cold

I have discovered something that makes me very happy. Listening to a feel-good band with a british female singer. Wow; I thought "feel good" had one meaning, but when you add a female british singer, my soul takes flight. Wow. I adore british accents, it's not even cool.

I will marry a british woman one day.

Right now I am sitting at my kitchen table with my laptop lighting up my face. The light above me is not on, so my eyes feel weird staring into the only light present with peripheral vision not havig much light to work with. A white comfy blanket is warming up my feet. I am wearing the most comfy sweat pants ever. Whenever I wear these pants I feel happy. There was apile of used tissues on the floor to my right, but I recently pciked them up and put them in the trash. Strange. I did two things in the same sentence that I never do. I called them "tissues" instead of "Kleenexes" and I called it "trash" when I always call it "garbage" which actually makes no sense now that I think of it. Garbage is the thing that you put inside the container. I guess i'm just using a shortened version of garbage bin or garbage can. Yes, I save .9 seconds by not saying "can" or "bin" but now I am wasting the collected .9 seconds of my life by explaining my reasoning of why I do that with you.

Also, kleenex is the brand, not the thing. But I grew up calling it kleenexes.

The song switched to Tik Tok by Ke$ha. I feel like a rebel whenever I listen to this song. Ke$ha is just a wannabe part-ay girl. The beat to the song is so catchy.

I switched the song back to the british woman. I am smiling right now.

Right now I should be in class. But, I am very sick. I have a cold multiplied by ten thousand. Yesterday my chest was trying to explode, but my ribs contained the explosions leaving me hacking for air, which tore up my trachea. My nose is red and dry from rug burn from so many tissues. Tissue burn. Kleenex burn. So, i've been roughing the Clarrisa Designer Series facial tissues that are extra soft, strong, absorbent, and sensitive to your nose. Yes, I did just copy that off the bottom of the box of Clarrissa tissues. Who names a tissue company Clarrissa? Apparently Clarrissa does. Whoever that is.

So, yeah. I skipped class yesterday because of the mini explosions going on inside my chest. And, I was so drowsy, I couldn't think straight. Maybe I should proof read that essay that I wrote yesterday, I don't trust my drowsy subconscious to make up an essay that will not embarrass me.

My butt is sore from sitting on this wood chair almost all day. I've been watching NCIS and CSI a lot of the day. Then I watched one episode of Amazing Race. That was boring. The Amazing Race was not amazing. I left it unamazed.

I've been using a lot of chapstick to balm my chaped lips from breathing through my mouth all the time because my nose is plugged.

Whenever I get sick I am aways envious. You know those naturally beautiful people? Like those girls who look incredible without any make-up, in PJs, and messy hair? Yeah, well, I hate to break it to you, but I am not one of those people. WHen I am sick, I look terrible. I have honestly encountered girls who are apparently having terrible colds at the moment that look amazing. Yeah, I just look like a dazed, dizzy, sleep deprived, sniffling, nose running, droopy-eyed, slumping dude who carries ten tissues in each pocket just in case of an emergency. I wish I was one of those people who could do all of that while looking amazing. Whatever. Give me three days and i'll be back in black.

muddles for thoughts

My resolution was to read my Bible the other day.
To be completely honest, I did not. To be completely honest once again, I barely had any time to do so.

Good news though. Matt Lorentz, my future roommate at Taylor University and an amazing young man, called and talked for a while. He challenged me, and God totally spoke through him directly to me. Seriously, it was so legit. It was exactly the wake up call I needed.

Matt Lorentz is... wow, he is so awesome. Girls, watch out for this young Godly warrior! The wife he will one day get will be so lucky. Seriously, it is an honor to know someone with such deep conviction, wisdom, and drive for what is right.


Lately i've been super duper sick. I'm on cold meds. it sucks. My nose is either stuffy or runny, and not much in between. My head is foggy, my vision is weird, and my thinking is muddled. I just can't wait until I get better.

In film studies today we watched a movie called "Being There". It was an awkward and slow movie. It was kind of interesting, but overall blehh.
For the last two movies there has been sex scenes, and both times I just look down at the table. After this movie, the teacher actually mentioned that I look away during the sex scenes in front of the whole class and everyone laughed. At first I was embarrassed. Then, I realized that there was no need for me to be embarrassed. I was the only one doing the right thing. A verse from Romans comes to mind. I will paraphrase it by saying: "Do not be ashamed of the Gospel, for it life for all who hear it."
I look back on everyone laughing, and the teacher who had the gaul to say that in front of everyone, and I am proud now that what I did was manifested to the entire class. Maybe it touched someone in there. Maybe it convicted someone. I'll never know. All I know is to do what is right and God will do with it as He will.

My resolution for tomorrow is to take Matt Lorentz's advice. =)

Rectus Femorous

My resolution for yesterday was to find my checkbook. It is still lost.

Yeah. That's right. My financial life is hidden somewhere in the dark corners of the Schmitt home, leaving Benjamin scared, not knowing if his checkbook is properly balanced, or how much money is in his bank account. It is kind of like losing your watch or cell phone, and you're outside with no way to tell the time, and you wonder to yourself what time it is, because your entire life runs on the concept of time.

There was a study done where a few guys were put in a cell with no way to tell the time (no windows or anything whatsoever) and at first they almost went crazy because they needed to know when to eat, sleep, and everything, because without their normal surroundings, their body-clock was thrown off, and they had no idea what time it was.

After a while, they eventually simpley ate when hungry, and slept when tired. But, I cannot imagine how terrible that would be without any knowledge or acces to the information to what time it is.

I feel like I am part of an experiment to see how long it takes to turn a teenager crazy without the knowledge of how much money they have. So far I think it's working. Hopefully I last longer than their other test subjects.

I pulled or tore a muscle in soccer on Friday. Thanks to Becky, I now know what the muscle that I pulled is called "Rectus Femurous". I probably mis-spelled that, but so what. I feel intelligent for knowing the technical name of it whether I mis-spelled it or not.

It's the muscle on the top part of your quad. Its right beneath your hip, and a right next to the groin muscles. You use this "Rectus Femorus" to lift your leg while walking, stretching out to lay down, lift the leg for a kick (I am taking a break from Jiu Jitsu as a result) and sitting up, and coughing hurts.

I'm pretty much screwed.

My resolution for today is to read my Bible and meditate on it. It's been too long since I've taken out my Bible and simply read it. Shame on me.

no one here but us interspersed lettuce leaves

My resolution for yesterday was to own at homework.

I had 3 essays due last night, a 9 minute speech to prepare, and 3 huge art projects that were due tonight.
I left my art class early yesterday so I could do homework. I was bored out of my mind as it was, so leaving early made my day. On the way home, I was talking to myself when I came to the realization: "Ben, you are under too much stress. You are focusing on homework and on the negative things of life all the time. Let it all go! Worrying about it won't solve anything!"

I was so pumped up by my motivational speech to myself I wanted to celebrate my freedom from stress and do something fun. So, I cranked the classical station and headed to Caribou on the way home from school. I got a ridiculously delicious Snickers Cooler (if you've never tried it, you've never lived).

That made my day, so I was totally ready to own school and show it who Ben Schmitt really is!
I got home to the amazing smell of pizza in the oven. As if my day couldn't get any better!! So, I enjoyed pizza with Hannah, then I plugged my laptop into some speakers and cranked my party music.

I finished homework at 12:00am last night. I totally pawned.


My resolution for today was to be amazing in my speech. It was a demonstrational or informative speech. So, I decided to do close to no work in preparation and went with the topic "How to write a 5 paragraph essay effectively".

It is a boring subject, but I think I spiced it up with animated hand motions, facial expressions, illustrations on the white board, and a snazzy vest. (A suit vest over a graphic T... heck yes, i'm just a regular old fashion model over here).

I was so nervous going up, but once I got up I decided not to be nervous but be confident, and it worked. And I totally winged most of it, and it turned out wonderfully.

I just passed a sign at DCTC that said: "Donate blood today at the blood drive!"
It was on a mini-whiteboard in a busy hallway. I had a brilliant idea, but there were no dry-erase markers present, so I am left to imagine my plot.

I'd write under it: "Edwarde Cullen wants YOU!" And then draw a vampire smiley face.

That would be the epitome of amazingness.

Today I learned that "intersperse" is a word. I now officially hate that word. It sounds like the speaker or writer of that word was trying to hard to sound smart... "I will now intersperse the lettuce across my plate."

WHY NOT JUST SAY "seperate"? That makes me mad. If you couldn't tell my the caps lock. If someone uses caps lock, the voice that you always mentally think of when reading something turns to yelling. It is quite effective.

I learned that if you make that voice when you're reading a boring textbook turn to a british accent, you pay attention so much better. It is fun.

My resolution for tomorrow is to find my checkbook. If I don't find it I am screwed for life. I have no idea what I can do without it. Help!!!

mucho trabajo

I left you off with me in the middle of the day yesterday, not yet completed my resolution of using an utterly huge word that no one really knows the meaning to unless they read dictionaries and thesaruses for relaxation.

I did not use a very long word. I used a word that you have all heard before, but practically no one completely understands it. Some may not know how to define it, and others don't know how it works.

The word I ended up using was not in attempt to awe someone, unfortunetally, but it was in awe of Seth Johnson who was explaining Binary to me. Yes, the word that I used was "binary".
I feel very smart knowing that with only two of your hands (no not all three of them ;) ) with only ten fingers, you can count to 1,023 in binary. Yeah, when Seth told me that I freaked out. So, now I feel quite intelligent for knowing that random piece of information.

I actually started blogging right now because I realized that I have not set a resolution for myself today. Merely thinking about my schedule makes me break out in hives.

So far today here are my responsibilities: go to art class, pick mom up from work, eat dinner (you may be wondering why I put those down, but those are the things that are inhibiting me from completing my tasks that I need to get done today) after dinner, I need to write 3 essays for writing class, write and reherse a 9 minute speech that I just started thinking about and that I present tomorrow morning, and then create 2 huge art assignments for my night class tomorrow, both of which will take me forever and a day to complete. I think I will be up tonight until 1:30am working on school.

Okay, I take all the blame, I have been putting it off, and I have had plenty of time to do it this week. But, still, tonight will suck like nothing else.

I want pasta.

hairy

My resolution for today was to use an unusually large word in normal conversation.

I went to Dictionary.com and went under the words of the day, and found some great words that I can't even pronounce. Many syllables and a headache later, I found the right one.
My plan: To use it in my film studies class when discussing the movie. One small problem though. I forgot the word. I still don't remember what it is. I remember that it meant untraditional or unconventional... or something like that. The word was a beast. One that I wanted to tame. But, it looks like that wild stallion broke from its pen and now roams free leaving this cowboy horse-less.

Don't worry, if you didn't understand that analogy, I assure you, you're not the only one.

The movie that we were forced to watch was called "hair". I fondly call it "Hair(y)". That movie is so utterly despicable. It is the worst piece of trash anyone has ever recorded and forced into the public for their torture. It turns out that Hair is my Film Studies Teacher's favorite movie. That doesn't surprise me.

The singing was decent. The lyrics were... yeeaahhh. The worst song I will not even mention. The second worse song was a row of black Lieutenants singing about delicious white boys... wow, that movie was utterly petrifying, especially for something made in the 60's.

The dancing.
You know what, I take that back. It is a disgrace to the name of dance to consider their flailing and wobbling dancing. Half of it was drunken staggering and arm flailing. When they tried to be choreographed, they were totally off beat. Their "stunner" moves involved lots of jumping, some knee slides, and an occasional male picking up a female and tossing her into the air. This is not supposed to be high school cheerleading, this is supposed to be a ground-breaking song and dance movie. Wow.

If I never see Hair(y) again for as long as I live, I will die a very happy man. I cannot honestly conceive how it is humanly possible to watch that movie more than once and maintain your sanity. Honestly. That's why my teacher is so weird.

I did not complete my resolution so far today, but I still have time. I think I may use it tonight. I will blog about it later, but I just needed to express how terrible the movie was or I was going to explode.

oops

My resolution for today was to clean up, organize my checkbook etc...

I did do some kick butt cleaning. It's the type of cleaning that when you're done you say to yourself: "Wow... I feel great!"

Without further ado, I will now bring you all to the "oops-athon" the part of the show where Ben will write his "oops" moments of late.

After work I cut off my boss in the parking lot. OOPS!

After cutting my boss off in the parking lot, we pulled into the same gas station at lanes that are right next to each other. OOPS!

I tried to balance my checkbook today, but realized that it is nowhere to be seen, and I have not seen it for about 3 weeks. OOPS!

Made a comment about the boy in the movie we watched in Film Studies class, but the boy was a girl and I couldn't tell. OOPS!


I hope that was enjoyable to you. It was not to me.

I think I will go into a little more detail about my meeting with the Marine Recruiter, I touched on it in my previous update, but did not go into any details.
To get to Special Forces I need to go to Basic Training. In Basic Training, there are many tests like a gun test... etc.. And, if I score high enough in those tests (all hands on tests) (I can redo them all about 3 times) then I can have a shot at Special Forces Training. After Boot Camp I would go to Infintry training which is apparently difficult and awesome. There, I would have to pass more tests which would enable me to get to Special Forces Training. After Infintry training, then I could get into a SF training. They have certain weeks on specific abilities such as a 3 week crash swimming coarse. If you fail the swimming test at the end of the 3 weeks, then you are booted out of SF training and cannot retry for another 6 months. That goes for any test in SF, and there are a lot of tests.

But, it is a lot easier than I thought it was.
Those were the basic things that I learned from my time there. The meeting was good. THe guy was nice. He said he was impressed that I was so put together for my age. It made me feel accomplished.

I am still deciding between writing and military. Bleh.

My resolution for tomorrow is find a really long and usually unused word that is only ever heard in spelling bees, and use it in every day language and see the reaction of the listeners.

I hope to use this one in class.