End of Times

This is it.

The end of my blog.

Not that it's the end of me in anyway.

Mom and I are in my room packing for Alaska and Gretchen is talking to Dad from her bedroom door.

I'm leaving them each a present on my bed, then when they come home they'll see them and I'll have already left.

Love you all.

liz

Done With Dance

'and this is crazy'

Just finished my government final, now I'm on my phone updating you all. This is a countdown week after all. Don't you want to know what I'm doing at every?

I feel good about it. Courtney freaked me out yesterday when I asked her how it was. I feel really good though.

It's funny how all of these seniors I'm sitting around are I the last throws of their senior year. And yet were still acting like high schoolers for the few hours we have left of being one. For some reason my yearbook doesn't seem so cool/important today.

It's going to be a crazy few days.

Ought to Know

One and 1/2 pages into my research paper. Thought you'ed love an update.

I'm really just waisting time.

Plot and Truth

I should be working on my English research paper right now, but no i'm talking to you guys. I seriously have no finals today. There is no 'school' reason as to why I should be here, but I figured I want to stick around in case of a prank and to make the last day of school (Thursday) even more epic.

Yep, I just said epic.

In other news, ironical is a word. It might seem like a made up one, but seriously look it up in the dictionary (or the app for that) it's where we get ironic from and can use it the same way as ironic.

How ironical?

Save Ferris!

Recently everyone in the entire world! (well not everyone) Has been Ferrising it all up! (is that even something?)

I've seriously seen two people wearing this same t-shirt (Friday and Monday) and then Meghan goes and posts this. I just don't know what to do!

I'm just glad that Ferris is in my life! (and I'll just ignore the constant references that are being thrown at me.)

Housekeeping

I've waited three(ish) years to use that title for a post, and now is as good as time as any.

This is something that I have thought a lot about, and it's something that I think needs to be done. I will be retiring this blog on the 12th of June. So, a week from now I will no longer post anything. I would like to finish on a complete full year, but that's the first of January, which is in the middle of school and in an awkward time socially and personally so I think ending this 'high school' blog would best be finished with the end of my high school years and the beginning of my college experience.

I'll be taking you with me on my voyage for the next week on the upcoming craziness that will ensue because of it. And with Meghan freaking out over a speck of paint I think we all need to have a good happy thing to look forward to, and put the shower crying sessions behind us.

Here is some more things I've been meaning to post for a while.

Amy Pond! I have been getting into Trock (time lord rock) and recently been trying to explain Doctor Who to people recently. Not sure why...

 Who can deny this women who single handily gave us the right to wear pants? Thank you Coco!

 This is an amazing picture, how did they take it? Look at it!

 Not sure why I have this picture anymore, took me to long to blog about it, but apparently it was funny at some point. Go Nerdfitghters!

 The above needs no explanation.

The dress i'll be wearing for graduation kinda reminds me of this dress worn by Emma Watson. That's basically why I bought it.

Books, books, books

1. Favorite childhood book?

Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech

2. What are you reading right now?

Vikings In The Attic: In Search of Nordic America by Eric Dregni

3. What books do you have on request at the library?

None, I'm not one for going to the library for books.

4. Bad book habit?

I look ahead in books.

5. What do you currently have checked out at the library?

Perrine's Sound and Sense: An Introduction to Poetry (this is for AP English)

6. Do you have an e-reader?

Yes, a nook. One of the best things I ever invested in, give them a try guys!

7. Do you prefer to read one book at a time, or several at once?

I can be reading a few books at the same time, like a book for school and then one I am reading on my own, but I usually will start a few and then really get into one and just read that one until I'm done and then start the other.
8. Have your reading habits changed since starting a blog?

A bit, not because of the blog, but more because I got into a weird rut this summer and I am slowly crawling out of the deep hole I fell into.

9. Least favorite book you read this year?

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins, the series just went down the drains.

10. Favorite book you’ve read this year?

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green ('nuff said)

11. How often do you read out of your comfort zone?

All the time.

12. What is your reading comfort zone?

I guess I really don't have a reading 'zone' that I would put myself in. I'll read almost anything that sparks my curiosity, but I draw the line at the paperback romance novels you can buy at CVS-Pharmacy.

13. Can you read on the bus?

Yes, I've done it a lot, but my butt tends to fall asleep quickly...(odd right?)

14. Favorite place to read?

Right now, in our new basement on the fold-out couch.

15. What is your policy on book lending?

I let anyone take any of my books and then I write down their name on a post-it note and stick it to the side of my bookcase. My reasoning? I spend much of my own money on these books and would like to get them back someday.

16. Do you ever dog-ear books?

I didn’t, but I started to when I was reading the Hunger Games trilogy. It kinda depends on how I feel about the book.

17. Do you ever write in the margins of your books?

For school I started to in AP English and I like being able to look back and see what I thought, but I can’t reread the book because of all the markings. If I really like a quote I might sometimes underline it.

18. Not even with text books?

I do in textbooks, and I also doodle.

19. What is your favorite language to read in?

I like being able to read Spanish, but I really don't know it that well to read a book in it.

20. What makes you love a book?

How the author writes, it can be a great story written by a horrible author and I won't like it.

21. What will inspire you to recommend a book?

If I have to sit and look into nothing after finishing the book and just collect my thoughts then I'll go out of my way to recommend the book.

22. Favorite genre?

Action/adventure

23. Genre you rarely read, but wish you did?

Steampunk (is that science fiction?)

24. Favorite biography?

Home: A Memoir of my Early Years by Julie Andrews

25. Have you ever read a self-help book?

Yes, I read He’s Just Not That Into You because I wanted to see the movie and I thought it was a work of fiction until I started reading it.

26. Favorite cookbook?

Thanks for the Hospitality by Carol McNaughton and Deb Cardwell. (ie; my Grandma and Aunt)

27. Most inspirational book you’ve read this year (fiction or nonfiction)?

Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad. He brings to your attention that everyone is capable of being evil when the environment is right. It inspired me to do the right thing because I don’t want to end up like the characters in his book.

28. Favorite reading snack?

M&M’s

29. Name a case in which hype ruined your reading experience.

The Pursuit of Happyness by Chris Gardner, that dude doesn't deserve having a movie of his life made about him. He's a horrible person who is obsessed with sex.

30. How often do you agree with critics about a book?

Not very often. I don’t read book reviews often and I usually do when I like the book and then the critic will say something that I don’t like and thus not agree with.

31. How do you feel about giving bad/negative reviews?

It’s fine, there has to be bad books in order to have good books and some books are bad. I just want to tell people to not read them and not to waste their time on them.

32. If you could read in a foreign language, which language would you chose?

Norwegian, because I really like being able to speak it so being able to also read it would come in handy.

33. Most intimidating book you’ve ever read?

Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad because my AP English teacher told my class that the first time she read it she didn’t get half of the stuff that was in it.

34. Most intimidating book you’re too nervous to begin?

Anything by William Shakespeare. I feel like I won’t understand the whole play unless I’m reading it in a class, but I really want to read them!
35. Favorite poet?

I don’t really read poetry.

36. How many books do you usually have checked out of the library at any given time?

Two, at the most.

37. How often have you returned book to the library unread?

A few times.

38. Favorite fictional character?

Isabelle Lightwood (The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare)

39. Favorite fictional villain?

Jane (Twilight Saga by Stephanie Meyer)

40. Books I’m most likely to bring on vacation?

Anything on my nook now so that my suitcase ins’t bulging. Otherwise smaller paperback books. Some light reading.

41. The longest I’ve gone without reading.

This summer I got into this weird rut where I just couldn’t read. And I seriously didn’t for about two months. I think I was just fried from Junior year.

42. Name a book that you could/would not finish.

The Host by Stephanie Meyer

43. What distracts you easily when you’re reading?

Food, being hungry when food is being described.

44. Favorite film adaptation of a novel?

Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas or Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix because I hated both of the books and loved the movies.

45. Most disappointing film adaptation?

Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. In the second movie they just kinda gave up ad squished them all together.
46. The most money I’ve ever spent in the bookstore at one time?

Maybe 100 dollars on a nook gift card so that I wouldn’t have to keep on going to Barns and Nobel to buy a gift card, ya know, have some money built up so I don’t have to worry about it.
47. How often do you skim a book before reading it?

All the time.

48. What would cause you to stop reading a book half-way through?

It’s taking me to long to get through it. I really don’t not finished a book though.

49. Do you like to keep your books organized?

Yes, kinda’ by genera.

50. Do you prefer to keep books or give them away once you’ve read them?

I keep them, it’s my new thing to not give away any books, which I made easier by my nook.

51. Are there any books you’ve been avoiding?

The Lord of The Rings trilogy, I just need to sit down and read them!

52. Name a book that made you angry.

Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson

53. A book you didn’t expect to like but did?

Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier

54. A book that you expected to like but didn’t?

Little Bee by Chris Cleave

55. Favorite guilt-free, pleasure reading?

D'aulaire's Book of Greek Myths by Ingri and Edgar Parin d’Aulaire

Christina! You should do this!!!!

Oh, Jim!

credit to Matt

Quest

I have been on a quest (granted by myself and only in my head) to find a picture of One Direction that the fans out there, haven't seen yet.

How did I do?

'points to self' Jet

“Ambassador Winters, allow me to introduce my aunt Abby and her..boyfriend." Townsend tensed. Abby glared. And Rebecca Baxter looked like she was going to choke on her own chewing gum.” - Out of Sight Out of Time (Ally Carter)

I've kinda' been in a rut lately in regard to books and reading them. Maybe AP English has been frying me out. I don't know. I barley got through The Metamorphosis this summer. And that was only a 120(ish) page book.


So I'm happy to have gotten back into the swing of things, and it's all thanks to a Gallagher Girl.

At Lunch

This was whatI was talking about Meghan.

The whole video is funny, but the old lady part I was talking about is around 0:51

In My Head

This has been stuck in my head all day. I had Gretchen listen to it and she was like "What is this?"



The video is really weird and has nothing to do with anything, so just listen to the song. Or watch it because I've now spurned your intrest.

[Liz]

Perhaps only Christina will truly understand how awesome this is.

The Vid

Here we have Mrs.Drew. A normal day in the classroom (which means anything can go wrong and anyone can end up taking their pants off) where we do work, sometimes. I think she looks like Nina Garcia and Rachel Zoe.

Our dear Nina (the judge on Project runway)

 Much like Rachel here, Mrs.Drew wears scary high heels all the time.

As you all know my video class is a bit...off. And I love it, but at times I do want to throttle all of the people in it, what keeps me going is the fact that I'll eventually become an amazing lawyer working somewhere and they'll not have moved away from Stillwater.

Above is a photo that I thought was hilarious! Here we have (left to right) Mrs.T (Mitch is hidden behind her) then Steven, Luke, Jake, and then Mrs.Drew on the far right. The four guys were sitting in the middle of the room waiting for Mrs.T to come to the meeting. They looked like little second graders.

Then yesterday I was searched because someone had stolen a computer and Elam had traced it to our classroom (of course). So, in walks Mr.H, Mrs.T, Elam, and Fred the security guard who just happens to have a tazer, mace, and a gun on him. We all get our backpacks searched and they don't find it. I am quite surprised by this, I would have thought someone would have stolen it.

My Inner Eye

I've had Harry Potter on my mind this whole weekend and then I came across this on Matt's tumblr. It's quite correct.

Once you've reached your sixth year at Hogwarts, you start to get used to all that Shit.

Lisbeth and Elizabeth

Most of you know I can speak Norwegian, and if you don't you should check this out.

My whole carrer at Skogfjorden I had the name Lisbeth (pronounced Lisbet). You could choose any name you wanted from the long list of names, but I choose Lisbeth because of two reasons. One, it was close to my name, and two it was beautiful. I have come to terms with my name and have indeed learned to enjoy it. It's common enough that I can find keychains with my name on them, but it's not like I'll run into an Elizabeth at every turn. Plus, I find it very regal and formal, so when I have to be a bit more reserved I enjoy introducing myself because I have the idea that Elizabeth gives me the leg up to make the person I want to impress think 'she is a respectable women, this Elizabeth'.

I have toyed with the idea of going by a different nickname when I start college. I've talked to a few people about this and they agree it's a perfect time for changing you name. Or at least how you introduce yourself. I always say 'Hello I'm Liz McNaughton' and I end up doing this a lot in regards to Cutaway Productions when I have to be a cool formal teenager who is suposed to blow away the adult clients.

There are many names that can come from Elizabeth. Liz, Lizzy, Lisbeth, Beth, Betty, Bess (coined by Gretchen), B (or Bee/Be), L (or Ell/El), Ellen, Elly (or Ellie), and Eliza. These are just the few I have come up with sitting here. But I have decided I like L and Lisbeth the best and intend on trying them on, so to say.

Saying this I was happy to find out a Lisbeth was a character in Stieg Larsson's Millennium series more commonly know as 'the girl with the dragon tattoo series'. Not only do we share the same name, but we are both small girls with lack of chest and we have the same birthday. If that isn't cool, what is? True, I haven't been raped and my father isn't a psycho, and I don't go around tazing people, but on the outside we are similar. We both even have the same (real) hair color. And for those of you who don't know Lisbeth has red hair, and I have brown/red hair. Don't freak out people, I have brown/RED hair, and I don't care if you don't agree! DEAL WITH IT!!!

After this whole ordeal I am finally getting to what I wanted to talk about, Lisbeth. I just love that girl. And the series is very much worth reading, but they are long. And just one thing, they aren't as 'disturbing' as people lead then to be. I was expecting this horrible rape scene, but it's hardly anything (or as little as a rape scene can be) don't get me wrong it's a big deal that she's raped, but it's not super graphic.

I would say the movies are more graphic, because they do what Larsson didn't write, but was alluding towards. I don't know which one I like the best (the never ending debate between the Swedish movies and the American movies) but both were good. I like seeing the Swedish one because I could watch and understand what they were saying (Swedish and Norwegian are very similar) and it was just cool hearing the book in it's original language. I think we miss a little having it translated into English and not reading it in Swedish because it's ment to be read in Swedish. Understand what I'm trying to get at? I do agree with Gretchen about how the American Lisbeth is more like the books, she isn't crazy, she is just very private and distrustful. The Swedish version makes her out to be a bit more of a person who doesn't understand social situations, when in reality she understands but she just doesn't care.

Above is a bookmark I created using Hannah's (known as SpannerX23 on Deviant art) artwork of Lisbeth. I have printed the bookmark and use it when reading the books. I'm almost half way through the third, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest. It's good, I can't wait to finish!

My Life

Seriously this is my cat.

Prama-Drama

"Brings out their savageness" - Mr. Stippel in talking about Prom

For some reason Mr. Stippel has been talking a lot about prom and I'm very sick of it. Sure some people get crazy about prom, but then there is the equally large group of people that just go for fun and don't care that much about it.

I happened on a clip via Comcast a week ago and they were talking about how certain schools were regulating what type of dresses the girls could buy for prom. And looking at the prom page on Facebook almost half of the dresses would be no-no's. I really don't care what people end up wearing as long as they wear clothes.

Ah, see this is the type of prom I would like. Ron and Kim, finally getting together! Remember that? It was big news on Disney Channel yo!

Apparently Ragan has decided not to go this year to prom because Dani is pressuring her into bringing a date, goodness Dani. Tell you the truth I really don't like that Ragan is not going because Dani wants to go with boys. If she doesn't want a date then she can just go with Nora and I. I would be more then glad not to go with Dani, and Nora really wouldn't care. Besides she could have told us before we both got dresses! The reason I'm going is to have a fun night with Nora and Ragan.

I need to have a good talking to Ragan, with Nora calmly watching the whole process.

I guess there is a bit of Prom Drama...

Video Class

This is how I felt today during video. Mrs.Drew would agree with me.

Alpha Wolf

The Friday we got out of school for spring break Courtney, her step-sister (Nicki) and her step-sisters friend (Jen), and I went to meet Jodi Picoult.

We did this last year, but I was even more excited then the last time! I was freaking out during lunch on Friday and I was very energetic the whole night.

I volunteered during Jodi's little presentation and I learned how to wolf howl, I was the Alpha wolf, because I just am born for that roll. And I was amazing, there should be some pictures/videos going up on Facebook soon.

She gave me a little Wolf stuffed animal for volunteering and I hugged the lady. She is shorter then you would think. And skinny because that's all Nicki and Jen could talk about so apparently I should tell ya'll that.

I had her sign her new book (Lone Wolf) and one of the books I had read of hers over the past year (Mercy). Both of them I would recommend to you.

And then dinner as Red Robbins was grand! And quite hilarious, my side hert so much from laughing.

Reaction-more

I'm sure you all wanted another one.

This was my reaction not 20 minutes ago when I read Christina's post. I' glad you have a wing man you can count on.

(confession: I love doing these things...!)

A La Past

At the end of last week I happened upon a few old photos of Gretchen and I on the home server. The picture above is of Gretchen playing mini-golf in Arizona. I thought it was perfect considering she spent the last week in Arizona.

I'm above, not sure where it is exactly. Just that I had those shoes and that swim suit top when I was in second grade. (making the photo from the summer of 2002)

Gretchen arrived home tonight, or well day now. I haven't gone to bed yet, so I'll say she arrive home tonight. She had a few stories and a few things she had gotten for herself, but nothing for the family. I know this sounds a bit greedy, but this is a blog and I want to express my feelings. I really wish she would have gotten something for us. I always get my family something when I go on vacation without them.

Though I should have seen this coming, when I went to Florida with Courtney and they went to Texas I got nothing where as I gave them gifts. I don't know about you, but I feel that it's a nice thing to do, buying a gift for the poor family members left behind during your vacation. Perhaps I should just suck it up. Okay.

Kisses - A

Pretty Little Secrets
Starts with
Hannah who is now living with her Stepmom, Dad, and Kate has enough to deal with, then her boyfriend leaves on a trip, with a hot girl? She doesn't mind once she joins a Body Boot camp and meets Apollo...

Then
Emily has a new job, she's Santa at the new mall, but she's also a spy for her church! After a bedbug sighting she's in with the targets, three grils who have terrorized Rosewood by stealing a Baby Jesus...

Plus
Aria gets a visit from an old friend, or maybe an old flame? It's a good thing she can forge her mom's signature because Atlanta City here she comes! No need to worry about the pumas, the ASPCA will soon get them back in their cages, after CNN makes it national news...

Finally
Spencer is looking for a distraction from A-Mona, and her family woes. When she meets Collin she is convinced he is just that, and then Melissa is here to help?! After all, Spencer can get anyone's blood pumping...

This is a great book. Courtney you need to read it. And acicia too! I'll try to remember to bring Ruthless (the next book) to school!

Anyway this is set after Mona is killed, the original 'A', and right before Courtney/real Alison take over.