It's been quite a while...

Say, fellas, I've got a new blog nowadays. Just started it. Should be an adventure.
Here's the link, since I probably won't be on here much anymore. Who knows. We'll see. Probably not, though.
ANYHOW.
http://processofcreating.blogspot.com/

Follow meh! I'm about to add all you folks onto my new following list!

Sooooooo,

Top of the evening to you!
I am in quite a good mood. Have been for the past two days or so.
Just about ever since Friday, really. That was when Daly took me to an opera. It was fun. I'd never been to one before.
And I think they should sing a little more clearly.. It's sometimes hard to follow what they're saying. It may as well be sung in a different language.
But anyhow, I'm in a good mood.
Nothing can or will spoil it. I'm not letting anything.
Not even Master Vincent. But he was not particularly mean today, so that was fine.
But hey, I've got news!
Remember I have a mouse? Well I do. I actually have two mice.
The second one I got as a wee baby and they said it was going to be a girl. Well, not... Bronwen turned out to be a guy mouse.
Which is fine and dandy. Sim is a girl mouse.
But I don't like how Bronwen doesn't smell nice...
But that's beside the point.
Sim, my lady albino mouse, had 13 babies early Sunday morning!
I found this very interesting considering I had a pair of mice years ago and their first litter was just two pups. They always had small litters.
Well, Sim's first litter is 13 pups... Usually the first litter is the smallest.
She'll explode if she gets pregnant again!
But seriously, I couldn't be happier. Things are going right in my life for once.
I've got baby animals. Potentially a pregnant gerbil, a lady finch soon to lay eggs, and a new wee baby hamster I have named Indy. Not to mention I've got a little money, and am finally (FINALLY) going to get my driver's license tomorrow.
I am excited. Truly.
I am a little nervous about the picture on the license, considering I'll be stuck with it for two years..
But that shall not affect my grand mood!
I am hopefully getting a violin soon, too. That would be nice. I really would like to start learning to play that instrument.
Daly and I have been throwing around house ideas... After our biking venture after college, we'll build a house.
And after we're settled with that, we'll go boating around the world.
I think it'll all be amazing and I'm looking forward to it.
I love having the future planned a bit. It makes things so much easier, somehow.
So anyhow, it's getting late... I think I'll go to sleep. Or stay up later. Who knows.
But regardless, I'll end this entry with...
Good Niiiight!

The best friend thing..

This is a new post.
And the short version my occupancy over the last few weeks.
I have gone to middle school camp as part of the kitchen staff for the camp. It was exhausting work, but very entertaining with Shawn-e on the job.
I have gone to high school camp as a camper, which was surprisingly not as fun as being part of the kitchen staff.. Probably because a few individuals would not leave me alone...
And I have come back home. Daly is happy I am back. Very happy.
My animals... well, I think they're happy.
Despereaux is definitely happy to be back. I took him to high school camp. His sleep was interrupted ALL the time. It made him a bit cranky.
So now I am back. And it's good to be back.
But I definitely did not miss the way my Mom acts...
I quite enjoyed being away from her, I am ashamed to say.
It makes me wish for the days when I'm moved out..
Daly has given me hope. He says we'll buy a bit of land somewhere remote and live there one day. It sounds very nice.
And after college, he and I are planning to bike around the country everywhere. Stop by any place for as long as we like. Have no particular schedule. It will be grand, and it excites me.
Daly came and visited me while I was at camp on Wednesdays.
After he left, later that day and the next day, people would ask me who he was, and when I answered "best friend," they would say things like, "You should date him." or like, "I think you guys should marry each other. You're like, perfect together."
And I know I love Daly..
And I know he loves me..
And though we aren't like that, boyfriend and girlfriend type of thing, I have to agree with them.
I think, one day, we'll get married.
What better way for two people who love each other to spend their lives?
And... last year at the Radiant Girls Retreat thing, I had made two decisions.
1. Nobody gets a kiss until my wedding day. Then I will give my first kiss to my husband.
2. I will marry my best friend.
Now... I have not told ANYONE the second one. At the time, when I decided those, I had what some might call a "boyfriend" but no best friend.
So I am not telling Daly about my second decision until I am older... Potentially 22.
And that age is important because an adult that I respect once told me that 22 is a good age to start considering marriage.
Anytime before that could potentially get in the way with school stuff.
And besides, I don't need a boyfriend. I plan to never have one. After all, I will be marrying my best friend..
And my best friend makes me very happy. :)

Call me crazy.

I think he might be the one....

And there are amazingly grand plans happening!

Bah.

I don't know what to do....
*sigh*

Maybe if I find a recipe...

This should be fun..

Dueling Banjos on ukulele?
Bahahaha.


I'm getting good with the ukulele! It's really a fun instrument. I've been practicing chords, learning a few songs, messing around with tabs, and today, I plan to make a bag to carry my uke around in...
I intend to bring it with me to school every day next semester, and nearly everywhere else...

Yes, no, maybe so?

I got my SAT scores back today...
Critical Reading: 610
Math: 420
Writing: 550

I don't know if those are good or not...

It's going to be a nice day, you know

I have a ukulele!!
Now I've just got to think of a name...
And learn a few songs.
I'm already getting fairly well with Stairway to Heaven, Yellow Submarine, and Greensleeves. I'll learn a couple of songs and play them next time I see Daly. Or on Skype sometime.. He and I haven't "talked" in a while...

But while I have a ukulele and am really enjoying playing with it, I have got to catch up on my online classes... I'm already behind.

Did I mention I made scones the other day???
They were yummy.

Oh, and Noah has decided to call me Cici.
I don't know where they get these names...

I want my uke...

So Daly had a dream last night.
A bad dream.
But that's all he's telling me.
He won't tell me what happened, who was in it, any details at all.
He said it was "VERY bad" and that he just wants to forget it.
So I am trying to swallow my curiousity and forget I even knew he had a dream.

My ukulele should come in the mail tomorrow morning!
My book... who knows when.
Daly also bought something else he's calling a "rainbow." He says it's for me.
I think I'll start calling secret gifts "rainbows." It's pleasant and can apply to any season or occasion.


The summer semester starts today!
I will probably be helping Daly with his online Spanish class. I was thinking about letting him use my Spanish text book over the summer...
I myself will be finishing up some classes (I decided to actually start working on them today and finish them by the time Daly finishes his Spanish class).
So I'll go start working on that now, I believe.
Well, after my snack.

Oh, which reminds me. I had low blood sugar last night (happens every so often, especially when I eat a large amount of sugar with nothing else (like protein) accompanying it).
It scared Daly to death. It always scares him.
I don't know why, exactly. I guess he's worried about me.
And I do admit that last night, my hands were shaking (to the point where I could hardly pick up anything properly) and I could hardly walk in a straight line... But I sat down, ate some peanut butter, and was after ten minutes or so (took a little longer this time than usual).
Daly said he thinks he was almost crying and that he was so scared his hands were nearly shaking (he told me that this morning).
Which makes me feel bad. I don't want to cause him worry..
I have considered not telling him stuff like when I have low blood sugar or when I feel like I nearly passed out..
But I always do anyway.
Maybe I shouldn't..
I don't know.
*sigh*

Shweet!

New instrument to master:
Ukulele

Daly's buying one for me!

The deal with rodents..

So have you ever heard someone say to you at a pet store,
"YOU CAN'T PUT RODENTS OF OTHER SPECIES TOGETHER. THEY'LL KILL EACH OTHER."
or...
"Gerbils hate hamsters."
or...
"Hamsters are solely solitary animals. They will kill any other animal you put with them."
or perhaps, even,
"Mice are the only small rodents that can live in a community. Gerbils will kill each other for a mate and hamsters will kill anything."


Well...
False, false, false, and false, I say.
I know for a fact that mice and hamsters can live together happily.
I know that gerbils and mice can live together happily.
And I now know that gerbils, hamsters, and mice can all three live together with no problems.


I think that perhaps the reasons these myths have been formed in the rodent area is because people are not careful or strategic when introducing animals to another animal.
Here are my suggestions (goes for ANY animals):

1. If you plan to let any animals live together (in the same cage, or even in the same house), you should put them together as babies, or when they are still fairly young. Before sexual maturity is ideal.

2. When putting your 2+ animals together, let them "check each other out" on a neutral ground, away from anything that would have any of the animals' scent on it. A cardboard box works well for this when dealing with small rodents.

3. Monitor their interaction closely. While most animals get along fine with others when they're young, there are exceptions. One of your animals might not like the other(s) at first. This will take 1-3 days (or less) of monitored interaction before they will be used the other animal.

4. If your animals seem to be getting along perfectly fine after an hour or so, it is likely safe to put them in the same cage. But, do NOT put them in together if the cage has not been thoroughly cleaned out (to get rid of any previous animals' smells).

5. Keep an eye on the cage and a close ear to listen for squeaks (if your gerbil(s) squeaks, you probably shouldn't worry to much about it. They squeak a lot normally). Do keep within earshot of the cage the first day, though. If after 1 day, all the animals have interacted positively and haven't had any trouble, it is safe to let them stay together from there on out!

6. If the animals do have trouble with each other after sticking them in a cage together, you may try a few different things.
-put a distraction for them in the cage. With rodents, a running wheel works quite well as a bonding instrument as the different animals will be focused on the wheel and running all over each other.
-take all the animals out and start at square one with the cardboard box
-put a wire divider in a cage so that the animals (this works better with two animals) can see and smell each other, but can avoid any quarrels that may arise.

7. If your animals do not sleep "in a pile" right away, don't worry. That kind of closeness between animals comes with time. However, if you can see that they are taking advantage of objects in the aquarium to sleep on/under (to be away from the other(s)), it is safe to remove the objects for a while to encourage them to interact with each other more.


Best of luck!

Well hello...

It's been a terribly long while....
Sorry to have kept you all in suspsense of what's going on in my life (like you really care that much. Haha)
But yes, good to be back.
The past few weeks have been EXTREMELY busy. No time to do anything but check my Facebook and the weather forecast for the day.
But now with the semester over and my two months of summer ahead of me, I should have an adequete (how do you spell that word...) amount of time for computer.
Or at least, I fairly adequete (I think there's another 'a' in that word...) amount of time.
I do have a garden to keep,
Money to earn,
Computer classes to finish up,
And animals to keep up with.

So my summer will no doubt be nothing short of busy.

Plus I've got summer camp in June, which I am looking forward to...

I owe Daly $55.
Debt is bad.
Though he says I don't have to pay him back anytime soon (and I'm sure he wouldn't mind if I NEVER paid him back..)
BUT I WILL PAY HIM BACK.
ASAP.

Neato

Oh hey, this is my 101st post!

She's Leaving Home

I'm leaving today.
I'll be gone for the weekend.
I need to do two things before I leave:
1. Take the fish tank outside.
2. Make pancakes.

I'ma go make pancakes now, I think.

Bah at essays.

Two essays to write...
One before Friday.
One before next Thursday.
A booklet of Spanish review work for the final exam.
Due Monday.
I will be gone the entire weekend.
Not sure if I'll have much time to complete a lot of this..
I am going to try to finish this essay I've just started on tomorrow.

Walmart tomorrow!
I am excited.
I need to buy stuffs.
Daly is trying to get his old violin back for me...
We'll see how that works.
If it does, I should get it for just $75. Which is VERY good, since I don't want to spend the majority of my money on a violin at the moment.

I think I'll just go to sleep now, actually, since it's nearly midnight and I never work on homework past midnight.
Plus I need to be awake for tomorrow!

Despereaux is doing a little better.
Part of his foot may be getting infected. Michelle told me to poke it with a needle. That is kind of a hard thing to do...
But if it'll help him, I will do it.
I've decided to use alcohol instead of peroxide now, too, because it is stronger and will kill ANY infection.
I'll buy some more neosporin tomorrow, plus some for Daly, since he gave me his for Despereaux.
Michelle also says Despereaux will probably lose his toes. I have wondered lately if it would've been better to just keep the thread on. If then, maybe it wouldn't have gotten infected.
But it is probably best that it came off.

So yes, I sleep now.

Also!

I am learning to play violin from Daly now.

And I gave my bed to my sister. Yes I did.
Floor and chair sleeping for me.
I rather enjoy sleeping in my papasan chair.

No, I haven't died...

I've just been incredibly busy lately.
I promise you'll hear more from me.
But it might be after the weekend.
I'm going to Radiant!

By the way...
Despereaux got some thread caught around his foot very tight the other day. Daly and I took him to the vet lab at CCCC yesterday and they got it off. But Despereaux's foot was dark red/black and swollen at that point.
I've been putting peroxide and neosporin on it and today, it looks a little better. The swelling has gone down considerably.
I have decided to take him with me to Radiant. He'll need my care still.
Pray for him, guys. I want him to get better.

*sigh*

Today was the funeral for Daly's grandmother. I went to it.
It was horribly sad. I nearly cried. I definitely was on the verge of it.
When I talked to Daly, he looked so sad. He sounded so sad. After the funeral service, his voice kept cracking.
It made me so sad..
So I hugged him.
Which would be the first time we've hugged, by the way.
I stood by him until he and his family left to go home.
Then I went to Taekwondo. I was only two minutes late. It worked out fine.
Wednesday I get tested for my high white belt.
Oh, and I got a papasan chair today.
It was in the Classifieds for $20, and I had just been thinking about getting one, so I jumped on that opportunity and bought it. Quite a deal, I must say.
This evening I rearranged my room completely and found a good place for that 55 gallon aquarium Troy gave me.
I just finished my Spanish homework. In the nick of time, really.
And now I am sitting here, writing this blog, while Fezzik chirps about who knows what.
Despereaux is looking for my camera to steal more beads.
Windy and Sim are being hyper and eating seeds.
I think I may go to sleep quite soon.
Sleep is chasing me.

I feel like crying...

Daly's Grandmother died Saturday morning at about 3:30am. It's not like we weren't expecting it.
She had stage four pancreatic cancer and just had a stroke two weeks ago.
She was doing fairly well, considering, until Monday. Everything started going downhill.
And now she's gone.
And Daly is having such a hard time.
I feel so sad for him. I know there's no way I could know his sadness. And I really don't want to have to know it.
But I feel sad.
I don't really feel happy.
Not at all.
It horrible.
Not an ounce of happiness.
I don't think I'll feel better until Daly feels better.
It's as if our emotions are connected..
When I'm sad, he is sad.
When he is having an extremely difficult time, I find myself having an extremely difficult time.
I thought about emptying my happy wagon.
I may soon.
Right now it's at 6.
6 in.
6 rocks of happines.
Happiness that I don't feel.
I don't doubt that Daly has none or very little in his own happy wagon.
I fear none.
I have never had none in.
I don't think Daly has either, unless he does now.
I feel so sad for him...
*sigh*
The wake is going on right now.
I wanted to go. To be with him and try to comfort him.
But I have a stupid essay I'm writing that's due tomorrow...
And I want to go to the funeral tomorrow. But I have Taekwondo.
I would indefinitely skip, if it weren't for the fact that some of my family members also take that class.. They want me to go to class.
Daly won't come to Taekwondo.
I know he won't.
I knew he wouldn't even before he said he didn't want to.
He may not even come to school tomorrow at all.
If he does, I will do everything in my ability to cheer him up.
If he doesn't.... I have an idea. I will make a video and title it "Star's Search for Daly."
And I'll send it to him.
I am trying to come up with ideas and devise plans to make him feel better.
Every little bit helps.
*sigh*
It really makes me sad to see him like this.
It's horrible.

I had better keep writing that essay... After all, it is due tomorrow.
*sigh*

*sigh* <-- that's a happy sigh.

Yesterday was my birthday.
The day before that was St. Patrick's Day. I found two four leafed clovers. One I pressed in a book. The other I made a mini letter for Daly out of.

My birthday was the best birthday I've ever had.
I think Daly had a lot to do with it.
He is my best friend. I think best friends make birthdays 100 times better.
I have not had a birthday like this... in so long, if ever before.
It started out with my Mom waking me with singing the birthday song. I checked my phone. Daly had texted me at 12:35am wishing me happy birthday(that is when I was born) and Troy had texted me just 30 minutes before I woke to wish me happy birthday.
I texted them both back and went on with my morning.
Went to school. Got there almost before Daly.
Amy wasn't in Spanish.
Daly and I raced to get tea before Matthew came into the Student Center.
We ran out to the back of campus where the parking lots are.
We ended up adventuring in the woods.
I scraped my foot on a RUSTY (emphasis because of Daly..) piece of metal. It broke the skin. Daly made a big deal about it bleeding.
I have survived, though.
After only adventuring a short ways, we had to turn back because class would start soon. First we went to Daly's car to get my birthday gift. I ended up leaving it in his car during my class (it would've attracted attention since I would've had no place to put it except on the table during class).
Amy wished me happy birthday before Literature class.
Daly and I went back out to his car before Grandma came to pick me up. I did not open the gift, for lack of time.
Grandma came. I ate at La Dolce Vita with her. She gave me a card with $20 in it and took me to Walmart. I bought a pair of pants, a pair of capris, some black thread, two packets of seeds (for Daly's secret garden), and some beads for my hair.
I went to Taekwondo. Master Vincent's birthday is tomorrow. We brought him some balloons yesterday.
After Taekwondo, I went home, did some homework, went to youthgroup (brought the gift with me (I planned to open it in front of Daly, since he gave it to me and whatnot)). Ended up forgetting to open it.
Got a mouse.
Wee baby mouse.
So cute.
I need a name.
Something small, female, and pretty.
Unique, too.
Daly got a mouse, too.
To replace Pocket Mouse so his parents don't find out that she died.
*sigh*
But yes.
The kids at youthgroup sang happy birthday to me.
I went home (with gift and mouse).
Texted Daly that I was going to open his gift.
I did.
Guess what was inside.
A cardboard box.
Yes.
Guess what was in that?
Another box.
Yes.
BUT IT IS A SPECIAL BOX.
It is made of wood. Made by Daly. It is beautiful. On the top is has our mini letter insigna thing. With the star and the D as the seal for a letter.
It's beautiful.
And inside...
There was a card.
Handmade card.
I opened it and it had numerous little sketches of various memories Daly and I have shared. Everything from the first day at CCCC, things that happened with Mr. Stumpf, Taekwondo, and our Duel of the Immortals (really just an arm wrestle which he won 2 out of 3 (and incidentally, we plan to arm wrestle again tomorrow!)).
Underneath the card there were...
6 boxes of Tazo tea!
All six were the assorted kind (he asked me about a month ago what my favorite teas are, and I told him "I don't know..." so he got assorted, I'm assuming. Haha.)
So now I have 12 tea bags of 20 kinds of tea!
Three of them I REALLY like. I hadn't remembered those when he asked me. But it's all good because I have them all, now.
It is an amazing gift. It really is.
Oh! He also paid the $2 for my mouse. That was nice of him, I think.
He also says he's going to get me the Yanni CD that I've been wanting. But he is ordering it online, so it won't come for a few days.

The whole day was... wonderful.
My happy wagon.
It is full.
100%
Happiness.
It's never been like that before.
But I've finally been able to put the rock Daly gave me in the basket.
(I told him it was the 20th rock and that it would go in only when I was 100% happy.)

So it has been a very nice past two days.

Today wasn't so bad either.
My happy wagon is stable.
So that's a good sign.

I think I will sleep now, though.
Early day tomorrow.