowling with us.

A Year.

I've been on Blogger since August 2008, but I wanted to let everyone know that I have officially been at Read Between the Lines for a year and two days. :] This is an exciting moment for me.