It's raining cats and dogs!

Well, maybe not cats, but dogs . . . perhaps. We're getting a dog!! We've wanted a new dog for a long while now, and since everyone is due to be out of school soon (so someone will be at the house with the new dog), we started our hunt this week. We want a dog that is just like Bonnie was - friendly, protective, sweet, good-natured, and so on. Mom and Dad always said she was a golden retriever, and I of late began to doubt this. We have since agreed that Bonnie was a yellow Labrador retriever, and thus we are looking for Labrador retrievers (of any color). Mom has this thing about male dogs - she doesn't like to see their ... equipment. So, we're looking for girl dogs. Preferably, we want a puppy (ies, 2), but a young dog is just as well. We have three hits right now. A yellow Labrador retriever, girl, 3-years old, named Boo Boo at the animal shelter. A yellow Labrador retriever, girl, 1-year old, named Blondie, from PAWS. And a black Labrador retriever, girl, 2-years old, named Zoey, also from PAWS. We're going to look at all three tomorrow, and are hoping to get Blondie and Boo Boo. I want all three, Mom wants Blondie and Boo Boo, Dad has doubts about Boo Boo (perhaps she's too old to train out of any bad habits), and Becca and I just want all three. I just want a dog!! I have been heartsick for a dog every since Scrappy passed away, and every time I see a dog I just want to go and hug it (seriously). Anyway, I'll let you know what happens tomorrow. Also, my Grandmother is coming tomorrow night (Grandma Betty), for Rebecca's graduation. Rebecca is going to be Salutatorian - she has to give a speech - we're so proud of her!

Amendment, 06/01/07, 9:40 AM: Blondie is currently with a foster family in South River, who the PAWS lady has not been able to get into contact with. We may not get to meet Blondie today or this weekend.

Drink up! Me 'earties, Yo ho!

Ah! I've just returned from seeing the third installment of the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy: At World's End. I loved it, hands down, no questions asked. But to less die-hard Johnny Depp or Pirates fans than I, the film may seem a bit overdone. Then again, how can something be overdone when it features multiple Johnny Depps, or even better, multiple Captain Jack Sparrows? It can't be, so there's your answer. The imagery is stunning, simply breathtaking, although there is nothing simple about it. There is a reason why the visual arts section of the crew is so lengthy on the closing credits - the entire film depends on the visual arts. I'll wager three-quarters of the film (if not more) was filmed in front of a green screen or an apparatus of similar function. The locations are like something out of a dream. Shipwreck cove - an area where the people have made a city out of the unfortunate ships that have retired there. Singapore - finally, we get a clear look at Singapore! And of course, the rolling, never ending seas can quite hold their own. And once you can take your eyes off of the scenery, you must engage your brain to figure out who is crossing who, who is being double-crossed, and who (if anyone) is genuine. The plot features a myriad of twists and turns, betrayals, mutinies, adventures, true love, and a whole host of surprises. Then again, watching the movie is like ordering a simple salad and getting romaine and iceberg lettuce topped with a fresh made rose water and raspberry vinaigrette, dandelion leaves, foie de gras, and, ...oh, you get the point - it's a bit overdone, but split my infinitives! I don't care! Disney has proven again that it does not know how to do a simple pirate movie, and why should it? It managed to weave together the dangling plot lines of the cliffhanger of a sequel from last year while at the same time throwing in major road blocks and new exits and bringing back some familiar faces from Pirates 1. Do I have to tell you I loved it again? I wasn't quite happy with the ending, but it did make sense even if it was bittersweet. A word to the wise, though, there is a bit at the end of the credits, so make sure you see it out until the end!

Ready? Set? Camp!

What a lovely weekend I've had! We all drove up to Medoc Mountain State Park (just past Rocky Mount, NC) for two nights of peaceful camping. The first day, we set up camp and then went on a three-mile hike. We gallantly trudged uphill and downhill, through dark and leafy tunnels and areas where the air was so thick with the sweet scent of honeysuckle you could practically bottle it and sell it on eBay. The setting sun filtered down through the leaves, sending faint shafts of light across our path and drawing our eyes to our surroundings every time a stray boulder or fallen log was bathed with the light. Then, after some fire-roasted hot dogs and marshmallows, we showered at the bathrooms and then went to sleep. Well, I tried to sleep, but I was distracted by my flashlight illuminating the Bard's own A Midsummer Night's Dream (I'd never before read it and it was a very good read). Then, the temperature dropped rapidly, such that I woke myself with shivering every half hour until day break. But, boy! Was it dark! The next day, we went on another hike, this time with the intent to find fertile fishing waters. Three hours, more than four miles (up and around the mountain), and after spotting only one single tiny minnow, we headed back to camp for a breather. That night, we went to the picnic area, a verdant series of rolling hills reminiscent of plantation homes of antebellum times. There, two men were setting up some high-tech astronomy equipment. When night fell, they let us look through their telescopes and other equipment that I cannot ever begin to describe to see the moon (and it's various craters and mountain ranges in high detail) and Saturn! I could see the rings around Saturn! How cool is that! We then walked back to camp in the darkness, but the moon's brightness was such that it cast our shadows before us as we walked, barring the need for a flashlight. That night was cool, but not terribly cold, as I set about finishing Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets by flashlight. The next morning, I arose groggy, head full of a second night's weird dreams. Both nights, the muse of dreams seemed determined to fill my dreams with thoughts and notions that I had refused to let myself dwell on in my waking moments. Cinderella may have said that a dream is a wish your heart makes, but I hope no such vindictiveness or idle hope sits in my heart that I would wish for such dreams to come true. And now I'm home, tired, ready for sleep, with the prospect of a full and exciting day tomorrow, having convinced everyone that they most fervently wished to see Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End at tomorrow's noontime matinee!

Of All The Weekends...

Why does Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End have to come out on this weekend, when my family and I will be holed up in a couple of tents out in the woods, no theatre in sight? Oh, Well. All I can say is that they will be dealing with a very, very unhappy Jessica if I do not get to see it in theatres. I've got to catch up on my drooling over Johnny Depp's Captain Jack Sparrow, accent, grunge, and all else, he's dreamy. At least I can spend the weekend catching up on Harry Potter - I'm rereading the series. Book 2: Harry Potter And The Chamber of Secrets, here I come!

The Daily Grind

What a day. We got a call last night from my Uncle James, of all people. He's my Dad's eldest brother and he lives in Jacksonville, Florida with his wife, my Aunt Rhonda. He was calling to say that he was in Jacksonville, North Carolina - less than an hour away! His company was doing some work (roofing) up here, working on some McDonald's and some Hess's gas stations. So, he came over for dinner tonight, as did my eldest brother, TJ. And I pulled out all of the stops in terms of dinner tonight. I must have spent five hours in the kitchen, cooking, cleaning, cooking, cleaning, cooking, and cleaning. I must have used every dish in the kitchen. Twice. But by the time I was done, I had oven-baked Parmesan pork-chops in a zesty marinara sauce, penne pasta with a creamy Alfredo sauce and extra cheese, fresh country-white bread, and a devil's food chocolate cake with homemade mocha frosting. That mocha frosting took the longest time to make! It was good, but it just took so long. But my feet feel great, so long as I don't put even the slightest bit of pressure on them. But that's twice this week that I've been told I'll make a good mother or a good wife, although neither are positions I'm very keen on at the moment. Tomorrow, after Rebecca gets out of school, we're going to head up to some camp ground - Meadoc something. Anyway, all I know is that it's somewhere above Raleigh, near Rocky Mount. We'll spend our memorial day weekend camping, although I would prefer to go somewhere coastal instead of the woods, again. Anyway, I'm beat.

Finally!

They updated my academic summary...


Class Rank effective at the end of SPRG '07 Semester (note: rankings only reflect students in the same classification - FR, SO, JR, SR)

Rank in Class: 1 OF 8540
Rank in School/College: 1 OF 1656
Rank in Dept: 1 OF 504

Mission Accomplished

So, this morning, after giving the house a good rub-down, and then venting my temper on the malfunctioning cable, I finally did tackle the porch. Five and one-half hours later, I emerged sweaty, dirty, and slightly smelly. Now everyone says in surprise, "We have a porch! Who'd have known?" It is unrecognizable, and considering I didn't get rid of a single thing and only moved one single box to the garage, the amount of space I generated is incredible. But, my goodness! I have never seen so many spiders and wasps and flies and webs! Unless you count the garage which I cleaned last week, that is. I scrubbed everything with this one tiny scrub brush the size of my fist (and I have small hands). My knees are a little mutinous, but that's nothing compared to the rest of me. In short, I ache. Everywhere. One shower and fifteen minutes of down time later, I was in the kitchen. After an hour and a half, I had made piping hot wild rice, fresh corn bread (from scratch), one pitcher of sweet tea, and some delicious chicken curry. And to add more surprise, it all actually tasted good! Then Becca whipped up something new with a spare can of coconut milk, bananas, sugar, and cinnamon. It was very tasty, too. Actually, Becca happened across the can of coconut milk days ago, and wanted to make something with it. She found a recipe with bananas, but our bananas were a little too green up until today. I told her to wait until today when I could make something that complemented coconut milk (curry is kind of tropical, right?). I know, Susie Homemaker.

Yawn. Sorry, it's just that it's so early and I'm a little tired. I could not fall asleep last night for the life of me. Anyway, how are things? Good, good to hear. In a few minutes I'll get started with the house's daily cleaning, then I'll pause for breakfast. Then I think I'll tackle the front porch (the closed off section). I went in there last Thursday, determined to put it to rights. I left sixty seconds later when I calculated how daunting the task would be. I went back yesterday, and spent two minutes sizing up the problem before I again left. Today, I'm hoping I'll stay. You see, it's piled near to the roof with spare bits of wood, all of the wooden structures that used to be in Rob's room (bed, bookshelves, desk - all of it was built into his walls until we remodeled again). And then there's an old computer table, two old beds (ones I understand my Dad made for Lisann and Rita, that later passed to me and Rebecca, but I could be wrong), and a bathroom sink and cabinet. Then there's the huge lumber pile that dates back ten or more years. And they're all coated in a thick layer of dust and pollen. Sigh. Maybe I can get half of it done. Besides, I need time to cook - I'm planning on making curry from scratch tonight.

Continued

The last post sort of ended abruptly (I had a phone call), so, here's the rest. Dad and Rob (mainly Dad) managed to sheet rock one of the walls in the den (the one that leads to the kitchen). It looks nice! They should start mudding that sometime today or tomorrow afternoon. Rob starts summer classes at the college tomorrow (a developmental English and general psychology). That means my mornings at the house will be free and quiet, so I'll probably be getting up much earlier in the day so I can enjoy them. I finally saw Happy Feet (funny) and The Inside Man (brilliant even if hard-to-follow). I saw this history channel special about the undergrounds of Paris. Paris is my city - if I had it to do again, I'd have taken French in high school and minored in French at State - French is such a beautiful language, and it would greatly improve my chances of marrying Gerard Depardieu! Anyway, I had no idea that it was once a Roman town called Lutetia and that the remnants of that town still existed under the square before the Notre Dame Cathedral. Or that the Romans dug these huge tunnels into the limestone foundation of Paris to harvest the limestone, and that if the citizens of Paris hadn't stabilized and supported those tunnels sometime through the 13th to the 16th centuries, Paris would have sunken into the ground long ago. Then I watched a special on Boudica the other night - very fascinating - learning about a woman who led armies of britons (the natives of the UK) against the Romans. The fact that she was a woman added insult to injury to the Romans once Londinium and other roman cities had been sacked by the britons (Boudica). Either she is buried at Kings Cross station (of Harry Potter fame) or a monument to her stands at Kings Cross Station. So, it's been a very illuminating week for me. Next weekend, my family and I are going camping somewhere above Raleigh for Memorial Day weekend. All I want is a chance to roast some marshmallows. I love roasting marshmallows. After that weekend, I'll start looking for that internship-thingy I have to do. But now, I'm going to clean house and do something constructive.

Continuation

They did have Rebecca's AP Spanish exam yesterday morning, all ready for her and her classmate to take. She says it was long and tedious. I'm sure it was. Her class was harder than all of my college Spanish classes, perhaps even if they were all put together. Anyway, my family is watching The Lake House in the other room. I've already seen it, so I've tactfully removed myself from the more emotional scenes. The TV room is quite different. Yesterday, we boxed up all of the books and placed them in the garage, and then moved the book cases out to the garage. Then the TV was moved, and a couch, and this arrangement allows for greater ease of access to the current wall-in-progress.

One of the most boring nights in my life

Last night was West Carteret High School's award night. So, at 7pm my parents, my sister, and I dressed in our Sunday best made our way into the crowded auditorium. Two hours later, they had just finished giving out awards and recognition for scholarship winners, only recognizing 30 people out of the entire 230 graduating seniors. But then again, those same 30 people (well, maybe 5 of them) were called to the stage enough times to have taken permanent residence there. I must congratulate them though, they only passed over Rebecca once when they neglected to mention the scholarship she won from Carteret-Craven Electric Co-op. After they announced all of the scholarships, they went on to give out awards for an hour and a half. Each award was given to a new face, so I can't fault the guidance department for picking favorites for the awards. And Rebecca was only passed-over once more, when they neglected to award her the 4-year highest average in Spanish award. The winner didn't even have four years of Spanish, and Rebecca could be certain because there were only two people in the AP (advanced placement) Spanish class offered as the only Spanish class beyond Spanish III that year(Rebecca was one of them, and the award winner wasn't). We discussed this over dinner at Ruby Tuesdays. I know Rebecca doesn't like her guidance counselor, or the entire guidance department, and I felt that that was all the more reason for her to very kindly inquire as to how the award winner acquired her fourth year of Spanish. Rebecca was adamant that it didn't matter, and I could also agree with her there - I know I was happy enough to get out of that pit. But Mom was adamant that Rebecca should say something - that it was the principle of the thing. It's obvious enough that the school chooses favorites for a lot of things, including who they decide should be encouraged toward applying for certain scholarships and who they felt should not be encouraged. It's that whole capitalist air that makes me sick half the time. "The Prophet exists to sell itself, you silly girl." West Carteret exists to promote itself, and it does that by selecting the top few people who they feel are most likely to bring them fame and recognition and shamelessly pushing them toward awards and scholarships while ignoring the less potential of the student body. But I remember how I felt passed-over when I was there, and I remember how reluctant I was to make a ripple. I can certainly understand how Rebecca should be reluctant to do so as well. But it still makes me sick, and it makes me mad that it happened to my little sister. I just hope the school was coordinated enough today to have two AP Spanish exams ready for Rebecca and her classmate to take today. Then again, the school didn't know it had two students taking AP Spanish (it's a distance ed. class through Chapel Hill HS). The school also didn't know that those students would need certain supplies, for instance: a text book. They also didn't know that the class was a year long course. So, it will surprise me if they are prepared to give out the two AP Spanish exams today.

Guess what I did...

You can see it here.

Housing Assignment for Next Year

Room Information: Fall 2007
Campus: West
Assignment: Bragaw Hall
Room: 202C
Room Type: Premium Double
Room Arrangement: Suite
Smoke Free: Yes
Alcohol Free: No

Occupant Information:
JESSICA L CUMBIE
REBECCA V CUMBIE

Looks like I got my old room and I'm rooming with my sister. I'll also be rooming with Jack Daniels, Jose Cuervo, and all manner of libatious friends come September 26th.

Prom and Ozzy

Pissed? Hell Yes!

Estoy enojada. Quiero matar a muchas personas y no miento. El no me llama; ¿por qué? Han pasado dos semanas y un día de nada. ¿Llamadas? Ninguna. Cada noche, yo espero por mi teléfono, pero él no me llama. ¿Qué he hecho? No sé. Llamé a él dos noches pasadas, y nada. Mi corazón necesita saber: ¿por qué? El silencio de él me enoja. Yo lloro. Yo lloré cuando yo era durmiendo anoche. Mi hermano me enoja tan mucho; ¿por qué? El es idiota, ya sé. El es mierda de vaca. El tiene mierda por su cerebro. El es un maldito demonio. ¡Ay dios mios! ¿Qué he hecho que yo merezca eso? ¿Qué crimen he hecho? ¿Qué acto vil he hecho? ¡Ay dios! ¡Ayúdame! ¡Díme que necesito hacer!

Last Grade of The Semester

Sociology of Medicine: A+

Now that that's done, I have to get to work. I'm surprised I haven't gotten any sunburn yet for all I've been working in the pond these past two days. I was near blinded by the sun's reflection from the water, but no sunburn. I've been de-scumming the pond - it's a mess. But today I'm going to cut grass. All day. And I'll probably get sun burnt unless I remember sunscreen. Just as soon as I finish up in the house. And feed Leo. Again. Life can become so routine. Get up, clean the kitchen, clean the den and living room, do what else needs to be done, work a few hours outside, hose myself off, come in, wash my hands, find something to make for dinner, cook dinner for my family, eat dinner with my family, say goodnight to my family, watch TV or read until I feel like going to bed, go to bed. That's what I've been doing since Tuesday morning. But, I get to cook, and it's much easier than doing school work. If all else fails, it's comforting to know that I could have a career in the maid industry.

Wow

Earlier in the semester, I may have told you that my genetics professor felt very strongly about giving A+'s. He would only give an A+ to a student who was exceptional both in academics and mind. Having said that, he further told us that maybe only only one or two students a semester would warrant an A+ or possibly no one would warrant an A+. So, given his very stringent rules about A+'s, and my class size of about 300 students, guess what grade I got in his class!

Principles of Genetics: A+

And I took Self Defense for credit only, so the grade is either S or U (satisfactory or unsatisfactory).

PE 239 Self Defense: S

Home

I'm home. My dad and I arrived home last night just before midnight, and it was just after midnight when we got everything moved inside. And then I went on to tackle...my room (dun dun dunn!). There was barely any place for me to put my feet, let alone sleep, so I decided I had a bit of organizing to do before I went to sleep. I started in my closet, and four hours later, I was satisfied enough to call it quits and go to sleep. I don't remember anything until eight hours later when Rob left for his CNA clinicals after noon. Now I'm up and I'm working on getting the house livable. I swear, I don't know why the cockroaches let these people live here! It's a pig sty of disorganized and dirty stuff. Before I even brushed my teeth this morning, I had to reattach one of the doors to the cabinet under the sink. I've just finished in the kitchen - that was a mess. Now it's off to handle the two front rooms and if I've stomach enough, the bathrooms. I really don't know how they live like this. No wonder every time I come home I feel icky and unclean! Look at the house. I'm supposed to be cleaning the yard up today after those gale force winds yesterday blew half a forest of leaves and branches onto our lawns. That may have to wait until tomorrow, after I get the house clean. Bah! Humbug!

Now I'm really free

I turned in my exam this morning, and enjoyed a blissful but chilly walk back to my dorm room, where I shed my by-then overheated clothing for a T-shirt and went to partake of my first and last dining-hall breakfast this semester. I sent an email to my professor asking him to confirm that he had received my exam (his office was locked, so I slid it under the door). He replied back in the affirmative and then told me what an outstanding job I had done in his class and that he'd really enjoyed having me in his class, and if there was anything he could ever do for me, just to let him know. I was touched, but still tempted to write back and ask him to shave his beard. Just kidding! After breakfast and some sugar with a hint of coffee, I gave into my bed's 'come hither' look, planning to complete the remaining five hours of my sleep that lacked from my full set of eight (What can I say? I'm not used to going to bed early or getting up early.) It took me a while to fall asleep (I blame the coffee), but when I did I slept for three hours. I awoke perfectly refreshed if not a little bewildered by my strange dream. I dreamt I was in holocaust Germany with Callie and my high school chemistry professor! What the hell? But it's over now, and it's time to finish packing and move the room back to the way it was. Sigh. The summer has arrived.

I'm Free, I'm Free!

I have just finished my essays for my last exam! I will turn them in tomorrow morning, and then I will wait until tomorrow night (circa 9pm) for my Dad to get here, and then I will go home. It feels so good to be free! All I have to do now is pack, and all I have left to pack is my bedding, my clothes, some dishes, my computer, and what's left on my desk. Glorious!

Late-night musings

It's late, and given my present solitary state my mind has turned inwardly. I took a personality-type quiz in my tutoring class, indicating where I ranked on the scale of passiveness and aggressiveness. Not surprisingly, my score ranked me among the most passive in the class. Apparently I'm easy to get along with, I rarely quarrel with people, choosing to bear the little things that annoy me in silence rather than to do anything about them. That is until I reach a certain point where I snap into aggressiveness and then I am perpetually angry. And I have been shifting more and more into that anger as of late. I thought being angry at the world was something a person shed in adolescence, and while I do not claim to be far removed from my adolescence, I thought I might have made some progress. But now, all it takes is for one little thing, as little as a week of phone-silence or a loud laugh that distracts me from studying, and I have to bite back angry words and hope my silence or my eyes do not reveal my temper. And then I switch back into passiveness, remembering that nothing whatsoever entitles me to the things I want, be they a phone call, silence, a feeling of inclusion, of being wanted, of mattering, or a kept word. And now I've probably worried you, which was not my intention, so please do not worry; I'll get over it soon enough.

In other news, I have another grade to announce. Quantitative Chemistry: A+

Dar a la luz

What follows is another example of some of the weird ruminations my mind makes while I procrastinate. I was just thinking how differently I feel on a certain subject compared to every female contemporary I know. What's the subject? I'll tell you momentarily, but I want to say to every man in my life - do not freak out! Do not run as fast as you can in the opposite direction and do not feel the need to keep my under lock and key. I'm talking about having a baby and although I have no intention of having one any time soon, I have found that my opinions on the subject are quite different from others. Every female friend/relative who is near my age has expressed some sort of fear, apprehension, or dread towards having a baby. They either do not want to endure a pregnancy, do not want to endure the birthing, are afraid of giving birth, or do not want to endure the years of motherhood to follow. I, on the other hand, have no fears about being pregnant, no dread of giving birth (epidural, anyone?), no fear of any complications that could arise during birth, and no real dread about raising a child. I can't tell if my lack of fear or apprehension stems from naïvete, from ignorance, or from the fact that I've always looked forward to having a child, and my firstborn daughter's name has already been decided (and whoever her father is, he will just have to accept it). Whatever the reason, I am the only girl I know (especially from my acquaintance here at State) that looks forward to having a baby. But, as I've said, there's no hurry. Although I have told my Dad, when he decried his lack of a grandson to carry on the family name, that were I to have a child out of wedlock, that child would have my family's name. Surprisingly, he refused my offer.

Update

Genetics exam status: completed
Quantitative Chemistry exam status: totally annihilated
Sociology of Medicine final exam essay status: initiation pending

And I have one more grade: Introduction to Collegiate Tutoring: A

Exams to begin shortly

Tomorrow is my first exam - genetics. My overall grade for the class is out of 650 points. We have five exams (the fifth is the final) worth one hundred points each, and the lowest one gets halved (i.e. if I make a 60, it counts as a thirty), so the total points from exams is 450. My highest exam score so far is 101. My lowest is 100. I think the one tomorrow will get halved. Not only that, to make an A in the class, you must earn 600/650. I've already done that. Looks like I only have to score a zero to make an A. Lovely.

Thursday is my Chemistry final - and I'm a little more worried about this one, but not as much, seeing as I only have to make a 70 on it to get an A in the class. Monday, I turn in my sociology exam, and then I'm done. I'll go home late Monday night, and on Tuesday I'll begin looking for some summer work experience.

I've had a lovely Sunday, Monday, and now Tuesday, though, it will be a shame to break my stride by taking my exam tomorrow. Oh well. The room is nice and quiet. No TV, but I really like it that way - it has just opened the room up so much! It feels so spacious in here now, and I've been watching movies on my computer - Three Men and A Little Lady, Jane Eyre, Moulin Rouge!, and Finding Nemo - while I snack on corn chips and chili con queso dip and some homemade banana nut and chocolate bread. Mmmm. Almost time to quit for the day too...what shall I watch tonight?

Oh, and I've gotten my first grade: Quantitative Chemistry Lab: A+