I'm really excited. One of the girls I work with is lending me the 5th season of "Smallville." I just love this show. Not only is Tom Welling incredibly attractive, but the rest of the actors are attractive, as well. That makes me happy.

Ironically, this morning my article for my journalism internship was on "Superman Bedroom Themes." Sometimes, I wonder. I mean, really, how many people are truly interested in things of this nature? I don't honestly mind, because somewhere down the road, it might be a good article to have in my portfolio. I doubt it, but there's always a chance. Many of the others have been useful. But this one just doesn't seem to be one of the ones that will be.

New job content writing. Really really excited.

Need to call Best Buy. My computer just randomly turns off, my battery has five minutes on it when fully charged, and every time it does that, I fear that I'm going to lose everything. Quite obviously, that would be a bad thing.

Shopping

For some reason the title of today's post made me think of the movie "Anastasia," when Anastasia is all excited about shopping in Paris. (And who can blame her?)

Yesterday, Melody and I went shopping. We went to "Steve and Barry's" to check out Sarah Jessica Parker's new clothing line. I have an article on her that I keep meaning to read, I just haven't yet. I like the line, Bitten, because it really does have cute clothes for people of all sizes.

As I am quite chubby, I appreciate that, because generally, by the time I get somewhere, all of the size I can wear are gone, even though the majority of Americans are overweight and can't fit into smalls or extra smalls. However, that wasn't a problem here, and the clothes are actually quite adorable. It makes me especially happy because even though some of the clothes were almost-cute at the store before, there are some actually cute clothes there now. Hurray! However, watch the shoes. They aren't exactly comfortable, and, in my experience at least, much cuter on the hanger than on my feet.

Vanity always has a lot of cute clothes, too, and I was happy that I found a really nice white shirt to buy. (I bought it because it was the only one in the size left, and if i were to wait 'til we return to Fort Wayne next week after I'm paid, it will be gone.) I actually only tried it on as a joke. See, it is really pretty, but really low cut. However, there was a really cute white shirt at Steve and Barry's, but it fit me wrong. You know the type, tight around the chest, tight to the point where you look like you're trying to both hide and accentuate your chest at the same time. Erg.

Anyway, I tried on the Vanity shirt just for kicks. And, suffice it to say, I looked really cute in it. Melody thought so, too. So... I bought it. I'll have to wear something under it, because unlike the model on the website, I'm not completely flat-chested, so my chest will stick out a bit more. Make that a lot more. And somehow, I'm just not okay with that.

In any case, I can't wait until I have money next week. Definitely buying clothes. Hopefully lots of them. Clothes!!!!

(Ooh, and I bought a book. James Rollins is amazing... and I lent the book I bought to either my brother or a not-friend several years ago... so I rebought Amazonia. The first cover was waaaaay cooler, but that's okay. Yay new books!!!)

It's time to leave the country. Not actually sure where I would like to go, but it has to be somewhere good. Honduras? That was fun for a week, but I'm pretty sure I couldn't live there. It was... hard to see the Hondurans way of life. Besides, I'd need to learn more Spanish.

France? Sure. Where do I sign up?

Italy? Get me a plane ticket.

Germany? I can't speak German. Try as I might those sounds just don't like me.

Austria? Same problem as with Germany. Though I did looooove Austria.

Australia? Now there's an idea.

Basically, I'm rotting in Indiana. I need something to do, or somewhere to go. And soon, or I'm going to cry.

Nothing good on TV, as I've rejected most of this season's new tv shows. Wait a second, I think I rejected most of last seasons new tv shows, too! What a concept.

Someone needs to enter the entertainment idea who actually has a halfway decent concept for what to do with television. The morons there now are failing miserably. There's a lot of money to be made there! Someone step up! Hurry! Please?

Chateau de Chantilly

I'm afraid of spiders. I'm not a big fan of getting up all close and personal with waterfalls, though I'll admire them from a distance (and probably clap my hands with child-like glee), and I think umbrellas are probably one of the WORST things ever created.
But I love castles. I love their history, and the feel of the cold stone beneath my fingers. I love to think of the people who lived their, and the lives they led. Their beauty... their architecture, their feel always makes me smile.

While I was studying abroad in Paris, I tried to find and explore a castle every weekend. Sometimes, I ended up lost, in the middle of nowhere. Other times, I ended up stuck on a bus with "nice man" trying to convince me to come over for lunch. Other times, I found exactly what I was looking for.

Le Chateau de Chantilly was exactly what I wanted. For those non-French speakers, "chantilly" means whipped cream, and in my imagination, that was just the kind of castle I was looking for... spirals, moats, bridges, aerial turrets, the works. Don't get me wrong, I love Versailles... but Versailles is a palace, not a castle. Versailles is boxy. Chantilly... chantilly is what dreams are made of.

So, at Chantilly I made a beeline for the tour, and explored the inside of the castle. Like most castles, there are places you can go, and places you can't. This sixteenth-century castle has several turrets... not high, but striking, with domed roofs, and the windows that I used to want to have in my bedroom.

Henri d'Orleans overused his symbol, but in the romantic way that makes me happy. Clearly, he wanted to be remembered.

It was a rainy day... but I wanted to explore outside (I was already wet, so what's a little more water? Remember: umbrellas are evil). The gardens, with the little "Ile d'amour" were beautiful, even flowerless in the rain.

Then I heard a waterfall and knew that I had to alter my course. For some reason, I could just imagine a repeat of what had happened in South Dakota, and not even the idea appeals to me. So, I changed courses, and landed in the middle of a little area with Kangaroos. Being the friendly person I am, I decided to talk with them. One (the only one that noted my presence at all) kept coming closer to the fence every time I spoke in English, and away when I spoke in French. It amused me.

As I was leaving, I walked into a huge spider web. And screamed.

So when does "culture" stop being an excuse?
A friend of mine from Grace was an MK from Germany. Germany is far different culturally from the United States. My friend told me that he used to take girls down to the lake his freshman year, and Gracies excused it because "he didn't know better" or "Germany is a different culture, it's okay to do that kind of thing there."
"Actually," he said when telling me about it, "I knew perfectly well that it was unacceptable here. It also would have been unacceptable there. In Germany, all my friends would have teased me, trying to find out if I'd 'been getting any.' The Culture isn't an excuse.


Culture: a) "The ideas, customs, skills, arts, etc. of a people or group, that are transferred, communicated, or passed along, as in or to succeeding generations" b) such ideas, customs, etc. of a particular people or group in a particular period; civilization" c) "the particular people or group having such ideas, customs, etc."

How does that definition fit in with this article? What I mean by this is: since when have racial slurs of any kind, been deemed "cultural." If culture is going to be used as an excuse, it can be fit to almost anything.
Bull.

Awe

You are beautiful beyond description
Too marvelous for words
Too wonderful for comprehension
Like nothing ever seen or heard.

Who can grasp your infinite wisdom?

Who can fathom the depths of your love?

You are beautiful beyond description
Majesty, enthroned above...

And I stand I stand in awe of You.
Holy God, to whom all praise is due,
I stand in awe of You.

Stress. It's a killer.

"Don't hang on too long, but don't let go too soon."

Is it a bad thing to be crazy about your ex-boyfriend, find out he's dating - and living with - another girl, and still be crazy about him? (Oh wait! I totally know the answer to that: Yes. It's bad. Bad for your health. Bad for your mental stability, bad for your emotional stability...)
What if he calls you and contacts you and comes over and hangs out? Would that be bad for you, his girlfriend, or neither?
What if you've wanted to hear from him for months, and now, for the first time, you actually have? Where does that put you if he cares for someone else? What if you really are friends - for real - and have a good relationship and don't want that to change, but still want to be with him?

Then, on top of it all, what if you hear from someone you told to never contact you again? Do you tell him that he's still a Monster, that hasn't changed? Do you tell him to bugger off? Do you tell him, "Je sais que tu te trouves le plus beau creation de monde, mais vachement, vous n'etes que d'un salaud laid," or should it be said in English?

Sometimes, everyone deserves to be kicked in the butt. Most of the time, it's just one person who needs to take the brunt for everyone.

To the pain.

Why, oh why, does it all happen at once? One thing at a time! That's all I can handle! I'm a wuss!