Menthol and Mental Health

I've basically kept the entire cough drop industry alive this week. The cough drop industry, and the Tylenol industry. It's hard to get sleep during exams, but I've had to treat myself to 8+ hours lest I die of sickness and exhaustion.

English exam was somewhat of a mindfuck, pardon my French. I filled four blue books in two hours and used up three pencils and half a pen to do so. I have no idea if what I wrote is valuable, or just plain gibberish, but I'm not in a particularly wordy mood right now, so please excuse my lame post.

The combination of having a cold and taking exams has caused me to lose all sense of style, in addition to mental awareness. I've been walking around campus in my oversized army jacket like some kind of caffeine-junkie-hobo looking for a fix of espresso. It's not a proud look, but it's comfy, so whatever. Back to boots and scarves (and one cup of coffee a day as opposed to today's...7...8?) as soon as I get out of this place for vacation...two days? tomorrow? I can't even remember. I think its tomorrow, so long as I finish this Latin paper by the time I go to sleep. 

I've been somewhat of a Grinch this week, so I'm going to try to get into the Christmas spirit by stirring a candy cane into my coffee and turning on some holiday music. Just took a sip of the peppermint coffee. I'm officially recommending it. Way cheaper to buy a candy cane than a Starbucks signature drink (and I live in the boondocks, so there's no Starbucks around anyway).

This is slowly tapering into a stream of consciousness, which won't end up being pretty, I can guarantee. So have a good night--- wish on a star, decorate a tree, sing a carol and all that good December stuff.

Ciao,
TB

Real Life

This can't be real life...
Sitting in my room at 8:20 on a Friday night eating gluten-free ginger snaps and pulling my eyelids open to stay awake.
Oh that's right, it's not real life. It's exam week.
That's why my affinity for cookies is so high, and my energy is so depleted. (Fell asleep twice in the library today. How diligent of me.)

Not to mention the massive shift in my OCD tendencies...
My room has never looked worse; My scheduling, never better.
The compulsions shift this week. Socks on the floor. Silverware on the floor. Random tests and quizzes...on the floor.

Four more days. Four more days till I'm at home decorating my Christmas tree.

Getting By

Acetaphetamine, caffeine, and Hershey kisses will surely be the only way I make it through this week. The heat isn't on in my room, so my fingertips are little ice blocks and I sleep in layers. The work's piling on in an exponential way. Christmas can't come soon enough. Why I'm up when the big light outside (that'd be the sun) hasn't risen yet is a mystery. I'm convinced some weird switch in my brain caused this mishap.

Variety Hour

Early start to the day- Headed on an adventure...first east, then north. 
Wanted to leave you with some stuff to peruse while I'm gone, since I won't be posting much until Saturday or Sunday (please check back, though!) 

The theme of this week's Variety Hour is dreams...~

I always buy cards in this style. They have the best quotations!!

"Around My Head" by Cage the Elephant, performed on David Letterman. 

I always play this song after I have a dream about an old friend or memory that I didn't particularly want to relive in my subconscious. 

Best line: "You got me tangled like a braid, tied twisted." (though I sing it, "like a bread-tie twisted", because I like the sound of that much better. Way more original)

My brother got me into this band-- New rock, pretty good stuff. I have two of their albums off of itunes. Check them out! 

And from his tongue leapt promises--emptier than their cabinets,

and his pockets.

But at least his words were rich enough to satisfy

her most ambitious dreams.

{piece from a Tori Original Notecard, dated 2010}

Ciao,

TB

 

Variety Hour

Been a bit too busy to sit and write these past few days. Too busy to get something good onto the page. So this is Variety Hour, a few random snippits of cool stuff I've found, heard, or seen, just to spice things up. 

Invitation:

It is not what you think, this reaching across the generations. There is no effort of will, no fierce glare in the face of the sideways dance of everyday. There is only the quiet house each morning, filled with soft breathing while you hold your tea in the cool air & always that moment when your love spreads a cloth upon the table & invites the whole day in again.

This is a small snippet from StoryPeople, a group of artists who enjoy writing about what makes life unique or strange. They have some great stuff on their site, including note cards with fabulous stuff on them.

The bumper of an awesome little retro car. I often engage in this fantasy in which I'm wearing a classic 1930s outfit, with my hair curled and tied back in a handkerchief and funky glasses on, sitting next to someone dressed like Jay Gatsby. We're listening to show tunes or something like this, having an amazing time.

A landscape shot of Vermont. Who knew it was so beautiful there? (They may have no major cities or a bustling population, but they have fantastic ice cream and cheese!!)

 Finished this great book last night, A Short History of Women by Kate Walbert. It follows the lives of roughly 8 women, spanning across 3 or 4 generations, and tells their tales of triumph, war, love and desperation. I found it marvelous. Her writing techniques really  hooked me, and toward the end I could not put it down.



Time for coffee. Sitting on my porch because I'm up awfully early this morning, so I thought I'd enjoy the brightness of the day.

Crazy for Coffee

If you're reading this blog, you must know an important fact about me. I am a coffee addict. I have been ever since I was a little girl and my dad would give it to me in my pink plastic teacups.
Last night I was thinking of what dessert to make for my mom and her friends and decided to make espresso chip bars. Paired with a nice iced coffee (in an over-sized mason jar...of course), this makes a delectable dessert. Perfect to suit both a chocolate and caffeine fix!