Melissa has brown eyes. Both of Melissa's parents have brown eyes. Melissa's brother has blue eyes. What are the chances Melissa is a carrier for blue eyes?

(I figure, punnet-square style, 66%)

So my DevaCurl system came in the mail yesterday, and I tried it out today. This is the system that Vivi's friend Raquel uses that made me ogle her hair all weekend in Atlanta.

( the youtube video that talks about it )


I showered at noon and my hair is still wet, possibly because I only dried it with paper towels, as instructed.

It was weird using the No-Poo because it doesn't lather at ALL, so it didn't feel like my hair was getting as clean. They say to massage it into your scalp and I tried but could barely tell if I was.

The One Condition feels like regular conditioner. I used their method of first putting it on the ends and working my way up to the scalp. For super dry hair, DevaCurl suggests to leave a little bit in, but I didn't see my hair as quite THAT parched, and washed it all out.

Then I dried it with a paper towel, and then another. My hair was still quite wet, but towels are THE DEVIL to hair, so I wanted to be very cautious.

An-Gell is just like any other curl gel, and I did it the way they suggested, which happens to be the same way I always do it. Flip my head over and scrunch nicely, lifting my hair up to my scalp.

Then Set-it-Free, which is a moisture lock spray, and then, DON'T TOUCH. One of the major lessons of DevaCurl is not to touch your hair as it dries

I'm not sure if its necessarily the product, but my curls are definitely staying together better, and there's a noticeable lack of frizz.

My hair also looks flatter, but possobly only because its not dry yet.

Will keep you posted. If anyone wants to try this you can get the samples for $19 (as opposed to $30) at shampoofashion.com

-----

Six hours after showering, my hair is definitely dry and definitely gorgeous. The curls are soft but hold together well within the curl itself. I "unlocked" the curls after they were dry with the "Set-it-Free" as suggested, but I'm not sure it was entirely necessary, it didn't seem to change much (not in that moment, anyway)

( pictures )

Debbie is seventeen today, happy birthday to her! She's visiting Crazy Kabbalah Dude today, one who said "awesome" about a hundred times over our hour-visit. I told Ilan that she was visiting the same guy I visited, and he's like, "that guy in Tzfat?" Apparently he's a staple!

From Tzfat, Deborah is going to Jerusalem, and staying there for a couple weeks. Hearing about her trip has really made me want to go back to Israel.

--

One of my friends keeps making me mad lately, through what seems to be no fault of his own. Everything he says just keeps annoying me. I don't know if it's him or me, but I feel like I want to fight every time I talk to him.

--

I missed my first class today. I have a pretty awful earache. I seriously considered missing my other two also, but I really can't do that. I really don't understand why I keep getting sick -- or have I just not gotten fully better? Therefore, I'm taking a bit of time away from him and seeing what happens. I seriously can't figure this out.

Tonight I'm packing my bag and probably my computer for the trip tomorrow. I'll drop them off at my parents house, and then Thursday morning Jen will pick me up and take me to school. My mom will pick me up at 3:30 (I'm missing Shakespeare), and we'll be off!

--

Today is 7-8-09 and that's cool. My birthday will have an even cooler effect in 2058.

11-23-58. I'll particularly enjoy it at 13:21.

My first short story since I was four, when I wrote "The Goat That Had Two Heads"

The writing exercise was to read Chekhov's Misery and write a sort of character-sketch story where a big event has recently happened, and to show the aftermath.

Here's my take on it.

( Jareth )

Had a great time at Bobby's annual 4th of July party. Was there for nine hours. Tis a long party! Met my Advanced Article and Essay prof for the fall, he's a member of Bobby's barbershop chorus. I'm even more excited about it now. Cool guy.

Ate two hamburgers. More beef than I've eaten in awhile, but I've been working up to it. Soon I'll be able to eat it without getting sick! Woo.

Everyone ate my roasted veggies. YES. I GOT THESE PEOPLE TO EAT VEGETABLES. Rock.

I also had a brownie, which was stupid. I don't like brownies. But the old guy offering me one looked so hopeful.

Lots o' people. Lots o' babies. Only had to do the flying trapeze once with Savannah and three times with Liam.

Lots o' fireworks. Hundreds. Pretty. Fire. Ooooh, Fire.

And Guitar Hero, which made me want to get Rock Band, until I found out Ilan owns it. Sweet.

Use Givoogle.

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Bobby, Jen, and baby Savannah :)

Here they are, raw. I'm going to have to flip them several times anyway, so this time I'm going layered and mixed. Layered because I don't have a big enough baking sheet. Mixed because I tossed them in olive oil, in a bowl, and then when I dumped them out, I didn't feel like separating. This is also why I made them all rosemary, not just the potatoes.

Tonight's fare: Asparagus, carrots, potatoes, sugar snaps, mushrooms, onions, daikon raddish
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Deborah leaves for Israel for six weeks TOMORROW.

And she turns seventeen in nine days.

I'm likely graduating with my bachelors in the spring, and if not then, summer.

Vivi turns 30 next month.

Matthew is about to become a millionaire. (*Crosses fingers*)


---

In other news, in addition to delicious lamb chops (yes, I ate red meat!) I made the most awesome roasted vegetables ever. First time veggie roaster! (Long time roasted-veggie lover/eater). Rosemary potatoes, carrots, squash, brussel sprouts, and asparagus. So amazingly delicious and wonderful. Definitely the only way I'd ever eat brussel sprouts, and I'm probably not going to make the squash again. The rest were so savory, so flavorful.

Between the two of us, my mom and I probably ate ten servings of vegetables. I made so much intending to have leftovers, but we couldn't help it. Half of them we ate as appetizers before we sat down and ate :)

I just did a quick friends-cut. I didn't really get rid of anyone as that I've talked to in the past couple years. If you think I wouldn't take you off, I didn't.

I just unfriended some old journals and some people who never post, people who unfriended me long ago, and a couple people I added but never really got to know. It's not really anything against anyone, and if anyone wants to stay on and read my journal, or you're a lurker who never comments, but reads, let me know and I'll add you back. I'd just prefer to keep my friends list more succinct so I know where exactly my information and entries are going.

So now I'm down to 62 people, two of which are livejournal updates (status and frank), two of which are my old journals (gatorglitter02 and _melissa_), one of which is this journal.

Weeee me.

Happy Birthday to my mommy, who turned 57 today-- Thursday, anyway-- the 25th.

I spent a better part of this evening talking about my family tree with my mom. I am going to make a digital version of pretty much anyone I can possibly find out about or remember. Does anyone know of any particularly good family-tree software?

I found out some things that I didn't know before. Apparently Tante Brucha had about a billion kids, for one. I also learned about baseball minor-leaguer David Exter, my grandpa's cousin's husband, and figured out where Weil (the one that the Engineering building at UF) fits into my family. I heard for the first time about Gilbert Levin, my dad's grandfather's nephew, who invited left-handed sugar - a forerunner of Splenda. I also learned things I had heard a million times, and I like them more each time -- about how my grandmother (b. 1917) was begged to go to grad school, but couldn't afford it, and how impressive and odd it was for her to even have a bachelors degree. About how when H.L. Mencken talks about the "damn Jews down the street" -- that's us.

I have such a wonderful and interesting family. As I learn and finish more I will post more. I just want to make sure I can get as many stories as I possibly can while there are still people around to get them from.

I'd like to get a couple of things accomplished this summer:
- begin to digitize a family tree, with every connected person possible, and with any stories and information that my mom, dad, aunts, uncles, or anyone else can remember.
- talk to my Great Aunt Sylvia (dad's side) about my dad's father's other siblings, who I never knew about or met (are any alive besides her? what are all of their names? is she in contact?)
- find out NAMES if nothing else of my mom's great grandparents on her mom's side -- we know none :(

I'm excited about this :):)

My maternal grandparents, known to me as "Grandma" and "Grandpa"

I love Overheard Everywhere. Check out the title of their most recent post :)


20 hours to go, at least eight of which will be spent studying for my Lit exam. I'd hate to have quit my job for no reason, and get crappy grades. My poetry stuff is done, thank goodness. So as long as I do well on this exam I'm good. And then free! for ten whole days! The first five of which are going to be spent with my favorite person in the entire world. Look for photo post updates but not much else until I get back :)


Study time. Unless someone wants to get dinner. Anyone up for food?

Muppety, fraggley mop of a dog

Difficult to tell which way is up.

Dark and blurry like a black winter fog

An enigma: this is my pup.

He rules from picnic tables at the dog park

And boldly assigns chase scenes, like a king.

He is a tyrant, roars are his bark,

This funny-shaped, malleable fur-thing.

Then he's submissive, this two-faced creatch

Giving himself to any dog who desires.

To any mutt or purebred, he's not out of reach

Call him a tease, he'll prove you a liar.

Cold-nosed and dreaming, he lies by my side

Slut of the dog park, king of the pride.

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I never knew how incredibly awesome daytime court television is. The arguing! The drama! The idiocy! It's great :)

Movers should be moving Kim into my house any minute now. I'm going to have a roommate! I know it will take some getting used to, but I think overall I'll enjoy it. It'll be nice to have someone to hang out with at home more often, someone to cook with, etc. Plus, you know, have actual money.



And finally, a math question, because I can't remember how to do this (I want to multiply something?):

If there is a 10% chance of rain on Saturday, and a 10% chance of rain on Sunday, what is the chance of rain for the weekend?

A picture has surfaced!

The wedding was fabulous. In fact, the entire weekend was just really incredible. I had so much fun with Bobby, Jen, Tommy, Dianna, Sabrina, Ken, the rest of the wedding party, all the freaky relatives, Dianna's new friend (!!), and just everything and everyone! I loved the time off and I loved spending so much time with my friends, at such a happy, joyous occasion!

I am so happy for Bobby and Jen! :) They will have a lifetime of happiness :)

Pictures will be posted as they surface!

Melissa Abrams
CRW3311
Poem #4

To the one who was not 'the one'.

You research my every curve to etch it into your finest memories.
I glance hastily at you, remembering to buy ketchup.
The smear on your mouth is embarrassing.

Your wings are spread, a seagull waiting to pounce on a
tuna sandwich, perfection from the bird's eye.
I am your alka-seltzer tab.

You're putting your hand on mine as your tears flow, distorting
my image into hand-selected wishes that you require.
My hand, it struggles.

You are on your knee, stationary for the moment.
My legs are free.
I run.

I'm bummed about ARC closing

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The hats were centerpieces on the table, but my mom put this one on Alice for a little while.

She was coherent but not talking much-- maybe twenty words the entire time we were there. She reacted, though, and she laughed about several things. She's still feeding herself, though not easily, and she doesn't seem to be eating much. I told her about Europe and showed her some pictures, and I told her about all of the election and political things she's been missing. She seemed to know who I was, but didn't identify me by name or anything.

She did seem well cared for, and the people knew her name and that she kept kosher-- which is more than I can say for most nursing homes.

According to Alice's daughter Sherri, the doctors think she has about a week to a month to live.

Which is terrifying.

Ever since my grandparents died (and before, as well), Alice has been a surrogate grandmother to me. She's been in a motorized wheelchair as long as I've known her, but she has always been mobile-- her house was always super orderly, and she knew where every single thing was. She had a huge sparkling pool and an outside kitchen, and we'd have parties there. She had a van she could drive with the disabled moving ramp, and she's come over and do things, come to dinner, have garage sales. She'd also scream at her TV, tell me about her crush on Wolf Blitzer, and bash Republicans like nobody's business.

My best guess is that she's in her early nineties.

Five or so years ago she moved into an assisted living facility, and about two years ago she moved into what is basically a nursing home. I really hate watching her decline in health. I hate having to watch her spill her pureed food on herself, and not care or even notice.

I guess I can't really say "I hope she gets better" -- because it isn't really going to happen. I guess I can only hope that she's enjoying her time and that she's not in too much pain.

March 2004


May 2009

1. Name the book that has most made you want to visit a particular location.
Every Latin textbook I ever had made me want to visit Rome

2. Which author's fictional world would you most like to live in?
J.K. Rowling's. Duh.

3. If you were off on an adventure, which five literary characters would you want to take with you?
Nancy Drew, James Bond, Severus Snape, Tyler Durden, Jesus

4. Name three books that you would take with you if you were suddenly uprooted from all your stuff.
JK told me that I should think of it as "one long book" so--- Harry Potter, Cheaper By The Dozen, and Go Dog Go. But I would write more books so I'd have more to read.

5. You find yourself alone in a strange, potentially hostile place. Pick a literary character who would fill the '?' in 'WW?D'.
I am tempted to say Samantha Jones, but I'll pick Barack Obama instead :) He's in books!

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I'm still awake and planning on making it through the day. I'm gonna go get bagels and bring them to my parents house, where my cousin Rose is.

I am having issues with spelling, recently. Not the kind of issue
where I want to bash someone's head in (or at least, that isn't
anything new), but rather that I want to bash in my own.


During the past two days, I have looked up how to spell two different
words that I should know how to spell. Adviser and connector.
Both times I originally wrote the word down using a different vowel, I
wrote advisor and connecter. Now, apparently both advisor and adviser
are correct, and I want to use advisor.. but most people don't. Do I
stand my ground and do the same thing I do with "judgement"? Or do I
try to not look stupid, and spell it the more common way?

Connector/connecter is just stupid. I know that I make mistakes, but I
found this one so unacceptable that I was shaking.

I need to be super careful, and I need to read more. I read plenty,
now, but I read e-mails from training coordinators who can't spell,
e-mails from employees who think "ges" is a word, and facebook updates
from people who want to pretend they are twelve.

My legs certainly changed color, which is what I wanted. The color they changed to is maroon. My thighs anyway. Yay for color! I'm also burnt on my face, chest, arms, stomach and back. And feet. So, everywhere? I'm surprisingly happy about it, but not enjoying the pain. I know, I know, skin cancer blah blah blah. But the truth is, sun is good for you, and I have been very underdosed lately. If anyone is going to give me a lecture on responsibility, please be aware that I applied and reapplied waterproof SPF 50, everywhere except my legs. And my legs didn't turn color till today, and it's not them I'm complaining about.

The timeshare is great. We had a full kitchen and nice living room, ridiculously comfy bed in the bedroom, a RIDICULOUSLY awesome view, and everything was as wanted. Pools were great. Beach was great. Service was good. I took an evaluation and walked away with $100 of gift cards. $25 to the place we decided to go for dinner, $75 for a shopping spree at Target. I can't wait. What's sad? I think my earned money is going to go toward a Roomba.* Sigh.

I had fun with Sara and Kim. Two incredibly different people, but they got along pretty well. It was just me and Sara the first night, we did lots of swimming and beaching. Friday night Kim came, we hung out in the Sky Bar, and did karaoke. Today, beach, then lunch with Kim's friend Donna, and then home. I drank too much and made a slightly stupid slightly genius phone call (we'll see).

I did *not* study at all, which is what I will be doing the next day and a half. I really want my A.

( a few pictures under the cut )
More pictures (facebook album)

Sunday night I hit a orange traffic marker thingie. Not a cone, the
cylindrical thingie. It was in the middle of the road, and the choice was to
hit it (drive over it), or to hit another car, or hope that the one behind
me wouldn't hit me if I stopped. I chose to drive over it. It made a nasty
noise when I did, but everything seemed fine afterward.
Yesterday I heard a weird noise, a scraping, and today it got much worse. I
looked underneath my car, and there's this thing, this car-gut, hanging out,
scraping the road as I drove.

I called Sara's husband Andy, went to Auto Zone, and called DK. With their
advice, I was confident I could do it all by myself, put the car-gut back
into the car where it belonged.

I assembled the nuts and bolts, the wrench that I made to fit it, got
underneath my car, and feeling more like a gynecologist than a mechanic, I
somehow fixed my car.

It isn't perfect. The piece that was scraping (valance like a window
hanging? valence like an electron? perhaps some other valens goodbye sort of
word?) is now securely nutted and bolted, and tightly. It still hangs down
slightly more than it should, in the back, but it doesn't scrape, it doesn't
look stupid, and I still get this insanely awesome, independent feeling.

I am Melissa, hear me roar.

I'm awake. I shouldn't be, but I am. I am having the darndest time trying to get anything close to a regular sleep pattern. At least I should be grateful that I'm sleeping at all-- the past week, I wasn't.

I'm starting to come to terms with leaving my job. The Rabbi said something Friday night about how counting the Omer is really about taking things one step at a time, and I'm choosing to take that and run with it.

Step 1) Money.

• Figure out exactly how much I need each month to survive, minimalistically.
  
• Figure out how to get student loans, talk to Sallie Mae
  
• If necessary, figure out part time job.
  
• Get a roommate. (Anyone interested?)

Step 2) Insurance. Get added to my dad's family plan. Florida law now states I can be covered to age 30.

Step 3) Job. Give Elbit enough time so that I'm not leaving anyone with a pile of work and no idea how to do it.

• Talk to JP on Monday to figure out a good time for me to leave.
  
• Talk to Kim and Trish about the benefits admin parts of my job, the invoice parts, the Ceridian/Oracle parts.
  
• Get my name off of EVERYTHING Elbit, make sure new names are on there.
  

Step 3) Classes. Register for at least 18 hours in regular semesters, 9 hours for summer. Finish school MUCH more quickly.

Step 4) Profit?

Just kidding. Step 4 is not being so stressed. Being able to feel like I am 24 and not 40. Not wanting to pull my hair out, not always on the edge of a nervous breakdown.

This is such a major life change. I'm really hoping that everything will work out and fall into place. I'm hoping I don't lose whatever special quality I have, or that people think I have, for working a full time job while going to school.

Most of all, I'm hoping I can do this, rather than letting myself live this existence any longer. I applaud the fact that many of you can handle such a stressful life like this, but I just don't think I can.

Leon High School LOST the overall sweepstakes at State Latin Forum, for the first time in sixteen years, including the ten that I attended.

They came in FOURTH!

1. Maclay
2. Escambia
3. FSUS
4. Leon


HA! ha HA!

Deborah, her in fabulousness, won 2nd place in Customs (from not studying at all), and seventh in Heptathlon, which she doesn't tend to care about anyway. Her school, Lincoln, placed ninth overall.

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I love Passover. I was I had the time (and memory) to write the funny anecdotes.

Sometimes, in the days leading up to Passover, I think "it could never be that good" -- but it is.

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I'm feeling pretty blah. Not going to Duke's bonfire tonight. Not going to help my mom kasher her kitchen tonight (tomorrow instead). Just wanting to be unproductive. Is that so bad?

This is the back of my parents house, with the huge tree that fell on top of it.

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My dad had a presentation last night at the Native Plant Society Meeting. It was disgusting and monsoony outside, so it was great that like 35 people came! He went through some history about the passion flower, and then more about it as it relates to the Madonna, and religious symbolism.

My dad has become a bit of the expert on this over the past few years, I think it's time for him to write a book. He actually discovered that a painting by Renaissance artist Joos van Cleve had been doctored approximately a hundred years later to add a passion flower. At the time it was originally painted, the passion flower was not known to exist. No one knew or realized this until my dad researched it, and now all the art historians are loving my daddy!

I'm not sure I've mentioned this before, so if you want to read more about it, my dad has the original story on his website, and another follow up story, and then one relating specifically to the kabbalah. Of course, now he's totally famous! Not that it takes that much to be famous on the internet, but that last link is to Joos van Cleve's Wikipedia. That's hardcore.