HAPPY NEW YEAR

I’ve broken my silence and come back to wish you all a very happy New Year! I know that 2014 will be good for all of us. In celebration of the New Year, I think we should disregard some of the past (namely, the fact that I haven’t posted in two months) and make some plans for the future.

New Year, New Look (the most over used phrase in January)

Over the next couple weeks, expect some renovations on the site, and maybe even a change of URL. The blog needs a fresh start. I’ve been at this for two and a half years now, let’s try something different.

Posting Schedule

I do this every year. I create a posting schedule and after a month or so, it disappears. Oops. I figure most resolutions are like that. But regardless, this year I’ve planned for posts every Sunday (which obviously actually means that I’ll post every other Sunday because weekly would just be crazy). Do you think we can make it through?

This Year In Writing

One of my New Years Resolutions is to dramatically improve my writing before 2015 comes around. Over the course of last year, I’d lost touch with the writer in me. I failed NaNo for the first time since 2010.

I feel crude at my craft, out of practice. I think that I’d forgotten the fact that writing is something I do because I enjoy it. This year is all about falling in love with writing again.

So hopefully, as my writing progresses, this blog will find a little more focus. Which brings me to my next point..

Focus

WHAT HAS EVEN GONE ON IN 2013? My posts were crap, guys. That was awful. This year in blogging is meant to sharpen and define my writing, as well as bring a little bit more structure to this poor blog.

So there we have it. Writerly resolutions.

Finally, I want to thank Liam for being my personal reminder system and sticking with me all year. He’s bugged me and bugged me and bugged me about posting, and sometimes I would, and sometimes I wouldn’t. It’s probably been a frustrating year for him, but he’s stuck it out, and for that I’d like to say thank you.

I love you guys. I know this year will rock everyone’s socks and everything that you want to happen will happen and you’ll fall in love and become president and maybe even rule the world.

Anything’s possible.

~Feebee

Who Has Time for NaNoWriMo, Anyway?

I know what you’re thinking. It’s Novemeber!, you’re thinking. I want to do NaNoWriMo but I haven’t the time!, you’re thinking. I’m in debate and DECA and I have a million and one extracurriculars and I spend my weekends doing AP homework I don’t have time to write a novel!, you’re thinking.

(By you, I pretty much mean me, but I mean we can pretend we’re talking about you.)

Well, I have arisen from the dead to prove you wrong!

Times That You Could Be Writing But Are Instead Slacking Off

1. In The Morningtime. Do you really think you need that extra hour of sleep? Why wake up at 6:30 when you can wake up at 5:30 and get in at least 1k before your day even really begins?

2. In Between Classes. Stop pretending that you just have to talk to that cute boy in that 5 minutes of passing time! Get to your class, sit down, and write!

3. Lag Times in Clubs/Rehearsals. Not currently on stage? Not really doing anything productive in your club? Pull out that comp book and churn out those words.

4. In Between Homework Assignments. Because you know you like to take “mini” breaks that last half an hour, anyway.

5. Before Bed. Skip Twitter/texting/whatever and break in a couple hundred words instead.

There it is. Fee’s list of 5 times she can be writing but is instead slacking off. The moral of the story is, let’s all do NaNo together this month, even if some of us fail miserably and only manage 5k.

I love you.
~Feebee

In Which I Grant Liam My Teddy Bear

Obviously, it’s me, Coffee. I’ve entered into a half-raised state in order to explain the details of my death, attain justice, and grant Liam that teddy bear that he so desperately desires.

Firstly, the matter of my death.

‘Twas a cloudy Washington afternoon when I recieved notice that I would soon reach my peril. The signs were adamant; my AP classes’ homework was increasing, debate team had announced that we’d be meeting twice a week, and my DECA conference and first novice debate tournament were approaching at inhuman speeds. This was the afternoon in which I received my death-note in the form of a letter stating that I’d landed a leading role in the school play. Thus, the beginning of the end began (although, I suppose if I had to die, this really was the best way to go).

But lo and behold! Justice still remains unseen! Who is to blame for the murder of poor, innocent Coffee?

Unfortunately, it seems to be Coffee herself who brought about this shameful demise! How will justice be achieved?

I vote we all dance upon Coffee’s AP homework-littered grave.

As for matters of the will, her only prized possession, a teddy bear, has been left to Sir Liam, the Head Phil.

Coffee shall be sorely missed. May her social life rest in peace.

~Feebs

(p.s. In the play, I am Phoebe, so whenever anyone calls out “Phoebe!” I think “Feebee!” and that makes me think of Mells. I love you Mells.)

I Guess I’m Mesopotamia

My best friend made a new blog. It’s called Lastly and Least or something. She’s a bad blogger but she’s a great writer and an okay person. You probably remember her maybe. Go read her blog.

She is the Egypt to my Mesopotamia (although I think I should be Egypt because I look kinda like Cleopatra sometimes maybe I wish).

(Also I am a bit offended that I am Mesopotamia rather than Eygpt because Mesopotamia was way more male-dominated and they had a really grim outlook on afterlife and that was probably because they all had sucky lives.)

(Plus I’m Black so shouldn’t I be Eygpt?)

(Silly Sarah.)

In other news, I wanted to tell you a story.

Once upon a time there was a girl who was taking an upper-level math class. The upper-level math class’ teacher was really bad at explaining things and answering questions. This caused the girl to be really bad at doing the work. The girl ended up spending like an additional 50 million hours every day trying to learn the stuff on her own and now she spends so much time thinking about math that she can’t even begin to think about stuff that she wants to think about. The end.

That story totally wasn’t about me, by the way.

~C-c-c-coffee

An Adulthood Appreciation Post

My dearest, dearest friend Melly is officially an adult, and due to that fact, this post is dedicated to and in appreciation of her.

Things That People Can Do When They Become Adults

• Live in your own place, in which you can buy your own food (not gross stuff that your parents buy) and play video games all day without the silent judgement of your mother(s)/father(s)
• Throw wild Skype-parties in which you can Skype with friends overseas because if you’re anything like me, dear reader, you have no friends who aren’t met virtually.
• Watch weird TV shows/anime for days on end, once again without bearing the silent disapproval of parent-figures
• Be bossed around by college professors who can’t even remember your name
• Pay bills with money that you have to earn all by yourself
• Spend a million hours studying because their moms aren’t around to tell them “You need to take a break, if you keep studying your brain is explode.” (That’s how my mom gets me to stop studying lately, anyway)
• Introduce weird and potentially awkward dynamics into your personal relationships
• Be much more legally responsible and refrain from doing illegal things because you can now be officially tried as an adult
• Pay taxes
• Stay out until six in the morning doing god-knows-what and not have to explain yourself to anybody
• Finally decide what you want to spend the rest of your life doing, (and probably continue to un-make-up your mind and re-make-up your mind until you come across what you actually want)
• Cook for yourself, and perhaps finally learn the art of ordering take-out
• Lots of bad things
• Lots of good things
• Lots of stuff
• Seems like it’s just a lot of the same stuff we’ve been doing for years, huh?

Seriously, guys, don’t listen to me. I’m just a fifteen year old girl with glasses and big hair who thinks she’s cool because she takes three AP classes. I don’t even think my brain functions properly anymore unless I’m being tested on the lies in my World History textbook.

Don’t become an adult. I bet it sucks. I’m never going to grow up.

~Feebs

Oh, Hey.

Would you look at that. It’s been about a month.

Oops.

Considering I gave up junk food in place of blogging, I would constitute last month as a loss. (I did, however, manage to give up all forms of unhealthy food, just not pick up my replacement habit, so kind-of-yay Coffee!)

I hope it’s been a good month for you! It’s been a good month for me. Lots of self-study and stuff.

For those of you who don’t remember: this month is all about not sitting for more than 30 minutes at a time, and I’ve been doing well so far, despite insane amounts of homework from my advanced classes.

Speaking of which, don’t be surprised if I go MIA again for a while because AP World, AP English, Chemistry, and Advanced Algebra II with Trig and Pre-Calc are all on my schedule.

This :-) Workload :-) Might :-) Kill :-) Me :-)

In lighter news, I do have a couple of (read: one) blow-off classes and more library time, so with any luck (and apparently determination on my part because I suck at keeping commitments) I’ll be writing more and you, dear people who still put up with my blog, will be getting a bit more shorts/poetry and less of my ramblings and apologies for not posting! That would rock, wouldn’t it?

I will post again by next Saturday. Pinky swear. Cross my heart.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE. IN ALL CAPS.

~Feebee

The Year Of Living Without

OKAY SO. Remember when I told you guys I’m getting all capital-S Spiritually capital-E Enlightened and stuff? Well. I forgot to mention that there’s this amazing blog I read called Zen Habits, and for the course of the next 12 months, he’s going on a Year of Living Without.

Supposedly, it’ll make life a bit more simplistic, and allow you to come to realize what things you actually want/need in your life. Basically, it’s an experiment in minimalism.

I, myself, had decided to take up the challenge – because I do love a challenge.

THE YEAR OF LIVING WITHOUT

• August: Junk Food. I’d been planning on getting more in shape before school starts in September, so it’s the perfect time to cut out fatty foods, fast foods, and non-natural sugars. Replacement Habit: fruits, veggies
• September: sitting for longer than 30 minutes at a time. This one I totally stole from him. I do love to sit on my butt and scroll through Twitter or read blog posts. With this rule, I’ll be taking 15 minute breaks in which I’ll go do something else before returning to doing nothing. Replacement Habit: yoga, taking walks
• October: TV. I spend a lot of time watching Supernatural. A lot a lot. A LOT. Replacement Habit: read more
• November: Cell phone, iPod, etc. The amount of hours I spend refreshing my Twitter feed and texting is really just ridiculous. Replacement Habit: sketching, NaNoWriMo
• December: computer/Internet in the mornings. I plan to edit my NaNoNovel with a hard copy anyway, so it’ll be a healthy way to cut down the distractions. Replacement Habit: edit NaNoNovel
• January: tea and coffee. I know it’s healthy (tea at least) and junk, but sometimes I feel like I can’t live without it and it’s scary. Replacement Habit: good old-fashioned water.
• February: twitter. OH MY GOD THIS ONE WILL BE THE HARDEST. Replacement Habit: poetry, meditation
• March: Internet all day, except for posting writing. And limited Twitter time because I know I’ll be going through withdrawls because of February. Replacement Habit: reading, writing, meditation
• April: buying new things. I think it’s fitting, considering that this is a month in which I’ll actually have money. Replacement Habit: de-cluttering, giving away unnecessary items
• May: Non-homecooked food. I won’t eat anything that I haven’t made myself. Replacement Habit: cooking for myself and others.
  
• June: Computer. As in, none at all. As in, not even for writing, which I’ll have to do longhand. Replacement Habit: meditation, writing, disconnecting
• July: shoes. Not just physically, but also the philosophical lifestyle of being barefoot. [info: this post] Replacement Habit: embracing minimalism

Sorry it’s such a long post. Hope you suffered through it with me. I love you very much.

~Feebs

Happy August!

Fortunately for you, dear readers, I am alive.

I know, I know, it’s hard to believe since I’ve gone, what, five or so weeks without posting, but it’s true. I’m still kickin’.

A brief rundown of how my July went:

• Started Camp NaNo
• Hated everything about my novel and decided to scrap it and make it a collection of shorts
• Hated everything about my collection of shorts and decided to try my hand at stream-of-consciousness
• Hated everything about that. Decided to just compile a bunch of minis together and hope I made goal
• I actually did make goal – 51k WHOOT WHOOT – but it’s all just so awful I can’t even.
• I’m entering a phase where I feel Spiritually Enlightened, which is cool. Barefoot freedom and meditation and junk. It’s actually pretty helpful.
• I got into a minor car crash a few days ago and ugh my neck hurts so bad. Whiplash sucks, guys. Don’t get it ever.

Aaaaaaaaand that’s pretty much it. I know, I know, I should’ve posted since I wasn’t doing anything else.  Sorry. I was busy being Spiritually Enlightened or whatever.

HOW WERE YOU? DID YOU MISS ME? I MISSED YOU.

I’ll post again soon. I pinky promise. <3

~Feebs

Let’s Do Some Reading

Today, as you may or may not know, is the 23rd of June. It’s only the 23rd of June once a year, so let’s make it count, yes? Yes.

My summer officially started on the 19th, and so I figure it’s about time for Fee’s Summer Reading List (which is still open to suggestions, by the way, guys)!

Fee’s Summer Reading List (WHICH IS STILL OPEN TO SUGGESTIONS GIMME YOUR FAVORITE BOOKS GUYS)

In no particular order:

• The Autobiography of Malcolm X as told to Alex Haley. This is actually my current read, so I’m carrying it over into the Summer Reading. I’m almost done with it guys! I’ll probably write a review or something on it because it’s kind of life-changing.
• Bitch: In Praise of Difficult Women by Elizabeth Wurtzel
• Les Miserable by Victor Hugo
• Dear White America by Tim Wise
• Race Matters by Dr. Cornel West
• Black Like Me by John Griffin
• The New Jim Crowe by Michelle Alexander
• When You’d Gone by Maggie O’Ferrel, as recommended by Sarah Fish
• A Corner of White by Jacklyn Moriarty, as recommended by Sarah Fish
• The Mission by Jason Myers, as recommended by Sarah Fish
• Dead End by Jason Myers, as recommended by Sarah Fish
• Echo by Francesca Lia Block – who is an amazing writer by the way. If you haven’t read Dangerous Angels: The Weetzie Bat Books, please do. They’re beautiful and minimalistic and it’s amazing. This was also recommended by Sarah Fish.
• Roses and Bones: Myths, Tales and Secrets by Francesca Lia Block, as recommended by Sarah Fish. As you can tell, I read most of my books based upon what Sarah likes and recommends.
• The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas, as recommended by both Sir Liam the Head Phil and my father
• War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy, as recommended by Sir Liam
• Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy, which I’ve begun multiple times but still haven’t finished
• 1984 by George Orwell, as recommended by Ikey
• Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton, as recommended by Ikey
• The Skulduggery Pleasant Series by Derek Landy, as suggested by the beautiful Ms. Melly
• The Fault In Our Stars by John Green, as suggested by The Carpinator and everyone else that reads it
• The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. See above.
• Alex and the Ironic Gentleman by Adrienne Kress. See above’s above.
• American Gods by Neil Gaiman, as recommended by everyone I know and love, it seems.

Wow look at all those books I’ll probably only read like two of them. It happens.

ALSO CAMP NANOWRIMO JULY IS COMING UP. ARE YOU PARTICIPATING? The answer should be yes, you are.

Until next time.

Fee

The Vacation

He lifted the mug to his mouth with a sigh bordering on desperation. From somewhere behind him, he picked up on the familiar cadence of his infant’s soft footsteps padding down on the tiled floors of the kitchen. He took a sip from his morning coffee before setting it down and staring into it as he awaited the usual greeting.

He didn’t look at the woman across from him.

“Daddy?” came the three year old’s voice, now beside her father, chubby arms outstretched and grin broad. Her footy pajamas were bright yellow and her short blonde curls were a mess. Absently, he told himself that he’d have to fix it before he took her out for the day.

He forced a smile of his own in response to hers, reaching down to pick the girl up and placing a firm kiss on her forehead. “Hi baby,” he said, his voice just a little hoarse. He drank a long gulp of his coffee to soothe it.

She reached for the juice left for her and drank a long gulp before smiling across the table. “Hi momma.”

The woman didn’t answer. Instead, she stood up, pacing, dying to move but having no where to go.

Unbothered by her mother’s restlessness, the child took a piece of bacon from her father’s untouched plate and munched happily. It was a comfortable routine; the way that the girl had expected her mother to behave, the way she’d always behaved.

“I think I’m going to leave,” the woman announced. She said the words detachedly, but he knew her well- and her death-grip on the back of her chair told all.

She didn’t have to elaborate, he knew. He’d been expecting it, had prepared himself for it, had almost been praying for it, but he wouldn’t – couldn’t – look her in the eye. He stared past her and nodded in an offhand way.

“I know,” he said, his voice carefully masked to conceal his thoughts. “It’s probably for the best.”

“Where you goin’, momma?” the little girl asked, perking up at the thought of a drive. “Can I come?”

“Someplace new,” the mother said airily, smiling at her daughter; a tight smile with chapped lips, the only kind she’d been able to give recently. “Don’t you fret, baby girl. I’ll come back.”

“It’s probably better if you don’t,” the man said evenly. For the first time in weeks, he looked at her–really looked at her. He soaked in the crows feet and her lack of sleep. There was an unhappiness that weighed down her shoulders. Guilt showed from behind his eyes.  “Don’t come back, I mean.”

The smile she’d plastered on faltered just a bit. Her daughter sensed the change. Her lower lip trembled, but she didn’t quite know why she felt sad.

“You’re probably right,” she said, her voice feather-light. She cleared her throat and let go of the back of the chair. “You’re right.”

Thank you to Sir Liam and my Mells, for forcing me to post, and Sarah, La Stranezza, and Jess for helping me edit. 

A Love Letter

Dear WordPress followers,

You are a dream. Your eyes glow like the morning sun and your hair is, erm, glossy?

I’m bad at love letters.

I am good, however, at my Officer User Specialist class, of which I am in as we speak. Really, it’s just a glorified computer class with a fancy name. I have absolutely no work left to do in this class, as I’ve already finished all the regular assignments as well as an entirely DIFFERENT set of assignments that don’t even count for a grade – it’s just busywork, really.

My time has been consumed with studying for EOCs – End of Course exams, mind you. I have the first of two tomorrow – the geometry one. And the second (biology) is on the eleventh.

I am 65% sure that I’m going to fail the biology one. Mostly because I’ve just been teaching myself since my teacher is awful at her job and I hate her. But that’s beside the point.

I wrote a story for my dad last month. Will probably post it soon. Be on the l0okout. But for now, adieu.

~Feebs

Let Me Tell You Some Facts.

Some Facts.

• My hair was straight as a kid, but then progressively became curlier every year from fourth grade on.
• Being multiracial is one of the biggest blessings in life.
• I am currently writing you a story. If anyone would like to edit/give feedback prior to the posting of this story, just let me know. Seriously.
• When you are sad, there are a number of things to do to cheer yourself up. For example: watch Sumo wrestling. Watch Adventure Time. Listen to my favorite song. Draw a picture and e-mail it to me (coffeethewriter@gmail.com, by the way). Write me a story. DISTRACT YOURSELF.
• The same plant that makes chocolate also makes cocaine and heroin (I think. Don’t quote me on that, it might not be true).
• I want to learn Spanish.
• If anyone wants to teach me Spanish, I would be eternally grateful.
• I’ve been searching for the Spanish version of “Stars” from Les Mis and I can’t find it anywhere.
• I am reading the Autobiography of Malcolm X.
• My very close friend had absolutely no idea who Malcolm X was, and it made me very, very sad. I almost cried, I’m not going to lie. It was an awful experience.
• Recently, I’ve been watching a lot of Cornell West speeches and that man is absolutely wonderful. If you’re into any type of human rights activism, specifically African American Activism, and you haven’t looked into him, please do.
• Imam Shakir is an amazing speaker.
• I eat too much chocolate.

OKAY BYE

~Feebs

 

I Bite My Thumb At You, Sir.

This post is about – you guessed it – Romeo and Juliet. 

Shakespeare is, according to many literary nerds and people who’ve never even read any of his works, a genius. So they say, anyway. Others say he didn’t even really write his plays and yada yada, but I don’t really want to delve into that right now. 

I, myself, have never read any Shakespeare, nor seen any film based upon a Shakespearean script, but I do know the general story – two kids fall “in love”, they’re from opposing families who hate each other (not just in the you-TP’d-my-lawn type of neighbor hate, not just the you-purposely-ran-your-car-into-my-car type of neighbor hate, but the when-I-see-you-I’m-going-to-pull-out-my-sword-and-run-you-through type of neighbor hate), there’s some violence, they make some love, they kill themselves. 

WHAT.

WHAT.

WHAT TYPE OF SENSE DOES THAT MAKE.

Maybe I don’t understand because I have yet to read Shakespeare, or maybe I’m just not cultured enough. In any case, we’re beginning it as an in-class reading in my English class, so I suppose this post can be considered a preface. 

I will reaffirm or renounce this post when we finish. 

Until then, adieu. 

~Feebs

(P.S. I DIDN’T MAKE THE DANCE TEAM AT MY SCHOOL FEEL FREE TO CRY FOR ME.)