Maddening Migraines

Yesterday, I was going to go to track practice at 6:15 AM, but when my alarm went off at 5:50 AM I was held in bed by a terrible migraine. I turned my alarm off and told Brittan that I would be going to practice. She decided to not go either, but she was just tired. I went took some ibuprofen and went back to bed. At this point I was feeling kind of nauseous (which I cannot spell without Google), but I managed to fall asleep, at least for a few minutes. At six fifteen I got up, ran to the bathroom and the contents of my stomach said hello to the toilet bowl. I managed to sleep until eight after that and I felt better. I went about my day with the threat of headache and nausea, but neither reappeared until early yesterday evening. Around 7:30 last night I got extremely dizzy and motion sick while sitting on the couch. I have no idea how that happened, but against my wishes the combined forces of Mom and Brittan convinced me to go to bed. So last night I went to bed at eight o'clock. Luckily, I did not puke during the night and I felt much better when I got up at eight this morning. I got twelve hours of sleep last night which is awesome. I am writing this blog now, though, because my migraine has reappeared. I am not dizzy my head is just pounding. I took some ibuprofen this morning, but I guess it has worn off. I love ibuprofen. It makes my head stop hurting.
          I am really frustrated because I cannot figure out what is causing my migraines. I got glasses in fifth grade to stop my migraines, and it got better for a while. I have been wearing my glasses lately I guess I just get migraines which totally sucks. Why do I have to get migraines? Brittan doesn't get migraines. Humph.

Until next time, wear your glasses and love Wil Wheaton because he's a boss.

Love,
Alora

Tired to my Bones

It is Thursday, but there is no break for me. All that I want to do is sleep, but I can't. I have so much work to do: two essays, a project, two tests, and other homework. Why oh why must the semester be this way? I almost missed an entire problem on my math test today because I was so tired and hungry that I misread perpendicular as parallel and used the wrong points. As it is I am not entirely sure I got them all right. I have been tired and hungry for most of this week. I try and eat plenty of food, but I always seem to be hungry or when I am not hungry my stomach is suddenly too full. My body is being dumb. I know that I just started a new exercise routine, but I shouldn't be this tired. My first two hellish weeks of the workout are almost over and all I want to do is sleep. I truly am, as the title of this blog states, tired to my bones. I will try to survive tomorrow and then sleep all through the weekend if I do.

Remember, tomorrow is Friday.

Love,
Alora

Quinn Branch Farm Eggs

          Due to a decision made by our parents to not give us allowance, ever, my siblings and I start entrepreneurship young. When I was in seventh grade my twin sister and I started a business called Twinnies Cookies. We made cookies, wrapped them up, and then walked around the neighborhood selling them. The dough we made was pretty substantial especially for sixth/seventh graders. We did this on and off throughout the first two years of our middle school career. Before that we gathered up random stuff throughout the house and made necklaces and things to sell in our front yard to people driving by.
         My little brother and sister have been doing that for sometime now, but not many people drive by our road. They are in fourth and second grade, but they have a monetary advantage over Brittan and I. The two of them have eggs to sell. We have tons of chickens at my house and since I have gone off to college the two of them have started selling eggs. They even have a twitter, @QuinnBranchFarm, which all of you Nashville readers should follow for updates on the egg selling. Apologies to everyone else who is far away and can't get our delicious eggs.

Love,
Alora

P.S. They may not count as organic, but they certainly are homegrown and free range. You should see them run through the woods in my backyard.

My Two Wonderflonium Wednesdays

          So last Wednesday I created this blog post and never published it. I took some notes on what to say and never fleshed them out. Here is a shortened version of last week's Wednesday and a longer(ish) version of today.

Last Wed.
          I have an English class at ten o'clock on Wednesdays and despite my going off on English teachers in the past (click here to read) I really like this class. Last week I walked to the dorm from the academic building with a girl in my class and found out that she was an at-large PEG a.k.a. seniors and PEG's that are out of the PEG dorm. In fact she lives off campus. She was super nice and quite funny.
          Next I wanted to mention the poem that I wrote last week. It is super fun and has some cool allusions. You should go read it.
          Another thing that happened last Wednesday was that I fixed an equation in Chem 122. Long story short the teacher got confused about a certain equation because it was printed wrong in his book and I pointed it out and explianed why his correction to the right equation was wrong. I just got excited that I could think fast enough to look at the equation and then derive it while he was "fixing" it.
          I was also supposed to talk about last Tuesday, but lets just say I had a fun time and figured more cool stuff out in chem lab and I was really hungry. Same goes for that Monday. It was a good day.
          I also got new movies last Monday. Don't worry I have seen them before I just only have them at home in the family collection. I got The Matrix!!!! and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Original Movie!!! That is the one with real people. I love them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
          I also did track on Monday. Now I have caught you up on what I didn't post about last week. If I did please tell me. On to what has happened so far today.

This Wed.
          Today I have eaten chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast. Although I only ate half of one because I couldn't get it to cook all the way through. Since then I have blogged and checked my email. I should be heading to class right now, but I'm not because my English class was cancelled and now my essay isn't due until Monday. It is the BEST day ever. This is the same English class with the senior PEG from last week which even though I like it I am happy that I don't have to go to it.
          I kinda half to go do homework now, but before I go I am warning you all that I will be sore and tired tomorrow and Friday. Apparently in Fitness we are doing a glute workout and my friend is super sore from it. However on top of that Jasmine, who is running track on Thursday, told me last week that we will be doing a killer ab workout tomorrow at 6:30 in the morning. I hope I don't die or freeze to death.

Stay warm, but try not to burn your tongue.

Love,
Alora

P.S. Do not bounce.

Merfblurger

I have gotten some stuff done this weekend, but not as much as I had hoped. Hopefully tomorrow I will get more done. I will also work more on the essay I have for English. I have also started a short story trying to convince people that not everyone who wants to share their grades with you is bragging and to not automatically assume that they are excited because they got a higher grade then you. They may yet be, but be glad if people are happy to beat you then they put you in some way above themselves, and they are happy to have beaten above themselves.

That's all for now.

Merfblurger and go read Shades of Earth by Beth Revis.

Love,
Alora

PS I am going to read it now, but I must resist.

Sunday, The Day of Rest or Not

I have spent the entire day working. I did not go to track today because I was too busy working. Tonight I will do some push-ups and crunches and core things to make up for not running today. Last night I was so tired and sore that I went to bed at ten o'clock. I know that may not seem early to any readers who are not or never have been in college, but usual bed time around here is about 12AM to 1AM. I went to bed early, and I slept like a rock. I got up at nine this morning still tired and sore. I tried to do work in my room, but I ended up moving out into the second floor lounge were I have been ever since. I had ramen for breakfast, and then I worked and went to lunch. Hunt lunch today was sloppy joes and sweet potato fries both of which weren't half bad. I came back and sat down to work again. Around two I took a break and watched the most recent episode of The Guild and Tabletop two of my favorite Geek and Sundry shows. Sadly season six of The Guild is over, but the show will continue. I was totally afraid for the end of the show, but the comments below the video assuaged my fears.

Right now I am drinking hot chocolate and working on the explication of a sonnet that I have due on Friday. It is much harder than it may seem. I am good at math. It is easy. English is hard. Luckily I have questions to guide me so I am not just wading into it blind. Much cheering and applause for my textbook. Thank you. I am resisting the urge to snack. It is almost dinner time and I must get back to my homework.

Rest for me.

Love,
Alora

P.S. You know half the time when I sign my name I type so fast that it comes out "Alroa" and I have to try again. Once I even published a post before I noticed that I had spelled my name wrong.

Sore Muscles

So as I told you all this morning I went to track today. We ran about 2 miles. I think. It took about twenty minutes, and then we stretched and talked for a little while. I am really, really sore now. I also have a blister on my foot. I have track tomorrow too. Yeah! Not. I have not gotten any homework done today and I think I am going to go to bed early. By early I do not mean midnight, but rather around 10. I am going to get up early tomorrow and work all day. Nice and fun. I will take a break for track at some point. I am going to be so sore on Monday. Getting in shape is so painful.

It is good though. Getting in shape that is.

Love,
Alora

Errors in my Blog

Mom is on Skype with Brittan and nagging me about errors in my blog. Silly errors. There, their, and they're. Hear and here. I apologize. I really am sorry and I feel quite embarrassed. I make these errors because I write my blogs fast and stream of consciousness. Please feel free to comment any errors that you find. I have a hard time editing my own work. I apologize again.

Go do laundry.

Love,
Alora

Lyrica Falls Down the Stairs. Everyone Dies.

          Yesterday was one of the best days of the week, Friday. I had a busy, but fun day. Once my classes started at ten I wasn't done doing stuff until 11pm. However, I was doing fun stuff. For example I worked from 2-4 which was fun. I got to meet my boss's daughter who is adorable. Her name is Kelsie (spelling?) and she is in fifth grade. I helped her work the TV.
          I left work early to get dressed and run up to the PAC (gym) for track practice at four. I got there about 2 minutes late. We did 200 m relays. Person A (Brittan) ran the first 200m of the track and then tagged person B (me) on the opposite side of the track from where A started. Then while B ran her 200, A crossed over the field in the middle of the track. Each of us did this four times so the team did a mile and the two of us did two laps each. Brittan and I were last. Our time was 7:45 min. I think we did pretty good and Brittan didn't come to track last week and she was having some trouble breathing. After the relay we took a quick break and then split for sprints and stairs (long distance workout). Brittan, Sophia, me and a girl whose name I do not know did sprints. Just so you all know I haven't run since the end of eighth grade -ish. I haven't actually run and practiced for track since seventh grade. I think we did like two days of track, I don't remember why I quit, in eighth grade. Either way I sprinted faster than everyone I was running with and Sophia is the president of the track club. I know that she is more of a long distance person, but nobody else passed her. We sprinted three times and then did some core workout: crunches and planks.
           I had some soreness yesterday during D&D and I was super tired. Now my legs, my but, and my stomach hurt. A lot. I was going to get up at 9 and go to the 10 am track practice, but instead I am going to the 3pm one because I could not get up this morning. I was sore, and I stayed up until two AM watching The Matrix with Mimi. I told you last night was fun.
          Now for the D&D side of the story. Well last week we made new characters. My character is actually cool now (sorry Amanda). She has a cooler back story which makes for a more interesting game. So last week after we made our characters we started our first module which was all of us waking up in a jail cell chained together with about 50 other prisoners wearing potato sacks. Yeah. So we tried and failed to breakout last week. I won't give you the whole run down, but just know that I started last night with ONE HP. ONE! Moira, my character has a maximum of four. So needless to say I got down to 1/4 HP this round. Thank you so much Chibi (Dungeon Master) for not killling me. Yesterday Jessica killed half of a giant worm. I passed out. All of the prisoners, but my group died. It was very eventful.

Three sentences. Rope.

Love,
Alora

College Craft Number One

So last night I was feeling a little stressed so I sat down and made this.

Isn't it adorable!!!! I bought some cute fat quarters at Walmart a while back and so I decided to use my monster one to make a ID holder because my other one broke. Just so all of you know I may shortly blog abut this one joining my other one in broken land because I hand stitched it. It didn't take that long. Only about two or three hours. Although I didn't get much homework done last night. I did watch three more episodes of Torchwood though which was fun. I felt much better after making this and I get to show it to everyone today. Here are some pictures of the back and inside.

As you can see, it fits my phone, ID, and keys. The three most important things in a college students life. All I did was cut out two squares that turned out to be different sizes, hence the flap and then sewed them together. I used up almost all of my small supply of green thread, but I love the finished product. I need to work on the ribbon knot because it keeps coming undone, but that's what happens when you don't bring buttons. This is bored college student for you. I hope that I can share more adorable creations with you.
I may need to get more thread first.

Don't forget your buttons.

Love,
Alora

Homework To-Do List

So I have a To-Do list on Google Docs and it has all of my homework on it. Keep in mind that I have 19 semester hours. There are currently 12 items in my homework list and some due until the end of the month. I love my life. I keep getting super ahead on my homework. I am not stressed about it at all. Super excited. I have an essay in Intro to Literature, and poems to revise and tons of other things to do, but I know that I can do them within reasonable amounts of time. I also know that it will be fun. I have one boring class this semester and it is only kind of boring. I am just taking it because it is required for graduation.

Poetry Class with Weeping Angels

So I just got back from my poetry class. It was super fun. We workshopped my poem and I think people liked it. I had a few iffy things that I am going to fix, but the rough draft that I read to the and they looked at is this one:

The Beginning of All Art

The painter licks his lips and dips

into a brimming pit of thought.

The brush whips over the canvas creating,

Marking out a new form. Will it be

A person, dog, or tree?

Options are open.

Maybe just a pile of purple puzzle pieces

Stacked in such a specific way.

An author primes her pen,

Swirling it over an abyss of idea.

What shall she scribe?

Opportunities are endless.

Construct courtyards

of crying cherubs, tears unexisting

on their rough unmoving cheeks,

Or take a boy on an unexpected adventure.

Now you sit down at a table

venturing into the unknown

Jumping into the pit.

Swimming down into the abyss.

Measuring out thought

adding a pinch of it.

It, that fuels your mind on your wondrous journey.

It, that powers the writer while she furiously clicks away at the keys.

It, that sustains the painter’s muscles when his hand grows heavy.

The father of rhyme and alliteration.

Imagination.

I think it is pretty fun and I know that at least some of them liked it. They thought that it was very original except for the "venturing into the unknown" which is kind of cliche and I think I may take it out. Other than that though my professor quite liked it. Especially the sound devices which I had tons of fun playing with.

Don't Blink

Love,

Alora

Weekend of Fun, Food and Homework

I have had a pretty nice weekend, but I think that I work much slower than I feel like I should. Brittan always seems to have time to watch stuff all day when I don't. She gets stuff done faster than me and she studies much less. We have the exact same GPA's right now, but I don't know if that will change. Will mine be higher than hers by the end of these four years? Will this semester give me a B? I know that this is only the second week, but I just feel like I have so much to do. I need to look at the positive side. Today I spent an hour making a pizza with Mwazo and Gabi. Also, I hung out with Hannah, Anneliese and Brinley. I got to eat Twizzlers and I got to eat pizza. I ran track today. I have finished all of my homework for tomorrow and most of my Tuesday homework. Tomorrow before class I am going to get up early and finish my Tuesday homework, and this one little thing that I need to do for tomorrow that I haven't done yet. I should call my parents more often. I feel lonely.

Love,
Alora

Writing, Creating, and Math

I have just been writing a poem for poetry and after this I think I am going to work on one of the stories that I are sitting on the back burner. I really like writing and creating and math. I love math. There is always a right answer. I hate English. Everything is up for interpretation. I need to find a job where I can do fun math problems while writing and creating. I should write a website. I am so inspired right now. Just positively pumped for anything, but studying. I guess I will just get up early tomorrow and study. Brittan braided my hair today in pigtail braids and it looks adorable!! :) It was super fun to wear my hair like this today. I just need to focus my creativity on a project.


To the to-do list.........


Okay so I want to write a book at some point. I could do that.

I also want to rebuild Wogsland.org. I could do that.

I have more homework. I could....yeah, no.

Okay so it is decided. I am tired and don't really want to do tons of research and deal with code.


To the stories.....


Story one: Amanda, archery, sadness

Story two: hawks, sci-fi, romance

story three: make something new up

It is decided! Story two wins!!!!!

* raucous crowd applause*

"In accepting this prize story two would you like to say something?"

"Well...there is one thing that I would like to say to my lovely author."

"And..."

"WHY DID YOU ABANDON ME?"

"Woah, that's some pretty strong emotions folks. Lets turn this over to the author then."

"Um....school?"

"I DON'T BELIEVE YOU. YOU LOVED ME. WHAT HAPPENED?"

"I ran out of time. Okay? Writing you was hard work. I barely made it through the chapters that I did. Your story is complete: just not written out. I'm sorry. Look, to make it up to you I will spend an hour every day working on something not related to school. It will be my break hour. I may not be working on you, but I will try ok?"

"Fine. Just please finish me someday."

"Of course. I love you. I will flesh you out and polish you up someday."

"Isn't that precious folks. Well onto the next person....."

So that was a little, uh... different. I am not quite sure why I just started writing like that, but hey. I hope you had fun reading it. I totally wrote it while saying their voices in my head too. Like right now I am also saying this in my head as I type. It is super fun. How do you guys think? Sounds? Words? Pictures?

Story two is calling.

Love,
Alora

Friday Reflection

Over winter break lots of things happened and I lost touch in a way with many of my friends here at MBC.
I didn't see them on a day to day basis and that is mostly how I interact with them. On Wednesday I ate lunch and dinner with two different people who I missed having around over break, but I didn't know how much. Lunch, I ate with Chanelle, Brittan's roommate. She is really awesome and before break we were friends, but not super close friends. Now in the first week of this semester we have had two, two hour conversations about stuff in general. Last night the two hour conversation included Hannah, and we were brainstorming names for a project that the three of us have started working on. I have learned a lot about Chanelle in the past week and I am extremely glad about that. I now understand exactly what Brittan meant last semester when she said that Chanelle and I were so similar that it was hard for us to get along. Now we have found that similarity, and with our conversations we have also given Brittan time to talk to her boyfriend uninterrupted. Chanelle is really quite awesome and very sure of, if not who she is, then who she wants to be.

On Wednesday I ate lunch with Chanelle and I ate dinner with TJ. TJ I missed a lot over break because she is always very happy. Dinner was fun, because we ate and then marched up to band with our instruments. We had a very interesting conversation that, like most of my conversations with TJ, made me feel not uncomfortable, but not extremely at ease either. It was a very intimate conversation, and I have really missed having her to talk to and eat dinner with on Wednesdays. Unlike most people she doesn't judge. I am not saying that everyone judging is bad, but she does not even judge little things that some people classify automatically. It is very refreshing to talk to her and see more of her perspective on the world.

Last night, before my conversation with Hannah, and Chanelle, I had an hour long conversation with Madi, my missing roommate. I hung out with her and she told me why she had decided not to come back this semester whilst assuring me that she will be back in the fall. I was very happy after my conversation with her because I miss her very much. It is not as much fun here without her. Although her absence has given me time to cultivate my relationships with other members of the dorm. I hope to talk to her again soon.

This week has been quite fun and I have rediscovered potential life-long friendships. Also, I have realized that, despite what I may have said last semester, I am really very horrible at studying. I plan on spending most of the weekend studying, and some of it working on my project with Chanelle and Hannah. First, however, I must go to class and finish up this day with work, class, and Dungeons and Dragons.

I hope that all of you had wonderful weeks.

Love,
Alora

Glass in Mom's Hand

Four years ago when my family and I were moving into our house in Lincoln, NE, which we have since moved out of, Mom fell and cut her hand. It was right after we had started moving in and she was walking up the driveway with one of those Starbucks drinks that you can buy in the store in the glass bottles. She fell and her hand landed on the bottle which cut her hand pretty badly. We went to the ER and she got all fixed up, but there was still glass in her hand that she found later. Since then she has hand pain while doing some things because of the glass. She went to the doctor for it before and they didn't get it out. They couldn't even find it, but today she got hand surgery and they finally found and removed the glass. Yay! Go Momma.

Love,
Alora

College Bookstores

My parents have been in school for most of my life. Consequently, I have been in many bookstores: Georgia Tech, Vanderbilt, University of Nebraska. All of these bookstores were pretty big. Supporting schools with massive populations. Here at Mary Baldwin however, the bookstore is quite tiny. The books for the entire college fill about four front and back bookshelves. Also, it takes forever for the bookstore to get books in. The lab manual for Chem 122 was ordered late I think. I don't even know, but they only just got it in yesterday, but most of the labs, mine included, had to print out the first lab from a copy that our professor put on Blackboard. Oh well. My lab for this week is over and done and I now have my lab book which hopefully has less typos than Gen Chem I books' had. Good luck navigating your bookstores big college students.

Love,

Alora

And So It Begins

I blogged earlier today about ENG 111 Introduction to Literature, my first class of the day. now I am going to go over my other classes.

Okay, so Chem was exciting. We have a different teacher for this half of General Chemistry and he seems pretty awesome. I have heard good reviews and he seems like a nice guy. I am also excited about chem because we are going super fast and there is going to be homework!!!! We didn't have homework last semester which made it very hard to study. Speaking of which I should probably do the first test.

I have Chem with Chanelle, Brittan's roommate and I have poetry (right after Chem) with her as well. Poetry was pretty fun, and on the way over there Chanelle forgot I was coming to class with her and asked me why I wasn't going up to lunch. Brittan did the same thing about three times. Poetry is with Dr. Kennedy who I had for PEGlish last semester and I hope it will be pretty fun. We have a poem due on Wednesday that I have tried to write twice now. I have made some pretty good poems, but we have to use at least one word from this list and I just cannot figure out where to fit one of them in. I have posted the poem separately here. Feel free to read and critique.

My last class of the day was Information Literacy. It is a class that is required for graduation from MBC otherwise I would not be taking it. The material was interesting, but I think the premise of the course is well meant, but badly planned. The final project is a question and answer sheet about how we did research for a "paper" that we aren't even going to write. I don't have a topic yet, but I do need one.

Yup so those classes and then some homework and watching of the latest Once Upon a Time lead me to now. That is all I have to say.

Be original.

Love,
Alora

Poem Help

This is the poem I am having trouble with that I mentioned in this post. It is about my currently runny nose and I am trying to fit one of these words in:
carapace
apparition
obtuse
numinous
umbrage
placate
molecule
appraise

Volcanic Cold by: Alora Wogsland

Gravel and ash rain from the crater.

Poisonous gas clouds the summit from below.

Out of the face of the mountain, burning lava drips.

The surrounding rock is red and swollen.

Ocean water fails to placate the mountain’s orifice.

The mountain rumbles.

Lava rockets out.

“Gesundheit.”

I would greatly appreciate any help. Email me at alora@wogsland.org if you can't fit your words into the comments.

Love,

Alora

Spring Semester

I just took my first class of the day and in 40 minutes I have two back to back. Then I have to go up to the book store and buy a lab book for me and one for Brittan. Busy, busy day past ten o'clock. After I go to the bookstore I have to go back to class. Luckily my last class of the day, but I don't get out of class until 4! Blurgh. Early morning classes do have their upsides.

I am super busy this semester. I cannot procrastinate or I will most likely fail. I am taking nineteen semester hours and the time I am spending on here is time I should be spending on my homework so I thank all of you who read my blog. Go out into the world and tell others that I am writing my blog just for you guys when I should be doing homework. I don't actually want to do my homework, but hey it was worth a try.

I do have to go now. I am going to eat the leftovers in my fridge for lunch while I look over my Chemistry book. Remind me to set up study hours for each of my classes.

Love,
Alora

Make a wish

It's 11:11. Make a wish.

Back at College

Well yesterday we drove up to MBC for the start of the 2013 spring semester. And yes for those of you sticklers, I did not just "ride" in the car I did actually drive it. Now I am back in Virginia and ready to rock and roll. However my roll is missing. Sadly my roommate decided to skip this semester and hopefully come back next semester. I am very sad because I had Christmas and birthday presents for her. Also I am now in a room by myself. I really hope that I do not become a hermit. I got my books with Brittan all the while missing Madi. I respect her decision to stay home, but we will all miss her here. Tomorrow my second semester starts. I have 19 semester hours and I know that I will rock my classes.

I have to go check Blackboard now.

Love,
Alora

Quick Update

Christmas Break:

I got tons of cool Christmas presents. I got my learner's permit. I went to work with Dad. I hung out with my family. I played Settlers of Catan. I watched seasons 2-6 of Doctor Who. I went to the dentist with no cavities. I started Torchwood. I saw my grandparents. I got a camera. I had a pretty sweet Christmas break, and now I have to go back to school.

Tomorrow we are driving back up to MBC with all of the stuff that I should be packing right now. I am going to miss home so much because the sentences above don't even begin to cover my break.

I will give more detail later before classes start. I have stuff to do now.