black Friday

I wonder if it's called black Friday because people wake up before it's light out and line up at the stores... Who knows. My first black Friday experience was at home... I think in 2004 with one of my best friends from high school. We went to Fry's in the dark. I think we stood in line a long time and I remember I got a dvd player for my computer and we got monitors (I think he still has his)... I ended up returning mine later because that trip back to school was the one in which my car spun into the semi and was totaled. I needed to save money to get a new car/the motorcycle I ended up getting was awesome even though my dad made me sell it later.

Back to the present: I decided to check to see if Target had movies on sale: I wanted UP and the Proposal (way girlier than my normal movie selection, I know, but it's so funny). I looked at the ads, the Proposal was $8.99 and UP was $13. They also had a nice Kodak digital camera with 10x optical zoom and a GPS... so I went and got the camera, GPS and two movies. I checked the Kohls ad since Kohls is right next store to Target where I live and saw they had the Magic Bullet for 39.99... I got it but when I checked the receipt... you have to do rebates. Eww. I don't like rebates. I'm going to return it and the waffle maker because there isn't really a point to having them here, I'm sure I can get them elsewhere for the same price when I move back home.

I have tons of stuff to return to REI when I pick up the stuff I ordered last week. I also made my own TRX to use on the door frame (thanks to REI's 1" webbing). So, I've got everything I wanted for Christmas: The Proposal, UP, a TRX, digital camera, GPS, Harry Potter 1 (from England-The Philosopher's Stone), Harry Potter 7, and a new necklace for my cross pendant since I keep breaking it. Since I use swagbucks, I was able to get my HP1 book free and my necklace. HP7 was only 11.15 including shipping. I definitely recommend using swagbucks. it's awesome. I've already used $35 of amazon.com gift cards since I started using swagbucks in September. If you want to sign up (it's free) - use this link: www.swagbucks.com/refer/speedieturtle

I used my TomTom GPS yesterday when going to Williamsburg Plantation. The sales guy was nice but I still can't justify buying a timeshare. I am too cheap and that locks you in to payments and you feel obligated to go... I'd rather camp out and sleep in hostels. Hotels? Yeah right. Maybe when I get married and go on my honeymoon. Otherwise I'm content to sleep on a friend's couch and the back of my car. At least I got my 'gifts' out of it. I got a $100 VISA gift card and a $25 Panera gift card. I wanted a $50 Panera gift card but they ran out so I got a $25 Panera and $25 Applebee's gift card. Hiliary and her sister Erin met up with me for dinner after the tour thing at Applebee's so I just threw in the gift card there and went home with $125 more than I started with when I set out for Williamsburg. Once they figure out you really aren't going to buy their stupid time share they really aren't very nice. I'm glad I didn't get sucked into their silly sales pitch.

Time to do homework. Thanksgiving week is over. I need to send my postcards for Christmas out too. Last time in VA. So glad. Twenty four more days until I fly home for Christmas. Two more weeks of school, then ONE more quarter and I'm done with school forever (at least for now, but I doubt I will get a hankering to go back to school to get my PhD later).

-run for life

a whole new world

I forgot how much I love reading. To become lost in another world, no worries of your own. I forgot I read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (number/year 7) and borrowed it from a co-worker. I began reading only to discover I had already read it a few chapters in. (I wondered why it seemed so familiar when I started.) Reading it anyway, I decided to re-read through the series, currently reading book 6 - the Half Blood Prince.

Don't worry, I won't go into detail about Harry Potter. Mostly I miss reading. Transporting yourself out of the real world into a fantasy land that no one can corrupt. It reminds me of the days when television was more wholesome. Before movies and books began to be full of crude humor, desensitizing the public to atrocities that should not happen. Selfish human beings playing on others insecurities and feelings to make money.

I used to read all the time. I know it's a weakness-the love of reading. Curiosity like mine. When I begin a book, I have a hard time putting it down until I'm finished. When I read the Harry Potter series I finished 1-6 in less than a week. I began reading The Kite Runner on the bus one morning on the way to school and on the way back I read some more. Once I got past chapter 5 on the bus, I had to continue reading. I needed to know what was going to happen. I finished the book the same night. The Lord of the Rings is quite a large trio of books, but I finished those just as quickly prior to the movies on the big screen. Less than 2 days to finish all 3 of them. And I wondered why I was voted 'biggest book worm' in the 8th grade polls. Oh well. At least reading is a beneficial thing, albeit I didn't think it was great to be known for being a 'book worm' at the time. It's interesting to see how we've grown and changed over time as we look back on the past. The past helps to shape our future, our present choices will stay with us and our future awaits us. Here's to living in the present so that the future shall be bright.

- run for life