Sneezing

The most terrifying times to sneeze

 include:

Holding hot soup.

That's a danger. Especially if you're hungry, and the soup smells delicious, and you just cracked a bit of black pepper in it and am bringing it over to your table when suddenly your nose takes in some of that pepper too...

Driving.

Try keeping your eyes open. Then realize you'll fail, so slow down and keep your hands still on the steering wheel. Hope for a second one not to come.

Going through TSA.

I'm not sick! It's the pollen in the air, I swear. Ah ha, there's a dog nearby!

Washing a baby.

I'm assuming. I haven't done this.

Cooking.

Uh, you didn't see that.

Great times to sneeze

include:

When you're sick.

Sneeze-a-thons.

In the shower.

Where did it go? Who cares, keep washing.

A list of things related to tears

What should make me cry

The Notebook

The Book Thief

Weddings

What actually makes me cry

The Rugrats Movie

This moment in Mulan

Onions

Delicious breakfast and School of Rock

Dear blog,

Today was a nice day, and I wanted to record it in a public place. Why? Because sometimes it's nice to share your joy with strangers, and why not?

My roommate and I woke up at 9:30ish today to get ready to go to another friend's house to make breakfast there for her. Well, at least we planned for breakfast. But breakfast turned into brunch, and by the time we left Safeway and actually got to her house, brunch just turned into lunch. What a sneak time is! It was 11:00 am when we arrived there, and we still actually had to make the food. Luckily, it was a snap and a half to make:

1. Preheat the oven and put in Pillsbury biscuits in to cook for 13 minutes.
2. Put a pan on medium-high heat and fry up some bacon.
3. Beat eggs and milk to maximum fluffiness and cook those suckers!
4. Assemble: Cut the biscuits in half and sandwich with sharp cheddar cheese, eggs, and bacon in between.
5. Enjoy with mango orange juice and pomegranate juice, and have some nicely washed blueberries and sweet tarts for dessert. (Credit for trying to be healthy there.)

We ate at the couch while watching Friends, and even though we didn't make a fancy meal (or really even a plan... it was all hastily put together), it was a good ol' time with friends. I also became friends with the grey cat my friend lives with.

I went to the library and got some more books, and then I just went home and chilled for the rest of the day. At night, my roommate and I decided to watch School of Rock because though I had misgivings (sorry, thought it looked stupid), she said she liked it and thought I would too. So I took a chance - and totally enjoyed myself! Rock music, children, and humor equals the perfect combination. It was a great way to end the night!

So now here I am in bed, reflecting on what a simple, unexciting, and yet great day it was. These kinds of days are totally underrated and should be appreciated more, so here I am, appreciating them.

I also booked two flights home for the next couple of months, so that's something else to look forward to. I've been feeling bouts of homesickness for a while now, and I think a week with my family should help with that. Uh, and did I mention that my little sister's graduating?! The only thing I'm not looking forward to is packing because I've got at least four, maybe five books I'm planning to bring for them (and two are hardbacks, noooo). The only times I lift are when I have to bring my bag to the airport.

I'll be leaving Monday after work. Can't wait!

Yesterday at work

It was pretty unremarkable. I got in early, turned on what few lights we have working in the cave (aka our office), and clocked in. Checked my email, made a list of things to do for the day. You know, same-old.

I put my lunch in the mini-fridge and made myself some tea. Have you had 3:15 tea, the roasted milk tea flavor? You can buy it at Ranch 99. It's been my favorite for months now - how have I not discovered it before??

It began - and ended - like any other work day. But you know what was remarkable about yesterday?

It was the first Giants game of the year.

That means bustling crowds at noon, people draped head to toe in orange and black, a busier day for the restaurants and bars in the area.

It means that jerseys become the uniform for everyone, and families coming out in the middle of the day, and excitement brewing in the air, at least until the game begins and everyone's packed in the stadium.

It also means I end work and get stuck in masses of pedestrians walking back to BART. It means that even though I'm not a super fan, even though I can name probably two players on the team, even though I didn't know who the Giants were even playing, even though I am clearly dressed like I've just come from work, for ten minutes I'm with the crowd. I'm walking with the Giants fans, going to the same place to escape the city after its time. I'm one of them.

Long restless nights for me / Just want to lie down and sleep / Close my eyes, keep my mind free / Then maybe come the dreams

It is currently 1:06 a.m. on a weekday (I used to say 'school night,' but now that doesn't seem appropriate anymore), and I'm still awake. Why? Not because I'm doing anything important or trying to reach a deadline; no, I'm not forced to stay awake for anything. I'm on YouTube listening to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Modest Mouse while going through the annotations for Mistborn on Brandon Sanderson's site. This would be normal - if it wasn't 1:06 in the morning. (Technically, it's now 1:08. Great.)

This is what I'd like to call insomnia. Or maybe it's stress. I can't tell. Night is the time of the day when I'm most awake, even when I'm tired from the rest of the day. Night is when my brain starts whirring and the wheels start turning, but still I try to quiet and slow it down by going to bed relatively early. I think to myself, If I close my eyes and get really nice and warm under the covers, maybe I'll fall asleep quickly. And then I spend maybe two hours tossing and turning in bed before finally drifting off to sleep. It takes a while. I used to think that was normal, to take a few hours to fall asleep. That is, until I met people who fall asleep in just 15 minutes after they hit the sack. Whaaaaa, how dey do dat?!

But maybe I'm attributing my stress to insomnia. You know, sometimes I can't tell if I'm stressed or not. It's not like I have to write papers or go to exams anymore. But that doesn't mean I'm worry-free. These past few months, I've been thinking about taekwondo a lot. Other times, I think about my day and some significant moments that stand out to me. Or insignificant moments. Basically, all parts of my day I can't help but reflect back on and think about when I'm trying to fall asleep.

How do you turn off the brain? I've tried these breathing exercises people talk about, and they haven't really been working. One friend suggested I think of a color, just one color, and repeat that color in my head to keep my thoughts simple. "Black, black, black, black." Is the repetition supposed to tire me? Instead, my brain wanders when I try this exercise. "Black - not green. Black - not blue. Black - not red." You get the picture. And of course when I say "not [color]," the color I'm not supposed to think about automatically comes to mind.

I don't like to sleep in. That can be problematic, you see. I do fall victim to naps in the middle of the day sometimes, but I also want to cut that out. In my head, I think that if I deprive myself of sleep the whole day, then perhaps I'll have an easier time sleeping at night. Sometimes it works; sometimes it frustratingly doesn't.

I would ask if this is normal, but what does "normal" even mean? What do most people experience in trying to fall asleep, and what percentage of this population does "most" even refer to?

Honestly, I probably fall asleep easily more often than I make it out to be. It's just the bad nights that really stand out in my mind. It's not a caffeine problem, I'm sure. I don't know what it is.

Oh well. Hopefully I tire myself out soon. Who knows? Maybe it'll be a good night tonight.